Launch Report - 2012-08-11 - In the shadow of giants

[gdjsky01]

I missed several ROC launches the past few months. Fortunately there are a few alternatives in Southern California and I took the opportunities where I could to fly low power and mid-power up to G impulse with SCRA.

However I am sure you have all had that drought feeling where you wanted to get to a HPR launch.

I've never been to an Mojave Desert Advanced Rocketry Society launch. But I'll surely be back again.

I've been in Southern CA coming up on 16 years. In all that time I've never made the drive up California Route 14 to the Antelope Valley. It was a cool (emotionally - not temperature) and nostalgic feeling coming down from the mountains and seeing the Palmdale Airport where the Skunkworks made so much history. And Edwards Dry Lake in the distance... history indeed... a view here from the North Edwards area.

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One continues on and finds one self in the town of Mojave, home of Spaceship One. More history. An amazing area. Tho I found the entrance underwhelming. An old faded DC-8 (?) from the 60s' and an even more faded F4.

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I turned east and soon found myself ensconced with small, but active and very friendly group of rocket enthusiasts. If anyone out there remembers the Hemet Valley Rocket Club, MDARS has that same family and friends feeling.

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[gdjsky01]

(Note: FWIW, I was having a bad photo day... )

I got a late start, so my arrival at 9:45am would cut my time short. I had prepped the InnerSceptre G the night before with a CTI 116-G126-13A. About a 50% G. I left the delay drilling until the morning in case one finds out they can not fly, you've not locked in a delay. I drilled it to take off 7 seconds leaving 6 seconds. This was perfect as the chute popped at or near apogee. boost was a nice slow roll followed by a nice whistle.

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2012-09-22-MDARS-0010.jpg by InDanaPt, on Flickr

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[gdjsky01]

My 3x29 is inspired by the LOC series of cluster rockets that all have the fins mounted in the gaps of the motor tubes. An old pal, Hyam Sosnow used to be a king of the clusters. Thats all he flew and the designs were always like this. Of course he had a LOC King Viper that he flew 3 K clusters on. With cheaper access to bigger motors, I guess a lot of people are losing interest in AP clustering as LOC discontinued several kits. Of course there is a lot of people air starting and such...

Anyhoo on with the launch... these G35's were the last of six(!) G35's that over the years, found their slot in the grain swelled shut. I slowly drilled them out. As there was no way to gage how deep to go, I removed the black powder from each as for all I know, I could have damaged the delay grain.

The 3x29 uses my crappy idea of a PML Intellicone(tm) with an old G-Wiz Deluxe.

So once I got all the old 'Fire in the Hole' ignitors in the motors, and got them taped up, and twisted on the extension wire, I headed to the pad.

On the pad I took off the nose cone (carefully!) and twisted the last lead to the Pratt Ejection Canister to the wire coming from the Alt bay and GENTLY placed the cone back on. Here you can see the white igniters and the yellow extension lead... this gives a late firing motor a chance to ignite on the way up the rod.

2012-09-22-MDARS-0057.jpg by InDanaPt, on Flickr
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Then I hooked up the clips to the extension lead.

3.. 2.. 1.. CHUFF CHUFF CHUFF CHUFF CHUFF CHUFF CHUFF CHUFF CHUFF CHUFF
And off she roared. I said I had a bad picture day! I got nothing. But fortunately another photograph did! And I took pictures of his pictures!

You can see I was WAY to aggressive on the tape. One ignitor is trailing the rocket.

Wheee... I did not mean to do that... we have run out of lead!

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Recovery was, as is usual it seems for the G-Wiz in this configuration, late. So the rocket plunged into its chute fowling the chute a bit. But it landed safely as the fin can arrangement is quite strong.

 

[gdjsky01]

I had prepped the IQSY Tomahawk the night before with an old F20-7 EconoJet, you know, the one where label made the diameter a little too large. :grin: All I had to do add the Altimeter One to the payload bay, insert an ignitor, and go.


Did I mention I had a bad photo day? :lol::grin:

So nothing close to the pad. Just way up. Up to 1176' Recover was nominal.

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[gdjsky01]

I should mention temps were from 83 to 95F (29 - 35C) and winds were calm to 7 mph (a nice welcome light breeze). All recovery walks were less than 5 minutes. I might also mention there was a persistent haze layer that ate rockets. It's why I did not launch anything larger and higher. I had prepped my Saturn Deuce with 2 D21-7's but being white in color, decided 'another day'. Ditto I ad prepped my Deucy 2.5 with a D12 to an E9-6 but again decided tracking would be hard.

With time running out (it always takes longer than I figure to prep a cluster), I threw an E30-4 in old stand by beat to heck Launch Pad Osiris. Given more time, I'd a prepped an F24 or F39... but did what I could given the time.


As usual the Osiris MPM had a great ride to 630' on the E. Recovery on a 24 inch chute was nominal.

 

[gdjsky01]

I only got to spend 3 or 4 hours there. They launch from about 8:30am to 1:30 or 2pm. So getting there early is probably important.

I was welcomed and felt welcome. The only time they made a newbie joke about me when they commented on how I must not be a desert rat as all my rockets are painted... :lol:

I love ROC but having choices of dates is important and this gives me another choice.

Now to try San Diego tripoli some time.
All the photos are at:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/jeffgortatowsky/sets/72157631599711023


One decent photo...

 

[NJRick]

Jeff,
this picture is awesome!!! just a great shot!

I only got to spend 3 or 4 hours there. They launch from about 8:30am to 1:30 or 2pm. So getting there early is probably important.

I was welcomed and felt welcome. The only time they made a newbie joke about me when they commented on how I must not be a desert rat as all my rockets are painted... :lol:

I love ROC but having choices of dates is important and this gives me another choice.

Now to try San Diego tripoli some time.
All the photos are at:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/jeffgortatowsky/sets/72157631599711023


One decent photo...