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- Mar 27, 2013
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Ok, guys, you know who you are...
Who's had to fish out a rocket from the ocean, a river, stream, pond, swimming pool, puddle, water filled ditch, or lake?
Me, it was my Cherokee D. I was launching on my Great Grandmother's ranch on the shores of the Rogue River (rogue, like loveable, not rouge (as in red)). The rocket boosted clean, but there was a wind, and it drifted over the river, and came down in the rapids on the far side. I managed to strip down, and cross over the river to recover it. Froze my 8alls off in the process (that river is glacier fed), but at least my clothes were dry. Later lost the rocket on another day (long after it had dried out) to a snag, on my side of the river. The osprey that occupied it flew around and checked it out while it was descending.
My 2nd water recovery was a deliberate action. I launched a Yellow Jacket in the hopes it would act like a torpedo. It didn't work like that. The motor was sealed with wax, and the rocket was flooded, but it still was pretty buoyant. It was launched sideways from a launch rod held underwater (by me). The rocket jumped out of the water a foot off the rail, flew in a ballistic arc, reentered the water, and then dove for the bottom, where it wasted the rest of it's powered swim. I still would like to try a water launch, but a river isn't the place to do it. I'd launch it downwards, in a deep portion of the lake, and add sand or some rocks to act as ballast. When the ejection goes, the ballast is dumped, and I'd recover the rocket when it floats up. Additionally, I have a GoPro, so now I'd be able able to film it.
BTW, there really is a Goldfish Club, for pilots and other aviators who's lives were saved by flotation devices after ending up in the drink (image links to wikipedia's article).
Who's had to fish out a rocket from the ocean, a river, stream, pond, swimming pool, puddle, water filled ditch, or lake?
Me, it was my Cherokee D. I was launching on my Great Grandmother's ranch on the shores of the Rogue River (rogue, like loveable, not rouge (as in red)). The rocket boosted clean, but there was a wind, and it drifted over the river, and came down in the rapids on the far side. I managed to strip down, and cross over the river to recover it. Froze my 8alls off in the process (that river is glacier fed), but at least my clothes were dry. Later lost the rocket on another day (long after it had dried out) to a snag, on my side of the river. The osprey that occupied it flew around and checked it out while it was descending.
My 2nd water recovery was a deliberate action. I launched a Yellow Jacket in the hopes it would act like a torpedo. It didn't work like that. The motor was sealed with wax, and the rocket was flooded, but it still was pretty buoyant. It was launched sideways from a launch rod held underwater (by me). The rocket jumped out of the water a foot off the rail, flew in a ballistic arc, reentered the water, and then dove for the bottom, where it wasted the rest of it's powered swim. I still would like to try a water launch, but a river isn't the place to do it. I'd launch it downwards, in a deep portion of the lake, and add sand or some rocks to act as ballast. When the ejection goes, the ballast is dumped, and I'd recover the rocket when it floats up. Additionally, I have a GoPro, so now I'd be able able to film it.
BTW, there really is a Goldfish Club, for pilots and other aviators who's lives were saved by flotation devices after ending up in the drink (image links to wikipedia's article).
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