SARA/ SOUTHERN ARIZONA ROCKETRY ASSOCIATION

[crazyed]

I think your lookin at my yellow and black Mirage- It was a G64W, the RRC2+ read off 886'. It can actually fly on an F also,F50 or F52T. It wants an H 180W. It was well worth my 2hr drive. One of the best launchs in my book. Maybe you can make it next time.

 

[Evilash]

Nice. I guess when you think about it a 64 n can get a pretty large rocket off the pad. Are you in Phoenix?

What it really needs is a long burn. I have a i55 that would be just the thing.

 

[terryg]

So what are you guys building for Desert Heat? (March 28 and 29th). I am midway thru constructing my upscale Solar Flare. Planning a shake down flight in daytime and a flight at night if it behaves itself on the first flight. With Art's help the ring fin is glassed and ready for sanding. The ebay and battery bays are partially done and the upper fins are ready to be glued on. I could not resist doing a dry assembly to see how it stacks up. It will fly with 300 RGB LEDS for its first flights. I will get serious with the lighting on future flights after I see its flight characteristics.

 

[crazyed]

So what are you building for Desert Heat? I am midway thru constructing my upscale Solar Flare. Planning a shake down flight in daytime and a flight at night if it behaves itself on the first flight. With Art's help the ring fin is glassed and ready for sanding. The ebay and battery bays are partially done and the upper fins are ready to be glued on. I could not resist doing a dry to see how it stacks up. It will fly with 300 RGB LEDS for its first flights. I will get serious with the lighting on future flights after I see its flight characteristics.

View attachment 254860View attachment 254862View attachment 254863

Thats really dang cool lookin Terry. Its getting me interested in this night flying thing. Do you have any pics of such? And what motors are typically used? Where do get the lighting supplies?

 

[terryg]

https://fotos.nahcpj.com/dh2014/night1

https://fotos.nahcpj.com/sara_10122013

https://fotos.nahcpj.com/dh2013/night1

https://fotos.nahcpj.com/sara_10132012

 

[terryg]

The motors used are a personal preference. Black Powder motors are not as bright as AP and have very fine side sparks which show up best in photos. Clusters are cool as well as are multistage flights. For AP I prefer colored flames or sparky motors. Redline and Mojave Greens work well, as do CTI Blue Streaks. I have an H550 Super Thunder that I will fly this year in the Glow Light Express. Metalstorms produce a fountain of fine sparks. Skidmarks and Darkmatter reloads have coarser sparks and are noisier.
Lighting techniques are as varied as the fliers, ranging from glow sticks and surplus Halloween lighting to fancy systems with thousands of LED's. I use these cyalumes in my Glowlight Express:

https://www.directglow.com/15_inch_25mm_Mammoth_s/161.htm

The easiest way to convert a rocket for night flight is to use self adhesive LED strip lights. One roll and a 9 volt battery and you are set to go.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/5M-3528-SM...t=LH_DefaultDomain_0&var=&hash=item72288312b4

https://stores.ebay.com/eshopstar/L...71404014&_sid=155704264&_trksid=p4634.c0.m322

 

[Evilash]

Skidmarks are so awesome at night. A red moon burner would probably pretty cool as well.

That solar flare is looking epic.

 

[terryg]

The CTI J145 long burn Skidmark would be awesome at night in a rocket light enough for it to be flown in. A burn time of 4.87 seconds would be really impressive. The only color missing is a decent purple. The closest I have seen to one is one of Roy's EX formulas which I suspect would look great at night.

 

[crazyed]

Thats some pretty neat stuff. I really had know idea that was what night launches had going on. darn cool.!!

 

[crazyed]

I hope these videos work. From our fun launch Feb. 10. Our drag race, Eliminator(Estes)-F44-8W and Bretts Estes Mammoth on an F50
[video=youtube_share;eXhZcec9RSQ]https://youtu.be/eXhZcec9RSQ[/video]

 

[crazyed]

Bretts Tube finned rocket on(motor?)
[video=youtube_share;sBUqSpvu9dc]https://youtu.be/sBUqSpvu9dc[/video]

 

[crazyed]

My first Dual Deploy,Aerotech Mirage, RRC2+,G64-7W,Drogue 886',main 300'. Watch full screen to see deployments.
[video=youtube_share;a-3ws8C0cYc]https://youtu.be/a-3ws8C0cYc[/video]

 

[Evilash]

What an awesome looking day, hopefully Saturday will be like that.

 

[kweaver]

All,
AMW is overnighting in Tucson Tonight!
If anyone wants to save shipping, call in, or go online, order and pay, tell Gloria to call me. I will pick it up and deliver at Saturday's launch!

 

[Evilash]

Tonight as in Thursday night or last night (Wednesday) ?

 

[enderw88]

I'll see everyone tomorrow!

 

[soopirV]

Happy Launch Day everyone! Super excited to test out on L2 today (I hope!). MadCow Frenzy on a J280 Smokey Sam, would like to meet you guys face to face if possible!

 

[Evilash]

Was it the white frenzy? Impressive switch band, pretty epic actually.

 

[enderw88]

Uggh. Not a great day. My first flight was on an AT 24mm F12. Not sure what happened, I think the First Fire Junior Igniter I used plugged the nozzle, it was a VERY tight fit, the thing just didn't seem to develop enough thrust. Rocket got to about 30 feet, then circled. Very embarrassing. I reloaded a 29mm AT F52 into the same airframe. Up was OK, but a bit of a corkscrew, the apogee charge fired as it should have, but separated from the booster. The drogue brought the booster down. Then the main charge fired and SEPARATED AGAIN. So my main brought the nose cone down and the Raven altimeter was lost in the brush. I recovered the main and booster but spent about thirty minutes looking for for the center section. Note to self: no more black rockets.

Featherweight appears to be out of stock on the Ravens. Anyone have one they want to sell? I have a few airframes designed to use it in 24mm configuration.

 

[Evilash]

Oh man, you lost the av bay? Of all the pieces to lose. The brush is wicked out there right now.

 

[crazyed]

Any personal pics of the launch today?

 

[Evilash]

Any personal pics of the launch today?

Here are some







[video=youtube_share;m4JYw1UUPL0]https://youtu.be/m4JYw1UUPL0[/video]

 

[crazyed]

NICE- NICE- NICE!!!!!!!!!
You all had another great launch and thanks for those excellent pics and vids.

 

[enderw88]

Oh man, you lost the av bay? Of all the pieces to lose. The brush is wicked out there right now.

Yeah, I tried two different methods of attaching to the Raven as described in the manual and both failed. I think I was too heavy with the ejection charges. Expensive flight.

At least the brush is soft and green and not cholla.

 

[terryg]

Joyce was there so there will be photos on line after she finishes processing them. It was a surprisingly good day for the launch as all the weather forecasts pointed at quite windy conditions. However it was fairly calm and the temperature was great. The high hazy clouds made it harder to track the rockets but a great launch over all. Congrats to soopirV on his successful L2 certification flight. It is always amazing how the desert responds to rain and how it responds to a week of rain is overwhelming. We will have to do some serious weed eating before they dry out.

 

[terryg]

I recovered the main and booster but spent about thirty minutes looking for for the center section.

Where did it go down? The best way to look for things like this is to get a group together and form a grid search pattern. Sometimes things work as planned and sometimes Murphy shows up big time. F12 can be a challenge to light due to the very small nozzle diameter. I have used home made igniters made with cat 5 wire in the past to get them going.

 

[enderw88]

Where did it go down? The best way to look for things like this is to get a group together and form a grid search pattern. Sometimes things work as planned and sometimes Murphy shows up big time. F12 can be a challenge to light due to the very small nozzle diameter. I have used home made igniters made with cat 5 wire in the past to get them going.

That was the hard part. The drogue and main were brightly colored, the section that separated was black. Once it separated I lost sight of it almost immediately. Live and learn. I have to keep telling myself how much less expensive this hobby is than my last hobby (rebuilding BMW cars).

 

[Evilash]

I forgot I got a shot of that Frenzys sweet switch band, I love those switches, and I am curious what all those LEDs do.

 

[Evilash]

That was the hard part. The drogue and main were brightly colored, the section that separated was black. Once it separated I lost sight of it almost immediately. Live and learn. I have to keep telling myself how much less expensive this hobby is than my last hobby (rebuilding BMW cars).

It has to be cheaper than that, at least you were not working on Range Rovers.

Well my old hobby was drinking, it is not cheaper than that lol.

 

[soopirV]

Was it the white frenzy? Impressive switch band, pretty epic actually.

Hi, yes, it was! Thanks for the compliments- I was putting a few components through some testing (switches have no G rating published) but seemed to hold up just fine to the meager 7g's I pulled.