IRW 2004

[adrian]

My photos from this year's International Rocket Week are here. There are no index pages for individual days yet, but there will be...

Weather was fairly good, if a little breezy, early in the week. A couple of radio companies did live interviews with organiser John Bonsor. One sent a reporter, who also spoke to an Austrian who had arrived early; even I got a few words in! The other conducted the interview by phone, culminating in a launch with John's mobile phone by the pad so listeners could hear a live rocket launch.

As the week went on, more people turned up and the weather got worse, to the extent that on Friday there were no flights until the evening. So I took the opportunity to wander round Kelburn Country Centre, in whose fields most of the event took place.

Contest flying was supposed to be on Sunday 29th August, but the weather meant that the only contest that could be held was the traditional aquajet distance competition. And, despite the rain, this was also the day the Flying Picnic Table of Doom was launched.

The sun returned on Monday, allowing for some more launches before going home.

 

[cydermaster]

Good photos, Adrian.

I'm glad your photo of my Custom Razor, taken a few mins before its self-sacrifice to the Undergrowth Gods is up there.

 

[hokkyokusei]

Thanks for posting the pics Adrian. I was incredibly lazy this year, and took next to no pictures.

It wasn't a classic year "flying wise", the the new HPR site has a lot of promise, I think. The weather was the worst I've seen at the event - some that have been going for longer than I have said it was he WORST weather ever, which is saying something!

But, as always, it was a great social event. It's usually a fine opportunity to catch up with people, chew the fat, do a bit of building, have a few drinks and a bit of a giggle, and this year was no exception.

Kudos to John and anyone else who contributed to the organisation of this years IRW.

 

[andysrockets]

1992 was about the same... mix of a tiny bit of nice weather, and a lot of wind and rain. In 1992 we did get the competition stuff done, but this year saturday/sunday was the worst. The Saturday in 1992 we all slept indoors, and the sleeping bags/tents were drying all day on the rafters. There were no partitions then, and no false floor... just bare concrete.

I was very very lazy... only a few flights, didn't even bother with a HPR lob (only the 4D cluster which I thought was too big for KCC). I didn't take a single photo... I relied on other people to take pics of my rockets/catos.

Not bad pics adrian. I have now seen 3 pics of my Qubit flight. Adrian's shows take off, Mark's shows interesting smoke, and Paul's? shows the model, the motor and the propellant quite clearly separated! (as well as an unidentified something).

 

[andysrockets]

Is Damian posessed...?
https://www.macs.hw.ac.uk/~adrian/irw2004/tue24/35bbq6.jpg

 

[cydermaster]

Originally posted by andysrockets
Is Damian posessed...?

LOL

Thats Pete hes talking to, probably about shiny new rocket bits. I've noticed that most people look like that when they're talking to Pete about shiny new rocket bits (especially shiny new Rowes Retainers)!

 

[adrian]

I'm more worried about John trying to threaten Demonic Damian, possibly to ward him off, using the screwdriver end of a Swiss Army knife.

As for weather, look at the pictures from earlier in the week. There was some decent weather, but most people missed it. Get there earlier next time.

You want to see a CATO?
Pokemon
Flaming Pokemon

 

[andysrockets]

Out of interest, who actually won the Team Aquajet Contest?

 

[Damian]

I think the orb of power had a say in the demonic evening.

 

[hokkyokusei]

Originally posted by andysrockets
Out of interest, who actually won the Team Aquajet Contest?

SRA

 

[andysrockets]

Originally posted by hokkyokusei
SRA

Thought they probably did. Just wanted confirmation. One of the ASTRA teams also got consistently long distances.
Shame the others including PRS were affected by the weather so badly though.

 

[hokkyokusei]

I thknk it was actually quite close between SRA, two of the ASTRA teams and even Paisley weren't too far behind. THere were several rockets that travelled greater distances than SRA rockets, but teh SRA won on consistancy basically.