Maiden launch as a BAR

[mkeene]

Hi folks - as promised, here is a pic from the March Tripoli San Diego launch in Plaster City, CA. It represents my first rocket built as a BAR, and as such has sentimental value. This is the maiden voyage of the 3" Big Daddy. Great flight on a D12-3. I opted for a simple bright blue paint scheme, and this rocket has since been christened "The Blue Bird" (my painting skills are developing).
Enjoy!!
Mike

 

[Karl]

Wheres the picture lol ? I love the Big Daddy on those D12's , nice/slow flight
-Karl

 

[mkeene]

okay, what gives??? any help on posting my pics would be appreciated. i attached the file as a JPEG and it didn't post?????
thanks,
mike

 

[Missileman]

Play around with it in the Area 51 forum (for testing) Perhaps the file size is too big?

 

[Karl]

Hmmmmm it might be to big , (102400 bytes is the limit) ! Just goto browse -> locate the file you want to attach -> click on it -> click open -> voalla
-Karl

 

[JoJo]

i used to own a big daddy, it was a pretty nice rocket unfortunatly it's short career was ended by a tree . actually the big daddy was the last rocket i flew in the last year in a half, i decided to start up again today with my first flight of an estes alpha 3 . so i guess im hooked again

 

[Missileman]

We have a Big Daddy on holding bench (on top of the TV) here at Missile Central waiting for a paint job.
Welcome to TRF MKeene and JoJo

 

[JoJo]

thanks for the welcome missleman

 

[Karl]

Heres a lil' picture of mine under D12-5 power!
-Karl

 

[mkeene]

Thanks Missileman for the welcome!!!!
Mike

 

[wscarvie]

Hi Mike,

First off, welcome to the hobby, and to TRF. You won't find a nicer bunch of guys.

Do you ever get out to the Fiesta Island launches with DART? I get out there about once a month for a weekend launch.

If you're still having trouble posting the pic, I'll be happy to help. Drop me an email and we'll walk through the steps. If you want to email me the pic, I can convert it / shrink it to make it a lot smaller file size.

PM me if you're interested, and I'll send you my email address.

C-ya.

 

[Fore Check]

Plaster City, eh?

I thought I was the only one on around here who knows where that is.

I worked at the USG plant there for 2.5 years when I graduated college.

I didn't care for that place much. Although, I imagine it's a fine place for a rocket launch, being flat desert and all.

Did you have any issues with the Naval Air Base just a few miles to the east? Most of that land to the north of the gypsum plant is marked as a naval gunnery range, where pilots fly practice bombing runs and such. Also, the Blue Angels winter there and practice over that area regularly.

Where was the launch site in reference to the USG plant? (for those of you who don't know Plaster City, the USG plant is truly the *only* thing in Plaster City. No houses, nothing. Just the plant and a trucking yard.)

 

[Fore Check]

By the way, as disgusted as I was living in El Centro (as a place to live,) I see you are from Alpine. Up in the mountains, particularly on the coastal side, *was* quite nice. Alpine, Ramona, Escondido....

Too bad I had to live where I did. Although, I did spend the first year living in Borrego Springs working at the mine feeding the Plaster City plant (the mine was located just south of Ocotillo Wells) Borrego wasn't nearly as bad, just *darn* hot.

 

[wwattles]

We regularly use the steam rising from the USG plant as a prime indicator of the winds out there. We launch about 1/2 mile NE of the plant, a little ways off the road. Nice recreation area. Unfortunately, the off-roaders sometimes think so too, and come tearing through our launch area.

But they like to come watch, too, which is nothing but good PR for our hobby!

As for the airspace, we get our NOTAMs out, but a lot of pilots ignore them. We occasionally have to pause our launches because the airspace isn't clear.

WW

 

[Fore Check]

How are the winds this time of year?

I remember some really, really howling winds coming down of the mountains, particularly when there were heavy clouds over them. Seemed like winter and spring was the time of year when the wind would really pick up around there.

 

[wwattles]

We've been pretty lucky the past few months - have had nice cool weather, and not much wind. The launch last month suffered a torrential downpour the night before, so the desert sand was pretty soft and muddy, but otherwise it's been good.
We're starting into the summer months, however, and the heat is picking up!

WW

 

[mkeene]

A nice thing about Plaster City is that it is easy to find, and relatively close for people in San Diego (meaning anything less than a 2 hour drive). I'm anxious to see a Fiesta Island launch, and meet some of the DART rocketeers. wscarvie, you're right, this is a great bunch of guys (and ladies).

Alpine is a great little place to live; with all of the expensive development going on in San Diego, anything in East County can be a bargain by comparison (although that is not really true anymore). It really has a lot of the "small town" feel, yet we are close enough to anything we need.

I don't think I could be paid enough to live in "Hell Centro." Fore Check, you were a brave soul. Just remember - "it's a dry heat...."

I'll get my pics up soon; I will not be beaten .

Mike

 

[Fore Check]

Originally posted by mkeene

I don't think I could be paid enough to live in "Hell Centro." Fore Check, you were a brave soul. Just remember - "it's a dry heat...."

Yeah, So is your oven. Crank it up to 150 degrees and stick your head in it and see how you like it.

El Centro is the absolute butt-hole of the entire galaxy.










Period.

 

[mkeene]

I was just out in Borrego Springs yesterday for a business trip which turned out to be a complete waste of time. Not too hot (high 80's - low 90's) but windy; a lady said that it was one of their worst windstorms of the year. I generally like the desert as one of the proverbial "great places to visit but wouldn't wanna live there." It's a fun place to launch; that's about it.