a day at the launch pad

[NJRick]

OK...I hope this works...my technical assistant has been helping me...(always wonderful to have ahelpful daughter!!) Beautiful day up in NJ....weather was in the low 50's with little to no wind...so I brought a couple of Dr. Zooch's rockets to the pad: Saturn 1b ASTP, Soyuz, Jupiter C and maiden flight for my Titan 3C...I tried my best to catch them lifting off...but I don't really have an adequate camera...most of my pics were smoke trails. Lets see if this works:

over at Complex 39b: go for liftoff and ignition sequence start and chute deploy:

[NJRick]

over at Launch Complex 40:

[NJRick]

I couldn't get good launch shots of the Soyuz...and the Jupiter C is off the pad the instant the launch button is pressed..but I thought I would post them anyways...

[gdjsky01]

Those are gorgeous!!! Thanks for sharing and keep up the photos and launch reports. How'd they fly? Well done!

[JStarStar]

Some sharp looking Zoochrockets!!

I have a couple I am waiting to build, I am thinking of going with gray/light blue paint on the "flame fins" to maybe make them a little more invisible during flight.
I have seen it done both ways so I guess we will see.

When your launch crew is limited to two or three people, sometimes it's hard to get launch photos -- press the button and click the shutter at the same time.

[NJRick]

Some sharp looking Zoochrockets!!

I have a couple I am waiting to build, I am thinking of going with gray/light blue paint on the "flame fins" to maybe make them a little more invisible during flight.
I have seen it done both ways so I guess we will see.

When your launch crew is limited to two or three people, sometimes it's hard to get launch photos -- press the button and click the shutter at the same time.

thanks JStar!....I really don't have the camera for it...that was my daughter's digital...but it is basically a point and shoot...most of my pictures were smoke trails...and the Jupiter C is gone the instant the launch button is pressed! I really don't have the field to do that rocket justice...anymore than an A on my field and its gone. That was the maiden flight for my Titan and I wasn't sure I had done the fins properly....but they stayed in and it flew perfectly. I'll be honest...I read the instrructions, I try to do the best my skills allow...but on the maiden flight...I am never certain the rocket is going to go up.

[NJRick]

Those are gorgeous!!! Thanks for sharing and keep up the photos and launch reports. How'd they fly? Well done!

thanks GDJSK! all flew perfectly...basically landing within 50 feet of the pad....the Jupiter C did break a fin.....out of 3 flights on that rocket with an Estes A8 engine...2 have had the parachute charge go so forcefully that I thought the rocket exploded....today, it blew the fin off (maybe wrapped a shroud line....) (honest....my eyes aren't what they used to be...) but the charge seemed strong in comparison to the others...no biggie...repaired it at the pad....the Saturn 1b was the first new rocket I had built in 30 years...I didn't really do much in way of sanding or finishing..(I didn't know how!!)....but she flies like a champ!....

I have to say that this site has helped a lot...by watching and reading some build threads on this site....has helped me try some new techniques, ideas and finishing tips.....there are some really good rocket builders on this site!! just makes a world of difference....I feel as if I get better with each build....and I have fun doing it!!