MMMSC/CMASS Joint Launch 20 May 2017 Launch in Berwick, Maine

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KennB

I-95 Envoy
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The Central Massachusetts Spacemodeling Society and the Maine Missile Math and Science Club will be holding a joint launch at the MMMSC field in Berwick, Maine on 20 May 2017. This is a chance to fly to new heights and meet some new people. As is the policy for both clubs, if you are planning on flying any HPR, bring your current NAR/TRA card confirming your membership and showing your certification level. If you've recently joined or certified at a level but don't have your updated card yet, bring your temporary card and/or a print out from the national website to show you are allowed to fly the level you'd like to fly. If you're going for your Level 3 certification, you should know enough to have all your ducks in a row well before you get to the field. As usual, no sparky motor are allowed at our regular launches.

Jim Flis will be there with his fine line of products. If you need any specific kits or components from Jim, contact him ahead of time and he'll be happy to bring it to the field. Jim will likely also be flying some more RSO approved prototypes and, good or bad, that's always fun to watch.

Jason will be there covering all your AMWProX needs. There will be some new AMW rocket kits available; be sure to stop by and see what they have If you're looking for anything in particular, check with them ahead of time. Remember to bring your 38 mm CTI reloads so Jason can check your delay grain holder. If it's from the bad batch, he'll replace it at no charge to you. Whether you are going to fly them that day or not, bring them along so they can be inspected and, if necessary, replaced.

Lunch will be the world famous CMASS hot dogs with the assorted salty and sweet snack sides along with many soft drinks.

We'll be using the CMASS circle set up for low- and mid-power flights with ample high-power pads set up from both clubs that there shouldn't be too much of wait to use one. Set up will begin about 9:30 in the morning with flying beginning when we're ready to go. We're scheduled to fly until 4 PM so please don't save a half-dozen Level 2 certification attempts until 3:30. :wink: Weather conditions will dictate where we set up and how high/long we'll be able to fly. Check here and at the clubs' websites/Facebook pages to see if anything changes.

Let us know what you'll be flying. We love to have a heads-up on anything really large or unusual. And as another reminder, NAR now requires electronic recovery deployment for any CTI Vmax motors. This will be an ongoing restriction until CTI can define and correct the matter. If your rocket has passive recovery (i.e., a saucer) you can fly Vmax motors without electronics.

For those of a mind to attend, there will be the usual "post-launch debriefing" at the Thistle Pig in South Berwick. Their menu is updated depending on what's locally available so check close to the launch to see what may be on it then.

Keep an eye on this thread, the club websites (linked above) and Facebook page to see if there will be any issues with the weather.
 
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Remember, CMASS now has a hotline to let you confirm the launch status on launch day. Just call 857-24-CMASS (857-242-6277) after 7 AM on the day of the launch to get the GO/NO GO status for the launch. You'll get an automated reading of the first line of the Launch Status from our website's homepage.
 
I'm likewise excited and plan to be there early. I plan to get my L1 bird up again, possibly on a vmax as the rocket it already set up for DD. And the regular smattering of LPR/MPR for the remainder of the day. Windyty (now just Windy.com?!) says wind speed will be nicely calm all afternoon (a bit breezy in the AM?) and weather is shaping up to be sunny with a high of around 70. It should be a really great day to fly!

Aside for Kenn or other CMASS senior members:
I haven't paid dues this year with CMASS (yet). Can I do that and get my season's flight pass on the field? I think I did this last year. I can bring along a new (filled out) registration form to streamline the process. Is Cash acceptable?
 
I just checked Windyty. It looks like this will be a perfect day to launch!
 
Aside for Kenn or other CMASS senior members:
I haven't paid dues this year with CMASS (yet). Can I do that and get my season's flight pass on the field? I think I did this last year. I can bring along a new (filled out) registration form to streamline the process. Is Cash acceptable?

Yes, you can reup and get your season pass at this launch. Cash always works.
 
Looking Forward to it. Hoping to fly my Talon2 and Jackhammer again along with some MPR/LPR. Will also be testing out some new electronics.
 
MIT will be making an appearance with a few attempts at L1's and L2's. Hopefully we can forget the looming tests for a few hours.
 
MIT and all the college teams are always welcome - always good to see some younger folks enjoying the hobby! Please remember for L1 and L2 Cert flights, you need proof of current membership in the NAR, there is paperwork to be filled out (and for L2 a test to pass if not already taken within the year), and the safety checklist to go through. As also mentioned in the earlier post, please don't wait to try to cert in the last hour or so of the launch. It gets kind of hectic for all involved if everyone comes up at the last minute to make cert attempt.
 
Because of the calm weather we're expecting tomorrow, I'm starting to consider flying my L2 cert. For those who have flown this field more often than I (once so far) is a flight to 5500ft out of the question for reasonable recovery? The rocket in question is my L1, a 2.6" with DD and a tracker. I understand correctly that L2 written tests are provided on site?

I'd need to borrow a 54mm CTI case/closure from somebody though...humm.
 
Because of the calm weather we're expecting tomorrow, I'm starting to consider flying my L2 cert. For those who have flown this field more often than I (once so far) is a flight to 5500ft out of the question for reasonable recovery? The rocket in question is my L1, a 2.6" with DD and a tracker. I understand correctly that L2 written tests are provided on site?

I'd need to borrow a 54mm CTI case/closure from somebody though...humm.


If it were me I'd prob go for it with the current forecast. Good luck! Also fyi I just posted a new extension for openrocket in the software/electronics section that lets you plug in wind speeds and directions (presumably from windyty) at different altitudes that I wrote for the primary purpose of predicting drift at the mmmsc site :) I haven't had a chance to compare the output with reality yet, so take it with a big grain of salt, but feel free to check it out and see what the drift is predicted to be! Make sure you have the parachute settings set up though to match your actual descent rates and deployment times. And again it comes with no gaurantees :)

Sam
 
I'm finally going to make it!

Say, I know it's last minute to ask, but does anyone have a metric launch rail they'd be willing to bring? I've got one, but we'll have three rocketeers in one car tomorrow, so I'll have limited space. I've got a few I'd like to fly if there will be a mini-button rail on site. Otherwise, I'll stick to LPR and one or two standard rail button rockets.
 
If it were me I'd prob go for it with the current forecast. Good luck! Also fyi I just posted a new extension for openrocket in the software/electronics section that lets you plug in wind speeds and directions (presumably from windyty) at different altitudes that I wrote for the primary purpose of predicting drift at the mmmsc site :) I haven't had a chance to compare the output with reality yet, so take it with a big grain of salt, but feel free to check it out and see what the drift is predicted to be! Make sure you have the parachute settings set up though to match your actual descent rates and deployment times. And again it comes with no gaurantees :)

Sam

Now you guys are tempting me to try for my L2 tomorrow! I had planned to do it with my Terrordactyl, but it is still in the "shop" after breaking a fin last time it flew at Berwick. Maybe I should just do it with my trusty Tyrannosaur. I ran a few sims; J600 to 3,900'; sounds like a good day to do it. Oh the temptation! Let's see if I can get my tracker working tonight...
 
Any body with a 2 grain (or adaptable) 54mm CTI case I could borrow? PM me, or come by and speak to me tomorrow at the field. Look for me in the Grey easy-up with a black and blue rocket.
 
I'm finally going to make it!

Say, I know it's last minute to ask, but does anyone have a metric launch rail they'd be willing to bring? I've got one, but we'll have three rocketeers in one car tomorrow, so I'll have limited space. I've got a few I'd like to fly if there will be a mini-button rail on site. Otherwise, I'll stick to LPR and one or two standard rail button rockets.

Hey Dan. There is a 20 mm rail in the MMMSC trailer.
Stay smoke-free.
 
Just wanted to say thanks to Ken, Guy and Scott for putting on a great launch today. It was a beautiful day at the Berwick Me. sod farm.
I got in two HPR flights my Madcow AGM 33 Pike on a I236 to 1713ft and my Loc Twilight Zone Cyclotron on a H110 to about 2300ft. The kiddos flew a bunch of LPR rockets and the wife even had fun.
 
That was a great looking rocket! Did he cert successfully?

Yes, he was among the six people who got their L1 certs. Only one of the three people who tried for their L2 were successful but many new L2 tests were taken.

If you've got some good shots you'd like to share, please upload them to our gallery for this launch.
 
Yes, he was among the six people who got their L1 certs. Only one of the three people who tried for their L2 were successful but many new L2 tests were taken.

If you've got some good shots you'd like to share, please upload them to our gallery for this launch.

I didn't have all of my stuff lined up to L2 cert yesterday, but I'll be back later this year. It was a great day, but I always have the worst luck at Berwick....

ImageUploadedByRocketry Forum1495376281.973737.jpg

Amazingly, the rocket was pretty much unscathed after this debacle.
 
No kidding with the bad luck!
Eager Beaver was on her tenth flight, and I was contemplating retirement, but I wanted to fly my GoPro nosecone. Picked up a shiny J425 and launched it. Motor Ejection charge went off at 1.55s into the flight. Tip to tip laid up fins are currently laying in a pile on the floor of my dorm. Thanks to everyone who found one.
Maybe I'll rebuild her. I got my L1 and L2 on her.
[video=youtube;5pyz4jPzfVU]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5pyz4jPzfVU&feature=youtu.be[/video]
 
No kidding with the bad luck!

+2 on the bad luck! I attempted an L2 cert on my Azure Blast on a CTI J244 White. Had the pad pointed at about 5 degrees off vertical, max, but on lift off, the rocket quickly leaned into the (rather light) wind and weathercocked hard to the NNW. No events were seen, but there was at least one report of a chute out just prior to it disappearing beyond the tree line. This was long after I lost sight of it, but that was a pretty good sign that at least the drogue had deployed. Luckily, I had an Eggtimer on board, and it was continuing to return traces. A quick map check and my friends and I realized we needed to be about 1km away. A car ride later found us in a small residential neighborhood with 80' tall pine trees everywhere. After an exaustive search, one observant neighbor (who were outside when we arrived, and offered to help us search) noticed the rocket, 70' up in the branches of a pine, right at the edge of the road. Ended up borrowing Jason's rocket-retrieval sling-shot (Jason from AMW is king, all hail Jason!) and lucked out retrieving it. It's a good thing too, as BlazingAngel's 4G 54mm CTI case and closure were up there! Long story short, I must have under-loaded the main deployment charge. I used the same as my L1 flight, but it seems that may have been borderline? Either that or my scale is off. The charge went off, but didn't shear my nosecone pins / deploy the main chute. Altimeter indicates that I got to 4883', rather than the simulated ~6500'.

So, all in all, not a great day, but I did get my rocket back!

A huge thanks to:
BlazingAngel for lending me the case, without him there may not have even been an attempt.
Jason for the use of his sling shot, and of course the sale of the motor.
My friends Jeff and Ryan who came out to watch me throw things at the sky and ended up helping me pull one back down again.

I'll throw some more details into the old build thread at some point soon.

9942[1].jpg
 
+2 on the bad luck! I attempted an L2 cert on my Azure Blast on a CTI J244 White. Had the pad pointed at about 5 degrees off vertical, max, but on lift off, the rocket quickly leaned into the (rather light) wind and weathercocked hard to the NNW. No events were seen, but there was at least one report of a chute out just prior to it disappearing beyond the tree line. This was long after I lost sight of it, but that was a pretty good sign that at least the drogue had deployed. Luckily, I had an Eggtimer on board, and it was continuing to return traces. A quick map check and my friends and I realized we needed to be about 1km away. A car ride later found us in a small residential neighborhood with 80' tall pine trees everywhere. After an exaustive search, one observant neighbor (who were outside when we arrived, and offered to help us search) noticed the rocket, 70' up in the branches of a pine, right at the edge of the road. Ended up borrowing Jason's rocket-retrieval sling-shot (Jason from AMW is king, all hail Jason!) and lucked out retrieving it. It's a good thing too, as BlazingAngel's 4G 54mm CTI case and closure were up there! Long story short, I must have under-loaded the main deployment charge. I used the same as my L1 flight, but it seems that may have been borderline? Either that or my scale is off. The charge went off, but didn't shear my nosecone pins / deploy the main chute. Altimeter indicates that I got to 4883', rather than the simulated ~6500'.

So, all in all, not a great day, but I did get my rocket back!

A huge thanks to:
BlazingAngel for lending me the case, without him there may not have even been an attempt.
Jason for the use of his sling shot, and of course the sale of the motor.
My friends Jeff and Ryan who came out to watch me throw things at the sky and ended up helping me pull one back down again.

I'll throw some more details into the old build thread at some point soon.

View attachment 320608

That is a seriously beautiful rocket. I'm glad I didn't have to say that was a beauty.
 
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