caheaton
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jan 19, 2009
- Messages
- 500
- Reaction score
- 80
Managed to get a couple of quick flights in yesterday despite losing the best part of the day to a meeting. Headed out to East Fork Park for a couple quick launches. first launch was the Estes Mongoose on a A10-0 & A8-5 using a homemade 3D printed adapter for the A10. The motors staged well, but not sure if I would trust the combination in a small field with houses nearby. The rocket boosted to about 20 to 25 feet, tilted a bit into the wind (slowing as it did so) and then the second stage kicked in with the rocket flying at maybe 25 degree to 30 degree angle into the wind. It would have been scary if houses had been nearby but from this field it just gave a very interesting flight profile. You could see the rocket slow down during the sustainer phase and then accelerate after the A8 ignited. (Winds were around 6 mph).
The next launch was the Estes Digital Astrocam using a Tigres as the launch vehicle and a Quest C12-6 motor. Lost sight of the rocket as it was descending and spent an hour looking for the thing....nearly gave up but after packing I gave it one more go, even though the light was beginning to fade and the field was now in shadow. I stood where I last saw it and made a mental note of a tree that was inline with the direction it was falling and then marched (at times slogged through puddles...I wasn't going to deviate from that line). After heading to about the distance I thought it had traveled I looked around and saw nothing. Discouraged, I turned and was getting ready to head up to the road so I could have a dry walk back and....THERE IT WAS! It was lying on the ground not 5 feet from where I was standing! The day was saved
I would have hated losing it as not only was it carrying the camera, it also had an Estes altimeter. The altimeter recorded an altitude of 839 feet.
(The parachute got hung up in the body tube at ejection and was just poking its nose out, so there was no canopy which would have made tracking descent easier...all I had to follow was the glint of the sun off the body and a faint speck of orange....it was quite a ways down the field when it landed....approximately 1000 ~ 1300 feet where it was launched).
Attached is a link to the launch video:
https://www.amazon.com/photos/shared/7JYrJZDJRtGtN-DZBJouyg.T3RM6nH4NztfcJU1xHXh7K
The next launch was the Estes Digital Astrocam using a Tigres as the launch vehicle and a Quest C12-6 motor. Lost sight of the rocket as it was descending and spent an hour looking for the thing....nearly gave up but after packing I gave it one more go, even though the light was beginning to fade and the field was now in shadow. I stood where I last saw it and made a mental note of a tree that was inline with the direction it was falling and then marched (at times slogged through puddles...I wasn't going to deviate from that line). After heading to about the distance I thought it had traveled I looked around and saw nothing. Discouraged, I turned and was getting ready to head up to the road so I could have a dry walk back and....THERE IT WAS! It was lying on the ground not 5 feet from where I was standing! The day was saved
I would have hated losing it as not only was it carrying the camera, it also had an Estes altimeter. The altimeter recorded an altitude of 839 feet.(The parachute got hung up in the body tube at ejection and was just poking its nose out, so there was no canopy which would have made tracking descent easier...all I had to follow was the glint of the sun off the body and a faint speck of orange....it was quite a ways down the field when it landed....approximately 1000 ~ 1300 feet where it was launched).
Attached is a link to the launch video:
https://www.amazon.com/photos/shared/7JYrJZDJRtGtN-DZBJouyg.T3RM6nH4NztfcJU1xHXh7K
Last edited:
