first digital camera launch pics

[Rob Fisher]

Went out to the old soccer fields to launch today and took my digital camera for the first time. It took me a little while to get the hang of it (got a lot of pictures of a smoking launch pad) but I got a few good ones. I forgot to put the camera on the "action" setting so the rockets themselves are a little blurry.

 

[Rob Fisher]

First pic after many tries of the rocket actually in the frame

 

[Rob Fisher]

That baby's on a C6-7, thats 1,800 feet for that little rocket

 

[Rob Fisher]

The Der Orange Bullpup on the pad

 

[Rob Fisher]

Roaring off the pad on a C6-5. I had originally built this rocket with a D motor mount, but after seeing how it disapeared off the pad the second I hit the launch button and watching it dissapear into the sky I decided to put a C mount back in.

 

[Rob Fisher]

I did her up in olive drab "Army style" -I 'd like to send this one straight to bin laden myself!

 

[Rob Fisher]

3 ft. of kevlar & shock cord (quest style) & I still managed to get a darn estes dent! ...........man that hurts-I love this rocket.

 

[Rob Fisher]

All in all it was a great day of launching. I can't complain, 12 launches & 12 perfect recoveries!

 

[wwattles]

And a little subliminal advertising for Coca-Cola to boot!

WW

 

[OKTurbo]

Rob,

Nice pictures. Looks like you have a great field there. We didn't get out today. The fields are still too muddy after last week's storms. We had some tornadoes hitting pretty close last week.

I was at work, on top of a cooling tower when the T-storms started to hit. We all had to run for cover when a tornado came within a mile to the south. WHEW!

(That Praetor looks familiar ....)

John

 

[Rob Fisher]

Yeah- I remember seeing your praetor in your thread, only I still have to paint my wing tips yellow to match! You have to admit the praetor looks great made up this way, it just looks so much like a missile of some sort. You were up on a cooling tower when a tornado was only a mile away-that must of been wild, Iv'e always been fascinated by storms. You are not in the H.V.A.C. trade by chance?

 

[OKTurbo]

Yes...the Praetor definately has a military look to it. Looks nice in O.D. It reminds me of those bombs with the fins that pop out like in the movie "Flight of the Intruder". Any old ordinance guys out there that can name that bomb?

When I'm playing "grown up" I'm a Mechanical Engineer at a local manufacturing plant. Being a plant engineer, I get a little more "hands on" than design engineers. We had a fiberglass fan shroud that did a come-apart and we needed to make some quick decisions to get it running again. The failure was not related to the storms, but we needed to get it up and running quickly. The plant cooling water temp was climbing quickly with that one tower cell down. 110degF cooling water doesn't cool very well....

John

 

[Gus]

Really nice pics Rob. I especially like the Der Orange Bull Pup.

 

[cls]

I like the Pipsqueak launch picture - maybe that ought to go in the "best of TRF" thread.

but I wonder, with your pipsqueak painted like that, how did you ever find it! C6-7 really puts that little guy up there, what a ride!

 

[Elapid]

nice shots!
i'm still working on catching one in the frame...
awesome!

 

[Fore Check]

I noticed in your launch pics (outstanding, BTW!) that you use a spent engine casing slipped over the rod as a blast deflector standoff.

What a great idea! I'm definitely borrowing that one.....

 

[Rob Fisher]

-yeah out of 3 C6-7 launches I was able to track only 1 from launch to landing! When I flew her on C6-5's I never had any problem seeing the whole flight-must be that extra 400'. Anyway, I decided to give the squeak a black paint job for better tracking. I think the decals, oh i'm sorry "stickers" ( I'm old school) contrast well with the paint. what do you think?

 

[Fore Check]

Ok,

*LOVE* the end result, Rob!

*HATE* peel-and-stick "decals!!!"

UGH!

I was expecting waterslides!! (I haven't opened my PipSqueak yet.)

 

[jflis]

great pix! incredible for "first digital camera launch pics"...

love that Praetor color!

 

[eugenefl]

Watch out for them "Coca-Cola" black ops people. They might think you're trying to steal their secret formula with some method of rocketry reconaissance.

Nice camera work. Them little rockets are hard to get in one shutter click!

 

[GlennW]

Wow, 12 out of 12 is awesome! I launched Saturday, had 5 different rockets go up, but sadly lost my vintage Estes super flea! I was following it down near some trees and Mr. Sun obscured my vision, not sure if it landed in a tree or what but we did not find it. It was very windy and people were losing rockets to trees left and right. We have one tree on our field that looks like a christmas tree with all the rockets adorning it! Man, it's one thing when you lose a current model, but I built this thing over 20 years ago and you might say I had a sentimental attachment to it. Ah well, I still have the Javelin which I also flew (that was the one that came with the super flea in the combo pack). On the plus side we did launch my son's new Skywriter which we built over the winter, perfect flight on a B!

Glenn

 

[wwattles]

Yeah, those Skywriters are definitely an Old Reliable. You can hardly go wrong with them!

WW

 

[Bob Stephenson]

Originally posted by Rob Fisher
I think the decals, oh i'm sorry "stickers" ( I'm old school) contrast well with the paint. what do you think?

Rob,

I like the contrasting colours - yellow and black always go well together. It took me ages to figure out that dark colours stand out best against the sky

Great job of finishing !

Cheers

(Evil) Bob

 

[Seedillume]

Originally posted by GlennW
...On the plus side we did launch my son's new Skywriter which we built over the winter, perfect flight on a B!

Glenn

Yeah, I have a Skywriter. I love it. It's perfect for little kids. The only problem I had was that the shock cord kept breaking. I finally doubled the length. Now, I never have a problem with it.