Launch Report - Dec 18 2016

[gdjsky01]

Got to go burn a few rocket motors last weekend. When I arrived a few TARC teams were set up. And a few SLI teams.
More peeps had emailed about going out, but of the people that were on that list, just me and an SLI mentor/coach came out.

There was very little wind at 9:20 when I arrived. As the day progressed the wind would pick up, maybe 10mph max but also calm down a little.

I had my Jaw Clamp conversion pad which can use 1/8th to 1/4 inch rods and short rails. I have a 1010. I was use a VeriFire launch controller I picked up on ebay. It works really nice and I can step on the button so as to photograph at the same time.

First up was a ModelRockets.us Mach I with Mach II booster. C11-0 to C11-5

Liftoff looked okay

You'll have to trust me... this is not correct - Little too much flame on one end... not enough on another.. :jaw:

Yeah that is NOT a big lump of flaming coal for xMas... Thanks Estes! That is the propellant slug going up through the top of the motor.

Lake stake from 122' (37m)

 

[gdjsky01]

Very happy with the finish and the decals I cut from vinyl on this one. A maiden flight. Used a RRC2+ for deployment at Apogee.

Nice action shot to 1015' (309m) - Deployment was uneventful (with an 'event' of course!:tongue:

 

[gdjsky01]

Another maiden flight... another sub optimal result


So the Ascender was loaded with an F15-6 and the Booster an E16-0.... Again I am very pleased with the vinyl I cut for the fin decals. Really nice looking... or was... :y:

So this part looks really good... sexy even! :lol:

This however is 'interesting', 'a good action shot...', but I assure you 'less than nominal'. :surprised: You can see pieces of the booster's internals flying out and another flaming lump of xMas coal. :jaw: This again is the grain letting loose and flying forward and out the front of the booster.

​

This kicked the sustainer sideways... which then did LIGHT and did a long burn arc down the desert and deployed at mach. The Estes altimeter hooked to the nose cone on the payload section slammed into it, then breaking the tape and ejecting the nose cone and altimeter.. I could see it fall away, but it was so low, I lost it in the ground clutter. Being black I never did find it. The sustainer broke a fin clean, but I am out the nose cone and $30 altimeter...
:dark:

 

[gdjsky01]

Another maiden flight... But a decent result... yea.

Loaded with an Aerotech F42-4 EconoJet

A nice flight to an Altimeter Two recorded 752' (230m)

 

[gdjsky01]

Since I was having such a DANDY time with Black Powder boosters, I figured could I go for the hat trick?

:eyeroll:

No way with my luck today was I risking another altimeter! :lol:

D12-0 to a D12-5 - And of course it figures. No altimeter... a perfect flight. It weather cocked as expected because the wind had picked up. But it headed upwind so the recovery was not that long a walk.

And of course it staged just fine... Notice the lack of flaming lumps of propellant!!

Recovery

 

[gdjsky01]

With the wind up a bit I decided I did not wish risking losing an altimeter to wind drift. Nor was I sure this old Ellis SU would work as planned... Of course NOW I wish I had added the Altimeter Two!

I had the Sprint XL loaded with an Ellis E12-10.

The surface wind died to almost nothing and I stepped on the launch button. I am shocked I caught this as it ripped off the pad a lot quicker than I thought a long burn would. And of course it was straight as an arrow (no weather cocking). Straight overhead!

Of course the upper level winds sent it 1/2 a mile (800m) away. I was feeling smug about my decision not to put an Altimeter in it as I lost sight of it against the background of the mountains. It sim'd to about 2200' (670m) and I'd say I got most of that!

I figure I'll go look but did not hold out much hope... of course I drove west on the dirt road and poof, there it was IN the road. I swear if I had put the Altimeter Two in it, I'd never have found it!! :tongue:

 

[gdjsky01]

I had prepped the T-Bolt there on site with an F40 that I cut to a 6 instead of 7.
However... I was using someone else's 1010 rail. I had mine, but I figured... this one is already set up...
I have no one to blame but me. I felt the rail NEEDED to be lubed. I have metal rail guides on the T-Bolt... But I figured... it'll be fine.... :bangpan::bangpan::bangpan::bangpan::bangpan:

First it chuffed... that is NEVER good for the reliability of your delay.... I thought that was that. But no... it spit again and I hit the shutter and it took off. But nowhere near as fast as it should have.... AND you can see from the smoke drift, it was gonna weathercock a bit.

​

So what I needed was an F40-3

​

And it did eject... about 1.5 seconds after impact... R.I.P

I say R.I.P... but the nose cone looks like soft serve ice cream and about 4 - 6 inches (10 to 15cm) of the tube is gone. So I'll cut it off and find a new cone. I am sure it'll fly again as the T-Bolt Jr.


Well that was a wrap... Not my best day... I had brought the Sublime and K550 but the only rail there large enough I felt for a safe launch was not a 1010 but a 1515... The long 1010 rail did not show up. My 1010 rail is too short, and I think the stance of the Jaw Stand, even staked down, might not be wide enough. So it'll wait for another day.


Comments and feedback (politely please) welcome.
Here is the link to the entire album including the SLI team's K.
https://flic.kr/s/aHskQQQn9L


Best wishes
Jeff

 

[gdjsky01]

One other note. My older photos were with a Canon 40D that I had a lot of practice with. I now have a (don't laugh) new to me 60D. And a new to me, Tamron lens (yeah I still can not get over the cost of a "L" lens hump). So for a while photos I take may not be up to what you older posters remember...

Photographing rockets is a hobby within a hobby for me. And I don't like video as the image scale it way too small. And most people don't learn to use their equipment on anything other than auto, which in video IMO(!!) means a terrible result.

YMMV. Again excuse the quality until I get more practice with the 60D.

 

[WoShuGui]

Pictures look great! Really enjoy your flight reports and have been missing them.

 

[qquake2k]

Jeff! Great to see you're still alive! Great report as usual.

 

[gdjsky01]

You are too kind. Thanks

 

[gdjsky01]

Thank you my friend!

It has been too long... a lot of water under the bridge of life. As I said on my Facebook feed "Astronomy and Rocketry in the desert in the same month... it is like the universe coming into alignment...

 

[o1d_dude]

Talk about bad black powder luck!

Great photos as usual, Jeff.

Glad to see back among the Rocket Nation.

 

[gdjsky01]

Talk about bad black powder luck!

Great photos as usual, Jeff.

Glad to see back among the Rocket Nation.

Thanks... long time... glad to be among friends again!

 

[SCrocketfan]

One other note. My older photos were with a Canon 40D that I had a lot of practice with. I now have a (don't laugh) new to me 60D. And a new to me, Tamron lens (yeah I still can not get over the cost of a "L" lens hump). So for a while photos I take may not be up to what you older posters remember...

Photographing rockets is a hobby within a hobby for me. And I don't like video as the image scale it way too small. And most people don't learn to use their equipment on anything other than auto, which in video IMO(!!) means a terrible result.

YMMV. Again excuse the quality until I get more practice with the 60D.

Still awesome shots! Those are really nice. I'm still learning but rocket photography has become a hobby for me too. You use Shutter Priority or Manual, out of curiosity? I've gotten really good results with Shutter Priority at 1/3200 which looks similar to your settings, on an (also used) 7D with 55-250 or 18-135 lenses.

 

[gdjsky01]

Shutter priority. Was using AI Servo focusing and will not do that again... I am returning to single shot and/or manual focus. Use higher f/ numbers for a really good DOF.

The Tamron lens I am using is pretty slow once you do any zooming. It's no 70-210 f/4 L lens for sure!

1/2000 to 1/3200 shutter speed. 6fps (a bit slower than my 40D was). I try and keep the ISO low but the sensors are so good now that 250-500 ISO is perfectly acceptable for me.

And of course post processing. Specifically cropping in tight. Use up the megapixels. No needs to see 90% blue sky.

 

[SCrocketfan]

Shutter priority. Was using AI Servo focusing and will not do that again... I am returning to single shot and/or manual focus. Use higher f/ numbers for a really good DOF.

The Tamron lens I am using is pretty slow once you do any zooming. It's no 70-210 f/4 L lens for sure!

1/2000 to 1/3200 shutter speed. 6fps (a bit slower than my 40D was). I try and keep the ISO low but the sensors are so good now that 250-500 ISO is perfectly acceptable for me.

And of course post processing. Specifically cropping in tight. Use up the megapixels. No needs to see 90% blue sky.

Very nice, thanks for the tips! I pretty much always use AI Servo but use back-button focusing to only focus when needed. One of my favorites (sorry to derail the thread):