What did you do rocket wise today?

Another QaD (quick and dirty) build with my kids. I've found that my kids need shorter build cycles to keep it interesting.

This time my 8yo picked a 24mm tube, 18mm MMT and a long sweeping 3FNC design. For him it's a *massive* upgraded from the 18mm 30cm 3fnc with streamer we made last time.

He's quite proud, he glued the fins straight all by himself... 😁



We'll prime and quick paint tomorrow morning and it will fly as soon as the paint is dry enough...

Sealed and sanded fins and nosecone on two LPR rockets, sanded fin profiles on an MPR, and started to purchase/gather pieces/parts for a home-built launch tower. Still searching for PVC rings, or other material, large enough to support the guide rails and still clear the fins on, say, a "C" Egg Lofter. I've got a bit of a backlog for models needing primer and paint. I might get enough of a break in the wet weather this afternoon and tomorrow to get caught up. Fingers crossed.

Printing Eggfinder mini sleds like crazy. Amazon Primed some more filament too...apparently there was a niche to be served.

Also, arranged to meet my L3CC members so he can inspect my rocket on Monday.

I also realized I forgot my wallet at work, so instead of going 4 days without it, I am using it as an excuse to go to the club meeting tomorrow as that is near-ish to my work.

Took advantage of the Madcow Rocketry Fourth of July sale and bought a full-house version of the dual deploy 2.6" Screech 38mm in thin wall fiberglass with kevlar shock cords and anodized aluminum av-bay covers. Didn't order the chute package as I own just about every Fruity Chutes laundry ever made. Madcow was out of stock on the 38mm Aeropack motor retainers so I'll have to acquire locally.

BTW a 25% discount is a great price on this kit. Under $200 with Fed-ex shipping and Cali slave state taxes...

Looking forward to seeing this bad boy on my doorstep...need a summer project to be ready for the start of rocket season in November. This ought to make a great L1-L2 bird.

Yes, I will paint it fluoro pink with a metallic black fin can.

All up weight should be less than three pounds post- flight which makes for a easy carry over hill and dale for this geezer.

On a whim went to GARLO 2017. My grandson loved it! Fun times and nice to see some old friends!

We finally had an afternoon without rain so I went out and launched a few rockets just to help fight the blues from all the gloomy weather we've been having. My upscale, rear-eject Mosquito suffered a shock cord separation. I got everything back, otherwise undamaged. The internals floated down under canopy and the rest of the rocket lawn darted, but the water saturated ground saved it. I lost a fin on my Airborne Surveillance Missile. I had two great flights on my Hi-Flier XL on D12-3's, and a good flight on a Sprint XL despite a torn Mylar chute and landing on the blacktop parking lot.

Gave in on the Madcow sale and now have a cardboard Mini Tomach on the way.

Three fights with the kids and my parents who are visiting.

Light winds today (11-13kmh)

My mother did the honours launching my BigBertha to an estimated 120m on an SCR C6-4.

My 8yo launched his quick and dirty scratch built construction from this weekend (24mm w 18mm MMT) to an estimated 100m on an SCR A8-3 - recovery on my first solder iron cut ripstop nylon streamer worked a treat.

My 11yo launched my newly repaired UpGoerV 33mm scratch built, which now sports a clear payload bay for the altimeter3. It went to 74.1m on an SCR B6-4.



All recoveries were close and light.

All up a good day. I've discovered it's easier for the kids if I pre-pack wadding and chutes before we leave - less time waiting around for everyone.

Yesterday, but who's keeping score....
Attended first club launch in months. Flew Fat Daddy on an I284W. First flight with the JLCR. Shake test and op test were both good. Chute never unrolled in flight, I think the velcro on the pouch caught in the chute fabric. Looks like I will either build a new rocket or give up on L2.

Second flight was the 3" Starship Vega on an H250G. Perfect flight, wish I had had the camera ready. Used the JLCR to close the bottom of the chute, making it a streamer, worked perfectly. At least I don't have to give up all my HP stuff....

Great club launch today. Glorious sunshine. One rocket landed in a RET but was successfully recovered with minor damage.

Finished up my late 90's estes Phoenix (challenge series w/ the E mmt) that my brother snagged me at narcon to replace my old 80's phoenix from my youth that I flew to death (earlier model w/out the E mmt).

Tracker sled for Waive Goodbye and rear CR install on 38mm MMT for 2.6" DX3.

Got my L3 rocket inspected by my L3CC member, and as a bonus got to see his hobby room...holy crap.

Ordered a piece of 7.5" LOC tube from Performance Hobbies. LOC is out of stock so hopefully Ken has it taking up space on a shelf.....

Did some 4th of July flying at Sixty Acres with my wife, son and grandson. My wife is getting good at getting liftoff shots with her iPhone.

Highest flight of the day was the 25th flight of a well-worn Estes Eliminator on an Aerotech RMS E18-7W. A little over 1600 feet. I'm liking the new field data display for the PerfectFlite FireFly altimeter.

Package from Apogee turned up today... Couplers and CRs for my scratch built BT60 two stage project are here, so construction can now begin earnest...

Also in the package was an "Apogee Aspire" and a US Rockets "Dual 18mm Rear Eject" which have been added to the build pile...

Flyfalcons said:

Gave in on the Madcow sale and now have a cardboard Mini Tomach on the way.

Click to expand...

I finished the build on mine last week... Drag race at FITS next year?

Opened the bag on an Estes Super Alpha, traced new/additional fins for a two stage Estes Fletcher, and contemplated starting on an Estes Astron Skydart II, all to be built this weekend at work. :wink:

Started filling out a bunch of flight cards for the July 15 BARC launch.

neil_w said:

Started filling out a bunch of flight cards for the July 15 BARC launch.

Click to expand...

That reminds me - I need to fill mine out for the weekend!! Thanks!

Looking forward to receiving my order from Mad Cow today.

Ordered a 2.6 " thin wall f/g dual deploy Screech during the July 4th sale and Fed Ex says it's out for delivery.

Ordered a Loki 38-1200 motor to build my GoDevil 38 around.

Incidentally, Scott apparently just got some hardware in stock, and put it on his site...I'm sure he would tell you himself, but well, you know...

let the stampede begin!

Also, worked on my L3 packet, actually took a break to order motor and come here to gloat...back to the paperwork.

Lastly, I printed a prototype for a 38mm Nose Cone EggFinder mount...Full story here: https://www.rocketryforum.com/showthread.php?140774-EggFinder-Mini-(AND-Fullsized)-3D-Printed-Sled-38mm-NC-and-Shockcord-Mounts&p=1709448#post1709448

Received my Madcow Rocketry order of a 2.6" thin wall f/g Screech this afternoon and was very impressed with the packaging.

Everything was tightly sealed in a heavy clear bag. The nose cone was wrapped in brown kraft paper and slipped into the upper body tube and the rest of the small items were bagged and slipped inside the booster section. The fins were bagged separately.

As usual, another great buying experience with Madcow.

Now if I can cool my shop down below 95 degrees I'll start working on it. It was 107 today...about average for July in the Big Tomato.

Got my new Mouse 38 in from Madcow (yay for the sale). The fin slots are a little too narrow for the fins, the tube & nosecone ends are the same not-quite-square as always, and the nose cone doesn't have the same outer diameter as the body tube, but the materials look great. It should be a fun mid-power rocket to add to the quiver.

I bought a truck, a Nissan Frontier crew cab 4x4. How is this rocket related? After returning from NXRS (3 days camping in a tent in the desert with my 8 year old son) my wife decided we need a travel trailer. The trailer we bought was too big to pull with any vehicle we have, so now I get a new truck.

Finished up construction of a gift Mammoth and am going to clamp down the belt sander for work on my Argent fins.

Realized after I cut the face panel.off of the Mammoth box that I probably should have just kept my face cards IN that box.....

Started gluing fins to body tubes, and centering rings onto motor mounts.

I'm real bad about starting projects and then getting excited about something else before I've finished what I started. Adding to that problem is the fact that I can construct several models during my weekends at work, but the finishing (wood sealer, primer, paint, decals) all has to get done at home during my week off when I also have other things to do around the house. So I took some time to put together a "to do" list in an effort to complete several "started and not finished" projects.

Estes Bullpup 12D - Decals; Clear Coat

Estes Sky Warrior - Mask and Paint
Alpha III
Super Alpha
Trajector
Fletcher
Custom Rockets Equinox

NCR Lance Delta - Mount Fins, Prime, Paint

Estes Ventris SRB - Finish Booster Mods, Mount Fins, Prime, Paint

I'm going to make a concerted effort to get most of these done during my next week off, because I also want to get started building some R/C airplanes that I've been neglecting for too long.

Flew 2 EX motors that burned nicely at Tripoli Wisconsin (with some recovery issues). Also went for a swim.

Went to a launch, but it was a bit more breezy than forecasted. Didn't launch a thing, so I bought some propellant to add to the inventory.

Got a bit of work done on the Airstart Avionics Bay for the Nike Hercules, its all wired up now. Which means its almost time to put the fins on the sustainer finally.



Left: Left side showing timer bay and computer battery compartment

Center: Timer and arming switches (screw switches at bottom, currently hidden by wires, one switch for computer power and one for pyro power).

Right: Right side showing compartment for Pyro battery.