Frosty Flights

[Planet Andy]

Hey Gang,


Well we got snow last night and I'm on vacation. My Flis Stingray is coming along really nice but oooh that body shroud. At any rate I figured 10 degrees (F) wasn't too cold to launch. I dunno who came up with the PVC pad first but thank you. On the left, my Astron Scout which flew great on an A83. On the right is Baby Bertha on a B4-4. A little windy but everyone returned home safely. Scouts nose got a little cosmetically crackly (brittleness I guess) on impact but nothing serious.

wishing you all good holiday cheer

Andy

 

[buzz]

at least you don't have to worry about starting a fire

 

[Micromeister]

We don't really get a lot of snow in the DC/MD area but I really like flying from a snow covered field. Makes for some great backdrop scenes and easy to spot models

 

[Planet Andy]

Originally posted by Micromeister
We don't really get a lot of snow in the DC/MD area

uh yah...

Originally posted by Micromeister
I really like flying from a snow covered field. Makes for some great backdrop scenes and easy to spot models

I carefully selected who was going based on color. At least if someone got treed you can probably see it with the leaves down. It had the potential to be a dangerous mission. Man was it cold!

micromeister what a great launch device!

Andy

 

[Bowhunter]

I always enjoyed launching in snow its pretty cool

 

[Micromeister]

Originally posted by Planet Andy
uh yah...

micromeister what a great launch device!

Andy

Not to steel your thread,
Yea! This launcher is my answer to leaving the launch rods and launcher battery at home one beautiful Spring launch day. Completely ruining the launch day
This launcher can be entirely self-contained. It can use any external 12V power supply available at the site or on board internal rechargable nicads or most important can be solar panel powered charging a capacitor discharge ignition sytem for single motor models as well.
The legs serve as storage for 1/8", 3/16" and 1/4" x 36 launch rods, external battery drop cables and a custom made hand held controller with 30 feet of 16/2 copper control cables.
Over recent years I've added a 40amp/contact 12V coil relay ignition system for clusters and will handle up to 1/2" x 6 foot launch rods.
Heres a look at the "works in a drawer" portion under the 16gage staninless steel covered deflector deck.
Stores standing up side down on the 1/4" clear lexan cover/solar panel support. Transports laying flat. At 45lbs it's a little heavy to haul around but I'll never again Not be able to launch because I left some launch gear at home

 

[r1dermon]

yesterday was 3 degrees on my way home. im in MA. 3 degrees. what is that all about??? lol. hey, today is the first day of winter btw. nice photos. snow launches are cool, when its like, 40 degrees. hehe. can't wait for summer. or until the lakes freeze solid.

 

[jflis]

yep, zero degrees this past evening and it will be in the low 50's by Thursday... ...welcome to New England LOL

Heck the top of Mt. Washington (here in NH) was the *warmest* spot in the state last night! (Mt. Washington, for those who don't know, is always very cold, even in the summer, with the worlds highest recorded winds)

jim

 

[Micromeister]

Ya didn't beat us by much it was 9 degrees at my SW Washington DC house yesterday morining with a 35mph wind....WHoooooo that was a real bone chiller.. A bad day for kites! let alone MR's or shoot! just walking to your car

 

[r1dermon]

doesnt MT washington also hold the lowest recorded temp? not sure on that one, but i know the highest winds were something like 212mph. thats insane. makes you want to put a richter recker up on some E's. lol.

 

[JRThro]

It's supposed to be in the low 70's here in Houston today.

But then wayyy down in the upper 20's by Thursday. Now THAT's cold!

 

[AKPilot]

Compared to you guys we're having a heat wave up here; 24 degrees this morning 31 this afternoon.

 

[Planet Andy]

Originally posted by Micromeister
Not to steel your thread,
........transports laying flat. At 45lbs it's a little heavy to haul around but I'll never again Not be able to launch because I left some launch gear at home

you've depicted it in a winter scene...that's appropriate...it's really cool...question...where do you store the rockets?


Andy

 

[Micromeister]

Ahhh the rockets are another question entirely I'll add this one additional photo of the launchers front and back control panels with the Solar Panel connected.

 

[THoz]

Snow launches means I don't have to watch out for the soccer players, or the baseball players , I get the fields to myself! This is last January's launch of a Star Wars Tie Fighter

 

[THoz]

Of course, like Planet Andy said, when they come down in the trees, they are much easier to spot without the leaves around. This is what happened to the Tie Fighter rocket last February. Fortunately my tree climbing skills are still passable, so the only damage was a couple torn shroud lines.

 

[THoz]

This Gemini DC launch was at the same time as the Tie Fighter launch from above. I wish I would have changed the angle when I was taking the picture so the light pole in the background was closer to the rocket, then it would ahve looked like a massive gantry! the only part I don't like about winter launches is trying to clip on to the igniters when you no longer can feel your fingers .

 

[Planet Andy]

Originally posted by THoz
the only part I don't like about winter launches is trying to clip on to the igniters when you no longer can feel your fingers .

yeah the rocket scientist (me) left his gloves back at the car...I wasn't gonna mention it but ya.
sad sad picture of tie fighter...happy ending

Originally posted by Micromeister
I'll add this one additional photo of the launchers front and back control panels with the Solar Panel connected.

Micro...that is just beautiful...You are entirely out of hand...and I mean that in a way.
Andy

 

[rokitflite]

All I know is that I had to go outside today and launch a bunch of Micro Maxx designs in chilly weather. After 25 years in this hobby I have discovered that the most annoying thing in the world is trying to mess with those tiny little motors and igniters while your hands are frozen!!! I have to do it again tomorrow, but it is supposed to be several degrees warmer!!!

-Cold weather whimp.

 

[Micromeister]

Scott:
That's why we have pockets I stayed in the house yesterday.. test flights can wait... What's that song.. Mon-Yon-A, Mon-Yon-A , Mon-yon-A is soon enough for me it's supposed to be mid 40's today and high 50's tomarrow...but you'll have to dodge the raindrops

 

[surdumil]

Here, it's -23 C (at 9:00 am... it's been dropping since 6:00 am) which is about -9 F. Temperature is supposed to drop to -30 C (-22 F) as the day progresses. Unfortunately, wind is picking up so flight conditions aren't very good.

It should be near freezing in a couple of days though.

If you'd like a challenge, come on up here during one of the colder days for a launch, when plastic gets rigid, brittle, and most delicate. Sounds like rocket glider conditions, don't it?

 

[cjl]

I was just skiing at Copper Mountain here in CO, and yesterday, we hit the balmy temperature of 12 degrees. In the morning it was -8, and supposedly, it hit -15 in the middle of the night.