Challenger 498 October Sport Launch at Needville, TX

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luke strawalker

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Hi guys! We just had a great launch out at Needville this
afternoon. Here's a synopsis of what was flown.

Jesse started off the morning's festivities with a launch of
his "Nekkid" Patriot missile on a C6-5. Jesse's friend (sorry name
popped right out of my head:) daughter Ce-ce followed right behind
with her Hot Pink Alpha on a C6-5. Mikus tested the waters (well the
winds anyway, which were light to moderate and fairly variable
predominantly from the E-SE) with his Lil Birdie on an A8-3. Jeff
Roberts followed up with the second flight of the Dr. Zooch
Discoverer Thor on a C6-5. All were very nice flights and only the
Hot Pink Alpha presented an especially long walk for recovery.

Mikus put up his Firehawk on an A8-3, soon followed by Devlin's D-
Region Tomahawk on an E9-4. Both were nice flights. Jesse launched
a Rascal on a C6-5, with Mikus's neat little Gauchito turning in a
nice flight on an A8-3. Devlin soon shot his Chrome Dome up on a C6-
5 that suffered a bit of bonus delay but recovered safely. Ce-ce
wasn't so lucky with the second flight of her Hot Pink Alpha; after
switching over to a streamer after it's 200 yard plus drift to the
far side of the farm on it's previous flight, and suffering a misfire
and some launch difficulties, it finally lifted off under C6-5
power. Unfortunately the rod was still tipped for strong
weathercocking to help return parachute models, and the Hot Pink
Alpha turned up missing on the other side of the road behind some
houses/trees. The bad juju continued as JR put up his brand spanking
new (just finished night before last) Estes Mercury Redstone LB7 on a
C6-5 which bonus delayed and seemed a bit underpowered, which
promptly pranged about 200 feet downrange. Gus had a rough ride
again.... :( The tower was toast and about 1 1/2 inches of tube end
ruined, but reparable.

Mikus shook off the bad mojo with a nice flight of his Patriot
missile on a D12-7 and Der Red Max on a C6-5, along with his Custom
Elite Egglifter on B6-4 power. JR conducted some swift field repairs
on the dinged Mercury Redstone and gave Gus a better ride on the C6-3
engine which seems much better suited to the model. Mikus followed
with a D-Region Tomahawk and Renegade on E9-4 and E9-6 motors
respectively. Both were great flights. JR brought the Kriegsmarine
Stretched V-2 to the pad (Canadian Arrow to the rest of yall) and
sent it aloft on an E9-4, which is really too short a delay for that
bird and ejected on the way up, stripping the factory chute despite
duct tape dot reinforcements. She did a pretty backslide and started
a tail first gliding descent and then spun up rapidly, coming down
fast but undamaged about 150 feet from the pads. A cool but butt-
grabbing flight!

Mikus sent up a 5150 Big Daddy on an E9-4, and Devlin sent up his US
Missile on a C6-5 and D-R Tomahawk on another E9-4 for nice flights.
JR broke out the Flo-Orange Maniac for a D12-5 flight, and Mikus's
Custom Flight (B4-4) and Phoenix (D12) took to the skies. Devlin got
another nice E9-4 flight out of his D-Region Tomahawk, but Mikus's
first try with the Bailout powered by a B6-4 ejecting 4 Screaming
Ninjas of Doom didn't eject or deploy very well but returned with
only a minor tube ding. Ce-ce put up a Rascal on a C6-5. JR
reloaded the Maniac with an E9-6 this time and the Maniac recovered
pretty close despite the gusty and unpredictable winds, which were by
now alternating every few minutes between completely still to 5-10
sustained gusting to 15-18 a few minutes later.

Jesse put up his Ins?? on a G64-7 for a nice flight. Mikus returned
to the firing line with the Bailout, this time on a C6-3, carrying 4
Screaming Ninjas of Doom (the A-Team perhaps?:) for a very nice
flight that deployed it's Ninjas over the Drop Zone, much to the joy
of my nephew Ian and daughter Keira who assisted in recovering the
Ninjas and their Bailout vehicle, all successfully:) JR sent up the
Kreigmarine V-2 for another flight on an E9-6 with an 18 inch Top
Flite Chute which recovered nicely, but across the road in the
neighbor's cow pasture, much to the resting cud-chewing cows chagrin,
since it landed within ten feet of some resting in the shade of a
tree. Jesse sent up his Baby Bertha on a C6-5 for a nice flight, and
then JR followed up with flight #3 for the Zooch Disco-Thor on a B6-4
which turned in a very pretty flight. Mikus pulled out some bigger
guns with his Eliminator on an E9-6, and then followed up with a
Taurus on a B6-6+ A10-PT (3) Mikus then pulled out the REALLY big
guns with several nice flights, an Initiator on a F42-4 Blue Thunder
and an Executioner on an F39-6 Blue Thunder that headed west toward
the sunset, ending up landing in the middle of the highway and
thankfully parachute-land sharking off the side of the road before
several cars passed by. It was retrieved undamaged. Mikus followed
up with his Upscaled Mosquito (Mozzie), which scooted on out on an
F42-8 Blue Thunder and returned within the pasture after a NICE HIGH
flight! Mikus's G64-10 White Lightning powered Onyx turned in a nice
flight, as did his Cheetah which just beamed off the pad on a
blistering G76-10 White Lightning, recovering far out in the sorghum
field. Jesse sent up his Canadian Arrow on a 24mm E18-7 White
Lightning reload after suffering a misfired Copperhead, which
recovered across the road in the cow pasture with a badly chunked-out
fin, but reparable. Mikus finished us off with a G76 White Lightning
in his Initiator, which decided to head north until it was at the
other end of the sorghum field about 20 rows in. Those personal
alarms are handy toys! Sadly, Mikus's Tres cluster wouldn't light
and he put her away to try again another day.

With the temps peaking just below 90 and the cantankerous winds
becoming more gusty, we called it a day and wrapped up about 4:30. It
was a warm but generally pleasant day! Mikus and Jesse got some nice
pix on their digitals (batteries were dead in mine darnit, but I did
get some video! Thanks to everyone who came and hope yall had a
great time, and hope to see everyone next month! OL JR :)

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