CMASS Launch - August 1st

[BobH48]

OK, who is going to the CMASS launch in Acton on August 1st and what are you bringing?

The weather looks like it's going to be a great day for a launch.

I have 3 new models that I finished this week.

Semroc Taurus - It's been waiting for paint over a year.

Semroc Defender - It's only been waiting for paint for 7-8 months.

Semroc Magnum Hornet - it was built and painted in 2 weeks.

Do you see the trend? The more complex the masking involved, the longer it takes.

 

[Papa Elf]

I might come. I have to work at 2:30, so I have not decided for sure. I wonder if Robert DeHate will be there? I need more ProX stuff

 

[tonypv]

I'll be there.
I have two new ones to fly.
A FlisKits Paylord kit bash and my second Frick-N-Frack.

 

[BobH48]

I'll be there.
I have two new ones to fly.
A FlisKits Paylord kit bash and my second Frick-N-Frack.

That's a nice kit bash of the Paylord.

I wonder where I could get one of those?

I'll bring my Frick-N-Frack on Saturday but I think I only have 1 C6-0 left. Do you think it gets high enough to put a C6-3 in the upper stage?

I started building my Fliskits Thunderbird and at my usual rate of speed on more complex builds, I might have it ready for the August 2010 launch.

 

[jflis]

I'll be there (duh... LOL)

Hope to fly:
Saturn 1B
Frick-n-Frack
Thunderbird on a C6 motor (doing a test)
Shadow Lord (new)
Lil' Guy (new)
HEMV-4 (new)

others as time permits...

See you folks there!

(remember, if you are looking for something other than kits (parts, accessories, etc), drop me an email and I will bring it along.

jim

 

[billspad]

The birdhouse is ready to fly!

 

[BobH48]

The birdhouse is ready to fly!

Did you paint it to match the tag?

How much did it finally weigh when you were done?

 

[billspad]

Did you paint it to match the tag?

Close. The nose cone is fluorescent red and I only had one can of blue that was halfway between the dark blue fins and the light blue body so I went with it. I've got stars to stick on it but I'm not going to put them on until I see if it flies properly. I did find an appropriate image for the passenger behind the port hole.

How much did it finally weigh when you were done?

With the chute and motor holder but not the motor it weighed around12 ounces but I didn't like where the CG was so I added 5 ounces of a lead shot/epoxy mixture to the nose. I wanted to add more but that would cut into the top of the rod velocity more than I'd like. It should soar to around 400 feet with an E30.

 

[Massrokit]

Plan to be there. Will be flying a Jim Flis plan from American Spacemodeler from way back in 1986 which I actually started then. :eyepop: Finnally got it done and BobH thought he a thing about longtime builts.

With all the newly built Frick and Fracks...DRAG RACE?

 

[HotRod Rockets]

should be there with the full crew.

Flying the big box of smallrockets as usual.

Still have the f-n-frack ready from LDRS no-go dragrace.

hope it's not tooo hot.

see ya

 

[jflis]

Plan to be there. Will be flying a Jim Flis plan from American Spacemodeler from way back in 1986 which I actually started then. :eyepop: Finnally got it done and BobH thought he a thing about longtime builts.

With all the newly built Frick and Fracks...DRAG RACE?

oohhhh... which one? Mini-Mars Lander? Deuce? Other??

Kewl

I;ll be there and hope to have my FnF ready for a drag race, so....

 

[user 13]

I got to work.

 

[jflis]

Ok, it is VERY rare that we find a rocketry day that is THIS good.

Hot, sunny, dead calm 90% of the day. Man, I launched a 2-stage version of our Thing-a-ma-Jig on a C/B combo. The booster landed near the launch pad and the rocket landed near me (standing 20 feet from the pad)... When I say "near" me, I mean about 10 feet away... Simply incredible!

Bill Spadafora gets the "All Time Grand Recovery" trophy for the day... He launched (eventually - I'll let him provide *those* details LOL) his Bird House rocket only to have it drift over near the power wires.

It drifted past the upper set of wires, but sure enough, the parachute draped over the middle set of wires. But wait! The parachute popped back from the wires and it dropped! ... Oops! Snagged on the lower set of wires... WAIT! That one popped off too and she drifted slowly to the ground... very kewl to watch

I got in some great flights (about 12 of them) but the best was the 7-way Frick-n-Frack drag race. I have more fun with these drag races than with any other rocket! LOL

Also got to fly the proto's for our new kits. great stuff, I think you'll like what we have coming for NARAM

Pix attached:

• Jim with his Corona-3 modification! 3 stage Corona. First flight no 2nd stage ignition. Glided back, no damage. 2nd flight much better!
• Our 7-way Frick-n-Frack drag race. Man, that was a LOT of rocket parts falling from the sky! LOL
• Paul with his mini-mars lander built from my plans in American Spacemodeling
• Nice launch shot of our new HEMV-4 MttM kit

 

[tonypv]

You couldn't have asked for a better day.

Here are a few more pics.

Jim's Corona 3.
Another shot of the Frick-N-Frack drag race.
The range with the flag hanging limp.
My Paylord kit bash on three B6-6s.

 

[dcastle]

I was there for the afternoon with my daughter and her friend (who spent most of their time lying down in the car). I flew my Big Bertha, Blue Bird Zero, Gyroc, ACME Spitfire (drag race with Bill Ralston), my Mach 10, Goblin (on a C11...not brave enough for a D) and my Honest John on an E18.

It was a great flying day and the folks there are wonderful. I had a couple of very interesting flights...my Goblin had a landing that will challenge Bill Spadafora's for the most unusual...after a nice flight to abotu 800 feet or so, it was coming down on the streamer, fairly fast...and went right through the open window of Bill Ralston's truck...the body was lying in the driver's seat with the nose and streamer hanging out the window...see the picture. There was a paint chip on the rocket, but no major damage.

I was nervous about flying the Mach 10 because I wasn't sure about the balance of it but turned in a very nice flight with a fast glide.

My most embarrasing flight was the Honest John. I'd had this beast sitting here for 3 years or so waiting for the first flight. I decided to load up an E18 to make sure it got off the ground as I wasn't too sure about a D. Hadn't done RMS in a while but Bill was very helpful. Well, first attempt to launch fired the copperhead...but no ignition. The next copperhead did the same. Bob Harrington offered me another igniter...no luck there. I pulled the motor out and sanded the propellant slug (it was 7 or 8 years old)...and the next copperhead failed again. Bill had another ignitor (can't recal what it was for sure) ... and finally, on attempt #5 it chuffed a second and shot off the launch pad for a very nice final flight of the launch. Unfortunately I'd left the stock Estes parachutes in it and both of them stripped as I had a bit of a "bonus" delay...but it landed safely with only a cracked fin to fix, typical for this model.

Pictures attached...

 

[dcastle]

Some more pictures...

 

[BobH48]

As everyone else has said, it was a perfect day for a launch. Most of the time it was dead calm and even the few times that there was a slight breeze, it only lasted a short while.

I had 15 flights and my longest recovery walk couldn't have been more than 300 ft.

I had first flights on my Defender, Magnum Hornet, Taurus and Bat parawing glider.

The Bat was less than successful. It had glided nice from a hand toss but spiralled in on the first attempt. Hand tosses after that seemed to point that it was nose heavy. I added some weight to the tail and got another nice glide from a hand toss so I tried it again. This time it failed to eject from the tube and tangled the chute of the booster but wasn't damaged in the hard landing. I loaded it up one more time and it spiralled in again. This time when I retrieved it, I gave it another toss and it stalled like it was tail heavy.

I flew my Frick-N-Frack in the drag race.

I did get a couple of pictures.

Defender on three B4-4's and Taurus on a B6-4.

 

[HotRod Rockets]

Hmmm nice day!

I spent most of the afternoon carying my son around. So the kids did most of the launching.

Highlights a.k.a. what trouble I caused?

#1 Dive bombbed the FLIS tent with a Scizzor wing "glider" ... more like core sampler!

#2 Perfect dual deploy test....... but it kicked the motor mount out (cool design.. not practical) Motor mount landed with a resounding thump right in front of the LCO tent!

#3 Crashed a Frick-Frack during the drag race...... YUP. Almost hit H.G.!
Time to retire that one and build a new one. Been repaired so many times it does not work right. All transport and handeling dammage by the lil'darlings at school.
Oh well, I'll buy a few Flis Kits anyway.... he probably has to repair his tent.:y:

That's why they call me Mr. Exitement! :headbang:


Ps. Huge Thank you to BobH for the wicked cool igniter!