6 May 2012 Launch Report

[FastCargo]

Fresh off of doing a fundraiser for Relay for Life 2012, we decided to have a family launch on Sunday evening. Usually, one or two families will come out, but this time, we had significantly larger response, so we ended up doing a mini club launch.

This allowed me to use the multi-pad setup I created for the Relay for Life 2012 event...the electrical is drag race only with lamp wire, but gets the job done. The PVC is 1 inch schedule 40, with wingbolts to secure the pipes. The center pipe is drilled for 1/8 rods, and allows for global angle adjustments.

Weather was clear but warm, winds were 5 mph with occasional gusts.

Pictures here: May 6 Launch Day

You can zoom in for some of the farther shots...still working on the camera thing. It tends to be the last thing packed and setup, which means I never spend as much time as I should getting it set up properly.

Riding herd on a bunch of kids was about like when I led the Boy Scout launch, though more effort was involved due to having a few with special needs. However, no untoward incidents happened, and everyone had a great time.

Of course, the ONE Sunday where I get a large response of folks attending is the ONE Sunday that the preferred field on the far side of the large ditch is actually being used, so we ended up staying on the main football field/running track.

Onto the flights! To keep it less wordy, flights with no comments mean it went perfectly with no errors, damage, or anything remarkable...maybe dull, but still great for the kids.

Semroc Astron - A8-3 (first flight)
Semroc Micron - 1/2A3-4T (first flight) - 13mm conversion
Semroc Start - A8-3 (no picture)
Estes Gnome - 1/2A3-4T
Estes Screamer Clone - 1/2A3-4T - Drifted into ditch between fields which was a swamp from the previous night's rain. Not recovered. Sacrificed to the rocket gods.
Estes Wizard - 1/2A3-4T (no picture)
Estes Wizard (not mine) - 1/2A3-4T - Drag race with Cosmic Cobra...needless to say, it won.
Estes Cosmic Cobra - B6-2 - Cracked a fin on landing. Repaired.
Black Brant II (BT-50) - A8-3 (no picture)
Estes Black Brant II Clone (BT-55) - B6-2
Estes Scorpion Clone (Mongoose) - A8-3 (first flight) - Didn't notice the NC wasn't quite seated properly. No effect on flight.
Estes Patriot - A8-3 - Bit of a nail biter, but good recovery and no damage. B6-2 or higher from now on.
Black Brant 12 - B6-2
Estes Interceptor - B6-2 - Drag race with BBII Clone. BBII won. Cracked fin on landing due to chute getting tangled in fins on deployment. Repaired.
Estes Stormcaster - B6-2 - This really is a great demo rocket...and perfect for small fields. No sweat at all on a B6-2.
Estes Photon Disruptor (BT-55) - B6-2 (first flight, no picture)
Semroc Bandit - B6-2 (first flight, no picture) - Baffle system worked perfectly.
Estes Big Bertha - B6-2 (no picture)
Estes Mercury Redstone (ST-20) - C6-3 (no picture) - Rocket 'cruise missiled' after liftoff, but was able to get the laundry out and one 'swing' before ground impact. Minor scratches on capsule (very surprised that's all the damage there was) and snapped a fin off. No other damage. Repaired.
PMC XF-103 - B6-2 (first flight) - OR showed stable...not so much. Got about 50 feet before tumbling...and impacted on concrete pad. Could be flown again. Most repairs done that night...nose will need resanding, putty and paint. However, tailcone worked perfectly to avoid Krushnic effect.
'Tall' Wizard kitbash - A10-3T (no picture) - Rocket is 13mm powered, BT-20 based airframe that looks like a Wizard with 4 fins and twice as long. Flown before on 1/2A3-2Ts...typically gets 100 feet. Got a lot higher this time, but recovery system didn't deploy at all. Augered in, but front of BT absorbed most of impact. Repaired by resanding plastic nose cone and cutting 1 1/2 inches from BT.
FSI Black Brant II (ST-20) - D12-5
Satellite Interceptor Upscale - C6-3 - Late chute deployment caused one of the lower fins to snap off. This particular model has broken these fins so much they no longer are in decent alignment. Repaired, but may be retired.
Estes Jayhawk Pro - D12-3

Tally was 24 rockets launched, 6 damaged, 1 lost. Everyone had a good time, and several parents inquired how they could start their kids in rockets.

Now Estes just needs to sell B6-2s in bulk...I'm finding that's a favorite engine for my local launches.

FC

 

[MarkII]

Too bad about the Screamer. But hey, don't be so modest -- those are great launch photos! :clap: That looks so cool that I'm just about ready to join your club... and I don't even know where you are!

FSI Black Brant II and Estes Pro Series Jayhawk !!! :drool:

 

[foamy]

Looks like a lot of fun. I'm with MarkII—makes me want to go launch a bunch o' rockets.

That Black Brandt 12 looks interesting. Was/is that a kit or did someone scratch build it? Handsome rocket in any event, but then, they all are.

It's good to hear that you stimulated some interest.

 

[FastCargo]

FSI Black Brant II and Estes Pro Series Jayhawk !!! :drool:

Ya know, I wasn't a fan of the BBII when it came out in the Estes catalog so long ago...I thought it was too simple. But as I've gotten back into the hobby, I really appreciate the clean, unspoiled lines, with the boattail and roll pattern. The FSI version is a clone. I had never heard of FSI until I came across Semroc's parts list doing a Google search...gotta love them!

The Jayhawk was a kit I purchased 10+ years ago when the Estes Pro series first came out (along with the Mercury Atlas and Patriot Pro) I only recently learned it used to be a Centuri kit. It also looks fairly easy to clone since it's based of the ST-20 BT. The interesting thing was that the kit was setup to be engined with either D's or the early Estes 'E' engines...which are different from the current Estes 'E's. I don't know the whole history, but I guess the early 'E's were a bit shorter. The only part that would take some effort is making an avionics 'tunnel' from scratch.

FC

 

[FastCargo]

That Black Brandt 12 looks interesting. Was/is that a kit or did someone scratch build it? Handsome rocket in any event, but then, they all are.

Can't say it was my idea originally...beergnome had suggested it before going with another kit instead.

Here's the thread on what I ended up with (with a better shot of the rocket):

https://www.rocketryforum.com/showthread.php?26744-But-ma-it-was-Beergnome-s-idea

FC