Whitakers, NC HPR Launch

[MarkABrown]

Check out the Calendar! Due to the cancellation of the September launch, this weekends launch, at Whitakers, NC, will be a two day event instead of a one day and an experimental day. All are welcome.

 

[MarkABrown]

Well, today's launch was absolutely fantastic! It was a bit cold and much windier than I would have preferred but, it wasn't too bad.

Today was my Level 1 certification attempt. I am the newest Tripoli Level 1 certified member on the forum! Phil Gerringer also certified today just before me (I'll let him tell how it went ).

I called ahead to reserve an H128W-10 from Performance Hobbies to use in my new bright red BSD Diablo. However, when I arrived, the H128 was nowhere to be found! No problem, I just used an H165R-10. (The Redline is soooo cool). At the end of the countdown, the Diablo literally jumped off the pad with a foot long red flame chasing it into the air. I'm not sure how high it went but, I was talking it lower the whole time (I didn't want the wind to catch it and carry it away). Shortly after apogee, the chute deployed and luckily the wind died down just then. The Diablo floated down and landed about 50 meters behind the pad. No damage! Level 1!

 

[PGerringer]

Yes sir what a hoot!!! Fun was had by all. You can see all my wonderful pictures here:

https://scooby.cybergatetech.com/Projects/Rocketry/Pictures/launch 10-27-01/

And a few to note:

My (successful) Cert 1 on a modified Aerotech Mirage:
https://scooby.cybergatetech.com/Projects/Rocketry/Pictures/launch 10-27-01/img_0885.jpg

Mark's (successful) Cert 1 on a BSD Diablo:
https://scooby.cybergatetech.com/Projects/Rocketry/Pictures/launch 10-27-01/img_0907.jpg
or
https://scooby.cybergatetech.com/Projects/Rocketry/Pictures/launch 10-27-01/img_0909.jpg
(Which one is it, Mark)
It's the second one. (the one with the pretty red flame )
You can still see mine sitting on pad 5 in the first photo.

Mark's modified Big Daddy (on an E) slamming into the ground with no (yes, no) damage:
https://scooby.cybergatetech.com/Projects/Rocketry/Pictures/launch 10-27-01/img_0921.jpg

Mark's modified Big Daddy (on an F) slamming into the ground but this time he wasn't so lucky:
https://scooby.cybergatetech.com/Projects/Rocketry/Pictures/launch 10-27-01/img_0933.jpg

Ken's SR-71 glider:
https://scooby.cybergatetech.com/Projects/Rocketry/Pictures/launch 10-27-01/img_0925.jpg

Ken's modified Pico glider:
https://scooby.cybergatetech.com/Projects/Rocketry/Pictures/launch 10-27-01/img_0935.jpg
https://scooby.cybergatetech.com/Projects/Rocketry/Pictures/launch 10-27-01/img_0936.jpg
https://scooby.cybergatetech.com/Projects/Rocketry/Pictures/launch 10-27-01/img_0937.jpg

A really cool pencil rocket:
https://scooby.cybergatetech.com/Projects/Rocketry/Pictures/launch 10-27-01/img_0938.jpg

And the final launch of the day:
https://scooby.cybergatetech.com/Projects/Rocketry/Pictures/launch 10-27-01/img_0943.jpg

All in all the Mirage flew 4 times with no dammage. The parachute had a hard time coming out and several times it waited until the last minute before deploying. But it went great! It also served as my Cert Level 1 and did not fail.

When Ken gets back I'm sure he will chime in...

 

[Milo]

Congrats guys. Job well done.

 

[Oliver Arend]

Congratulations. Now open your wallets.

Oliver

 

[PGerringer]

Funny Oliver, that is what one of the prefects said after my cert flight. I'm sensing a pattern here... When one person says it, it must be mania. When two people say it, it must be true. What have I gotten myself into?

Thanks Craig, you should have been there. Most fun I have had in awhile. Even dodging the cow pies was fun. You gotta come with us next time!!!

 

[MarkABrown]

Thanks, everyone. Yeah, the Big Daddy wasn't quite so lucky but, the damage is repairable. I think that its name has to be changed, though, to "Cow Patty Daddy".

 

[Milo]

Man I hope they took the cows out of the pasture else you would have never went and recovered your rocket. And remember Phil, not all bulls have horns.

 

[PGerringer]

Nope the pasture was full of them. And in this case, it didn't matter if bulls have horns or not: The cows were calfing... They were very protective and dangerous. Luckily they weren't very close to us... Or we would have had steak lunch...

 

[PGerringer]

Oh, and BTW... Mark, I think we had blow-by on our certs... Take a look at your casing for a ding. As I was cleaning up last night I noticed that there was a small bulge at the end where the fore closure was. Could you imagine if it ruptured... Failed Cert 1....

 

[MarkABrown]

My casing still looks good.

 

[KenParker]

Actually, it will probably only be about a half-cents worth. I'm beat. This old man is tired, tired, tired.

Well, I didn't fly any today. Too cold, too windy during the morning. However.....

Did see some really neat things. One of the guys there bought the "Dude" rocket that Ken Allen brought and put it together Saturday night. He flew it this morning. What a hoot !!!! First flight was on a D12-3. Couldn't have gone a 100 feet high. The rocket was pretty much on the ground before the parachute popped out.

For its second flight, I donated an E9-4. That was very interesting. Went up about a 100 feet, then turned into a "Cruise Missile Dude." Then it started heading for the ground. Just before it got to the ground, it leveled out and kind of skidded in. That thing is too funny for words.

Then Kelly Mercer launched a 29mm diameter rocket on an old Aerotech single use H55-14W. The engine was about ten inches long. The rocket was a (modified) Estes Nike-Smoke. Which means the rocket body tube was about 13 inches long. He managed to cram a mylar streamer into the body tube. It left the pad in a hurry !!!! Goodness knows how high it went. Estimates ran in the five to seven thousand foot range. Several people actually said they could see the streamer for a while, but then it passed overhead, and the rocket was between us and the sun, so we stopped getting reflections from the streamer. No, it was not recovered.

BTW, Mark, we looked for the Razor, but it was not to be found.

And then.... the guy from Canada launched his Level 3 M1939 bird. 17 feet tall. What.... a .... kick....

Kent got the ENTIRE flight on video. It was amazing. Perfect flight in all respects.

Kent and I left right after that. Even though we didn't fly, the Dude, Kelly's disposable H rocket, and the M project from Canada made the day all worth while.

Oh yeah.... Jim Scarpine showed up. In his new TransAm. Gave Kent a ride in it, and busted a move on it up to a little over a 100. Needless to say, my soon to be 17 year old son was... very impressed.

Mark, Phil.... congrats on your L1's. Craig.... you gotta make the trip next time.

BTW, Phil - GREAT pictures. I'm thrilled that you got the Pico jet on liftoff. I'll cherish that picture for months to come.

 

[MarkABrown]

Glad you had a great time today. Phil and I talked the whole way home yesterday about the next two day event. Can't wait.

Sorry there wasn't any way to tell you but, after you left, Kelly Mercer offered to help us make one more attempt to find the Razor. Since he remembered where he saw it land and we had more people looking and Phil's keen eye, we recovered the Razor. My daughter was very happy. She had a great time yesterday also and wants to get a bigger rocket for the next launch.

 

[gothique_97]

Speaking of run-ins with cows, at Battle Park 1992, I was out looking for my EZI which had just flown on an I132 and drifted quite a ways away. I had hopped a fence into an adjacent pasture. There were cows in this pasture, but they were nowhere near where my rocket came down. Well, they started making their way in my direction. They were only walking, but there was about 15 of them. I was born and raised in Bridgeport, CT, and the closest I'd ever been to a cow was a glass of milk. All of a sudden, I have over a dozen of them coming right for my city-slicker butt. I ran like hell and hopped back over the fence. I described my experience to the local flyers. Turns out they thought I was going to feed them. We all had a hearty laugh at my expense...

 

[Milo]

What a great cow story. Cows are so cute, especially when grilled just right with a baked potato on the side. Most cows are very nice, will eat out of your hand, let you pet them but you still must use some common sense. That is, don't threaten the calf while momma is around. Cows can run pretty fast when they have a good cause.

Never pee on an electric fence.

 

[PGerringer]

BTW guys, the ding in my casing was replaced by Dr. Rocket no questions. Thanks to Dr. Rocket for good customer service. The Dr. still did not tell me how to get a good seal on the casing. He said it may be that it was not sealed. Can anyone shed some light?

 

[KenParker]

You know, while someone is shedding some light on how to get a better seal, explain something else to me......

What Dr. Rocket is saying makes absolutely no sense to me. Why would you get a bulge in the case if the seal was weak? A weak seal would cause the case to LEAK PRESSURE.... in other words, the pressure in the case would be LESS. Seems to me that there would be a greater chance of bulging the case if it WASN'T LEAKING IN THE FIRST PLACE, because the internal pressure would be HIGHER.

What the heck am I missing here?

 

[PGerringer]

Maybe that is why they replaced it.