Finally!!!!

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JAL3

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Since rediscovering rocketry, building the things has become my favored method of unwinding. Unfortunately, I just have not had the opportunity or time for the last 6 weeks. It was beginning to show and I knew I was in bad shape a few days ago when my wife suggested that I work on a rocket and promised not to make any comments about me doing it at the kitchen table. It was no dice, though, I was just too exhausted.:(

Today I broke the drought. I a young man who is a member of my congregation who is interested in rocketry. He got an Estes starter kit for Christmas but his parents would not let him work on it until he did so with somebody who "knows what he's doing". I had him meet me today at my churche's food bank and we worked on his to rockets, an Outlaw and a Black Diamond.

The Outlaw was practically RTF. Still, it felt good to actually mess with a rocket. The Black Diamond took a bit longer, SL 1, but we managed to finish everything except the paintjob. We had to work it in between bouts of pastoral counseling and a rather nasty disagreement over the disposition of some unloved and unlamented Brussel sprouts but, finally, the deed was done.

He is coming with me to my section launch next Saturday. He will have 2 new rockets and I will have none. How sad is that? Today, though, impatience got the best of us. I took a couple of A8-3s out of the truck along with some igniters. I had little faith in the 6v system so i took plenty of spares. He assured me that when I got him home, there would be room to launch. I did not need much convincing.

When we got there, I saw there was plenty of land but the trees dotted the landscape in all directions. These were the ferocious kind that loved devouring rockets and would actually pull up their roots to move and catch and unwary projectile. I felt let down. I had to break the news to him. Chances are, any rocket launched would become treebait. He was undeterred.

ATTABOY!!!!

His family gathered round as we prepped the outlaw. I didn't expect it to go very far on an A. Too much plastic. BUT IT IS A ROCKET! I connected the wires and he inserted the key. He began the countdown...5...4...3...2...1..........Hey, it takes a while for 6 volts to do the job but WHOOSH. THere it went.

It probably didn't even make 150 feet but they were the nicest 150 in a LONG time. THe endorphis started to course through my veins.

The rocket headed for the nearest tree, of course. THe tree didn't even have to move. Spikey was undeterred and scalled the thing with a dexterity I never had even at his age. He could not make it high enough but his dad came to the resuce with a billhook. The rocket was recovered except for a single shroud line.

It was good but I was unprepared for what happened next. He wanted to launch the Black Diamond. I warned him that it was considerably lighter and would go much higher. He still wanted to launch it.

ATTABOY!!!!

It did go much higher. It good that it had a streamer. And, whaddayaknow, it headed for a field without trees. Just as it was in its terminal descent, a huge Monterey Live Oak reached up with a gust of wind and grabbed it....a fluke occurance certainly. Spike grabbed the billhook and was off like a shot. THe Balck Diamond too made it home safely. His dad even promised to help him paint it so it will be ready for the club launch next weekend.

Things are looking up. :D

Now all I have to do is build a rocket of my own but I have a pesky sermon to finish...:surprised:
 
Since rediscovering rocketry, building the things has become my favored method of unwinding. Unfortunately, I just have not had the opportunity or time for the last 6 weeks. It was beginning to show and I knew I was in bad shape a few days ago when my wife suggested that I work on a rocket and promised not to make any comments about me doing it at the kitchen table. It was no dice, though, I was just too exhausted.:(

Today I broke the drought. I a young man who is a member of my congregation who is interested in rocketry. He got an Estes starter kit for Christmas but his parents would not let him work on it until he did so with somebody who "knows what he's doing". I had him meet me today at my churche's food bank and we worked on his to rockets, an Outlaw and a Black Diamond.

The Outlaw was practically RTF. Still, it felt good to actually mess with a rocket. The Black Diamond took a bit longer, SL 1, but we managed to finish everything except the paintjob. We had to work it in between bouts of pastoral counseling and a rather nasty disagreement over the disposition of some unloved and unlamented Brussel sprouts but, finally, the deed was done.

He is coming with me to my section launch next Saturday. He will have 2 new rockets and I will have none. How sad is that? Today, though, impatience got the best of us. I took a couple of A8-3s out of the truck along with some igniters. I had little faith in the 6v system so i took plenty of spares. He assured me that when I got him home, there would be room to launch. I did not need much convincing.

When we got there, I saw there was plenty of land but the trees dotted the landscape in all directions. These were the ferocious kind that loved devouring rockets and would actually pull up their roots to move and catch and unwary projectile. I felt let down. I had to break the news to him. Chances are, any rocket launched would become treebait. He was undeterred.

ATTABOY!!!!

His family gathered round as we prepped the outlaw. I didn't expect it to go very far on an A. Too much plastic. BUT IT IS A ROCKET! I connected the wires and he inserted the key. He began the countdown...5...4...3...2...1..........Hey, it takes a while for 6 volts to do the job but WHOOSH. THere it went.

It probably didn't even make 150 feet but they were the nicest 150 in a LONG time. THe endorphis started to course through my veins.

The rocket headed for the nearest tree, of course. THe tree didn't even have to move. Spikey was undeterred and scalled the thing with a dexterity I never had even at his age. He could not make it high enough but his dad came to the resuce with a billhook. The rocket was recovered except for a single shroud line.

It was good but I was unprepared for what happened next. He wanted to launch the Black Diamond. I warned him that it was considerably lighter and would go much higher. He still wanted to launch it.

ATTABOY!!!!

It did go much higher. It good that it had a streamer. And, whaddayaknow, it headed for a field without trees. Just as it was in its terminal descent, a huge Monterey Live Oak reached up with a gust of wind and grabbed it....a fluke occurance certainly. Spike grabbed the billhook and was off like a shot. THe Balck Diamond too made it home safely. His dad even promised to help him paint it so it will be ready for the club launch next weekend.

Things are looking up. :D

Now all I have to do is build a rocket of my own but I have a pesky sermon to finish...:surprised:

Sounds very cool. I run my own business and I have a family. All require attention and pressure seems to be a constant. Rocket building is a release for me as well so I hear ya. Glad it went well :)
Cheers
fred
 
Well, here is one to think about:

God loves everyone, even the sinners....but I'm not so sure if He loves Brussels sprouts

(if I don't ever post again, you'll know the lightning bolt got me)
 
Well, here is one to think about:

God loves everyone, even the sinners....but I'm not so sure if He loves Brussels sprouts

(if I don't ever post again, you'll know the lightning bolt got me)

God does love the sprouts but that is one of those mysteries, like quantum mechanics, relativity, the tax code, women, and the Holy Trinity, best left as a mystery. Be careful if any of them start to make sense...that is a sure sign that you really don't understand.

Don't worry about the lightning. God does have a sense of humor...my being called into ministry is proof enough of that.
 
:rotflol:

Sounds like you had fun :)

I did have fun. Another group with which I have an afiliation was having a launch in Kerrville that I could not make. At least I had this to substitute and we may have a new young one hooked.

JAL
 
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