My daughter and I built an Estes Saturn V over the winter and we have been champing at the bit to launch it. I finally got all the requisite equipment a few weeks ago (i.e. pro series launch pad, launch controller, engines, etc.). We finally got some great weather here in New England, gathered a few of her friends and went off to the local high school. Long story short, the rocket never left the pad. In fact, it ended up burning a hole in the launch plate, and lit the rocket on fire.
I've been launching rockets since the 70s and never had such a spectacular CATO (having an audience wasn't fun either; well maybe it was! We saved the Saturn V for the last launch of the day, so at least we had six successful launches of other rockets before the CATO)
Does anyone have any experience/knowledge of an Estes Saturn V CATO where it never leaves the pad? We used the recommended first engine E12-4.
I DO have one suspicion of root cause. But I would like to hold that card in my back pocket so I don't taint the "investigation."
There is video too; will post it to YouTube if there is interest...
Thanks for any feedback!
JP Hare in New England
I've been launching rockets since the 70s and never had such a spectacular CATO (having an audience wasn't fun either; well maybe it was! We saved the Saturn V for the last launch of the day, so at least we had six successful launches of other rockets before the CATO)
Does anyone have any experience/knowledge of an Estes Saturn V CATO where it never leaves the pad? We used the recommended first engine E12-4.
I DO have one suspicion of root cause. But I would like to hold that card in my back pocket so I don't taint the "investigation."
There is video too; will post it to YouTube if there is interest...
Thanks for any feedback!
JP Hare in New England