March 8, 2014 Launch Report

[nute]

Yesterday, The Radical Rocketeers had their March launch, and I finally got to start flying after the winter!
My first flight was an Estes Guardian on an Aerotech D10. I didn't get any pictures of this flight, but it tore off the pad, and completed two slow spirals on the way up. The Tracking powder I had in it ejected perfectly, and recovery was on a bright mylar streamer, which brought it down fast, but still quite a ways away from the pad, estimated height was around 1,000 ft, maybe a bit higher.
Next up was my Estes Comanche 3 flying on all three stages, D12-0, B6-0, B6-4, and OR predicted about 1300 ft. That looked about right, and ejection was right around apogee, but unfortunately the mylar streamer did not eject fully so the ejection just popped the NC, and it came in painfully fast. One fin broke off the sustainer, and one fin cracked off the middle booster, but the lower stage was fine.
video:[video=youtube;prrmDo8QPd8]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prrmDo8QPd8&feature=youtu.be[/video] (narration courtesy of some of the younger kids out there yesterday- great to see more young people want to get involved!!
Third, I flew my brand new Aerotech Astrobee D. I loaded up a G64-7W drilled down two seconds, and the supplied copperhead igniter...grrrrrrrr:eyeroll:. On the first launch attempt, it popped the igniter, and never even started the propellant. Then I put in an Estes Pro Series II igniter, gave it a good bend in the top, and hoped for the best. This time, the igniter never fired. A quick check, and I realised there was a short circuit made by the clips. Finally, the third time was a charm, and the motor lit after just one or two chuffs, and sent the Astrobee skyward in a slow but arrow straight flight to about 900 ft. I think the delay ran a bit long, but the 30" parachute held up fine. Of course, of all the drainage ditches it could have landed in, it landed in the only one full of water... The recovery train was soaked, as was the top half of the rocket luckily, the coupler provided a good seal, and the rest of the rocket is fine.
pics: sorry about the sideways orientation- I have them saved correctly, it's only when I upload them they switch?)














Video: [video=youtube;QNTClVKGovQ]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNTClVKGovQ[/video]
While I was trying to get my motor to light, Coleman (RocketHunter) flew his beautiful PML Blackbrandt: If I recall correctly, there was an issue and the main chute never fully opened, but I'm not sure of the details.

 

[gdjsky01]

Nate if you are using non-destructive photo software then YOU will see the rotation. But the file on disk won't. Look for an export function. Select the photos. And export them to an temp directory. I think you'll find then they upload fine. Let me know. (For example Lightroom, Aperture, ACDSee, Canon Digital Photo Pro, etc. all do non-destructive edits).

GREAT report BTW!!! Nice photos!

 

[nute]

Next, I decided to load up my Maxi Alpha 3 and have some fun with 24mm. An Aerotech F12J-5 gave it a beautiful boost to around 1300 ft. Ejection was successful, but the parachute just stayed in a bunch with the shroud lines wrapped around it. One fin cracked off on landing- nothing a bit of epoxy won't fix.
video:[video=youtube;GIDhmFL1SRk]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GIDhmFL1SRk&feature=youtu.be[/video]

pics:









At this point I decided to kick it up a notch, and go for my personal altitude record. I prepped the parachute, sonic alarm, and tracking powder in my Estes Argent, and put in an Aerotech 29/180 G75J-6. of course, by this time the winds had picked up, and I had to really angle the rail, cutting into my altitude. The motor fired right up with one of those awesome First-Fire ignitors. OpenRocket was estimating 1950 ft. but the wind probably knocked that down to 1700. Still probably a personal record though. Recovery was with the chute that had not unfurled just an hour before, but everything went well, and the audible alarm led me right to it with no damage.
video [video=youtube;9PNHN7gcJKc]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9PNHN7gcJKc[/video]
pics:



More to come after dinner!

 

[nute]

Nate if you are using non-destructive photo software then YOU will see the rotation. But the file on disk won't. Look for an export function. Select the photos. And export them to an temp directory. I think you'll find then they upload fine. Let me know. (For example Lightroom, Aperture, ACDSee, Canon Digital Photo Pro, etc. all do non-destructive edits).

GREAT report BTW!!! Nice photos!

I'm not very well versed in photo software, but I'm just uploading them directly from "my pictures" into the forum using whatever simple software the forum uses. I rotated them in the folder I have them saved in, but they rotate on the forum. Maybe I'll play around with some of that software tomorrow. I can't really take credit for the pictures- I kind of cheat, and just use a frame capture software to take every x frame out of a video, save them as a Jpeg, and then just upload a couple of those.
Thanks, though

Nate

 

[nute]

My last flight of the day was by far my favorite. It was my Cert. rocket, I-power flying on my largest motor to date, an Aerotech H250G in a 29/360 case with the RAS I just got that morning. I packed the 36" CATO chute, nomex blanket, and recovery harness (which was finally drying out), and then went to start putting together the motor. On my first try, I got everything together, and added the ejection charge. only then did I notice an O-Ring lying on the ground by my foot. I went to check if it was from this motor or some garbage from my last flight, and sure enough it was brand new, and freshly greased. Oh joy. I dumped the ejection charge into a baggy, and began disassembling the motor. Inevitably, a decent amount of black powder got on the O-rings, and other parts. after wiping them off, and re-greasing them, I again assembled the motor, this time not forgetting the aft O-ring I proceeded to load the ejection charge, and put in the spacers. When I put them in, one kept sticking out the top of the motor. That's not supposed to happen:y:. (I later figured out the lower spacer didn't quite seat against the floating forward closure causing it to stick up about 1/2" too far) at this point I was frustrated, and one of the great club leaders there asked If I wanted to come to the trailer. I obliged, and again disassembled the motor. I wiped off and regreased the O-rings yet again, and reassembled the motor, being extremely careful. I finally got everything together, and loaded this beautiful motor into the rocket. I tramped out to the pad, loaded her up, and JimmyZ pushed the button. Result:

[video=youtube;lSnfpwSeZ-A]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSnfpwSeZ-A&feature=youtu.be[/video]










Now I really have no idea what's going on with the photos. they all look the same before I upload them, now they're rotating with no rhyme or reason (that I can perceive)

anyway, the flight was a complete success with the motor performing phenomenally. A huge green flame lifted this rocket to its highest altitude yet, and I was really surprised how fast it moved! That's a 3.9lb rocket, and that H250 got it out of there in a hurry! recovery was nominal, with the parachute ejecting just slightly after apogee. It was a long walk through the snow to get to it, but here was no damage, and by the time I got back, my dad had already packed up the car.

All in all, this was a really great day, and I'm so grateful to Jim, Joe, and Jose from Heavenly Hobbies, who can make these launches a success. It was wonderful to finally get some birds in the air, and, although I ended up pretty badly sunburned, the sun was a real pleasure to have. It was also really really great to see the younger kids out and involved. (plus, it meant some recovery work was done by this "recovery crew") LOL!


oh, one more, here's one of Coleman's rockets flying on, if I remember correctly, an H97 I-Max:
[video=youtube;zDhoSqPp4lE]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDhoSqPp4lE&feature=youtu.be[/video]

 

[gdjsky01]

Great report Nate!!! I love the H250! Ya gotta figure tho with an average thrust of 250ns and a total impulse of 231ns, its gonna dump that 231 newton/sec in a HURRY! :lol:

 

[nute]

Thanks! That H250 has gotta be one of my overall favorite motors so far, plenty of oomph behind it, and your not kidding about a quick burn!! it was kinda cool to see how long it coasted for after a real short punch- cool flame too.


Sent from my iPod touch using Rocketry Forum

 

[JJSR]

Nate I'm glad you finally got out too fly, its been a lonnnnngggggg winter!
Friday when I went to check out the farm, I was so glad that it looked like we would be able to fly. At first I thought that it would be hard to get around with the temp getting to almost 50*
But I guess with the layer of ice under the snow it helped the snow to stay harder than you would think.
All your flights are ones for the books my friend!
that H250 was, I think worth the wait! FLAWLESS !!
did you ever name that cert. rocket? I think the last time I saw it, you didn't even have it painted??
NICE JOB!!

PS Feb. 8th???
March 8th :roll: you so funny

 

[nute]

Nate I'm glad you finally got out too fly, its been a lonnnnngggggg winter!
Friday when I went to check out the farm, I was so glad that it looked like we would be able to fly. At first I thought that it would be hard to get around with the temp getting to almost 50*
But I guess with the layer of ice under the snow it helped the snow to stay harder than you would think.
All your flights are ones for the books my friend!
that H250 was, I think worth the wait! FLAWLESS !!
did you ever name that cert. rocket? I think the last time I saw it, you didn't even have it painted??
NICE JOB!!

PS Feb. 8th???
March 8th :roll: you so funny

Thanks, Joe!!
I was so happy to get out and fly, I was in a movie when the go ahead was posted, so as soon as I got out, I was madly checking the forum, LOL!
I flew my cert. rocket in November, and December painted, I don't know if you saw it. I think I've settled on I-Power for a name for now...
The H250G was indeed interesting. Took me three tries to get it right, but when it did, I agree, it was worth it! That was a really cool motor, incredibly fast burn and a cool green flame too. I also really liked the G75J. It's a mid-power motor but it's in a High power case. I see why CTI is so popular, those spacers are fool proof compared to Aerotech!

Nate

 

[RocketHunter]

Great photos nate! You had some cool flights, I especially loved that F12J - cool motor! Too bad I missed the H250G - the longer 29mm motors are always a lot of fun! About the black Brant, after the fincan and upper section had separated, the force from the shock cord pulled the electronics bay out, tearing through the phenolic coupler. The main chute was pulled out backwards and was tangled and so it never inflated. Somehow, even though it landed with only the drogue, there was very minimal damage, only <1'' crack on the root edge of two of the fins. probably not even worth repairing, the root edge is something like 12'' long! It reached 1166' feet per the primary altimeter on the Loki I405. Loved that motor!