I recently refinished a Laser Loc 3.1 boat tail that I originally got back in 1996. The refinished rocket came out so nicely that I was chicken to fly it for almost a year. Well, I finally worked up the guts to fly it at Aeropac's XPRS launch at Black Rock this past weekend. I got in one good flight Saturday morning on a research K Smokey Sam-type motor, hitting 11,962 ft with perfect recovery by Stratologger and Cable Cutter.
I couldn't leave well enough alone, though. I brought with me an old aluminum-cased Aerotech K400-15T single use motor, mf. date circa 1990 (not to be confused with the K400C currently offered by Aerotech). This motor was a Blue Thunder version of the classic modified d-grain K250W. Knowing full well that this motor may not function properly, I took a risk in flying it in the Laser Loc. I figured that if this old motor was to fly, it was destined to fly in a rocket from the same era.
The flight ended quickly and tragically. The motor came to life and shot out a nice blue flame under the rocket. A fraction of a second letter, still on the rail, the motor let go on the forward end. The upper section ejected and landed nearby in ok shape, but the cato took out the booster and toasted it on the pad.
The silver lining: the irreplaceable wooden LOC nose cone and boat tail that made up the heart and soul of this OOP kit were saved. Since LOC is good enough to continue to offer their thick-walled 75mm tubing, that means this rocket will rise again from the ashes someday.
I couldn't leave well enough alone, though. I brought with me an old aluminum-cased Aerotech K400-15T single use motor, mf. date circa 1990 (not to be confused with the K400C currently offered by Aerotech). This motor was a Blue Thunder version of the classic modified d-grain K250W. Knowing full well that this motor may not function properly, I took a risk in flying it in the Laser Loc. I figured that if this old motor was to fly, it was destined to fly in a rocket from the same era.
The flight ended quickly and tragically. The motor came to life and shot out a nice blue flame under the rocket. A fraction of a second letter, still on the rail, the motor let go on the forward end. The upper section ejected and landed nearby in ok shape, but the cato took out the booster and toasted it on the pad.
The silver lining: the irreplaceable wooden LOC nose cone and boat tail that made up the heart and soul of this OOP kit were saved. Since LOC is good enough to continue to offer their thick-walled 75mm tubing, that means this rocket will rise again from the ashes someday.
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