DARS Launches - Dallas Area Rocket Society

[Incongruent]

slight breeze

We're cool with that.

 

[tab28682]

Looks like work tomorrow instead of launching, for me. I do have next Saturday off and will be at Gunter, weather and random life events permitting.

 

[tmacklin]

I won't be going to the Caddo Mills launch tomorrow, not because of distance or weather, but because I'm nursing an infection of my big toe on might right foot. My own damn fault for picking at a dead piece of skin caused by an ingrown toenail and coupled with Type II Diabetes. I did do a virtual flyover via Google Earth and it looks like a great site. I hope the winds are light and that everyone has good flying!

 

[Incongruent]

I can't go either.

 

[AlfaBrewer]

It was a little chilly, but the winds were fairly light. We had a decent turnout, and some really nice flights. The field is pretty nice, with wide open spaces.

The most exciting thing that happened was having an E9 CATO in my Mega Mosquito. I wasn't taking pictures, but it was pretty stunning to see. Especially the flaming slug of propellant coming out the forward end of the rocket.

 

[pyrobob]

Too bad. Seem the E9 empirical cato rate is quite high. What gives?

 

[tab28682]

Too bad. Seem the E9 empirical cato rate is quite high. What gives?

Likely has to do with the low temps yesterday. There has been a good bit of discussion about the fact that it is not good to fly BP motors at temps less than 75 degrees lower than the maximum temp they have been exposed to.

Let's say that a pack of E9s was shipped during the summer and temps inside the semi reached 140 degrees. 140 minus 75 gives us 65 degrees as a low temp threshold where it might fail if ambient temp is below that. If the pack got to 150 in shipping, that gives us 75 degrees.

When we do our old motor launch next year, it really needs to be above 85-90 degrees for best results.

 

[samb]

It was a little chilly, but the winds were fairly light. We had a decent turnout, and some really nice flights. The field is pretty nice, with wide open spaces.

The most exciting thing that happened was having an E9 CATO in my Mega Mosquito. I wasn't taking pictures, but it was pretty stunning to see. Especially the flaming slug of propellant coming out the forward end of the rocket.

I'm starting to revise my opinion on the ol' E9. I have been a denier of the prevalence of E9 CATOs outside of certain date codes but the evidence is mounting.

 

[pyrobob]

I'm starting to revise my opinion on the ol' E9. I have been a denier of the prevalence of E9 CATOs outside of certain date codes but the evidence is mounting.

Yeah, I've been pretty far removed from a lot of black powder flying but it just seems like the E9's are cato prone and that most aren't surprised when the see one. Too bad.

 

[Incongruent]

E9's are cato prone.

Just wait 'till someone digs up some D13s!

 

[Cl(VII)]

The shame with the E9 is that when it works it is a fantastic motor. It just keeps going. I've been fortunate having flown about 10 with no CATOs, and getting the rockets back to boot. I know I'm working on borrowed time with the.

 

[pyrobob]

Just wait 'till someone digs up some D13s!

This is encouraged at a PGI convention..... Do tell....

 

[pyrobob]

The shame with the E9 is that when it works it is a fantastic motor. It just keeps going. I've been fortunate having flown about 10 with no CATOs, and getting the rockets back to boot. I know I'm working on borrowed time with the.

I remember 2 years ago this Thanksgiving reaching deep, and I mean deep, into the Range Box. Out came were some Estes E's of many, many, years ago. They were defintely 24mm as the Estes Tomahawk rocket we eventually flew it in, could only accommodate.... As a former fireworksman, I had little concern, although I did wonder.............. In the end it flew just fine. Temp was upper 50's low 60's and we recovered just shy of some trees. Now the Banzai on a C6 didn't fare so well. I do wonder if it remains suspended in that rather egregious tree. Maybe we'll go back and look this week .

 

[AlfaBrewer]

I flew 2 E9s from that pack on Saturday, one flew no problems, the other was the CATO. Unfortunately, the good motor was in the "Spinning Blades of Death" (aka Mega Vortico) which would have been fine with the CATO, unlike the Mega Mosquito.

That's the first E9 CATO I've had out of probably 2 dozen flown. I've had more (2) CATOs from E12s, with only 3 flown.

 

[tab28682]

I flew 2 E9s from that pack on Saturday, one flew no problems, the other was the CATO. Unfortunately, the good motor was in the "Spinning Blades of Death" (aka Mega Vortico) which would have been fine with the CATO, unlike the Mega Mosquito.

That's the first E9 CATO I've had out of probably 2 dozen flown. I've had more (2) CATOs from E12s, with only 3 flown.

And that makes a good case for it being a quality issue and not temp related, when one CATOs and one does not from the same pack.

The temp thing is not an exact science, but a possible zone of slightly worse odds as opposed to slightly better odds.

 

[tmacklin]

I suspect that the additional 1 inch of length of an Estes E motor over an Estes D motor contributes to the apparent higher failure rate, as the casing wall thickness is identical, just as an 8 foot 2 x 4 stud is stiffer than a 12 foot 2 x 4 stud and will flex more under an equal load. In addition, the longer burn time of the E9 means the entire motor is subjected to more heat against the casing wall. No proof, just a hunch.

 

[samb]

Ok, lots of sunshine to take care of the little bit of wetness we got yesterday. Looking for a big time this Saturday with my favorite low power engines, motors, booster units, and/or woosh generators ! And a turkey samich. :grin:

 

[tmacklin]

Ok, lots of sunshine to take care of the little bit of wetness we got yesterday. Looking for a big time this Saturday with my favorite low power engines, motors, booster units, and/or woosh generators ! And a turkey samich. :grin:

Plus One with dat! My rebuilt Renegade is chomping at the bit. Depending upon the winds, it will either go on a C11-0 to a B6-4 or a D12-0 to a C6-7. Hope this forecast holds....

https://www.wunderground.com/cgi-bin/findweather/getForecast?query=Gunter,+TX

 

[Cl(VII)]

Is there an official Turkey Shoot this year? Thanks to the 6 recently acquired staples in the back of Wesley's head he doesn't have swim practice for a week or so.

 

[samb]

Is there an official Turkey Shoot this year? Thanks to the 6 recently acquired staples in the back of Wesley's head he doesn't have swim practice for a week or so.

Nothing official, so I can have plausible deniability. And What da Wha ???

 

[tab28682]

Looking good to be there right now.

Will bring some RC rocket gliders and some low and mid powered stuff. Going to do the RC Chute Sled a time or two. Also hope to have the new smaller RC Chute Sled for 1.6-2.2" tubes there for a test.

 

[Cl(VII)]

And What da Wha ???

Wesley hadn't been to the emergency room in almost a year, so he was overdue...tripped and hit the back of his head off a piece of furniture. The story he gave us was total BS, but he knows what happened (so do we thanks to his brother ratting him out) and won't be doing it again any time soon. We decided to let the staples stand as the punishment; we had already hit the deductible anyway.

 

[samb]

Wesley hadn't been to the emergency room in almost a year, so he was overdue...tripped and hit the back of his head off a piece of furniture. The story he gave us was total BS, but he knows what happened (so do we thanks to his brother ratting him out) and won't be doing it again any time soon. We decided to let the staples stand as the punishment; we had already hit the deductible anyway.

Sorry to hear it. No permanent damage I trust ? My own youthful head injury occurred in my Mom's living room during some holiday gathering so no pleading out. 3 stitches for me but the picture tube in the old console tv was totaled. Good thing God made knucklehead's heads tough.

 

[tab28682]

Sure had a great time at the DARS Gunter Launch today. Cool temps, light winds, great folks and lots of flights.

Cloudy and foggy early, but lifted with blue skies right after lunchtime.

I got in 7 flights today.

Mega Mosquito on a D12-3.
Profile Depron foam Douglas D-558-III Skyflash RC RG on an E6
Depron foam Black Horse spaceplane RC RG on a D2.3
Estes Trajector on an Estes F15-6
Profile Depron SA-14 Archer RC RG on an E6
Dynasoar Rocketry profile X-15 RC RG on an E6
Aerotech ARCAS on a G40-7, with the RC Chute Sled

All worked great except for the profile SA-14. Great boost, but I stumbled a little repositioning myself as the model hit apogee and lost sight of it for a moment. Forget to set glide trim and the model burned of a fair amount of altitude in a dive before I was able to re-acquire and get it under control. Landed a little steeply and knocked off two foam fins, pointing out the need for a little structural redesign... Damage was minor and it was an interesting flight, though.

The eighth flight of the RC Chute Sled in the AT ARCAS (for the second time) was great. Put a larger than usual 36" chute in the model. Opened on demand at about 150 feet with nearly no drift under canopy. Nice sloooow decent. Ended up about 70 yards from the pad.

Enjoyed watching lots of other flights there today as well!

 

[pyrobob]

Was wondering how Gunter went. Weather was fantastic. I played football with my son for a while and resurrected an ~11 month old modified Leviathan build. Got the last two fins tacked on. Need to fillet all four, attached shock cord, and figure out some sort of paint scheme. I'm thinking about recruiting my son and 3 year old daughter along with their water colors. Should be quite interesting.....

 

[Fred Garvin]

The weather today was brilliant! Nice and cool, very little wind. Once the clouds and slight fog burned off, clear blue and 22. Had a good turnout of dedicated Rocketeers and it was good to see Sam and George again....and meet several more I've known on the forum but finally met and flew with in person. Gunter is a fantastic flying field!

I accomplished 2 of 3 goals today:

1. Finished NARTREK Silver with a 30 second (barely, but it counts,) glider flight, a Tercel on an A3-2T. That one was hanging over my head with 2 previous attempts failing. I picked a perfect moment when the winds were slack, what wind there was anyway. It was a nail biter on that A3.....landing at 30.26 seconds!

2. NARTREK Silver Payload flight on a Magician, D12-5, NAR Competition Payload. Straight and high, I had a bit of a walk to get this one back. The Magician is a good, strong payloader. These two flights completed NARTREK Silver.

3. Used my JL AltimeterThree. Flew it twice in my Astron Sprint XL, on a D12-5. First flight didn't get it setup right, but second flight captured perfectly, downloaded to my iPad with all details. 822' flight.

4. JL Chute Release. Tried twice to fly my Scion, set with AltimeterThree and Chute Release on a G80-7. First attempt, pop and puff....no go. Second attempt, small puff, no go. It was getting on in the day so called it quits. Oh well, there's always next time!

Great day to get out and fly!

 

[tab28682]

Enjoyed meeting you yesterday, Fred. Really enjoyed your cliffhanger of a glider flight and congrats on Nartrek Silver.

Gunter yesterday was one of the most relaxed and fun launches I have ever attended.

 

[Fred Garvin]

X2 Tom....enjoyed the banter with you guys and neighboring up to Chris....fun day of casual flying, meeting goals and just burning powder. Gunter is a great site, wide open with the downhill and upslope, can see even far off landings. There's only that one tree.

 

[samb]

How about Big Al Yunker's 3 motor cluster flight ? A scratch built with 3 Estes E9 motors ?!?! 3 flames out the back and that sweet 3 second burn !!! He just spits in the eye of all this cato nonsense. That's some steely-eyed missile s___ right there. :grin:

 

[Fred Garvin]

Truth....had some serious smoke and noise going on with some of them!