ActingLikeAKid
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Nov 16, 2015
- Messages
- 1,134
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- 16
Well done, congratulations !
Still not certified...launch scrubbed. But I didn't lose a rocket or suffer a CATO, so that's congratulations-worthy, I think
Well done, congratulations !
Just getting there and being ready is great.
Still not certified...launch scrubbed. But I didn't lose a rocket or suffer a CATO, so that's congratulations-worthy, I think
Just getting there and being ready is great.
Sorry to hear you didnt get to do the flight this week ..and sorry to jump in prematurely
If you miss a cert launch date due to inclement weather, you're required to sacrifice a live chicken to the rocket gods before your rescheduled cert flight. Make sure to add that to your checklist.
When are you rescheduled for?
1. I'm in Maine, can I substitute a lobster?
2. Saturday! Got a new LiPo in my Eggfinder Rx (so I don't have to buy a new set of AAs to ease that worry) and I've been reviewing the L2 questions to brush off any rust.
Go get it!
Yes. Add butter and a lemon wedge to your list.
Do you remember what (if anything) you removed from your rocket after the launch was scrubbed? Whatever it might be, make sure you get it back in there. Sometimes I take my chutes out and hang them in the garage. Or I undo a quicklink to separate two halves for transport.
Good luck!
Just think ... once you are at Level 2, you can build a HUGE rocket and launch it on a 98mm 2-grain. :y:
I've got something with a 58mm mount just itching to be built.... and after that (and some fun fliskits LPR kits that have been in the build pile for too long)
I've been eyeing the MAC Performance Rayzor. Maybe on Black Friday. Maybe I'll ask for it for Christmas.
Take your time moving up the ranks enjoy the journey.
Wow, how frustrating. Only thing I can say is, on a cert flight, make sure everything is optimal -- new battery, new rubberband, new harness, new chute. Anything can fail when it gets some age on it; chutes rip, harnesses fray, batteries test 8.9 V at the bench, then end up being 8.4 V at the pad, etc., etc.
But really, it is all about learning, and you are doing that. Next time's the charm.
I hear your pain, and have a similar story! I tried to fly my L2 cert last month, and since I was going to use a J350 for the flight, I had to burn the I600 I already had loaded in my 720 case first. I loaded the bird on the pad for the shakedown flight, and then just seconds before launch, the nosecone ejected... I recycled, and found that my backup altimeter blew the backup main charge. After replacing the charge, and repacking the main, I placed the rocket back on the pad 45 minutes later, only to have the same thing happen as I was walking back to the LCO table. At that point I pretty much decided to scrub for the day and troubleshoot.
Plenty of ground testing later, I have not been able to find a problem, but I replaced the RRC2 that I had as the backup with a Perfectflite SL. Now it is looking like the launch next week might get rained out, which will delay my L2 attempt until May at the earliest for me.
Looks like you tried to pack too much into your short day. I did my exam one day, shakedown flight another day, and finally the cert flight on a third launch day. The Journey.
The person who issues the test, inspects your rocket, and signs off on the cert flight is often a high profile person in the club, or perhaps a vendor. These guys are usually very busy and occupied with other matters (or shooting the bull!). Need to plan for their time.
Your shakedown motor was not much less than your planned cert motor. I like a shakedown flight to be about 1500 ft, so I can see everything.
As mentioned, all your electronic gizmos - Eggfinder, camera, Chute Release, A3, Estes altimeter - require a lot of fiddling. Ditch 3 or 4 of those things for the cert flight to keep it simple. Personally, I think traditional, 2 tube dual deploy is more reliable than a chute bundle of some sort. A flopping burrito often comes undone, or not undone, when you least expect it.
Sounds like you identified all the issues, so the next flight will go nicely!
Wow, how frustrating. Only thing I can say is, on a cert flight, make sure everything is optimal -- new battery, new rubberband, new harness, new chute. Anything can fail when it gets some age on it; chutes rip, harnesses fray, batteries test 8.9 V at the bench, then end up being 8.4 V at the pad, etc., etc.
But really, it is all about learning, and you are doing that. Next time's the charm.
I don't agree with all that. If your old chute and harnesses are in good condition then use them for your cert flight. If they are in bad shape then replace them whether it's a cert flight or not. I'm not going to be buying another $400 chute for my L3 flight when my old one is perfectly good. And I keep using 9V batteries as long as they keep testing at at least 9.0V.
Agreed. I think it's 100% important to CHECK the harnesses and chute(s) before a launch. But just saying "welp, that chute's seen a couple of flights so it's gone" is silly. If you have obvious physical damage that can't be repaired, then yeah, by all means, replace. For a cert flight, I'll definitely start with a new rubber band and either freshly-charged LiPos or brand-new batteries - I have enough stuff that uses 9v batteries that I can retire something from "rocket" status to "electronic toy/garage door opener/stud finder" usage where if it starts to fail I can replace it. I swapped my Eggfinder receiver from AA to LiPo so that I can charge it and not have to buy fresh AAs for every launch.
Agreed. I shouldn't have said "new." What I meant was, if something looks doubtful, replace it. But something cheap like a rubberband? Totally not worth the risk. Likewise, why risk a $1000 rocket for the sake of trying to get one last flight out of a 9V battery that is reading 8.9V? And no, I'm not saying get a new chute for every flight. God knows, I am the ultimate cheapskate. But if it's a cert flight, try to avoid thoughts like, "That burn hole isn't that bad ...."
I actually remember prepping the rocket and thinking "OK, that rubber band looks fine" and moving on with the next thing. A moment's further reflection and I would have thought "Hey, REPLACE THAT RUBBER BAND, dummy." Chalking it up to Launch Fever.
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