Group Therapy: 19.5' Tall, 11.5" Diameter

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DAllen

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In the previous TRF I had a thread about the magnificent rocket called, "Group Therapy." Just to reiterate some of the info there...

19.5' Tall
11.7" Diameter
198# fully loaded
One CTI N2400
Three Loki 1400's

All this with a 10+ year old design. The BT was reinforced the length with coupler tubing and the fins reinforced with lots and lots of G10, fiberglass, foam and carbon fiber.

The folks in Tripoli Michiana (now Michiana Rocketry) attempted to fly this bird in Three Oaks in 2001 or 2000. Controversy swirled around the rocket and tragically it never flew. Since that time it has sat in the foyer of the Red Arrow Hobbies store.

In May of 2008 myself and other club members began wondering what it would take to get the old bird to fly. After hours of reinforcing the fins and minor tweaks to the airframe we were set to go for our November launch but mother nature had other ideas so we waited until yesterday and for a moment she unloaded all 20k newtons of fury.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gh18PSYhNNU

The up-part was awesome. The down-part was...terrifying. The apogee failed to fire but the parts managed to separate when the mains fired at 1500'. She held together for the most part but one of the sections is trashed from chute deployment at 350+ mph. It's reparable and will fly again. Group Therapy now holds the distinction of the most powerful rocket ever flown in Michigan.

If you have any photos or videos of the flight please post them here. I would be forever grateful.

-Dave
 
Wow, that's one I would have liked to see in person. Sorry to hear that the recovery wasn't optimal. At least nothing was hurt besides your pride and your wallet. The most powerful rocket flight in Michigan?!? That's cool. I think I'm still a candidate for the most embarassing rocket flight in Michigan... :eek:

SE
 
Very Good Job guys!! What was the problem? crossed wires? no continuity?

Ben
 
We now know what the problem was and it was a bit of human error. I would rather not say exactly what it was because I don't want to embarrass anyone.

That's rocketry...stuff happens...no one is mad about it.

-Dave
 
We now know what the problem was and it was a bit of human error. I would rather not say exactly what it was because I don't want to embarrass anyone.

That's rocketry...stuff happens...no one is mad about it.

-Dave

__________________________

Oh sure, and deny us all the opportunity to learn from someone else's mistakes for a change... :p

Steely
 
Last edited:
__________________________

Oh sure, and deny us all the opportunity to learn from someone else's mistakes for a change... :p

Steely

Trust me...it wasn't something to learn from. It was something like forgetting the motor retention, not attaching the recovery harness, etc....

-Dave
 
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