Hokay so the dryer is still running and I can't go to bed yet because my sheets are in there, so here's my last catch-up report from the past three weeks!
I had to return equipment to QCRS after Thunderstruck and I figured that the launch this weekend was the perfect opportunity to do it. So I hopped back in the car and headed west with my old reliable Competitor in tow. The weather was gorgeous and warm and I figured this was also the perfect opportunity to work on fixing the (seriously) terrible farmer's tan I had acquired at Thunderstruck and Red Glare.
I arrived on the field pretty late-- like noonish-- since I got a late start in the morning. (Free pancakes from the roommates tend to make me want to stick around.) So I missed a few flights. I got out of the car as Wendell's Frenzy was roaring off the pad on a Skidmark. After shaking hands with Hot Tub II, Hot Tub I, Adrian, and MCS (good to see you again man!), I grabbed my rocket and toted it into Tim's trailer to pack the chute and turn on the tracker.
Meanwhile, rockets! John Olevich flew his purple fiberglass rocket on an L900DM. I know that's Dan Michael's signature motor but I bet John has burned more of them than Dan has:
Don Kennedy flew his Upscale Guardian for like the millionth time on an I161W:
For a 3 grain 38mm, that is a loud motor!
Not only did Adrian show up, he actually FLEW one! His LOC IROC on an I211W, a classic:
After three rockets I was pretty much ready to go. I walked out to the pad and had the honor of setting up next to Frontpage. He was readying his Darkstar with a 2550 N-sec K1000, so we were going to go about the same altitude. I told him, "you go first, then I can see where you land!" "Sounds good to me." Hot Tub II pushed the button:
Roarrrrr, a little kick to the right and a perfect Albino Assault boost from Chuck. Dual deploy landed him about 200 yards south of the barn. Excellent! I hope I land there too. Tim called out the count for my Competitor loaded with 4700 N-sec of orange flamey goodness:
Roarrrrr, dead nuts straight into the sky on the L800. It disappeared at burnout, but the tracker signal jumped about 20 seconds later, indicating successful drogue deployment. Well, it's up there somewhere. I'll worry about it in a minute.
CJ had instigated yet another Jart drag race; had I brought mine, I probably would have been suckered in too. This time, it was Tim, CJ, and Hot Tub I on K940s. Right? LOL
Tim had a Warp 9. But CJ's special igniter had him up and at 'em before Tim's finger was all the way down on the button, and he won the race. Pop-pop-pop all three got chutes and headed downwind.
I jumped in my car and followed the Jarts with my tracker to began hunting for my Competitor. After driving the roads of Kasbeer, I had eventually narrowed the search to one field:
Is that a small spot of pink that I see? ENHANCE!
You can give me all the flak you want for having a neon pink fin can, but it sure does stand out in a corn field! Thus ended flight #14 for the Competitor: 13,325' up and 1.1 miles away.
Russ flew his Competitor 3 on a K300 moonburner, as detailed in his launch report thread:
Jim V's nice 4" Arcas on a J350W:
John getting some help from his son with his Formula 75:
And away on an I327DM!
John also flew his Flying Pumpkin on another Dark Matter. When you've got two kids who chase your rockets down for you, it's a lot easier to turn 'em around quickly
CJ apparently makes a great babysitter...
at least for a while STAHP!
Missouri S&T rounded out the day with a very impressive flight of their breech-staged M1315-M1315 vehicle:
It ended up not lighting the second M motor, but everything came down under chute as planned for a successful test. Nice work guys!
Finally, I dumped the borrowed gear back in the QCRS trailer and headed back east.
Another great day with QCRS! Can't wait to come back at the end of May for Mini MWP.
I had to return equipment to QCRS after Thunderstruck and I figured that the launch this weekend was the perfect opportunity to do it. So I hopped back in the car and headed west with my old reliable Competitor in tow. The weather was gorgeous and warm and I figured this was also the perfect opportunity to work on fixing the (seriously) terrible farmer's tan I had acquired at Thunderstruck and Red Glare.
I arrived on the field pretty late-- like noonish-- since I got a late start in the morning. (Free pancakes from the roommates tend to make me want to stick around.) So I missed a few flights. I got out of the car as Wendell's Frenzy was roaring off the pad on a Skidmark. After shaking hands with Hot Tub II, Hot Tub I, Adrian, and MCS (good to see you again man!), I grabbed my rocket and toted it into Tim's trailer to pack the chute and turn on the tracker.
Meanwhile, rockets! John Olevich flew his purple fiberglass rocket on an L900DM. I know that's Dan Michael's signature motor but I bet John has burned more of them than Dan has:
Don Kennedy flew his Upscale Guardian for like the millionth time on an I161W:
For a 3 grain 38mm, that is a loud motor!
Not only did Adrian show up, he actually FLEW one! His LOC IROC on an I211W, a classic:
After three rockets I was pretty much ready to go. I walked out to the pad and had the honor of setting up next to Frontpage. He was readying his Darkstar with a 2550 N-sec K1000, so we were going to go about the same altitude. I told him, "you go first, then I can see where you land!" "Sounds good to me." Hot Tub II pushed the button:
Roarrrrr, a little kick to the right and a perfect Albino Assault boost from Chuck. Dual deploy landed him about 200 yards south of the barn. Excellent! I hope I land there too. Tim called out the count for my Competitor loaded with 4700 N-sec of orange flamey goodness:
Roarrrrr, dead nuts straight into the sky on the L800. It disappeared at burnout, but the tracker signal jumped about 20 seconds later, indicating successful drogue deployment. Well, it's up there somewhere. I'll worry about it in a minute.
CJ had instigated yet another Jart drag race; had I brought mine, I probably would have been suckered in too. This time, it was Tim, CJ, and Hot Tub I on K940s. Right? LOL
Tim had a Warp 9. But CJ's special igniter had him up and at 'em before Tim's finger was all the way down on the button, and he won the race. Pop-pop-pop all three got chutes and headed downwind.
I jumped in my car and followed the Jarts with my tracker to began hunting for my Competitor. After driving the roads of Kasbeer, I had eventually narrowed the search to one field:
Is that a small spot of pink that I see? ENHANCE!
You can give me all the flak you want for having a neon pink fin can, but it sure does stand out in a corn field! Thus ended flight #14 for the Competitor: 13,325' up and 1.1 miles away.
Russ flew his Competitor 3 on a K300 moonburner, as detailed in his launch report thread:
Jim V's nice 4" Arcas on a J350W:
John getting some help from his son with his Formula 75:
And away on an I327DM!
John also flew his Flying Pumpkin on another Dark Matter. When you've got two kids who chase your rockets down for you, it's a lot easier to turn 'em around quickly
CJ apparently makes a great babysitter...
at least for a while STAHP!
Missouri S&T rounded out the day with a very impressive flight of their breech-staged M1315-M1315 vehicle:
It ended up not lighting the second M motor, but everything came down under chute as planned for a successful test. Nice work guys!
Finally, I dumped the borrowed gear back in the QCRS trailer and headed back east.
Another great day with QCRS! Can't wait to come back at the end of May for Mini MWP.
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