Eric - the video is uploading right now. I'll post embed it here once YouTube has finished chewing on it. I should taken a couple of stills to throw into the video too. Maybe if SCrocketfan posts his, I can do a digitally remastered director's cut.
I noticed that Tony congratulated me on the flight, I think that was because I asked him to wait so I could run out and record it. Sometimes he gets confused. 4 hours in the sun as LCO on a couple hundred flights will do that to the best of us. (That's my estimate for the day. Easily could have broken 300 flights if we hadn't had to hold for the C-17 and the Ospreys)
Here's the video, but now for some reason I think I've spelled your name wrong.
[video=youtube_share;1Vfs0MnfxFk]https://youtu.be/1Vfs0MnfxFk[/video]
Here's some pics from today's launch. This was the G77R-4 flight, it was an awesome flight and the rocket flew perfect and deployed right at apogee. I didn't get any video, just a few shots from the high speed camera.
Here's the video I captured. The MDRMWP flew great.
[YOUTUBE]_1rwkkXWERQ[/YOUTUBE]
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Thanks for posting these photos, SC! Great job! The high speed camera seems like it worked really well.
Your G Force was the next rocket to go after mine --- in fact, I think mine hadn't landed yet. And I also think you were flying on exactly the same motor, G77-4R. You rocket put in a great flight and it definitely made for a great contrast in how different kinds of rockets fly --- I think yours went several hundred feet higher on the same motor.
It was great meeting you! You've got a very cool and unique fleet of rockets. I think the ones I saw fly were the G Force (flew really well, and was probably the most "standard" rocket you flew, I think), the two-stage mega mosquito (worked great, and was a first flight, correct?), and Caffeinator (very entertaining!). Did you also fly a saucer? I liked the variety.
Thanks again for the photos and also for the advice you gave in several of the threads during the building of this rocket! Onward to TCC's October Skies! Hopefully I'll see you there!
Awesome first flight! Glad to see the G77-4 worked for you. I had to run so I missed it if you tried the G78 or G79. Let me know if you need more of the same or want to get into G reloads - I've got them too. And it came so close to sticking the landing...
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And nice to meet another forum member in person!
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The Thirsty Barbarian -sans helmet- ready for launch.
Nicely done! Damned-near stuck the landing--any pod damage?
Later!
--Coop
TB flew it a second time and I'm 99% sure it stuck the second landing.
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It definitely stuck the second landing, although I think it had some pod damage on the second landing.
Yeah, 3 point landing on the second flight. One of the lower pod cones looked a little out of wack, but not to bad.
We will have to hear from Thirsty about the any repairs needed.
Good to meet you TB
I just put another coat of paint on my G-force. The landing yesterday (3rd flight but the first 2 flights were before paint) really damaged a lot of the paint on both the fin can and the payload section, and dropping it taking it out of the car didn't help. I think I'll try krylon clear coat over the paint this time. I totally agree, Moffet is a great place to fly, except for the concrete.
I think the Estes G40 and Aerotech G40 are actually almost the same, the F50s certainly are. You could probably try the G79 and G40 at October skies, I think the launch rails there may be longer than 6 ft.
For my L1 cert attempt, I'm thinking I might try one of the Single-use Aerotech motors, like the H135W, and then consider reloads later. Because I don't have any experience with reloads, I think single-use would be the most foolproof way to attempt the certification flight.
I'd be interested in what other people who saw this rocket fly think about those slower takeoff speeds. Would it be too slow, or do you think it would work?
+1 on using a DMS motor, both the H115DM and H135W will have a higher initial (and average) impulse than the G78. Once certified, then you will find all kinds of interesting opportunities in assembling reloads, adjusting delays and so forth.
The winds at Moffett were very light for much of the day, that helps a lot on stability with slow lift off speeds as it keeps the angle of attack low for low velocities off the rod/rail. You can estimate the impact of increasing crosswind in OR by increasing the angle of attack in the Component Analysis menu. However, I'm not sure how well OR is at simulating the dynamic CP of this rocket (just not my area of expertise, it may be totally capable of this).
The NAR "Launching Safely in the 21st Century" summary calls out a 4:1 minimum ratio of velocity to wind/gust speed as a best practice since at an AOA of 14 degrees CP can move forward 1 to 1.5 calibers, depending on the rocket.
Congrats on successful Flight.
Too bad about the damaged pod TB but great flight anyway.
Robert, thanks for recording and posting this video! It turned out great! You've got my name spelled correctly, so no worried there.
The only improvement I could suggest is that maybe the club could arrange for an acre of padding for the tarmac. You might need a bigger trailer for that.
Thanks again for capturing this great video!
Yeah, and I botched the name of the Rocket. "Mega Der Red Max with Pods" isn't it?
I'll make sure to bring that up at the next officer's meeting :wink:
You're welcome, I wish I'd had a better angle so I hadn't lost it in the sun. And you almost stuck the landing the first time, just a bit of sideways drift pulled it over.
I was thinking, tennis balls. But getting them to hold silver paint could be an issue. (Also finding some in the correct diameter to fit the tubes.)
I'm sure that Mike from BAR will be at October Skies. If not I can deliver the motor to you. Just place an order and tell him that you'd like me to pick it up. I think the H115DM would be a great motor for this rocket. It needs that 1930's sci-fi movie sparky flame effect.
Would this difference in descent rate make much of a difference in the force of the impact on the pods? It would reduce the impact by a good amount, I think, but would it be enough to make a difference? In other words, is the problem really the speed, or is it really that for any kind of practical descent rate, the mass of the rocket landing on such a hard surface is going to create too much shock for a pod constructed this way? The weak spot is apparently the BT60 tube of the pod, and maybe it can't take much shock.
The parachute solution would be the easiest for me, but if there are any engineers or anyone else that can make a suggestion, that would be great. I'd hate to spend money on a chute and find out it made no difference other than just making the rocket drift further.
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