Another Menace

[Prowler901]

Hi all,

I didn't want to hijack Stymye's thread so I'm posting a pic of my own here.

Prowler's Menace

Sorry, the image quality isn't that great. I'm still practicing with some new features in PSP8.

It has been a fun kit to build. Now, for some good weather

Regards,
Todd

 

[Stymye]

...Looks great!....It's a good choice to experiment on color schemes with. Looks very military like

 

[rkt2k1]

Nice rocket! I like both the paint schemes you guys chose. The image you posted looks good to me. How do you like PSP8? Is it worth upgrading from v7?

Thanks!

 

[Prowler901]

Rkt2k1,

I like PSP8 a lot. I upgraded from 6. One of the best new tools that it has is the backround eraser. I used that on the picture of the menace. The background eraser allows you to go around your main image and erase the things behind it. Seems to work best when there is a distinct line between the two. But, it is definitely a good upgrade.

Regards,
Todd

 

[rkt2k1]

Prowler,

Thanks for the info on PSP8! I think I'll look into the upgrade.

 

[eugenefl]

Ok, nuff with the Menace's. I'm jealous! Great job with the paint scheme! If I'm not mistaken, I think WalMart sold these in the "Launchables" packaging. Sheesh...it's almost 11PM and "The Stash" is asking for another offering.

 

[gerbs4me]

very cool
that paint scheme is really cool too
I wish I had PSP8

 

[Prowler901]

Thanks for the nice comments

PSP8 is a really nice tool for web graphics. I learn more each time I use it. And, the other day I got another neat little toy. A USB device to allow me to transfer my videos to the PC. Woohoo! I see rocket videos coming

Regards,
Todd

 

[Prowler901]

I launched the Menace yesterday for the first time. I'd read the reviews that suggest using a 12" chute vice the provided 18" chute. But, I didn't have one. The field we launch at isn't huge either, and it has a lot of trees to the south. So with that in mind I decided to only start with a B4-4 Estes motor. Winds aloft were from the south at ~1-5 kts. Surface winds were almost nill. She launched beautifully. Straight as an arrow. Coasted to apogee and popped the chute. Chute deployed perfectly. Then she slowly drifted downwind to a soft landing about 100 yards away. So, I'd have to agree that the chute was too large. Perhaps cutting the hole in the center next time, or going with the 12" chute.

All in all, I was very pleased with this little beauty

Regards,
Todd

 

[rbeckey]

Congrats on a nice flight and, perhaps more importantly, great recovery. I have a couple rockets that I feel Estes has oversized the chutes for. If I don't downsize, I cut the entire blue Estes logo out of the center of the chute. Here is a pic of a Mean Machine with a 24" chute with a spill hole. Keep in mind that I use a field that is usually only mowed once or twice a month, and the grass is often 6" tall. If I was anticipating a hard field, I wouldn't use such a large spill hole. The Mean Machine goes pretty high on an E-9, and I want to keep it out of the trees. We call our version John Deere.

 

[Prowler901]

Wow, that's a big, green, mean machine

Here's a shot of the lift-off of the Menace. Shutter speed was too slow. But, look at that flame!

Menace Liftoff

Regards,
Todd

 

[gerbs4me]

great that you had a good launch
very cool launch pic