LOC Graduator

[JAL3]

This rocket is the one that pulled me back into rocketry as a BAR when my stepson expressed an interest in it at the hobby shop. It was not the first to be flown but it was the first to be built. It got another outing today on a Roadrunner F60-7. It behaved itself well.

There's not much to the vid because my head doesn't snap that fast anymore. https://www.flickr.com/photos/23694991@N03/3517263178/

 

[JAL3]

Anyone interested can follow the lifecycle of this rocket in photos and vids here:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/23694991@N03/collections/72157607440620744/

 

[DM1975]

Cool. Nice intercepter as well.

 

[JAL3]

Cool. Nice intercepter as well.

Thanks.

I don't get credit for the Interceptor, though. That one belongs to Stu Young.

 

[JAL3]

Since it was a midpower/highpower sort of day, I was trying to fly each of the rockets I had that fell in the range. I could not leave out the one that started it all. I have vague memories of the Graduator supposedly working on an E and much less vague memories of how close to disaster an E9-4 brought it. The field seemed soft and the new Roadrunner E25s seemed to have a lot more oomph so I decided to try one with a 4 second delay. I loaded it and took it out to the pad.

 

[JAL3]

Like the Aura I had flown earlier on an E25, the igniter smoked right away but the motor did not ignite instantly. It did not chuff either. There was some smoke from the igniter, a pause and then the motor came to life.

 

[JAL3]

The rocket then lifted off the pad at a moderately quick pace. It was definitely doing better than on the Estes E9.

 

[JAL3]

The whole time the rocket was under thrust, it kept moving up nicely.

 

[JAL3]

As soon as the thrust stopped, though, the Graduator quickly decelerated and began coming down.

 

[JAL3]

I could have wished for a 2 second delay or even a 3 but 4 was the minimum available. Ejection occurred just before I would have started worrying.

 

[JAL3]

The chute was good and it drifted down without any damage.