FastCargo
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Mar 6, 2011
- Messages
- 1,528
- Reaction score
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Our club had a launch on Saturday morning...but we moved the hours to 0730-1130 because it's so friggin hot by mid day. I basically jumpseated in that morning at 0530, prepped rockets, packed the car, and made it out about 0800 ourselves.
On to pics and video!
First, pictures of the day's fleet (upright Saturn V is a plastic model, not miine, but same scale as N-1):
Alpha III 2 stager - C6-0/C6-7 - Flew this combination in the same configuration as the last club launch. But this time, it was viciously unstable:
[YOUTUBE]nrgCb3QnSG8[/YOUTUBE]
[YOUTUBE]y8J36Kdy3m0[/YOUTUBE]
I think the reason it was unstable this time was due to me rotating the lower stage 60 degrees to the upper stage. I'll have to do another swing test...
AGM-69A SRAM - C6-3 - Not changed from last time, but because the winds were so much less, the rocket flew much nicer, with only a slight spin:
Mini Saturn V - 1/2A3-4T - Couldn't get a good pic of the rocket on the pad because the camera kept focusing on the grass:
But the flight was stable, smooth with a good recovery. Will be a favorite of smaller fields in the future...
Estes SR-71 - C6-3 - Nice, straight flight up to the ejection charge, where the shock cord broke. But the rocket was recovered fine because the nose didn't weigh enough to open the chute fully, and the body tumble recovered. No damage:
[YOUTUBE]nlSFEydnfJ0[/YOUTUBE]
N-1 - D12-3 - I'll let the pictures speak for themselves:
The third picture is a composite of the flight showing the flight path. Luckily, the rocket fell flat, with little damage. Will need minor repair. But will probably not fly again. We think it's a 'drag stable' rocket like a saucer, but doesn't have enough flat surface. The other option is adding significantly more weight to the nose...but the rocket is already pretty heavy as it is.
Cosmic Cobra - C6-5 - Nice flight...good airborne video:
[YOUTUBE]09OASIq0N_k[/YOUTUBE]
Patriot Pro - 4xD12-5 - Awesome flight! Of course, it decides to parachute down on the only gravel road near the field. Minor damage to one fin:
Satellite Interceptor and Interceptor - C6-5 for both - Straight, nice, textbook flights with no damage...even caught the Interceptor while it parachuted down:
Overall, a good day. 10 rockets launched, all recovered (plus one...Art brought my Patriot that I left on the field from the last club launch). 6 rockets had no damage, 4 with trivial to little damage. Only 2 rockets didn't fly as expected...though I was surprised by both as they had passed the swing test. Plus, I'm figuring out those keychain cams....
Time for repairs, building more rockets, and getting those boost gliders airborne...
FC
On to pics and video!
First, pictures of the day's fleet (upright Saturn V is a plastic model, not miine, but same scale as N-1):
Alpha III 2 stager - C6-0/C6-7 - Flew this combination in the same configuration as the last club launch. But this time, it was viciously unstable:
[YOUTUBE]nrgCb3QnSG8[/YOUTUBE]
[YOUTUBE]y8J36Kdy3m0[/YOUTUBE]
I think the reason it was unstable this time was due to me rotating the lower stage 60 degrees to the upper stage. I'll have to do another swing test...
AGM-69A SRAM - C6-3 - Not changed from last time, but because the winds were so much less, the rocket flew much nicer, with only a slight spin:
Mini Saturn V - 1/2A3-4T - Couldn't get a good pic of the rocket on the pad because the camera kept focusing on the grass:
But the flight was stable, smooth with a good recovery. Will be a favorite of smaller fields in the future...
Estes SR-71 - C6-3 - Nice, straight flight up to the ejection charge, where the shock cord broke. But the rocket was recovered fine because the nose didn't weigh enough to open the chute fully, and the body tumble recovered. No damage:
[YOUTUBE]nlSFEydnfJ0[/YOUTUBE]
N-1 - D12-3 - I'll let the pictures speak for themselves:
The third picture is a composite of the flight showing the flight path. Luckily, the rocket fell flat, with little damage. Will need minor repair. But will probably not fly again. We think it's a 'drag stable' rocket like a saucer, but doesn't have enough flat surface. The other option is adding significantly more weight to the nose...but the rocket is already pretty heavy as it is.
Cosmic Cobra - C6-5 - Nice flight...good airborne video:
[YOUTUBE]09OASIq0N_k[/YOUTUBE]
Patriot Pro - 4xD12-5 - Awesome flight! Of course, it decides to parachute down on the only gravel road near the field. Minor damage to one fin:
Satellite Interceptor and Interceptor - C6-5 for both - Straight, nice, textbook flights with no damage...even caught the Interceptor while it parachuted down:
Overall, a good day. 10 rockets launched, all recovered (plus one...Art brought my Patriot that I left on the field from the last club launch). 6 rockets had no damage, 4 with trivial to little damage. Only 2 rockets didn't fly as expected...though I was surprised by both as they had passed the swing test. Plus, I'm figuring out those keychain cams....
Time for repairs, building more rockets, and getting those boost gliders airborne...
FC
