Launch report: Six outta Seven survive

[gdjsky01]

Seeing as I don't do American (or any other form) Football, I thought, "Well for the other three people not wasting an afternoon, I'll write up my launch report." :wink:

'Nother super duper Saturday at the SCRA (section 430) site in the shadow of Mount Wilson. Little breezy at time from the east causing some drift into the prickly underbrush, but not too bad. Sunny, temps, in the teens warming to the low 20's. Nice shorts weather. Winds easterly at 5-15kph - maybe a bit more at times. In this picture that would drift to the left.

2012-02-04-SCRA-0005.jpg by InDanaPt, on Flickr
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First we present My old warbird now some 10 years or more old, and looking the part, my The Launch Pad Osiris MPM. This time sporting an equally old Aerotech E30-4 and a newly minted Altimeter One.

2012-02-04-SCRA-0003.jpg by InDanaPt, on Flickr
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And off it heads on another mission to 203 meters (669')

2012-02-04-SCRA-0020-2.jpg by InDanaPt, on Flickr​

Recovery was nominal under an illegal Canadian Sourced Genuine Mylar, Rectangular TLP parachute, violating all TRF sensibilities!:wink: :y:

2012-02-04-SCRA-0022.jpg by InDanaPt, on Flickr​

After recovery all that was needed was removal of stickers from my socks. OUch! :tongue::wink:

 

[gdjsky01]

We adjusted the pads a bit to help with drift and setup another round.


After the first flight on a B6-4 it was time to try a C6-3 in the Flis Night Whisper. The B6-4 was a tad anemic. Here the craft is looking quite the part with the generic Estes whatever's on either side.

2012-02-04-SCRA-0025.jpg by InDanaPt, on Flickr
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And off we went for a somewhat rainbow flight limiting the altitude to about 85 meters (or 280').

2012-02-04-SCRA-0030.jpg by InDanaPt, on Flickr


The Gold accents stand out rather well if I do say so myself... (pat pat pat)


2012-02-04-SCRA-0034.jpg by InDanaPt, on Flickr​

Recovery was less than nominal. For the second straight flight the laundry caught a fin. This time the kevlar almost sliced through the root of one fin. Maybe I made the harness too long. I am removing the elastic and just leaving the double length kevlar. Slice was clean at the root and repairs are already completed.

 

[gdjsky01]

I placed Ms Bertha on the pad with the interchangeable motor mount sporting the 2x18mm configuration. I had bought two Question value packs back on Black Friday from Quest so I had some to burn. The paper wrapper is a bit of a pain as it kept wadding up at the edge. A little sandpaper cleaned that up.

2012-02-04-SCRA-0066.jpg by InDanaPt, on Flickr​

And we have liftoff, liftoff of the Big Bertha on twin Quest B6-4s. And the Bertha has two good motors...

2012-02-04-SCRA-0096.jpg by InDanaPt, on Flickr​

Recovery was nominal under a 45cm Mylar chute with an Altimeter One recorded 213 meters (700').

 

[gdjsky01]

Oh how I miss C5-3s - lots-o-grunt
Anyway I have a more than 30 to burn so I placed another in my 13 year ago Custom Rockets Engage.

2012-02-04-SCRA-0134.jpg by InDanaPt, on Flickr

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Off she when on a completely nominal flight with prefect recovery under an 60cm clear red dry cleaning bag, parasheet. A great demo bird. You can see the domes of Mount Wilson in this crop.

2012-02-04-SCRA-0176.jpg by InDanaPt, on Flickr
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Showing her age. I found the motor pushed up even with the end of the motor mount tube. Looks like the motor hook finally started pushing through. Have to start taping a thrust ring. Well that rocket has probably 40 or 50 flights on it.

 

[Fishhead]

Oh how I miss C5-3s - lots-o-grunt
Anyway I have a more than 30 to burn so I placed another in my 13 year ago Custom Rockets Engage.



2012-02-04-SCRA-0134.jpg by InDanaPt, on Flickr



Off she when on a completely nominal flight with prefect recovery under an 60cm clear red dry cleaning bag, parasheet. A great demo bird. You can see the domes of Mount Wilson in this crop.




2012-02-04-SCRA-0176.jpg by InDanaPt, on Flickr


Showing her age. I found the motor pushed up even with the end of the motor mount tube. Looks like the motor hook finally started pushing through. Have to start taping a thrust ring. Well that rocket has probably 40 or 50 flights on it.

Love that lift-off shot.

 

[gdjsky01]

Very very very rare... indeed I can not recall ever having my Edmonds Deltie red baron but today was the day. The streamer caught up in the delta wing and the fluttered safely to the ground.

CURSE YOU RED BARON!

 

[gdjsky01]

So for the final flights of the morning I loaded the Barclone stretched Arrowhead on an A10-3, and the Flis Cardstock Caution Rocket on an A8-3

Here they are looking resplendent in the Sun light.

2012-02-04-SCRA-0273.jpg by InDanaPt, on Flickr​

First the caution rocket soared into the air! Yeah! Ooops... shooot... no chute.. No matter, nose blow recovery was fine... or so I thought.

2012-02-04-SCRA-0283.jpg by InDanaPt, on Flickr

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I noted where it landed and watched the Arrowhead soar to at least a few 100 meters or more and pop out the dreaded, loathed, and dissed, 22cm silver mylar parasheet :wink: and drift over into the dried sticker bushes.

2012-02-04-SCRA-0290.jpg by InDanaPt, on Flickr​

Off I trudged and found him hanging nice and neat waiting for collection! :wink::tongue:

2012-02-04-SCRA-0293.jpg by InDanaPt, on Flickr​

Now about that caution rocket... :y:

2012-02-04-SCRA-0296.jpg by InDanaPt, on Flickr​

 

[gdjsky01]

There are more photos of some nice rockets in the flickr set you can find here

https://www.flickr.com/photos/jeffgortatowsky/sets/72157629176689199/

There's a few nice shots of an Interceptor E on an E9 and a big Nike-X on a white lightning motor of some sort. And some TARC qualifiers. Plus lots of smaller stuff.

Enjoy!

 

[foamy]

There are more photos of some nice rockets in the flickr set you can find here

https://www.flickr.com/photos/jeffgortatowsky/sets/72157629176689199/snip... Enjoy!

I certainly did. A very satisfying post. Thanks.

 

[Barracuda]

Thanks Jeff those were great photos..you have some beautiful landscape there the launchs were just extras:caffeine:

 

[dixontj93060]

Looked like a beautiful day for flying!!!

 

[Daddyisabar]

CAUTION: A little too much compacted Dog Barf, a home made paper tube and shotgun ejection charge can be a bad combo.

That was just a little blow out. Time to repair and use a some "trickle down" thin CA to bulletproof that thin paper tube. Put in a D-21 and fly it like it was high power.