LAUNCH REPORT: 2 exotics and 1 TRF standard

[billeblurzz]

This morning I got to launch MARS SNOOPER, DRAKE, and DER RED MAX! I usually would rather go out late in the day, but today I took a chance on this morning to try some exotics for the first time. First up DER RED MAX 24 mm clone to test the wind!

 

[billeblurzz]

Liftoff on a C11-5...no Ds...I did not want THAT much of a wind test!

 

[Karl]

Cool , I must say , that launch pad is AWESOME! and the DRM is even better! I think im gonna have to clone one

 

[billeblurzz]

The C11-5 is the perfect motor for this clone...good high flight and recovery on 15" soft nylon chute...there were some thermals up this morning as it floated a good while...but no wind so it came almost straight down!

 

[billeblurzz]

MEGA MARS SNOOPER: Last night I did some swing tests and ended up with 2oz. of nose weight for about 2.5 calibers of stability...I usually go on the overstabile side. This rocket is really quite light so I thought an Estes E9-4 would be okay. I was nervous with the field that I launch from, small and a pesky highway, but I felt with not too much altitude I should be allright!

 

[billeblurzz]

Liftoff on an E9-4: I wish I was a split-second slower with the shutter...I was launching and photographing by myself again!

 

[billeblurzz]

Liftoff was very slow and majestic...at first I wished for just a little more thrust...but you really don't want it too quick so you can see this exotic shape as it rises! What could you use just a little more powerful than an Estes E?

 

[billeblurzz]

The 30" chute was just right, with about 9' of kevlar for the shock cord. I did not use the black nomex pad because there is not much room in the recovery space and I did not want to crowd everything in there...I used 4 sheets of Estes wadding and "dog barf"! It worked perfectly! I did not "stick" the landing as the chute pulled the base over with a gust of wind!

 

[billeblurzz]

Next up was the Fliskits DRAKE. I had heard that it goes up pretty high on a D, so I decided to use the same 15" chute from the RED MAX...the wind had started to pick up some!

 

[billeblurzz]

Liftoff on a D12-5: Still too early on the shutter...I wanted to catch it's profile in flight!

 

[billeblurzz]

Well....here is it's profile in RECOVERY...I was surprised how high and straight up this shape went!! It would be neat to launch at an angle into the wind...like a DUCK taking to WING!!!

 

[billeblurzz]

Wow...an E motor would probably put it OUT OF SIGHT!!!

 

[billeblurzz]

After another launch, we "STUCK" the landing!!! All flights were perfect....no damage at all...no lost rockets! The DRAKE is a really unique rocket and flies very well!

 

[jflis]

Originally posted by billEblurzz
Liftoff was very slow and majestic...at first I wished for just a little more thrust...but you really don't want it too quick so you can see this exotic shape as it rises! What could you use just a little more powerful than an Estes E?

If you adjusted the CG with nose weight, the upscale Snooper would go *great* on a D12-0 CHAD staged to an E9. That would give you a good lift with a *very* long sustain. Bet she'd look purty

 

[jflis]

Originally posted by billEblurzz
Well....here is it's profile in RECOVERY...I was surprised how high and straight up this shape went!! It would be neat to launch at an angle into the wind...like a DUCK taking to WING!!!

The Drake, another of the "unsung heroes" of our Fleet Nearly everybody who sees it, either in the package or my built one, says "hhmmm, nice rocket"...


...put it into the air and these same people say "man! I gotta get me one of those!"

The Praetor and Corona are the same way