kenobi65
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jul 18, 2010
- Messages
- 892
- Reaction score
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We had a gorgeous evening yesterday (high overcast, light WSW wind), so I convinced my wife to come with me to the local park, where we sent up a half-dozen flights. Four great flights, two not-so-great (see below).
- Estes Baby Bertha, on a B6-4. This rocket really boogies on this motor, and went maybe higher than I thought it would. After deployment, it drifted about 75 yards in the wind, but landed well within the park.
- Estes Chrome Dome, on a B6-4. This seems to be the ideal engine for this rocket. Nice straight flight, good recovery.
- Clone of Estes Condor, on a A3-4T. Ugly flight #1. Weathercocked significantly (as it always has, and as the original did for me in the late 70s / early 80s). I'd put in too much dogbarf wadding, and the parachute only made it halfway out of the body tube. Glider managed to disengage (and glided nicely, actually), but the booster came down hard. The top of the BT accordioned a bit (the rolled-up chute actually acted as a bit of a pad for the landing), and one of the fins cracked. I'll try to repair the booster, but I may wind up building a new booster.
- Clone of Estes Citation Patriot, on a B6-4. Gorgeous flight, with the stately lift-off a big rocket like this is known for. Perfect deployment, perfect landing.
- Patriot again, again on a B6-4. Ugly flight #2. Perfect ascent once again, but she was pointing down by the time the ejection charge fired, and the parachute shroud lines somehow got tangled in the fins. As she began to plummet, I sprinted for her (thank gawd for light winds), and managed to catch her before she hit. No damage, thankfully.
- Estes Monarch, on a A8-3. Nice flight, nice recovery.
All in all, a nice way to spend the evening.
- Estes Baby Bertha, on a B6-4. This rocket really boogies on this motor, and went maybe higher than I thought it would. After deployment, it drifted about 75 yards in the wind, but landed well within the park.
- Estes Chrome Dome, on a B6-4. This seems to be the ideal engine for this rocket. Nice straight flight, good recovery.
- Clone of Estes Condor, on a A3-4T. Ugly flight #1. Weathercocked significantly (as it always has, and as the original did for me in the late 70s / early 80s). I'd put in too much dogbarf wadding, and the parachute only made it halfway out of the body tube. Glider managed to disengage (and glided nicely, actually), but the booster came down hard. The top of the BT accordioned a bit (the rolled-up chute actually acted as a bit of a pad for the landing), and one of the fins cracked. I'll try to repair the booster, but I may wind up building a new booster.
- Clone of Estes Citation Patriot, on a B6-4. Gorgeous flight, with the stately lift-off a big rocket like this is known for. Perfect deployment, perfect landing.
- Patriot again, again on a B6-4. Ugly flight #2. Perfect ascent once again, but she was pointing down by the time the ejection charge fired, and the parachute shroud lines somehow got tangled in the fins. As she began to plummet, I sprinted for her (thank gawd for light winds), and managed to catch her before she hit. No damage, thankfully.
- Estes Monarch, on a A8-3. Nice flight, nice recovery.
All in all, a nice way to spend the evening.
