Personal Launch Report - ROC - 2014-01-11

[gdjsky01]

I've ragged on ROC on occasion but there is nothing to rag on about yesterdays launch. It was what I recall launches of day gone by were. Just plain fun. Very short or mostly no lines, perfect weather, no-wind, clear as a bell, temps around the mid 60F's (18C for rest of the entire planet).

Were every launch like yesterdays, we'd all be in rocket heaven.

I was, as usual prepped before I ever got there.

Because the weather in the desert is just an amazing amount of micro-climates, I waste NO time. I literally parked, grabbed the Formula 98, camera, 5 bucks, and a screw driver and header for the Registration and RSO table. As I paid, I got Rick D. to check the F98 over


I went on out to pad 42 and loaded up. The F98 was prepped with a 774ns (21% of a full J) CTI J410 Red Lightning. I install the ignitor, armed the RRC2+ and off we went!

The flight was picture perfect with the Missileworks RRC2+ activating the Archetype Cable Cutter right on queue at 600' (180m). The rocket set down on a fin edge and cracked the root away from the Motor Mount Tube. Fixable but annoying. Aways a great flight to 2828' (871m) according to the RRC2+.

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[gdjsky01]

With the weather still with me, I bought the Formula 98 back and without pausing grabbed the Formula 75, got it safety checked, and off to pad 42 I went (hey it worked 20 minutes before!).

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The Formula 75 was loaded with a fun motor, a 532ns I327 Dark Matter. You pay a pretty penny in power for all that junk in the plume. This is a 38/720 case reload and you get 67% of a full I. But you do get some cool pictures!! :lol:

Fun the way it looks like a solid mound under the rocket and pad

Sometimes crappy photos happen to crappy people. This one is an OH SO CLOSE but no cigar. :cry::bangpan::confused2:

I wanna go into photoshop and add a bit of sky and the nose tip!:lol::lol:

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It powered its way on up 3407 feet (1038m) ejected the bundle very near apogee (perhaps should have left a second on the drilled delay). And the Missileworks RRC2 Mini activated the cable cut at 600' and all was good. Perfect flight.

 

[blackbrandt]

No more pictures?


Also, you have an error in your first post:

I literally parked, the the Formula 98, camera, 5 bucks, and a screw driver and header for the Registration and RSO table

You might want to change that so it makes sense...
:rofl:

 

[gdjsky01]

Not much to say on the next flight. A stock built old school, plywood, paper, and bungie Public Enemy Rockets Gladiator 3.

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Loaded with an H180 which normally results in a great flight. But today it was a bit wobbly and took off towards the east just shortly after clearing the rod. :confused2::confused2:

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Luckily it gained enough vertical height to allow the chute to eject well above the ground and it floated down to a safe landing about a 1/3rd of a mile down (500m or so) range to the east.

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I could have walked it, but I took the car.

 

[gdjsky01]

As documented right here a TRF I recently built a MadCow 2.6" (66mm) Nike-Smoke. Another club member also built one around the same time. So we decided to drag race! Fun! He suggested I211's which I was more than willing to do UNTIL I sim'd it into the 4000' (1200m) or more level. I had nothing but apogee deployment and could not predict the weather or upper winds. Whereas my friend had apogee deployment but also a GPS tracker in the nose.

So I chickened out and instead made the drag race a learning experience on motor choice. I had an H400 VMax with 225ns of total impulse but an average thrust of twice that, it should be clear it burns for 1/2 second or so. Whereas the I211 would have twice the total impulse (total power) of my H but burn it more frugally at 2.2 seconds. And to be clear, when I say twice the power I mean these two motors. And an I impilse motor is NOT always (indeed almost never) twice as powerful as a H. For example a 321ns motor is an I but it's only ONE ns more than a full 320ns H.

Here we are.

Ignition (look closely)

Which one is the VMax? :wink:

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Both rockets had great flights. I had a long walk after a very nice straight flight to an Altimeter Two recorded 3272' (997m) flight.
The Altimeter Two also says peak speed was 419mph (727km/hr) with a 0.6 burn time and a peak acceleration of 22Gs. Average Acceleration was -12Gs which I assume means it spent most of the flight decelerating.

My friend's flight when to at least 1600m and he had to drive off the lakebed and across the 247 to find his. I knew I made the right choice (for me) going with the wimpy H.

 

[blackbrandt]

What is the information on how you shoot these pictures? F-stop, shutter speed....
??


Mine always turn out terribly...

 

[gdjsky01]

Finally flight was the maiden flight of a ModelRockets.us Mach I missle with Mach II booster. A few weeks ago I have four rockets needing paint. I did not think it wise to get to five! So I built this rocket which requires no paint at all and it turned out great.

It was loaded with a D12-0 gap staged (with 2 vent holes) to a C11-7.

Off we go!!!

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The flight was perfect with staging working perfectly. Yes, the 7 second delay is a bit long for a BT-70, -5 would be better. The Estes altimeter riding on board said 714' (217m). The only minus points the rocket gets is the booster did not tumble. So I'll try adding a touch of weight to the tail of the booster. Fortunately I had soaked the coupler with CA or the coupler might have been toast.

 

[gdjsky01]

So there you have it. Another fun filled day of frolicking out in the desert!

The entire photo set is here.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/jeffgortatowsky/sets/72157639691516596


Feel free to comment, complain, or simply click.
Until next time this is JDG signing off from Redondo Beach, California

May shock cord not break,
May your fins be true,
And may all your rockets deploy a !$!##! chute or two!

 

[blackbrandt]

What size chute do you use on the F75?

 

[fyrwrxz]

Dang Jeff! Looks like Nadine has competition for beautiful lift-off pics. Another sterling example of your work-both camera and rockets. I planned on coming out but the Red Thunder Mobile Hanger Unit no. 2 (93 Ford Aerostar) turned into scrap on my way home from Plaster last weekend. Hope to be up there soon with Mobile Hanger Unit no. 3 soon!

 

[gdjsky01]

• Canon 40D + crappy 28-135 f/3.5-5.6 IS USM lens (I would love an 75-200 F/4 L if anyone is selling one 'cheap' )
• Shutter Priority (1/3200th)
• High Speed Drive (supposedly 8 to 9 fps)
• ISO 320 or 400

Chute in the F75 was a 60 inch Sphere-a-chute I believe.

Corrections made. Actually the date was wrong.

 

[michigander]

Love that I327DM going

 

[gdjsky01]

So here is my treachery. It's okay... not great... but if you don't look too close...

 

[hball55]

If God were a rocket enthusiast, he would live in Southern California. The rest of us are extremely jealous. I hear that since the housing crash, houses are pretty cheap in Palmdale. Sure is tempting. Only thing stopping me is Prop 13, taxes on my house are very low.

Nice launch pic Jeff. One thing, that background never seems to change:yawn:

 

[blackbrandt]

Not bad! How did you do it?

So here is my treachery. It's okay... not great... but if you don't look too close...

 

[gdjsky01]

Pretty cheap is probably relative. Certainly you might live well out near Edwards. But overall of course as you know, CA is an expensive state to live in period.

 

[michigander]

just noticed the H400 flame is as tall if not taller than the rocket :lol:

 

[hball55]

Pretty cheap is probably relative. Certainly you might live well out near Edwards. But overall of course as you know, CA is an expensive state to live in period.

Guess, 3 bdrm 2 bath, 2500 sq ft, $150-200,000. How far off am I.

 

[fyrwrxz]

So here is my treachery. It's okay... not great... but if you don't look too close...

LOL- VERY well done, Sir! *applause*

 

[marcusSRG]

Nice one, Jeff!

 

[Madison Alum]

Once again a great launch report, pictures and rockets both! Thanks for letting us get our rocket launch fix.

 

[gdjsky01]

Nice launch pic Jeff. One thing, that background never seems to change:yawn:

For good reason. I am facing west/northwest. The Sun is behind me.

 

[gdjsky01]

Guess, 3 bdrm 2 bath, 2500 sq ft, $150-200,000. How far off am I.

Yes and no. 3/2 is more like 1500-1600 sq/ft if you stay < 150k
200K gets about 2000 sq/ft

Lancaster might be lower. And Roseamond or Mojave even less. Dunno

 

[DizWolf]

• Canon 40D + crappy 28-135 f/3.5-5.6 IS USM lens (I would love an 75-200 F/4 L if anyone is selling one 'cheap' )
• Shutter Priority (1/3200th)
• High Speed Drive (supposedly 8 to 9 fps)
• ISO 320 or 400

Phenomenal photos. I love that lens... But I'm shocked you get these with it. Gotta love sunny days Hold out for a used 70-200 f/2.8 L New version out now, people should be dumping the old ones (i won't I love it).

I totally buy the PS job, nice. You're making me want to try that DM...

 

[gdjsky01]

Important to note as I am sure all of you know, I post process my photos. The data is all there. Except for when I say so, I don't add data. But I try and make what I captured look good. That IS the beauty of digital photography.

 

[DizWolf]

Post or not, mach diamonds in a cti red are hard to catch.

 

[PropellantHead]

• Canon 40D + crappy 28-135 f/3.5-5.6 IS USM lens (I would love an 75-200 F/4 L if anyone is selling one 'cheap' )
• Shutter Priority (1/3200th)
• High Speed Drive (supposedly 8 to 9 fps)
• ISO 320 or 400

Chute in the F75 was a 60 inch Sphere-a-chute I believe.

Corrections made. Actually the date was wrong.

Jeff,

Were you using a polarizing filter? The way the sky lightens and darkens between shots makes me think you were. I never leave home without mine on launch day.

 

[DizWolf]

Jeff,

Were you using a polarizing filter? The way the sky lightens and darkens between shots makes me think you were. I never leave home without mine on launch day.

Could be wrong but I'm guessing not. Look at the hologram decal. Sky is likely from post adjustments

 

[Daddyisabar]

Very cool photos of all that fun in the SO CAL desert.

 

[majordude]

Great recap and photos! Woohoo!