Just another day of launching...or was it?

[flying_silverad]

I have a buddy that has a twenty acre farm about 10 minutes from where I live. So, today I thought I would take a few birds, and try alittle flying.

Wind was out of the north about 5 MPH and I set up on the north end of one of his fields. I sent the Star Hauler aloft and checked the winds. Seemed pretty consistent through 1000 feet. C6-5 lit off and what a great flight...good chute...drifted behind me about 200 feet. Not bad...I'll leave the 3-4 degrees just the way it is.

Next up, the F23 Panther. While placing it on the rod the lower lug popped off. One lug left around the CG...pretty small though should I...sure. B6-4. Hit th ebutton and after it came off the pad, it did a few rolls, leveled off at 75 feet and flew straight and went into a flat glide. What, was this...is it settling into a flat glide? Cool!!! Ejection just before nose down. Very cool. Bit of a walk to retrieve it, but a great flight just the same.

Now the bad news (AL...you shouldn't read this )
Last up was the Duster. I checked the wind. The rod angle was perfect. I loaded up a D motor and placed it on the rod. perfect flight...straight and true. Perfect ejection...really high. So thinking I was going to have a slight walk, I turned and started to head south. After about a hundred feet, I turned around and there it was decending as if there wasn't bit of wind. I looked down at it's non-intended destination. The largest, wettest, muddiest patch of field in the entire state! No...this couldn't be, maybe it will pick up a breeze as it made it's slow decent through 500 feet. Nope, it was coming straight down. It hit that mud hole right in the middle. This "Hole" is 300 feet across and that's where the rocket will have to stay until it dries up. I'm sure by the time I get to it, the only thing I'll salvage is the cone and the hook. Time to build another.

 

[sandman]

John, ya wuss!

You wouldn't melt!

I would never leave a rocket rocket I could see!

I can alway clean my shoes...mud comes off but a good rocket like a mind...is a terrible thing to waste.

sandman

 

[Micromeister]

Looks like O'le murphy is alive and well, striking whenever he likes..
Flying: If you were alone during this launch, you did the right thing Not going in after it, I have some pictures somewhere of one of my scouts up to his waist in a farm field mud hole trying to get to his little estes Echo rocket, it took the rest of the troop and I all afternoon to dig/drag his soggy wet butt out of there. lord only knows what would have happened to him if he'd been by himself, I lost a boot in the rescue effort up to my calf in the soggy goo. Models are replacable. Just keep say to the mud hole...Eat all you want, we'll build more, ya gotta dry up sometime

 

[flying_silverad]

I actually started in after it. I was over a hundered feet from it and the mud was almost to my knees. I was alone and thought for sure I would get stuck. I could barely move the mud was so thick.

 

[TheRadiator]

That's a sage decision. However, even with a few other folks around, I still would not try to rescue a rocket out of a sink-hole. I just hate it for you that it was a Duster that was stuck out there!

 

[flying_silverad]

Originally posted by TheRadiator
That's a sage decision. However, even with a few other folks around, I still would not try to rescue a rocket out of a sink-hole. I just hate it for you that it was a Duster that was stuck out there!

Well, the weather is supposed to be rain for the next few days so it's there probably until my buddy plows!

 

[TheRadiator]

There's a K-1 Scout clone and a Custom Twister in some farmer's plow in North Carolina. 'Tis a shame!

 

[PWALPOCO]

From what I can remember there arent any cases Ive heard of where model rocketry has been the direct cause of a fatal accident, ie an Estes Falling on someones head or blowing up in someones face ........

HOWEVER

I have heard that there are rocketry related fatalities when it comes to RECOVERING a rocket from awkward places, normally from powerline areas.

Silverad , youve lost the rocket for now , but more importantly weve not lost you.

Sounds like your rocket was the victim of an airpocket , or windsheer or something , or inadequate chute zize ?

Paul

 

[flying_silverad]

PWALPOCOSounds like your rocket was the victim of an airpocket , or windsheer or something , or inadequate chute zize

I think it must have been either sheer or burst of some sort. At one point it did look like it was hanging on a thermal and the chute was acting funny. The rocket is really long and so is te shock cord. Some times the airframe looks like it guides itself into the wind when it gets turned around. I think this is one of the reasons it just did not drift.

 

[flying_silverad]

The temporary "bog" that was formed by last week's 4 inches of rain, has finally exposed the mud ridden Duster. We moved the Mobile Remote Recovery Unit (4-Wheel Drive John Deere) into place, and I was able to reach out and retrieve it. The motor has expanded and it will take a few days to dry out before I can make a full assessment, but I think with very little work, it may fly again!!

 

[Aerobee300]

"Mobile Remote Recovery Unit (4-Wheel Drive John Deere)"

Laughing so hard I nearly fell out of my chair !

 

[Bob Stephenson]

Originally posted by flying_silverad
The temporary "bog" that was formed by last week's 4 inches of rain...

Hey Silverad,

Four inches of rain ? Haven't seen that much in one week for over two years down here. Hence there's no rocket flying for Evil Bob and Co. Its Autumn (Fall for y'all Northerners) down here with cooler weather and I'm praying for precipitation soon...

Do the rocket God's accept willing sacrifices, or do they prefer to 'take their own' ? By the way, this was the first time I've heard of a rocket eating bog (now trees, ponds, power lines and the odd roof or swimming pool I've seen... )

Cheers

(Evil) Bob