:sigh:
I did manage to get this bird on the pad today. When I got there, I was able to hook up a shock chord, and after visiting an onsite vendor (Performance Hobbies) and picking up a pack of E12 motors and an 18" thin-mil chute, I got it ready to fly. Attached up my chute, placed my JL Altimeter2 in the nose bay, clipped up the Chute Release, did my checks, put the motor in, etc.
Got a lot of attention bringing it out to the pad, both to the unique design and due to the fact the fact that I was flying something unpainted. People did generally think that it was a neat design. Anyway, I swapped on my 4' CF 3/16" launch rod to gDet another foot of guidance, LCO calls out about being heads up, 3...2...1... CATO!!!
Doht! Frickin' Estes E12 motors! Actually, this was the first cato I've had since I got back into the hobby, so I guess it was due. Not happy though.
OTOH, the damage was minor. The shock chord broke, so the forward body got launched, but came down from about 15' under parachute. The lower part never left the pad. I think I've got a partial photo, as I had already started tracking upward when I saw the motor light, so there's a shot that shows part of the event. Anyway, I cut off the remains of the elastic chord, tied on a kevlar one, and after cleaning out heavy carbon sputz out of the body tube, got it back in order.
The process was repeated, this time with a D12-3 from known good pack, and it went back on the pad. In my hurry, though, I forgot to turn the CR on after checking the release. So, it flew - not particularly well - but it flew to about 260', according to the altimeter. When it deployed, it dropped fairly flat due to large wing area, so even without the chute open, it landed fairly soft. It did pop a fin, but it was quickly fixed. The flight itself was best described as serpentine, it did lazy "S"-turns all the way up. I'm not sure if that's a factor of stability or just fin alignment. But it flew, it was recovered, now it can be painted. So, I think that qualifies... :confused2:
I don't know, but that's enough for tonight. I'm exhausted...