LDRS 40; your experience?

[fyrwrxz]

Packing for travel again, last post will be for the RSO and the three curious onlookers about 'Spike'. Sorry if I seemed rude or short, but I was rushed to get the flight in. Last post when I get home tomorrow, then the thread can die a natural death. Told you I was gonna be a thread hog, can't say you weren't warned, but there seems to be little response anyway, so no harm, no foul. Outta time, gotta go!

 

[fyrwrxz]

The ending of the ending start: Spike!
He's like your Mom's Uncle that lives in the attic. He comes down for dinner every once in a while, but doesn't play well with other as he's fat and out of shape. Approx. 3.3 lbs all up on a 3 grain.
He started out as a joke. The typical 3fnc bird. Literally. A CF old school fin can and kinda crappy nose cone that required a little love and massaging to get round. I used part of one of Alex's first attempts at making CF tubing as a 38mm mount. Rail guides are (1) ACME aluminium conformal guide cut in half and drilled to create epoxy rivets. Kevlar recovery train both in fc and nc. You'll see why next post. The stretch is a cf tube with holes drilled for either screws into the nc or acting as pressure vents for higher flights. Motor retention via Kaplow clips, Great idea, Bob!
The pointy end broke on the first flight after a helpful recovery left the sharp end in the playa when they 'saved me a few steps' and handed it back. We didn't have metal threaded tips back in the day so it was all glass. It's all good, as they had good intentions and it's kinda what we all do for each other. This pic (pretty much right off the playa), shows the extended version. The RSO didn't understand the screws holding the nose cone on (nut plates mounted 3 places inside shoulder) until I showed him the break by the fin can. Apparently, this interested 3 chaps nearby who heard the RSO's confusion and nestled in for a better look. Just opened the bird a little to show the break and pointed out the CP and CG on a 3 grain for him, so he got happy. I was a little upset, bc it was originally loaded with an I 170 classic, and my son informed me at the last minute he really like the dirty birds. I was looking to change out to an I 180 bc the thrust curves are very similar. Had to settle on an I 212 after pawing the AMW rack and coming up dry. Took a look at the thrust curve on John's (?) phone (missed you Gloria, get well soon) and figured with the wind, and reefed chute, it would still be low and stay on the range. Drilled off 3 secs as an estimate and that worked pretty well, even with weather cocking which I assumed he was gonna do. Ate up up some altitude with traveling, close to 2800 is my guess. Always get your motors early at a popular launch, lesson learned!
More after much needed nap!

 

[fyrwrxz]

Judging by the entire lack of response, I've obviously overstayed my welcome or bored everybody to death. I promise to never do this again, but a promise is a promise, if only to a few people. This the last post with pics. An abbreviated explaination shows what happens when you take Three Fins and a Nose Cone to the absurd limits.Prolly about a pound or so of lead shot and epoxy in the nose with an eyebolt sunk in. Obviously, a chute with spill holes is required to cram a recovery train in a limited area. Added a shot of a 3 grain and 6 grain for scale. (Sorry for the short video, bumped my iPad and channeled Steven Spielberg for 4 seconds.)Not gonna bore anybody with that explaination or pics. I was probably too excited to be back on the range and posted way too much personal stuff nobody cares about. Mea Culpa.
(Last comment aside, I put on a t-shirt to change my air filter in my Acura. It's got 318,000 miles on it. You take care of them, they take care of you. The T-shirt was random, but a vintage ROCstock XLI shirt from 2015. Just a lucky grab. For all the guys on the playa, change your air filters! It was really bad this launch.)
BTW, as weird as I am, my front yard is NOT carpeted, That's just the camp rug and you prolly can't see the grommets around the edge for tent stakes.Keeps the dust down and helps level out the bumps. Old trick, like me.
Peace, love and rockets!

 

[Woody's Workshop]

I think we are all in just AWE cuz you posted pics, Master.
Show us more!!!

 

[DabCat]

I'll fill in my flights as well. I haven't had a chance to compile all my pictures and videos yet.

 

[fyrwrxz]

John! OMG! How ya doing buddy? How's the summer on the penisula treating you this year? Hopefully you got some more help for your back. Had to have surgery, almost didn't make the launch. Hit me up on gmail.

 

[fyrwrxz]

Enough about me. Did anybody get shots of the SDTRA Trident motor fail? Also the night launch of "8,000 blue leds" that bounced? Who was that? Impressive as hell and it must have massed bigly if they used individual units instead of sm ribbons. Soldering sounds like a nightmare. Lit up the playa nicely, even from the cheap seats. Dang, motor cycle battery? LOL!

 

[DabCat]

Also the night launch of "8,000 blue leds" that bounced? Who was that? Impressive as hell and it must have massed bigly if they used individual units instead of sm ribbons. Soldering sounds like a nightmare. Lit up the playa nicely, even from the cheap seats. Dang, motor cycle battery? LOL!

I believe it was Gregg Halligan's. We stopped by and he showed it to us. He briefly turned on the LEDs. It was still during the day, but the LEDs were so bright, my peripheral vision went black. I forget what he said exactly, but there was something special about it. It was a Thumper, and something about it being Andy's. I meant to stop by the following day to see if it was damaged, but we ended up leaving early. He has a forum account, but I've forgot his username. Maybe he can chime in. I'm curious if it was damaged. It looked like the main came out late and a little too fast, but I'm not sure.

 

[smstachwick]

Enough about me. Did anybody get shots of the SDTRA Trident motor fail? Also the night launch of "8,000 blue leds" that bounced? Who was that? Impressive as hell and it must have massed bigly if they used individual units instead of sm ribbons. Soldering sounds like a nightmare. Lit up the playa nicely, even from the cheap seats. Dang, motor cycle battery? LOL!

I believe it was Gregg Halligan's. We stopped by and he showed it to us. He briefly turned on the LEDs. It was still during the day, but the LEDs were so bright, my peripheral vision went black. I forget what he said exactly, but there was something special about it. It was a Thumper, and something about it being Andy's. I meant to stop by the following day to see if it was damaged, but we ended up leaving early. He has a forum account, but I've forgot his username. Maybe he can chime in. I'm curious if it was damaged. It looked like the main came out late and a little too fast, but I'm not sure.

LCO commentary is perfectly clear and you can see lights to mark the horizon, but my phone camera doesn’t focus very well at night. Maybe somebody was out there with a DSLR camera and got better video, but I wouldn’t take that to the bank.

View attachment trim.6507F0C0-E268-4CB8-9953-5B5D6AA3F219.MOV

 

[DabCat]

It was coming down slow enough that it didn't seen like an actual lawn dart. Almost as if it had the drogue out, but either the drogue was tangled or didn't open, or the drogue was pretty small. It's too hard to tell at night.

 

[smstachwick]

It was coming down slow enough that it didn't seen like an actual lawn dart. Almost as if it had the drogue out, but either the drogue was tangled or didn't open, or the drogue was pretty small. It's too hard to tell at night.

In person it looked high, fast, and far enough to be a lawn dart. Difficult to tell with a blurry video that doesn’t provide a frame of reference or a sense of depth.

 

[fyrwrxz]

Shane, thx! That's what I saw and just hope he recovered a fixable bird. Waaayy too much work to trash a unit like that. Hope we get to see it again. I gotta spend some time this summer on my night flyers for ROCstock.

 

[mikec]

Did anybody get shots of the SDTRA Trident motor fail?

Screenshot from a video posted on the Facebook TRA group by Buddy Michaelson.

 

[cerving]

Yeah, that was sad. It burned for about 5 minutes on the ground, too.

 

[fyrwrxz]

Thanks,Mike and Cris! The like was for the shot not the bird kill. Very sad indeed. that was a true treasure and to hear it burned on the ground prolly means it's toast. No pun intended. Dang! Hope Aerotech steps up snd makes their part right. I mean, Gary saw it, I assume. M2500's will leave a dent in your wallet. Throw in the case and it's a bad day in Bedrock. or Redrock. whatever.

 

[fyrwrxz]

Next up is Rocstock. I plan on filling the racks and burning some antique propellant, by the pounds. If they fly and die ( safely), there will be another to take it's place. I fly best alone, but if the little tweaker wants to tag along, Grumpa will get the Viking Princess to babysit while I get the job done. Maybe a room for the girls to keep them outta what little hair I have left. See you then. Straight smoke and good chutes! -fin-