SSS May launch report

The Rocketry Forum

Help Support The Rocketry Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Wayco

Desert Rat Rocketeer
TRF Supporter
Joined
Mar 23, 2011
Messages
4,327
Reaction score
2,089
Location
Goodyear, AZ
We just returned from the SSS May launch and the weather was excellent ( if a bit warm). We came to fly rockets, and this is how it all started:
003.jpg


Started at 8 am and Sharon went first with her new High flier XL. Didn't get a launch shot but here is the landing:
011.jpg


Since we are both using the same launch equipment, we took turns. I flew my trusty old yellow mongoose next and it turned North off the rod and I had to walk about a quarter mile to retrieve it. Lost the N/C on that flight.
Sharon loaded the Maxi Alpha 3 while I was walking and we tried several times to light the E18 in it. Finally, when it did light, it never came up to full pressure and wobbled of the rod to land nearby like this:
025.jpg


I have a separate thread for repairing that rocket here:
https://www.rocketryforum.com/showthread.php?36106-Rebuild-Maxi-Alpha-3

Next I flew my Executioner on a new Estes Pro F26-6FJ with good results, probably 1000 ft. with eject at apogee.
While Sharon was picking up the parts of the Maxi, I flew my "Kick Asspire" made from blue tube and fiberglass N/C on a CTI F59 White Thunder. Used the full 12 second delay and it was real close to apogee when the chute ejected at over 2000 ft.

While Sharon was dissecting the E18 hobbyline, I flew "Salvage 1" on an E9-8. This is another Apogee Aspire that has been rebuilt with old parts for several years now. Good flight and it used all the delay for a perfect apogee ejection.

Here is the E18 that never got going:
087.jpg


In the mean time Brad Evans shot off his Mad Dog "Gooboy" on a CTI K660, and it was awesome:

This is a video, just click on the image to play. So is this next one.

Inspired by that, Sharon decided to fly her LOC Starburst cluster of two E18's. Not much luck there with only one motor igniting and it bellyflopped to the ground:

It cracked a couple of fins on landing, then the ejection charge blew the chute out.

While Sharon dissected these two motors:
059.jpg

I moved out to the HPR rail and shot off my LOC Nuke pro max called "Duke Nukem" on an AT H148 redline. Great launch and although I left the "M" delay alone, it still ejected before apogee at around 2700 ft.

While I was out recovering my "Duke Nukem", Sharon flew two of her rockets, the Eliminator on a D12-5 and the Vagabond on an E9-6. Both rockets did great and I think she was really tired of E18's at this point.

My next flight was the Rag-a-bond, which as many of you know has had a rough life. I recently found that the AT F22-7FJ was a perfect load for this rocket, but unfortunately, I didn't have any left. So I loaded it with the new Estes Pro F26-6FJ and here are the results:
046.jpg

Pretty much a total loss. The motor burned through the MMT, the BT and melted the coupler/baffle. We did salvage the nosecone and recovery system, but everything else was charred. Here is a close up:
054.jpg


We will be sending a Mess report and notify Estes, so maybe another Vagabond with the 29mm MMT will fly again.
 
Last edited:
I flew the CC Express next, and although the flight was good, the chute was tangled and it cracked a fin on landing.
In the mean time Sharon shot off the Magician on an E9-6 and a Blue Ninja on a D12-3. Both flights were successful.
My next fight was on my other LOC Nuke aptly named "ReDuke Nukem" which is another rocket with a checkered past. Rebuilt with new fin can that was destroyed during a strange ejection event. This flight was on a G76 Mojave Green and was another good flight with ejection at apogee.

Sharon flew her first rocket builds next, the Wizard and the Yankee which both suffered separations at the elastic cords. Both of these rockets had 14 flights, so now we know how long that rubber band lasts in AZ. She has since decided to retire these small rockets, is moving up to 29mm motors.

My turn was with my other Aspire on an E9-6 which ejected the motor instead of the chute causing minor damage to the top 1" of the body tube.
082.jpg


On the walk back, I had to make a rescue of a rocket that landed in one of the larger trees in our area:
086.jpg

NAR regulations were not violated in this retrieval. :grin:

By this time it was starting to warm up to the predicted 100*, so we each made one more flight. I flew my purple mongoose and Sharon flew her Shuttle express. Good results on both flights, so the day ended on a positive note.
For Sharon 10 flights, two retirements and two repairs.
For me, I had 10 flights, four repairs and one totally destroyed Rag-a-bond:
004-1.jpg

In Memorial
 
Sorry to hear about Ragabond. I grieve with thee. You have had some rough luck with that model as have I. But is a beautiful design and I enjoy your build and flight reports. At least you have the nosecone! That's the critical part.

Good luck on the next one and keep us posted on the MESS. What igniter did you use?
 
Sorry to hear about Ragabond. I grieve with thee. You have had some rough luck with that model as have I. But is a beautiful design and I enjoy your build and flight reports. At least you have the nosecone! That's the critical part.

Good luck on the next one and keep us posted on the MESS. What igniter did you use?

I used the Estes Pro Series II Sonic igniter. I've had limited success with them too. If Estes doesn't replace the rocket, I will buy another one and build it the same. After all the grief finding a motor that worked in Rag-a-bond, it turned into one of my favorite fliers using the AT F22-7FJ.
 
Just ordered my first pack of E18W , but have had a devil of a time lighting a E16W in the past - hopefully not more of the same.

Break out your 29 40-120 case and rock that Executioner with a G53FJ !

Kenny
 
I think that 'tree' is the same one my Enerjet 1340 landed in at NARAM-48. :grin:

N48-089 Enerjet 1340 landed in tall bush.jpg
 
I think that 'tree' is the same one my Enerjet 1340 landed in at NARAM-48. :grin:

View attachment 83632

You must have recovered it, I didn't see any other rockets hung up in that monster! Just goes to show you how wind currents draw our rockets into hazards like this....
We have had a successful launch with E18's and this rocket, using copperheads, but tried the Estes pro igniters this time.
 
Just ordered my first pack of E18W , but have had a devil of a time lighting a E16W in the past - hopefully not more of the same.

Break out your 29 40-120 case and rock that Executioner with a G53FJ, !

Kenny

If you can light the copperheads with your launch system, you should have no problems. A senior member of the SSS suggested I get "Magnelite" pyrogen and make my own igniters. I have the nichrome wire and "shooters wire" (2 conductor solid copper) so I think that will be my next step.
I like your suggestion on the G53FJ, will have to check Hobbylinc and see if they carry them.
 
Managed to hit the only tree out there, It must have been hungry... :p

Wayne, I can ignite 5 Copperheads on my pad, Five relays, one for each igniter. You can see continuity on each one separately. If you want to try clustering with them, let me know. Would be a fun experiment.

I've had mixed results with hand dipped igniters, but that was the old igniterman stuff and Cat5 wire... You have to get that gap just right. Nicrome would be a good addition.
 
You must have recovered it, I didn't see any other rockets hung up in that monster! Just goes to show you how wind currents draw our rockets into hazards like this....

Yes, I did.

I presented it to Lee and Betty Piester. My Enerjet 1340 now stands on a bookcase in Lee's office surrounded by other model rocket items. :)
 
Sucks about all the mishaps at the launch, I dont know what was going on with everybody. At least now we have a couple of months to make repairs and build bigger rockets lol!
 
Sucks about all the mishaps at the launch, I dont know what was going on with everybody. At least now we have a couple of months to make repairs and build bigger rockets lol!

Sharon and I did a debrief on Sunday. She has two rockets that need repair and she decided to retire the Wizard and the Yankee. She wants to move up to 29mm motors and has a Leviathan and a Big Daddy that we are planning to modify with a 29mm MMT. It will probably end up a "Double Daddy" with an added 3" tube to make room for a baffle and recovery storage. I have four rockets that need repair and several other small tasks to work on before I start to build "Tommy Two", a D Region Tomahawk with a 29mm MMT and re design the booster stage on my Rip-Roar to a 2x24mm cluster.
I sent Mike (Be69ar) at Estes a report on the damage to Rag-a-bond, and despite the fact that my rocket was modified with a 29mm MMT, they will be sending me another Vagabond, an F26-6FJ motor and a 29mm motor retainer. I'm really looking forward to building another Rag-a-bond, just not sure what to name it.... So no really big rockets in our plans. But those builds should keep us busy for the next couple of months....
 
Back
Top