The TV folks have taught me a thing or two. I figured that my viewing public wouldnt mind waiting an insane amount of time for the launch report of the rockets first flight. Just trying to give you the feel of the actual launch - TWO HOURS sitting on the pad while the TV folks fed us lines! All kidding aside, my apologies for the delay.
AP Sodas first flight was SPECTACULAR! Our Chief Engineer is top notch. We were almost the only rocket in the odd rock competition that performed like an actual rocket, rather than a stunt.
We put it up on the CTI M3400 White Thunder. The rocket went straight up perfectly stable (one of its defining characteristics in the competition). Accelerometer says we got about 4000 feet. We didnt have it ported for barometric, so thats the best data we have, but it looked like it went a bit lower. It landed a stones throw from where we were watching. Couldnt have hoped for better.
Second place! First place was a very cool crowd pleaser, but a stunt. We stand by our approach to focus more on engineering and less on show, and graciously accept our second place trophy.
Much thanks to our hard working ground crew: Sather Ranum, Tim Lehr, Steve Lohr, and Tom Lubin. (Ask them how much they enjoyed carrying the 105 pound rocket all over the field so the TV crew could get just the right footage.) Thanks also to Frank Nobile, for ground crew duty on the Dark Star.
Next flight is at Midwest Power on an N3400 - 6 grain XL Skidmark. Yes, you read that right. We bought the N3400 for the Dark Star, which was lost at LDRS.
Gotta make use of the motor somehow. Reuse, renew, recycle. Wasnt that the theme all along?
Because we were busy giving exaggerated responses to the TV crew, we were not able to take any pictures of our own. We are truly grateful for the generous snapping of the broader rocket community. I will post by photographer.
This first group is by Sather Ranum.