My LDRS34 L2

I thought I would share my L2 experience with everyone. I set 3 goals for my L2, to break Mach, to break 15,000’, and of course to successfully recover my rocket and earn my L2. I am thrilled to say that I succeeded in accomplishing all of them.

I arrived @ 08:30 Thursday morning and tried to get my rocket prepped and launched before the weather rolled in, but unfortunately I just had too much to do. Riley Keller (AKA RKeller) was two spots over from me and was planning a very similar launch for his L2. Fortunately for Riley he got his rocket off before the cloud cover rolled in and also had a successful L2, so big congrats to him.

Friday I arrived again @ 08:30, this time the rocket was pretty much ready to go, however due to delays outside my control it was 13:30 by the time I had my launch window.

The rocket is named Static Discharge, a 54mm minimum diameter carbon fiber Madcow Tomach and my motor of choice was a Loki K-350 moonburner. This is an interesting motor as it has a 6.4 second burn time and I got all of it. I most definitely plan on flying that motor again and wish it was more popular as it is spectacular to watch.

According to the data from my dual StratoLoggers, I hit an averaged 15,960’ AGL. My TeleGPS shows an elevation gain of 16,600' so I am not sure which to believe; I would like someones interpretation on that as I am not sure how to read it, see the last picture. My simulations put the 10.5lb rocket @ 17,400. Maximum velocity was Mach 1.28, which both altimeters recorded @ 6.2 seconds and this time is remarkably close to the 6.4 second estimated burn time.

Due to all of the hazards, I was anxious about retrieving the rocket, but as it turned out the rocket gods were on my side. I had the last know GPS coordinates (Lat N 42° 42.605832, Long W 77° 10.217712) from the TeleGPS, which were recorded about 250’ AGL. After a quick conversion I input the coordinates into my car GPS and drove out around the North end of the field, across the bridge and there it was all laid out nice and neatly fully extended right between the road and the edge of the farmer’s field. It was laying there without a scratch or even any mud on it. I took the obligatory pic of me smiling ear-to-ear kneeling beside the rocket, packed it up and drove back. Measuring the distance from point to point in Google Earth, it landed 2.2 kilometres or 1.36 miles, for my US friends, from the launch pad.

Here View attachment 266765 View attachment 266766 are the the data logs from the altimeters which is interesting to look at as you can clearly see the Mach transition effect on the barometric sensor. As you will notice, as the rocket approaches 1100 f/s the speed drops off a few hundred feet then right back up to the max velocity, this is consistent between both altimeters. The decent rate is aggressive but planned due to the high at flight and came in around 100 feet/s on drogue. The main slowed it down to 25 feet/s which is also a bit aggressive but being a carbon fiber rocket without any paint to scratch I felt it would be prudent to get it down to terra firma as fast as possible.

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Congrats! And awesome photos

Wow! Most excellent. :horse:

Knew I had them! Clock on my camera was an hour off. No idea why they didn't make the edit to the upload however. That's odd.

You are the man Michael...
That was a level 2 cert flight ???
Unbelievable...
What an insane smokin flight..
A great congrats to you my friend...
That is truly an accomplishment...
Yours and Riley's flight absolutely take the cake...
The most insane cert flights I've ever heard of..

Teddy

Congrats on your L2!
Impressive photos

Kyle, John, Teddy and Brent, thank you for the congrats. Honestly it is a relief to get it done with such a risky cert flight. I was confident in the up part as well as my recovery choices. My biggest concern was if the Comspec AT-2B and Altus Metrum trackers, located back-to-back on a G10 sled in the nosecone, would place nice with one another. Even though the manufactures said they should be okay and some very preliminary ground testing indicated they would be okay, there is nothing like a flight to 16K to prove it out. So my biggest relief was when I drove up and saw it right at the coordinates of where it was last reported.

As for Dave, you da man! I thought you snapped some pics, so when you originally said you didn't get any I was surprised. Thank you very much Dave. I see the first one is literally a couple of inches off the tower stop, still in the tower, poking it's tip just out and it looks like the motor is really ramping up.

Very nice Michael.:clap: GPS tracking is really something isn't it. Since you've demonstrated the use of all that technology successfully, up the rocket diameter a bit, switch to an M and you'll be L3. You say "risky" but I disagree.:no: It sounds like to me you minimized the risk as much as possible especially with the ground testing you did. It was a setup for fufillment.:grin: Best regards, Kurt

Awesome.

ksaves2 said:

Very nice Michael.:clap: GPS tracking is really something isn't it. Since you've demonstrated the use of all that technology successfully, up the rocket diameter a bit, switch to an M and you'll be L3. You say "risky" but I disagree.:no: It sounds like to me you minimized the risk as much as possible especially with the ground testing you did. It was a setup for fufillment.:grin: Best regards, Kurt

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Hi Kurt,

Thanks for the congrats. To say I put some effort into ensuring this would result in a success, would be an understatement for most. However as limited as my experience is at this point, only being back into the hobby for just under 3 years, there is something to be said about "$#!@ happens" as I have witnessed it now quite a few times. But I do hear you in that research, preparation, and testing helps to eliminate the majority of issues.

As for GPS for rocketry, I am sure it will not work this well every time, which is why I had my tried and true AT-2B as a backup, but if it does, then recovery is almost an embarrassing easy task. Of course now that I said that I will likely find some water to bath my rocket on the next launch.

I do like where you are going with the L3 Kurt. I am putting a lot of consideration into building a scratch carbon fiber 98mm min diameter, going to Balls and sticking an "Oh" into it...heck everyone does an "M" for their L3 :wink:

I was dying trying to circle around a flag on my phone's overhead map. Couldn't find anything of my rocket. Then I found this screen on my GPS software. I could wrap my head in a box and walk right into my rocket with this.... As you said, as long as it doesn't take a bath....

DizWolf said:

I was dying trying to circle around a flag on my phone's overhead map. Couldn't find anything of my rocket. Then I found this screen on my GPS software. I could wrap my head in a box and walk right into my rocket with this.... As you said, as long as it doesn't take a bath....

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Thanks Dave, I will check that one out, assuming it's available for Android. I have several apps on my phone, such as Bluetooth GPS, Rocket Locator and AltosDroid but didn't use them this time.

The only two issues I had with the GPS were, because I was in such a hurry once I got back to the flight line, I fired up the the Altus Metrum application on my Mac but it would not display the map and I didn't have time to troubleshoot it. This was a bit disorientating for me to track the rocket, however there is one thing I forgot to mention about my cert flight. Because they literally stopped the launch for me to get back out to the pad and turn everything on and load the igniter, I had two helpers, Greg young and Gerald "Skippy" Meux, Jr. For those who do not know Gerald, he is undoubtedly one of the kings of high alt min diameter flights, and it was his amazing YouTube videos that got me into min diameter in the first place. When I got back to the flight line Gerald was also kind enough to grab my high power Comspec receiver, while I held the Yagi, and truth be told I just pointed the antenna in the same direction as him ...big thanks to Gerald.

BTW Gerald is one of the nicest and helpful fliers I have met in the hobby...not to say the hobby isn't full of helpful and nice fliers but he is definitely that!

The second issue I had was that the TeleGPS outputs in decimal degrees, whereas my car GPS was degrees/mins/seconds, so I had to do a quick and rough conversion. Ideally all the technologies should output in the same format so this is something I will correct going forward, that and some more practice with the applications to get a better handle on what works best with what.

Maybe you'll have to cough up the $2400.00 for Kate. :wink:

Bat-mite said:

Maybe you'll have to cough up the $2400.00 for Kate. :wink:

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One step ahead of you. I already have an on-going conversation with Vern. He is another example of one of the names in rocketry that I had the opportunity to meet and speak with for some time at LDRS, heck of a nice guy. For that flight Kate would definitely be on board, truthfully I have a bit of a crush on Kate :blush: she kinda has a sexy voice for a synth.

Michael,,
I have an app in my android phone that I use with the Eggfinder..
It's called "GPS Waypoints Navigator"...
One of the screens is similar to the one Dave M posted...
Works great..

Teddy

That was an awesome cert flight and a beautiful rocket! nothing sexier than minimum diameter carbon fiber! (at least in rocketry) I had a great time hanging out with you and discussing our flight plans and then successful flights. man, that feeling driving around the corner of a field and seeing my chute laying on the ground, what a rush!

Congrads Michael,

To accomplish all of that in a day that had alot of surprises and delays shows you were on the mark! I remember that morning as I looked over at your work station you said "just stay focused Glenn". You obviously were able to maintain that mindset for the course of the day. Not an easy thing to do when time is of the essence.

Good job my friend.

mpitfield said:

The second issue I had was that the TeleGPS outputs in decimal degrees, whereas my car GPS was degrees/mins/seconds, so I had to do a quick and rough conversion. Ideally all the technologies should output in the same format so this is something I will correct going forward, that and some more practice with the applications to get a better handle on what works best with what.

Click to expand...

App is called MotionX GPS. It's a hiking app but pretty flexible. Inputs are however you like -

Congratulations on your L2 flight. I really enjoyed your comments about "Skippy". He has been an inspiration for me as well. My L2 was also a 54mm MD rocket, made from fiberglass, so nothing like your flight. Skippy has helped me launch and recover it at the ROC launch in Lucerne dry lake, where next years LDRS will be. Almost destroyed his minivan driving through the ditches there. He always looks me up when we are at launches together. I'm easy to find, my flagpole is taller than his is, and it has an AZ state flag flying. Amazing where you might find that guy, CA to NY and anywhere there is a rocket launch.

mpitfield said:

Hi Kurt,

I am putting a lot of consideration into building a scratch carbon fiber 98mm min diameter, going to Balls and sticking an "Oh" into it...heck everyone does an "M" for their L3

Click to expand...

Excellent flight! I went to around 9K on my L2 and I seldom hear about ones that are higher. To go to 16K on a cert flight is quite an accomplishment. The first time I launched a 54mm on a big K/small L motor, I thought I was out of my mind. And that was in wide-open Wayside Texas. To do that where you did it is, well, a tad aggressive?

Don't let Skippy talk you into an "O" for and L3 flight. There are plenty of nice "N" motors!

Jim

That was a great flight and pretty rocket, if I remember you had estimated 18K and waited for that window - when it ignited it was really cool to watch , even my wife said "JJEEEEZZZ!!"

Wingarcher said:

Awesome.

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Hey Nat, thanks. You were gracious enough to accommodate all my low tech 3D drawing requests to put a lot of this together including modifying my launch tower last min so I thank you big time.

onebadhawk said:

Michael,,
I have an app in my android phone that I use with the Eggfinder..
It's called "GPS Waypoints Navigator"...
One of the screens is similar to the one Dave M posted...
Works great..

Teddy

Click to expand...

Thanks Teddy I will look into that one as well.

RKeller said:

That was an awesome cert flight and a beautiful rocket! nothing sexier than minimum diameter carbon fiber! (at least in rocketry) I had a great time hanging out with you and discussing our flight plans and then successful flights. man, that feeling driving around the corner of a field and seeing my chute laying on the ground, what a rush!

Click to expand...

Lol Riley to find another rocketeer having the same mindset as me, parked one spot over at such a large event and also succeed, was fantastic.

glenbo said:

Congrads Michael,

To accomplish all of that in a day that had alot of surprises and delays shows you were on the mark! I remember that morning as I looked over at your work station you said "just stay focused Glenn". You obviously were able to maintain that mindset for the course of the day. Not an easy thing to do when time is of the essence.

Good job my friend.

Click to expand...

Thanks Glenn, it's always easier to dole out advise than take it. Having so many NAPAS club members there to share it with was a treat. I am super happy for you in earning your L3 and needless to say impressed on how tenacious you were in getting your rocket back. The on-board video was fantastic.

DizWolf said:

App is called MotionX GPS. It's a hiking app but pretty flexible. Inputs are however you like -

Click to expand...

Cool I will check that one out as well Dave, thanks.

Wayco said:

Congratulations on your L2 flight. I really enjoyed your comments about "Skippy". He has been an inspiration for me as well. My L2 was also a 54mm MD rocket, made from fiberglass, so nothing like your flight. Skippy has helped me launch and recover it at the ROC launch in Lucerne dry lake, where next years LDRS will be. Almost destroyed his minivan driving through the ditches there. He always looks me up when we are at launches together. I'm easy to find, my flagpole is taller than his is, and it has an AZ state flag flying. Amazing where you might find that guy, CA to NY and anywhere there is a rocket launch.

Click to expand...

Yes Skippy seems passionate about the hobby and to have him at your launches as well as a mentor would be a treat.

JimJarvis50 said:

Excellent flight! I went to around 9K on my L2 and I seldom hear about ones that are higher. To go to 16K on a cert flight is quite an accomplishment. The first time I launched a 54mm on a big K/small L motor, I thought I was out of my mind. And that was in wide-open Wayside Texas. To do that where you did it is, well, a tad aggressive?

Don't let Skippy talk you into an "O" for and L3 flight. There are plenty of nice "N" motors!

Jim

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Thanks Jim, I appreciate your well wishes and acknowledge your comment about being a tad aggressive. That is why I was surprised to meet Riley, literally 1 space over and pretty much doing the same thing. I guess you could say we both rolled the dice and it paid, this time around. My thoughts are it's only a cert attempt and I love the thrill of pushing things and having fun with it.

As for launching on an O vs. N, well it’s way too early for me to make those decisions. I am likely going to enjoy the wide variety of motor choices I now have with my L2 for a bit, then get a bit more serious. Too bad you could not use active stabilization and staging on the cert flight!

Having said that I am likely to push the envelope on my L3 and I have always felt that the wide open space of Black Rock would make a great venue.