DARS Launches - Dallas Area Rocket Society

PokerJones said:

It was a great day for flying Saturday, unfortunately we had a very low turnout with only a few HP flights. Some good news that came out of the launch is that the new manager at the drag strip is very friendly towards our activities. We also happen to meet the man who leases the back half of the airport and got his permission to fly there. So we have the whole field available to us again for high power.

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Cl(VII) said:

That is really good news. What is the current thinking on altitude at Prarie Hill with this land in the equation?

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Just want to be clear about what you mean by back half.

Correct ?


I'm hopeful we can get the TNT and Hotrocs folks out there. With favorable weather and landowner cooperation we can get close to Marlin's waivers.

samb said:

Just want to be clear about what you mean by back half.

View attachment 313324 Correct ?


I'm hopeful we can get the TNT and Hotrocs folks out there. With favorable weather and landowner cooperation we can get close to Marlin's waivers.

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Yes Sam, that is the back area on the map I was talking about, we have the whole field now. I am also hoping to get Hotrocs and TNT down there for a launch, I'll be having those conversation later today.

PokerJones said:

Yes Sam, that is the back area on the map I was talking about, we have the whole field now. I am also hoping to get Hotrocs and TNT down there for a launch, I'll be having those conversation later today.

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Ok, good. I wonder if we can find a standing date that doesn't overlap the drag racing schedule ?

samb said:

Ok, good. I wonder if we can find a standing date that doesn't overlap the drag racing schedule ?

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Unfortunately it looks like the drag race guys are more intense than us mere rocket folks. From their Facebook page, "We got events scheduled every weekend and all year long and no kurfew so we will race till daylight if need be." Sounds like they start late afternoon which is good though.

Hope you guys enjoy all the rocket activity. Take lots of pictures for me. I'm going to be mostly out of pocket the next few months. A new job has me traveling to Japan on a regular basis. I got back from my first trip this past Saturday morning, and had in spite of my best efforts, the time change (15 hours!) caught up to me and I ended up having to take a nap during the meeting.

Anything interesting from the meeting? I was in my now usual spot, at a pool...Rockwall's this time.

Cl(VII) said:

Anything interesting from the meeting? I was in my now usual spot, at a pool...Rockwall's this time.

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Samb sat on the end of a table and it collapsed, does that count?

Incongruent said:

Samb sat on the end of a table and it collapsed, does that count?

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No, definitely doesn't count ! The most interesting thing was me inadvertently revealing my years of training with the League of Shadows which allowed me to gracefully avoid injury. I thought I successfully wiped everyone's mind clean of the incident. Watch yourself kid ! :wink:

AlfaBrewer said:

Hope you guys enjoy all the rocket activity. Take lots of pictures for me. I'm going to be mostly out of pocket the next few months. A new job has me traveling to Japan on a regular basis. I got back from my first trip this past Saturday morning, and had in spite of my best efforts, the time change (15 hours!) caught up to me and I ended up having to take a nap during the meeting.

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Well as reasons go to miss a launch or two that sounds pretty awesome. I know work is work but work in exotic places is just a little cooler I think. Take lots of pcitures for us.

Cl(VII) said:

Anything interesting from the meeting? I was in my now usual spot, at a pool...Rockwall's this time.

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We talked about getting more folks out to Prairie Hill, the web site, Pokers cluster motor mount (in progress - 98mm? surrounded by six 38mm) and Gunter on 3/18, Praire Hill 3/25.

samb said:

We talked about getting more folks out to Prairie Hill, the web site, Pokers cluster motor mount (in progress - 98mm? surrounded by six 38mm) and Gunter on 3/18, Praire Hill 3/25.

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Thanks for the update, and yipes that is a lot of clustered fiery goodness. After next weekend I think we have a break in the swim meet calendar for awhile, so hopefully we can make one of those launches at least.

samb said:

We talked about getting more folks out to Prairie Hill, the web site, Pokers cluster motor mount (in progress - 98mm? surrounded by six 38mm) and Gunter on 3/18, Praire Hill 3/25.

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75 mm central mount.

Yes it is a central 75mm with 6 38mm outboard motors. I was looking for something fun to fly at Airfest this year. I bought the 7.5" body tube and nosecone from the stash and designed this with 6 fins and the cluster. It has 1/2" aluminum tubes running from the av bay to the aft CR for air starts, although I don't have any planned right now I may do a build thread on this soon.

Very nice. You cut the centering rings yourself?

PokerJones said:

Yes it is a central 75mm with 6 38mm outboard motors. I was looking for something fun to fly at Airfest this year. I bought the 7.5" body tube and nosecone from the stash and designed this with 6 fins and the cluster. It has 1/2" aluminum tubes running from the av bay to the aft CR for air starts, although I don't have any planned right now I may do a build thread on this soon.

View attachment 313860View attachment 313861View attachment 313862

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I can't wait for Airfest.

Cl(VII) said:

I can't wait for Airfest.

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You better get busy on that V-2...you only have 6 months left

pyrobob said:

Very nice. You cut the centering rings yourself?

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I had Jason at LOC cut them for me. I did not feel like botching up a bunch of 7.5" rings and his were reasonably priced.

PokerJones said:

...
View attachment 313860View attachment 313861View attachment 313862

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A flippin' big hole surrounded by 6 less flippin' big holes. :grin:

Going for kind of a 6 finned Bruiser type look?

Cool

PokerJones said:

Yes it is a central 75mm with 6 38mm outboard motors. I was looking for something fun to fly at Airfest this year. I bought the 7.5" body tube and nosecone from the stash and designed this with 6 fins and the cluster. It has 1/2" aluminum tubes running from the av bay to the aft CR for air starts, although I don't have any planned right now I may do a build thread on this soon.

View attachment 313860View attachment 313861View attachment 313862

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That looks like fun. I'm planning on going to Airfest again, but we'll see if life cooperates.

pyrobob said:

Going for kind of a 6 finned Bruiser type look?

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Not really a Bruiser look, this is actually going to be pretty short at 72". I have it designed for single deployment right now (maybe a drogue & CR) but that may change.

grouch said:

Cool

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Where have you been Grouch? We have had a few launches lately you know :wink:

AlfaBrewer said:

That looks like fun. I'm planning on going to Airfest again, but we'll see if life cooperates.

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I was starting to wonder about you Chuck, I even asked if anyone had heard from you at the meeting. New job sounds like fun traveling to Japan, but what do I know. Hope you like it and can make your way to Airfest again this year.

PokerJones said:

You better get busy on that V-2...you only have 6 months left

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Cautiously optimistic, I need to finish it before my 3D printer arrives as that is surely going to distract me. Mercifully the swim meet schedule will slow down after next weekend. Did you know there was a TX state championship meet (TAGS) that included a 10 and under division? Neither did I until the boy qualified last weekend...thank god it is in Lewisville this year.

AlfaBrewer said:

That looks like fun. I'm planning on going to Airfest again, but we'll see if life cooperates.

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I like how just 6 months ago we were saying how awesome it was, but we probably weren't going to go back every year. That lasted what, about as long as it took to wash the field off the rockets?

Cl(VII) said:

I like how just 6 months ago we were saying how awesome it was, but we probably weren't going to go back every year. That lasted what, about as long as it took to wash the field off the rockets?

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Well, when you haven't been able to get to any rocket activities for 3 months, and the next 3 are looking doubtful, a trip to Kansas looks quite inviting.

I'm off to Japan again this morning, return next Saturday, then turn around and do it again on the 24th. Rinse and repeat for April and likely May. Hopefully June and July are a little less hectic.

The hardest thing about a trip to Japan is the drastic time change. I leave here on a Friday morning, and land there on Saturday afternoon after a 13 hour flight. The return flight leaves there Saturday morning, and lands here a couple of hours earlier the same day.

AlfaBrewer said:

Well, when you haven't been able to get to any rocket activities for 3 months, and the next 3 are looking doubtful, a trip to Kansas looks quite inviting.

I'm off to Japan again this morning, return next Saturday, then turn around and do it again on the 24th. Rinse and repeat for April and likely May. Hopefully June and July are a little less hectic.

The hardest thing about a trip to Japan is the drastic time change. I leave here on a Friday morning, and land there on Saturday afternoon after a 13 hour flight. The return flight leaves there Saturday morning, and lands here a couple of hours earlier the same day.

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Good luck, Chuck. That does sound like a pretty brutal schedule, interesting trip(s), but brutal. Are you in the same location each time, or are you getting to see the country?

Same locations each trip. I spend a day in Tokyo to adjust to the time change, then head north to the client site. Best part is the ride on the bullet train. Per my GPS, we've hit 200mph a couple of times.

AlfaBrewer said:

Same locations each trip. I spend a day in Tokyo to adjust to the time change, then head north to the client site. Best part is the ride on the bullet train. Per my GPS, we've hit 200mph a couple of times.

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That's cool.

AlfaBrewer said:

Same locations each trip. I spend a day in Tokyo to adjust to the time change, then head north to the client site. Best part is the ride on the bullet train. Per my GPS, we've hit 200mph a couple of times.

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I would hope "ate myself stupid on sushi and sake" is part of the routine too. Oh for the love of Unagi.