Personal Launch Report - LUNAR December High Power Launch - Snow Ranch

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robbdm

Rocketry Tourist
Joined
Dec 14, 2010
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Location
Northern California, USA
Late fall day in Northern California. Overcast turned in blue skies then clouded over again. Snow Ranch is starting to green up after recent rain.

First High Power Launch of the season.

l3.jpg l2.jpg l1.jpg l4.jpg

My launches, three launches this weekend, flew the two stage Double Shot again.

ll1.jpg ll2.jpg ll3.jpg

Video of our Launches:

[YOUTUBE]_PKX_NsWaTo[/YOUTUBE]
 
It was my first time there, and it was great!

The only disappointment: no Christmas piñata for old geezers like myself, LOL!
 
It was my first time there, and it was great!

The only disappointment: no Christmas piñata for old geezers like myself, LOL!

I though I missed that while recovery my two stage... was out walking for ~2 miles... walk about started ~noon and got back ~2 PM... thought I missed the candy....
 
Nice video. It was a really fun day. I'm hoping some members got better photos of a few of my launches than I did. I was using my phone's camera for the first time, and I'm not very impressed with the photos I took.
 
Nice video. It was a really fun day. I'm hoping some members got better photos of a few of my launches than I did. I was using my phone's camera for the first time, and I'm not very impressed with the photos I took.

That reminds me... if any one caught my Double Shot staging or whole flight, please post the video.... Thanks
 
That reminds me... if any one caught my Double Shot staging or whole flight, please post the video.... Thanks
I thought I had one but I was wrong. Had a blast out there and will definitely have the punisher for my L1 and a few others next time.
 
I got pretty decent video of the lift-off, staging and first part of the booster descent. I have a few more pictures/videos in my album to process this evening so I probably won't have it uploaded until tomorrow. Beautiful flight as always, sounds like recovery was a bear though?

Seeing your Double Shot fly makes me want one, you didn't do a build thread for it, did you? I'd like to check out the interstage coupler sometime, I can't make the January SR and the SARG ceiling is too low for me, but I should be around for the next TCC launch or February SR. Also curious, do you fire a charge for the interstage or just rely on the sustainer ignition for separation? I couldn't see any delay on my video so it looked like the latter to me.
 
I got pretty decent video of the lift-off, staging and first part of the booster descent. I have a few more pictures/videos in my album to process this evening so I probably won't have it uploaded until tomorrow. Beautiful flight as always, sounds like recovery was a bear though?

Relatively calm day at ground level, must have been winds higher up that move recoveries west.


Seeing your Double Shot fly makes me want one, you didn't do a build thread for it, did you? I'd like to check out the interstage coupler sometime, I can't make the January SR and the SARG ceiling is too low for me, but I should be around for the next TCC launch or February SR. Also curious, do you fire a charge for the interstage or just rely on the sustainer ignition for separation? I couldn't see any delay on my video so it looked like the latter to me.

Sorry didn't do a build thread. I build quickly and always worried that I'll get epoxy all over my camera. But the techniques I used are those in Wildman Two stage instructions https://www.wildmanrocketry.com/Instructions/2%20stage%20final.pdf and numerous two stage builds on the forum. Read carefully and plan before starting.

Double Shot is nice being larger to work with but not that large to require M's to move, big enough to allow trackers.

Take look at Widman's two stage kits, I have a Wildman Jr two stage same techniques, just less room for trackers, etc.

Drag seperation is the plan but sometimes if a coupler sticks or ignition wire jams coupler, the 2nd stage motor ignition will push it off. I think if you watch you'll notice at staging the 2nd stage move off at slight angle, I take this as separation before ignition, but might be wrong.

The 1st stage motor burn out in just under second, I use XAVIEN XSSET-1 set to ignite 1 sec after G-switch trips at launch. I use Blue Thunder motors, they are quick and easy igniters. I use 2 seconds with my Wildman Jr to give a nice coast, crowd pleaser as they gasp, will it ignite or not... but with recent events I think not good time for long coast times.

I'll try bring the rocket to next LUNAR launch.
 
The 1st stage motor burn out in just under second, I use XAVIEN XSSET-1 set to ignite 1 sec after G-switch trips at launch. I use Blue Thunder motors, they are quick and easy igniters. I use 2 seconds with my Wildman Jr to give a nice coast, crowd pleaser as they gasp, will it ignite or not... but with recent events I think not good time for long coast times.

I was going to say, chatting with another viewer at the launch, the coasting before the second stage ignition was beautiful. We were commenting that, with the low-power BP motors, the first stage flight is so brief; with your Double Shot, you got to really see and enjoy the initial boost, a nice coast phase, and then the second stage ignition.
 
I was going to say, chatting with another viewer at the launch, the coasting before the second stage ignition was beautiful. We were commenting that, with the low-power BP motors, the first stage flight is so brief; with your Double Shot, you got to really see and enjoy the initial boost, a nice coast phase, and then the second stage ignition.

I agree. The coast and then the air started second stage adds a lot of drama and looks very cool.
 
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