Updates...

[Patternflyer]

Little Joe looks great!!! You have a nice selection at your LHS! You get to pick what you want. My LHS is so small, I have to pick what they have! Lol
Good luck and God Speed tomorrow!

 

[BEC]

Booster-55 and Booster-60 work OK with C11-0s, especially if you vent them so they don’t separate before the sustainer actually lights.

 

[Ronz Rocketz]

Booster-55 and Booster-60 work OK with C11-0s, especially if you vent them so they don’t separate before the sustainer actually lights.

You mean the booster separates without igniting the sustainer?

Launched 4 rockets this morning and 2 ended up in trees so will go back this evening to rescue the rockets. Another day when the forecast was <3mph and turned into 5 to 10 mph. You'll be happy to know the LJ flew great, a little ballistic, but great.

 

[BEC]

You mean the booster separates without igniting the sustainer?

Yes.....the Boosters are a pretty loose fit on their "stagers" that go on the sustainers they are designed to fly with, and there's just enough extra distance for the flame front to go from the top of a C11 to the top of a D12 that sometimes the stages blow apart before the sustainer lights. The holes that allow hot gases to escape solve that nicely.

 

[Ronz Rocketz]

Ah, I put masking tape on the stager because it was very loose.

Unfortunately, the C11-0 did not point the rocket in an upward direction. One had to be rescued by tree trimmers and another crashed onto concrete. If I used a light enough rocket, do you think the C11-0 would work? It works fine in OR of course.

The Exocet landed on a tree this morning (couldn’t rescue it yet, film at 11) but I do have the Nike Smoke that’ll fit.

 

[Patternflyer]

Ron, I look forward to seeing your video! Sounds like we had similar launch days...... I flew 3 flights this afternoon. Only one came down "nicely"........ My video will post in the morning.

 

[Ronz Rocketz]

Although wind speeds are less in the Hawaiian winter, I believe the air is more unstable on low wind days. Coincidentally, we’re getting more skilled at retrieving the rockets out of the Monkey Pod trees.



Of course the main problem is that I keep launching new rockets; not enough time to figure out how each rocket behaves. It’s my curse.

 

[BABAR]

On your videos, you usually make great motor choices, maximizing use of your field, but most of them seem to stay out of the canal. Rocketry if one sport where you do NOT want to “knock it out of the park!”

For multistagers, I hesitate to “go small” on the booster (although I wish I had on my CiCi2, it staged at about 200 or 200 feet, going horizontal, and the sustainer glider was never seen by my eyes again!). But I always go small on the sustainer for first flights, in fact sometimes I will adapt down a motor size.

This reduces the weight of the stack (so you get more end rod/rail velocity for same booster motor), and since the sustainer is already at a stable speed at separation (it better be, if not the black powder sustainer motor is not gonna kick in fast enough to help), so especially for first flights you don’t really need much thrust on the sustainer, assuming a short delay motor if you go really low (like replacing an 18 mm motor with an A10-3T.)

 

[Ronz Rocketz]

Baseball is the only sport where the offense scores while the defense has the ball.

I guess I could develop a scoring system. Is that how they do it at TARC? 1 point for liftoff, 1 for going up (not sideways), 1 for chute release (not streamer), 1 for retrieval (undamaged). Extra points for altimeter or camera footage or payload (insectronaut).

 

[Ronz Rocketz]

Forecast for today is 50% chance of landing rockets in trees. Insectronaut rescued...

Again, the forecast was for 3mph. By the time we were set up, the winds increased to 10mph. The problem is that the rockets I selected were meant for low winds. I guess we're gonna have to arrive at the park earlier and launch the bigger rockets sooner than later.

The Supernova and Exocet landed in the trees. The Supernova was easy to rescue. The Exocet however is at the apex of a large Monkey Pod tree. We tried for about 30 minutes to bring the rocket down, but an unstable lady showed up and started harassing us so we left. We'll try again next time we launch in the park.

I developed a point scoring system. 1pt for liftoff, 1pt for vertical flight, 1pt for chute deployment (not streamer), 1pt for recovery, and bonus points for altimeter reading, camera footage, and significant payload such as insectronaut. The results are as follows. The goal is always to do better. This was a junior birdman day...

40+ starfleet status
30-40 astronaut status
20-30 windy day status
10-20 junior birdman status

Timeline:
00:00 Intro
00:46 Checkmate 3pts
02:08 Supernova 4pts
05:56 Little Joe I 4pts
07:05 Exocet 3pts
09:42 Total 14pts

 

[Cape Byron]

Forecast for today is 50% chance of landing rockets in trees.

That's my normal day!

 

[BEC]

Ah, I put masking tape on the stager because it was very loose

John Boren (Estes R&D man) told me the loose fit was by intent and (reluctantly) concurred with the venting idea if not using a D12-0 in the accessory boosters.

I developed a point scoring system. 1pt for liftoff, 1pt for vertical flight, 1pt for chute deployment (not streamer), 1pt for recovery, and bonus points for altimeter reading, camera footage, and significant payload such as insectronaut.

I like it. How many extra points for altimeter or camera? I'll have to score my next outing along these lines and see what i get. I might be flying off the beach on the central Washington coast next week some time.

 

[NOLA_BAR]

Where is this guy launching in sun, shorts, and a t-shirt? Ok, you are in Hawaii! Dang, some people just have everything!

 

[Ronz Rocketz]

John Boren (Estes R&D man) told me the loose fit was by intent and (reluctantly) concurred with the venting idea if not using a D12-0 in the accessory boosters.


I like it. How many extra points for altimeter or camera? I'll have to score my next outing along these lines and see what i get. I might be flying off the beach on the central Washington coast next week some time.

1pt each but you have to get an actual reading or video footage of the acsent/descent.

Ocean Shores? Spent many summers there. Not a calm place in the winter.

In Hawaii, is 84F in winter and 92F in summer with humidity 55% to 65%. Sometimes I miss snow.

 

[NOLA_BAR]

My wife and I visited Hawaii about 15 years ago. Spent 2 weeks just on the Big Island. Did a lot of hiking, snorkeling and just driving around. Also went to Mauna Kea summit to see the observatories, and spent a few days at Volcanoes NP.

 

[BEC]

1pt each but you have to get an actual reading or video footage of the acsent/descent.

Ocean Shores? Spent many summers there. Not a calm place in the winter.

It wasn't last January. But that didn't prevent me from getting three flights on an Alpha III (with a streamer in it) off the beach.

Here are the data for those three flights from an earlier version of the FS Mini (pre-accelerometer-on-board):
https://flightsketch.com/flights/630/https://flightsketch.com/flights/631/https://flightsketch.com/flights/632/
The forecast for next week is for relatively low winds out there, so I'm also taking the AstroCam and will put it up a couple of times if the winds (including the direction) allow.

 

[Ronz Rocketz]

Trying a new park with Joe from Hobbyco

Met with Joe from the LHS, Hobby Co. He launches from the Blaisdell Park on the 3rd Saturday of the month, usually with the Boys Scouts but none showed up this time. Most of the rockets were probably built by @kuririn. The paint jobs were pretty impressive with glossy smooth airbrushed paint.

Timeline:
00:00 Intro
00:14 Loadstar 1
00:45 Loadstar 2
01:45 Gyroc 02:15 Big black rocket
02:50 Loadstar 3
04:04 Small rocket and Vertigo

 

[kuririn]

Nice videos. Too bad about the big black rocket. Maybe needs more oomph.
How was the park? Good thing is if you lose a rocket into the ocean you can go right down the street and get a replacement from the Hobby Company.
I think I might have met Joe the first couple of times I started launching with the club at Sandy's. Someone from HobbyCo was passing out flyers for 40% off one item. The rail construction was really hurting business in the area then. I used it to buy a flight pack of motors.
The rocket gods were with you when they brushed that rocket away from the tree.
Good fortune for a change.
Keep up the great work, buds.

 

[Ronz Rocketz]

That's what I told Joe. The advantage of launching with a hobby store owner is you don't have to worry about running out of supplies.

That rocket definitely took a mean right turn away from the tree. Joe said it has eaten many rockets.

He couldn't remember who built all of those Loadstars. Impressive paint jobs but have many broken fins. Maybe I'll offer to fix them for him next time.

There was one five year old there. I gave him my Missile Toe but he didn't want to launch it for fear he'll lose it. I told the dad I'm sorry he'll have to buy the supplies to launch but he can buy it from that guy right over there from his store down the street.

 

[jrap330]

Trying a new park with Joe from Hobbyco

Met with Joe from the LHS, Hobby Co. He launches from the Blaisdell Park on the 3rd Saturday of the month, usually with the Boys Scouts but none showed up this time. Most of the rockets were probably built by @kuririn. The paint jobs were pretty impressive with glossy smooth airbrushed paint.

Timeline:
00:00 Intro
00:14 Loadstar 1
00:45 Loadstar 2
01:45 Gyroc 02:15 Big black rocket
02:50 Loadstar 3
04:04 Small rocket and Vertigo

Much bigger park, maybe you should make it your launch field

 

[neil_w]

Impressive that you've now advanced to having an on-site vendor at your launches.

 

[Ronz Rocketz]

Much bigger park, maybe you should make it your launch field

It’s about half the size actually. It’s on the north end of Pearl Harbor.

Impressive that you've now advanced to having an on-site vendor at your launches.

I was in his shop when a guy dropped off a box of old rockets that used to belong to his grown up kids. I asked what he does with them, and he told me about his monthly launches. I guess when you’re a LHS owner, people donate old rockets.

 

[Ronz Rocketz]

Apogee XF-45. I’ll probably start with a B6-4, then C6-5, and eventually the skywriter C6-7.

 

[Ronz Rocketz]

Winter weather for the foreseeable future...

 

[BABAR]

Winter weather for the foreseeable future...

View attachment 447285

Oh go fly a kite.

 

[mbeels]

Winter weather

!#@$#@&!@#@ !

 

[Ronz Rocketz]

Didn’t mean to brag. The problem is the relentless heat and can be difficult to breathe sometimes. The significant difference between winter and summer is the height of the surf. I’m starting to learn the difference in the seasonal wind with launching rockets.

 

[Sluggo]

Baseball is the only sport where the offense scores while the defense has the ball.

I guess I could develop a scoring system. Is that how they do it at TARC? 1 point for liftoff, 1 for going up (not sideways), 1 for chute release (not streamer), 1 for retrieval (undamaged). Extra points for altimeter or camera footage or payload (insectronaut).

Love it.!!! Laughing hard.

 

[Ronz Rocketz]

Quest Super Cruiser clone. Took several coats of primer and paint to get it right. Will probably add decals to the NC...



I converted the Mini Fat Boy to 18mm. Initial flight on A8-3 went well.

 

[Ronz Rocketz]

Many streamer launches on a very windy day including a Goblin-60 on a C5-3

Still no wind days for the foreseeable future. Except for the XF-45, I converted the rockets to streamers for the high winds. Later we were joined by my son's friend. Before we started, we tried for another 30 minutes to free the Exocet from the apex of a large tree on top of a knot of branches. Despite our efforts, the elastic refuses to snap.

We of course lost the Swift. Hopefully some kid might find it and be inspired. I usually use a 1/4A3 but decided to try a 1/2A3. I tracked it half way down but then lost it in front of a cloud. We did find several Nerf darts and toy parts, so who knows.

I upgraded the MFB from 13mm to 18mm motors. It seemed to be a bit underpowered on an A8-3. I also tried out the new XF-45 and Super Cruiser on the A8-3. The Ion Pulsar suffered a broken nacelle which is easily fixed. The Goblin worked surprisingly well on the C5-3 adapter. I tried it on Open Rocket and decided this had the least deployment speed with a C motor.

Timeline:
00:00 Intro
00:11 Swift 2pts
00:56 Mini Fat Boy 3pts
02:14 Airborne Surveillance Missile 3pts
02:58 XF-45 4pts
03:59 Super Cruiser 3pts
05:12 Deep Space Transport 3pts
05:56 Ion Pulsar 3pts
07:11 Super Neon 3pts
08:13 Goblin 3pts
09:30 Total 27pts