First launch...

[user 45155]

A few weeks ago, an old friend gave me his kid's old rocket. The kid's are all grown and gone now and the friend just wants it gone after 20 odd years. It's an old single engine Estes of an unknown model spray painted safety orange and all the fins broken off. It came with a pretty good kit. Launch pad minus the rod, 2 packs of "C engines and a pack of B's, a few extra igniters and a pack of wadding. It had a non functioning launch controller. A few days later I decided to take stock of what I had and it wasn't all that bad. Once I got the parachute lines un-tangled and the fins glued back on it began to look like a launch attempt might be possible soon. Then today I joined this site. I found it while searching for some parts for the rocket. I decided that because the rocket was old and cost me nothing I would improvise some of the repairs and missing parts. For example; I had no igniter plugs so I improvised a tiny wad of tissue paper crammed in there with the key from the launch controller. Compromises were made and it all just kind of came together. Today we had what appeared to be a launch ready rocket and a storm. As soon as the rain quit, it got real calm outside. No wind and everything was wet. Perfect conditions! My wife Jana and I packed everything up and went in to town where there is a multiple ball field and a park with lot's of wide open spaces. We strolled out to the center of the expanse of wet, green grass and set it all up. First attempt was a botched igniter install. No ignition. Second attempt was a perfect launch and recovery using a "B" engine. It gently landed not far away and we were pretty stoked about it all. We decided to try a "C" engine and made a couple of minor modifications to the launch system. What happened next was really strange. The launch was perfect. Nearly vertical. Chute deploy was equally perfect but then the wind came up a bit and from a different direction. The rocket hung on the chute going the wrong way and seemed like it was not coming down very fast at all. We were all hootin and hollerin and then it was like- Uh Oh. It looked like it was going to go clean off the property before it hit the ground. That's when a tall pine tree on the edge of the park reached out and snatched our rocket from it's slow decent. I walked the half mile or so over to see how we could recover it and it looked pretty hopeless, way up in that tree with a security fence and compound directly beyond the tree. Have you ever got your rocket stuck in a tree? We decided to load every thing up and drive a little closer, then use the fishing pole in the car to see if we could nudge the rocket out of the tree. First cast was pretty good and I was able to rock the branch enough to get the rocket to move some. This tempted me to keep trying. Fifty casts later and I had just about every piece of fishing tackle I owned stuck in that tree. It looks like a very big Christmas tree with all that tackle as ornaments and a safety orange star at the top of the tree.
One failure to fire, two successful launches and one successful recovery. I don't think that's all that bad and we had some good laughs too. Well Jana did actually. She was laughing her butt off while I was fishing in that tree. At one point I heard a dog barking and some old lady and her Chiwawa were stopped and staring at me while I was trying to get fishin line un- tangled from that tree. I can only imagine what was going through her head.
Good times!

 

[smstachwick]

Sounds like your chute caught a thermal! I’ve seen it happen at HPR launches, it usually looks like the thing is just hanging there on an invisible hook.

They don’t call them “C” ya later engines for nothing! Have you got pics?

 

[user 45155]

No pics.
I could go down to the park and take a pic of the tree if you want. My rocket would be the orange speck way up there...

 

[user 45155]

Do you think a streamer would be better than a parachute for slightly windy or thermal conditions?

 

[Pinetree]

Most likely.

 

[smstachwick]

Do you think a streamer would be better than a parachute for slightly windy or thermal conditions?

Absolutely.

You might also get improved visibility and less dragging damage. The tradeoff is that you may see fins breaking off more often.

 

[Antares JS]

Have you ever got your rocket stuck in a tree?

I would be surprised if anyone here hasn't gotten a rocket stuck in a tree. Leafy bastards.

 

[Hobie1dog]

The tree Gods are merciless

 

[neil_w]

Have you ever got your rocket stuck in a tree?

I LOLed at this.

 

[samb]

Buck up panhead_dan! We've all experienced the terror of the rocket-eating tree. There is some attraction between model rockets and trees that modern science has so far been unable to fully explain. When you find yourself in the field with wayward winds and no streamer material try reefing the chute. Taping the shroud lines together up to the attachment point effectively closes the canopy and turns the parachute into a streamer. And always, always, always have some superglue handy for a quick fin re-attach if necessary.

 

[Hobie1dog]

How high up was it? You can get telescopic poles that go up about 30 feet, that's what our club has.

 

[Antares JS]

How high up was it? You can get telescopic poles that go up about 30 feet, that's what our club has.

Yep, same with MDRA.

 

[user 45155]

When you live in the sticks, you look at things differently. For example; There are no telescopic aluminum poles available in the sticks so Amazon, right? Now factor in the cost and effort put into the orange rocket- basically zero. See how it starts to look different?
I'm seeing a windy day predicted next week so maybe I will find it on the ground then.

 

[user 45155]

This rocket habit is great! I find myself getting pretty excited about my new rocket arriving soon. This reminds me of when I was a kid!
As soon as it warms up a little more, I will go for a bicycle ride. Where to? To the park where the rocket tree is, of course.

 

[bad_idea]

Buck up panhead_dan! We've all experienced the terror of the rocket-eating tree. There is some attraction between model rockets and trees that modern science has so far been unable to fully explain.

Indeed, I've managed to land in the only tree on the field at Gunter.

This rocket habit is great! I find myself getting pretty excited about my new rocket arriving soon. This reminds me of when I was a kid!

Two and a half years back into rocketry, that's still how I feel about it, every day.

 

[BEC]

This is from the instructions for an old MPC Lunar-Lectric launch controller I was putting together this afternoon.

Trees have been a bane to model rockets for a long time. This controller was on the market, as near as I can tell, in the very early 1970s. It's old enough that the wiring is not long enough to meet the current safety code setback distance of 15 feet.

 

[user 45155]

I like stumps. I knew a guy who called his little logging company "SAS Logging".
(Stumps Are Scenic).
I live in a desert. Why does there have to be so many trees around?

 

[Blast it Tom!]

The _______-eating tree extends to all airborne sports or hobbies. When I was young, and thought I might try skydiving, we went to a local field. A guy making his first jump went right through the ONLY tree on the field, kicking and hollering the whole way. Broke his ankle, I think, poor fellow.

 

[Azamiryou]

Indeed, I've managed to land in the only tree on the field at Gunter.

Time after time.

(Sorry if that gave any of you an earworm.)

 

[tsmith1315]

Fifty casts later and I had just about every piece of fishing tackle I owned stuck in that tree. It looks like a very big Christmas tree with all that tackle as ornaments and a safety orange star at the top of the tree.

Thanks for that image!

Probably 2/3 of the model rockets I’ve lost over the last 50 something years were sacrificed to trees.

I hope you can make it to a club launch with wide open spaces...

 

[Blast it Tom!]

I like stumps.
I live in a desert. Why does there have to be so many trees around?

I dunno, it sure stumps me!

So... uh... is it a Harley panhead?

 

[user 45155]

Yes. I've had it a long time. I have rebuilt it 4 times now.
I also have a Buell.

 

[Pinetree]

Like any other manufacturer made a Panhead

I'm a Shovelhead guy myself.

 

[Blast it Tom!]

Like any other manufacturer made a Panhead

I'm a Shovelhead guy myself.

Well, c'mon! He may have called himself that for some other reason. See, I had a relative that was a drunk and his wife took a pan to his head on a regular basis!

Nice, nice bike Dan!

 

[user 45155]

Thank you, sir!

 

[user 45155]

I was sooo excited to see the FedX truck pull in today. I was a little concerned when he handed me an envelope style package. Surely nobody would put a fragile model rocket in an envelope, would they? Yes. Yes they would. The brand new rocket had been folded in half. Likely to make it take up less room in the truck. Nice. I'm surprised they didn't fold it in half first so they could have used a smaller envelope! Idjits! Then began the ordeal of getting a replacement. A replacement in a box (I hope). It probably won't matter anyway. They'll fold a box in half too, I've seen it before. The only choices I had was to take it to a FedX facility, (nearest one is in another state), Or two other choices that also won't work for me. End result is that after they mail me a shipping label and receive the damaged rocket, they will begin the process of sending me a new one. Likely in another envelope. I will request a refund at that point and raise all the attention I can muster about how people must THINK A LITTLE BIT WHILE ON THE JOB! I won't suggest using common sense or using English speaking people for CS so clear communication can occur. Like communicating about the box, for example. I expect this to take about a month.
I'm gonna start shopping for another rocket now and beat them at their idiotic game.

 

[samb]

@panhead_dan May we know who the vendor is? eBay?

 

[Blast it Tom!]

Just noticed where you are from! You have at least one pretty nice club nearby in Washington, don't they call it the Tri-cities? I've been to Hermiston a couple of times to work over at Boardman- I think it's shut down now. Oh, to have some wide-open spaces like that! If I can get 1000' clear in one direction around here, and nobody using it in a way to preclude a launch, it's a red-letter day!

Of couse, if that bombing range is still operational, yikes!

 

[user 45155]

Boosted Bertha will be here on the 29th. Woo hoo!

 

[user 45155]

@panhead_dan May we know who the vendor is? eBay?

Walmart. Free shipping.
I tried to get a new recovery parachute from Estes the other day and they wanted ten bucks shipping for a six dollar parachute that could be dropped in a postal letter envelope. I repaired the old chute and flew it. Shipping for a new Mongoose was stupid too. I got on Amazon and they want 8 bucks to ship an 18 dollar rocket so I bought a rocket that costs more than the $25 minimum free shipping. BOOM. That Mongoose was kinda cheezy anyway. Those fins seemed very sturdy, however. I think there may be an advantage to bals fins that can pop off because they are repairable. Plastic fins maybe not so much. I'm learning as I go.
I will now see how I like B. Bertha.