HERC Launch 8/21

[jetra2]

Hey all ya'll FL TRF'rs!

Roll call for this weekends launch!

I'll be there, bringing out my Edmonds Deltie Airshow (B6-4), 29mm Big Daddy (Fxx), Patriotic Executioner (E18-7W, my last one), AT IQSY Tomahawk (F50-9, 2000 feet!), and if I feel like it, I might try to get my Strap-On Booster Rocket ready to fly on a D12 and two A8's, probably.

Hope to see ya'll there!

Jason

 

[pdooley]

Yep, I will be there.

Bringing the upscale Preator imitator for a 2xE9 launch,
the original with a D12 booster, the orange and white job(Eugene bring my decal please!), and some others.

Hopefully will be overcast skys like last time to keep us cool.

 

[eugenefl]

Originally posted by pdooley
Yep, I will be there.

Bringing the upscale Preator imitator for a 2xE9 launch,
the original with a D12 booster, the orange and white job(Eugene bring my decal please!), and some others.

Hopefully will be overcast skys like last time to keep us cool.

Yep, I'm checking in. I'll be there. Pat, I'll have your decals! Looking forward to seeing your scratch build rockets fly.

Flights planned:

Upscale Gyroc - G40-7W,
1/4 Scale PER Patriot - H180W,
4" Dia. Der Red Max - (1) G80 + (2) E9-Ps,
...plus a few BP rockets. I can't wait to give the Sky Raider clone a maiden flight on a C11-5!

ALL, I'll have my camera with me. If you want a picture of something please let me know. (ie - 1st flight pose, lift-off shot, etc.)

Now, let's start the NO RAIN dance!

 

[brianc]

Originally posted by jetra2

Roll call for this weekends launch!

Well... IF my son's launch gets called off (the field was swamped by
hurricane Charley), I may swing over again this month...

If not, y'all have fun!

 

[eugenefl]

Originally posted by brianc
Well... IF my son's launch gets called off (the field was swamped by
hurricane Charley), I may swing over again this month...

If not, y'all have fun!

Brian, we'd be GLAD to have you again! This time I promise I'll be out there early - rain or shine! I still feel aweful about that!

 

[jetra2]

Well, it promises to be a good launch for me - I got a bunch of interesting flight planned. I'm going to be flying my first F motor in a couple of months, so I'm excited about that. I've got my Aerotech IQSY Tomahawk going up on a F50-9T for a flight to about 1900 feet, along with my 29mm Big Daddy on likely the same motor to about 2000 feet . I'll have my Edmonds Deltie Airshow out to be flying on a B6-4, my Quest Nike-Smoke on a B and C, my Estes Polaris, B6-4, my Patriotic Executioner on a E18-7W to be recovered on a STL Rocketry hemispherical chute. I will be bringing my two T-cups by STL, a 18" (1 pound or so) and a 36" (3.5 pounds at 12 fps - about 4 pounds on Eugene's Patriot at 16fps) if anyone would like to use them to see if they want one. I'll have my Praetor out to fly on a C6, my Thrustline Hank on 2x A8-3, and I'll be bringing my Upscale Flea and Big Red out for show.

So what does everyone else plan to fly!?

Jason

Here's Big Red on a G64!

 

[Zippy]

Most of what I'm flying many of you have seen before except for the Aerobee 300. I flew that last month but only a few people were on the field to see it at the time. I'll be flying that and the Astrobee D on G64's and the Amazon on an H180. In LPR I'll bring along as usuall my Estes Patriot, an itty bitty Freaky Flyer that for some reason my father really wants to see fly and my only actually new rocket that I'm calling "Alien Earth Lander" I built that one out of 90% junk. It uses a teakettle whistle as nose weight so I'm hopeing to get some sound out of it on the way up but I doubt it will work.

 

[rock2p]

I'll be out there.

Maybe I'll acutally throw some paint on some of my rockets but don't count on it

see you there

 

[eugenefl]

Originally posted by rock2p
I'll be out there.

Maybe I'll acutally throw some paint on some of my rockets but don't count on it

see you there

Speaking of, I have one of your unpainted rockets! You forgot it over here last time.

 

[brianc]

Just got an email that my son's launch has been cancelled due to Hurricane Charley,
so I guess I'll swing by.

Not sure what I've got ready to go- my Farscape is being painted (just finished primer sanding) and my 3x24mm Crayon still needs fins.

Maybe I can put the wraps and stabs on my replacement SHX-15B and fly it
nekkid (since everyone else seems to be flying unpainted birds!)

Weather looks great (maybe a bit hot)! See ya there!

 

[pdooley]

Was a fun launch today, nice and hot, cut short due to approaching rain.

I think I may of set a record, being the only person I know to shread 2 different rockets with BP motors.

I also brought 2 rockets WITHOUT launch lugs, totally by accident.

My grand finale flight was the upscale Praetor imitator I was so proud of. I guess 11 inch balsa fins just wont hold up to a 2xE9 launch.
The other shread was booster stage of a D12/B6 launch.

Hopefully will get some liftoff pics of both

 

[OccamMD]

I thought you would have all cancelled, it was raining here in lutz by 10:30

 

[brianc]

Wow! The best launch photo I ever captured with my new PowerShot!

 

[brianc]

Originally posted by brianc
Maybe I can put the wraps and stabs on my replacement SHX-15B and fly it
nekkid (since everyone else seems to be flying unpainted birds!)

... the next it was gone!!!

Great flight on an E30. Recovered within 30 feet of the pad under a
15" TopFlight nylon chute.

Can't wait to sand/primer/sand/paint/sand/paint....

 

[eugenefl]

Originally posted by brianc
Wow! The best launch photo I ever captured with my new PowerShot!

That looks like my 1/4 scale PER Patriot! Nice catch!

I had a great day out at the field. I am truly looking forward to the Fall when things cool down a bit. I only got to fly a few today since there was an approaching storm closer to the afternoon.

1. Cit. Patriot (clone) - C6-3
2. Edmonds CiCi - A8-3
3. Estes Sky Raider (clone) - D12-7...ejection seemed early despite the -7 second delay. Not a bad first flight!
4. Estes V-2 (BT80) - D12-5...Awesome 3rd flight for this rocket!
5. 1/4 PER US ARMY Patriot - H180W. WOW! Fast blast off the pad!

...and for the pics: 1st up is the Patriot. This rocket hasn't flown since summer of 2002 where I certed L1. What a comeback on an H180! Nice boost. There was an ever so slight weathercock, but an otherwise straight flight. Recovery was via a loaner 36" STL T-Cup parachute. THANK YOU JASON!

 

[eugenefl]

Here's the Patriot coming down under a beautiful STL T-Cup. Coincidentally, it's a red/white/blue chute.

Our very own edwardw makes and vends these chutes under the STL name. Please drop him a line if you are interested.

 

[eugenefl]

As you can see from this picture, the field we are using is nicely covered in grass. Despite the dampness and many gnats/bugs that emerged, it was certainly rocket landing friendly. All recoveries were as soft as the grass. (Er, unless you're "pdooley" and your rocket loses its fins each time! )

 

[eugenefl]

The Sky Raider is my first "Future" floor polish and BelDecal rocket. I'm fairly proud of it because it does look shiny! Here's liftoff shot on its first flight. (D12-7) The delay seemed oddly short.

 

[eugenefl]

With this long grass we probably should have brought a taller launch pad. The grass was rather damp/wet, but at any rate, the Porta Pad served its function on stomped down grass. It sure made for a cool pic. Check out my V2 looking as if it was emerging from a silo!

 

[eugenefl]

I think Pat came out to entertain with some odd aerobatics today! Really though, some of his cool original designs just wouldn't hold up to the aerodynamics of flight. First up was his mini-Praetor look-alike rocket. This time he added a massive Porta Pad looking booster stage. Really, see for yourself!

 

[eugenefl]

hehe...I think I referred to these fins as "shelving brackets" at one point. It was all in good fun though. Pat made a brave attempt at flying this large rocket with 2 E9-6s. The boost looked purty, but at about 100-150ft "Houston" had a problem. The fins just couldn't hang on.

Here's Pat telling us how he "ripped" the brackets off the wall the night before....JUST KIDDING Pat!

 

[eugenefl]

Pat's Praetor-inspired rocket lifts off on 2 E9-6s. Moments later it shed its fins. Off to the left you can see Zippy's "Amazon" waiting its turn to boost on an H180W.

 

[eugenefl]

In all fairness to Pat, he did have a few successful flights today. One of which was his newly named "Pyre" BT80 rocket. It flew on an E9. Here's a semi-liftoff shot. It was just escaping the field of view when the shutter clicked.

 

[eugenefl]

Jason (jetra2) turned in 2 sweet flights of his own. Today he flew his AT IQSY Tomahawk for the first time. Of his MPR fleet, I definitely think this is the best looking bird to grace the fields of HERC. For its first flight, it took to the skies on SU F50-9T. Boost was great, recovery was great...AND, it landed only about 150ft from the pads! Great flight!

Here it is looking kewl on the pad. The boost was too fast to capture in the frame. I guess I wasn't expecting such a fast liftoff.

 

[eugenefl]

brianc drove over from Orlando to join us again. His Shrox X-15 flew on an E30. I also got to see a painted and assembled Fliskits FarScape upclose. Nice work on that kit! We're glad you could come out again. It's too bad the storms chased us away. I don't think it did ever rain though. Bummer!

Here's a picture of his traveling fleet.

 

[eugenefl]

Zippy never fails to impress with his fleet. Today was no different. He had some LPR, MPR flights (Yank Astrobee D on a G64W, scratch Aerobee Hi G64W), and one eye popping HPR flight on the 3" scratch Amazon. (H180W)

Attached is an amazing liftoff shot of the Yank Astrobee D spewing smoke and fire.

 

[eugenefl]

Check out this Amazon H180W liftoff shot - Amazon just sounds synonymous to "mammoth" or "beastly"...this rocket was just that today. Nice flight Zippy.

 

[pdooley]

Great pics Eugene, thanks for capturing my agony of defeat!

Even though my flights didn't work out too well, I really wasn't upset about it. I got some good data and new ideas for rebuilding.
The upscale imitator will fly again, hopefully succesful this time.

 

[eugenefl]

Originally posted by pdooley
Great pics Eugene, thanks for capturing my agony of defeat!

Even though my flights didn't work out too well, I really wasn't upset about it. I got some good data and new ideas for rebuilding.
The upscale imitator will fly again, hopefully succesful this time.

Here's another one...and yes, I captured the "agony of defeat". You're a good sport, man.

 

[eugenefl]

We also had some young spectators today. Here's Russ showing a potential rocketeer how to work the controller. I think this is Russ's GBU Paveway (Enduring Freedom) rocket boosting on a C6-5.