Angled launch, what went wrong?

neil_w said:

Guys... that's a little 1.8 oz rocket flying on a C. Implying that the launcher is too flimsy is... weird. I mean, rod whip is certainly a thing, but a 1/8" rod should be fine for a rocket like that.

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jeffjblack said:

What is the initial thrust of the motor. Put that amount of weight on the end of the rod and tilt it to your angle and see if the rod bows at all. That is what we are talking about here.

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nozecone said:

Getting back into rocketry after 25 years of adult life intervened.

This is an Estes Flash launching on an Estes C6-5. It is now an Estes Tree, because of the hook to the left it took post-launch. The video was taken directly perpendicular to the direction of travel. There was no wind.



I'm trying to figure out what went wrong, because our other launches at lower power were all straight and easily recovered.

Some options:

• It was sitting too high on the launch pad (a piece of tape is elevating it 4")
• The launch surface was unstable
• It got stuck on the rod (3 piece rod with seams)
• The rod was too narrow (even though the rod and the rocket came in a set)
• Angry ghosts pushed it over
• ???

Thanks for your help.

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