Hmm, surprised it too so long to light... who knows. In any case, rocket is beautiful, flight looked perfect. Glad it came back in one... er, two pieces.
Interceptor E Build—- Pursley Skin
- Thread starter BABAR
- Start date
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Very nice flight! That was a picture perfect maiden, straight up, and almost straight back down. And yeah, that parachute / swivel combination worked beautifully.
Composite motors sometimes take a second or two (or three or four) to come up to pressure and take off.
I'm guessing your igniter went off as usual but the motor said "Nah, I like it here".
I'm guessing your igniter went off as usual but the motor said "Nah, I like it here".
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Thanks for the video! Beautiful rocket and excellent flight! So the 4 sec delay was perfect?
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May have been a touch early, but 6 would have been late. ONE of my concerns was keeping the rocket in the field (I launch at a local park, kind of a sports compress with a baseball field surrounded by around 6 soccer fields. Many of the fields are fenced and locked on weekdays, including the one this landed in (so I have to keep in physical shape to climb a four or five foot fence. Fortunately the top chain links are bent down appropriately so I rarely rip my pants [or anything else!]).
So going off a tad early kept the maximum altitude lower, which is what I wanted anyway. As a sport rocket and not a competition guy, I like to keep the whole flight easily in sight, and I prefer short walks and hate losing rockets. So I guess 300 to 500 feet is sort of the sweet spot for me. I launch from a grassy spot surrounded by and asphalt parking lot surrounded by sports fields, so I like it to come in really close (right in my grassy pad area, hard to spot as it is small) or just outside the asphalt.
My helis and AirBrakes tolerate the asphalt well, chute and streamer rockets less so.
If you look close at the rod and post deployment pics, I put a tiny square of blue painter tape on the rear tips of the wing pods, figuring if it came in on the asphalt they would protect the paint. Thank God they weren’t needed.
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Great!
Now for a F39 or even bigger motor!
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For my field the E20 was just perfect. Not sure how well it would do on the recommended E9. Didn’t pass the ThrustCurve recommendation limit. Going larger? Sure, it would work, but what would I gain? A few more seconds of flight, likely at or near the limits of vision, and a longer walk possibly outside my recovery area.
My wife still thinks I am cute, but I am not sure residents of a neighborhood I don’t live in would be as welcoming to a Middle Aged stranger in a mask with a face shield knocking on the door, asking, “Ma’am, I think I lost my wocket in your backyard, can I look? Please, please!”
For now, it’s hanging from the ceiling on display in my rocket building man cave (aka, “da basement”, albeit a basement with a 12 year old rear projection 62” TV.). Maybe after my local is fully vaccinated and our local club goes back to regular launches it may fly again. I do have. Cosmic Interceptor with the Pursley skin in the build pile.
Interceptor E that I have flown are fine on an E9 4, stock built. Even in a bit of wind. My local club is kaput so I just stare at my big motors sitting on the shelf. Then I harken back to the old fraternity days and yell out ROAD TRIP! Pack up the old convertible and off I go to wherever a launch is being held. Get out to the remote gravel pits, ranches and BLM land. See lots of other old Dudes doing the same. Has been keeping me somewhat sane during these troubled times. Burned more big motors this year than ever before. Can't spend money on theater tickets, fancy partys, pro sports, high end clubs or restaurants, so rocket motors and gas it is for entertainment.
