Oct 23rd CMASS LAUNCH

[r1dermon]

i wanted to get video of that saucer, unfortunately i was short on cash and time the night before the launch, so i got video of nothing. arg. but that thing was insane on 3E's. i remember it in tewksbury on the D's. that thing flies great, i love the smoke trail it leaves.

 

[billspad]

Originally posted by jflis
One thing I've noticed is what has become the most popular phrase at CMASS (with appologies to Bill Spadavora... )

"nice try, Bill."

LOL Sorry, couldn't resist!

Hey, at least you could spell my name right.

One prang, one misfire and one rocket lost to the swamp. I've had much worse days than that.

 

[billspad]

Originally posted by jcsalem

I took my first turn as CMASS LCO for awhile. Great fun, particularly with the supportive crew to get me started.


-- Jim [/B]

Make sure you tell everybody how easy and how much fun it was so I won't have to go begging for volunteers.

 

[billspad]

Originally posted by Neil
My only serious concern is all the condos and houses scattered around the field's boundaries. We get at least twenty-five or fifty rockets landing outside the field, usually in the neighborhoods. And if a large rocket were to lawn-dart up there, which isnt impossible, it would be very dangerous...

That's a big concern for me too. Usually the winds come from the power lines towards the school. With those conditions you fly towards the power lines and the rocket lands somewhere in the middle of the field. If it prangs it goes into the swamp. Saturday's winds were coming from the worst possible direction, across the short dimension of the field towards the condos. In the future I'm going to have to be the bad guy and insist people either launch straight up or not fly.

 

[n3tjm]

My friends Nikitta's PML Auora launches with a I161-6W motor.

Disarming the charge.

Examining the wrecked Pet2 Timer.

Videos:

Super Glotova with H242 and H128
Robert DeHates K670GG rocket with Windows 98 PC onboard.
My Magnum with a J450 Super Tiger motor
Nikita's Aurora with an I161-6W
My I285R powered I-ROC that hits the deck
Robert launches his rocket with a J400 Red Rhino. It lands in the high power lines.

 

[BobH48]

I didn't launch anything nearly as impressive. Just a bunch of LPR modrocs.

I sure took a lot of long hikes. I had a couple land just about 10 ft. in the edge of the swamp so I was able to get them back. I had another land almost on the road. I don't know how far away from the launch site the road is but it sure was a long walk.

I flew my Fliskits Triskelion for the first time. Nice straight flight but no chute opened. It landed rather hard but the grass is fairly thick. A fin broke off at the glue joint so no big deal. I guess you have to actually put a chute into the rocket if you want it to open.

I flew my NASA Pegasus for the first time since adding extra boosters in the scramjets. Flight was perfect on a C6-5 with A10-PT's in the outboards.

I flew my Outlander for the first time also. I had built it with a 24mm motor mount and the flight on a D12-3 was nice although not really very high. I can't imagine anyone building this with a 18mm mount and trying to fly it on a C6-3.

I also flew my Astron Cobra built in 1967. It was still rather windy so I only used 3 A8-3's and it recovered within 200 ft of the pads.

I lost my "Bat" parawing glider that I had built in the 70's. It folds and fits inside a BT-60 launch vehicle. I don't know what I was thinking launching it on a C6-3 but I watched it glide down at least 300 ft into the swamp. I decided I would build another rather than venture forth into the mire.

 

[jflis]

Originally posted by billspad
Hey, at least you could spell my name right.

One prang, one misfire and one rocket lost to the swamp. I've had much worse days than that.

LOL I hadn't even noticed (too tired! LOL)

The only model I flew was the Tri-Glide. It wen't perfect on a B4-2 (short delay because of the high wind.)

I was very pleased that the method of glider attachment kept all 3 gliders held tight while she sat on the pad in 10+MPH winds waiting for launch.

All 3 gliders detached at ejection and put in great glides (which I had to walk forever to get)...

good stuff

 

[n3tjm]

Jim... we are all waiting patiently for all of your high quality photos to be posted . I know you got a couple of my birds .

 

[n3tjm]

On Tue, 26 Oct 2004 11:38:35 -0400 "Robert H. Krech" writes:
> Doug
>
> Did you ever check the ejection charge on the lawn dart.
>
> I actually though I heard it fire about half way down.
>
> Bob Krech
>

The charge did not go off. Just for curiosity sake, I took it outside with a battery.... and the charge went off.... So... I don't know what happened. I know this timer has successfully fired my charges from ground tests.

 

[jetra2]

Did the e-match light? Maybe it slipped out of the charge. I know it's unlikely, but it might be possible!

Jason

 

[n3tjm]

I didn't use an e-match. I used a bulb system. At first I thought the filiment of the bulb must of broke, but.. if that was the case... the charge would not of gone off when I tested it?

I have used several dozen of these units without issue... so maybe there is an issue?

 

[jcsalem]

Originally posted by billspad

Originally posted by jcsalem
I took my first turn as CMASS LCO for awhile. Great fun, particularly with the supportive crew to get me started.

Make sure you tell everybody how easy and how much fun it was so I won't have to go begging for volunteers.

Well, of course, it's fun launching rockets!!!

Especially if you're a bit of a ham and like being able to broadcast the play-by-play over a loud speaker. E.G., "So, Bill, looks like the ignitor failed to light your RattWorks. Dump the nitrous and wait 60 seconds before going out to the pad."

And I think the CMASS launch setup is easier to use than my Electron Beam.

-- Jim

 

[n3tjm]

Are you a ham?

 

[jflis]

Originally posted by n3tjm
Jim... we are all waiting patiently for all of your high quality photos to be posted . I know you got a couple of my birds .

trying to find the time...

Heck, I still haven';t got my NARAM pix up yet! LOL Gotta finish the Alien8 this week

 

[billspad]

Originally posted by jcsalem
Make sure you tell everybody how easy and how much fun it was so I won't have to go begging for volunteers.

Well, of course, it's fun launching rockets!!!

Especially if you're a bit of a ham and like being able to broadcast the play-by-play over a loud speaker. E.G., "So, Bill, looks like the ignitor failed to light your RattWorks. Dump the nitrous and wait 60 seconds before going out to the pad."

And I think the CMASS launch setup is easier to use than my Electron Beam.

-- Jim [/QUOTE]

Actually the ignitor failed to light itself. I tested it after I took the motor apart to put a new one in. I'd blame the misfire on the launch equipment but that's just going to come right back to me anyway!

 

[rocketdad0934]

Okay I admit it I had a lot of fun as LCO at the Oct 2 launch, and it was just as much fun doing the RCO job at this past launch and I would not hasitate to do either one again. so leave some room for me at the future launches.
Neil cmass is the best club and we do have the best field cause I said so.
Bill unfortunatly it is true "Nice try Bill" was right up there with "nice lawn dart" for most commonly said things, though when the big Daddy hit the ground there was a chorus from all the youngsters "whos your daddy now" that was quite humorous.
Doug had the second most impressive flight with the glotova as it left on its picture perfect flight. and then the chute delployment at the low altitude just at the point when I'm thinking OH NO!!!!! pop out it comes to bring it in ever so gently. Of course the most impressive was the green gorilla K motor that was beautiful
Jim your tri glide was spectacular short of the need for a football team to recover all the parts. It was a real nice flight I liked how the gliders all stayed in the same vacinity in the air. BTW what happened to the paint on the rocket did it wear off on the ride to the field?
All in all it was a great day we had a super time and my coworker who brought his grand children out spoke favorably of what he saw and will return with rockets in hand.

 

[r1dermon]

oh man, im kicking myself for missing the glotova...will she fly again this year?

 

[n3tjm]

Yes. Just orderd some more motors for her. Nov 6th, H180 to H128. Nov 20th, H242 - H128 (same as the last flight). If I can get a H123 for the 20th, I would use that. I like the longer burn. Also, there is one thing that can hinder its launch on the 6th, I sent the altimeter to G-Wiz for servicing. It had a minor problem that needs addressed.

 

[r1dermon]

hopefully you can get it worked out...that rocket buts on a show. for SURE.

 

[DJ Delorie]

Of the three rockets I launched, two will need major repairs . . . one engine misfired in the SS324 cluster, causing it (the SS324) to snap in two when it hit the ground (insufficient altitude for full deployment).

Got the repair parts yesterday, repairs are under way. Might be flyable by the next launch. I built a jig - as accurately as I could - to hold the parts in the right alignment while the epoxy cures. The 2x4 was milled flat, true, and square; the braces were milled from a pattern with a pattern following bit on my router table, and the whole thing was clamped to my 6 foot jointer bed to keep it as true and flat as possible. There's a foot long section of BT60 coupler that goes from the front fin CR to the existing BT60 coupler up near the ribs.

Also, the parts box included a section of BT-52H to start work on a 29mm Solar Sailer (winter project

 

[jflis]

I spent the evening putting up photo albums and this was one of the albums that got uploaded

You can view it at: https://fliskits.com/photo_album/cmass_1023_2004/index.htm

have fun!
jim

 

[mike_bar]

Originally posted by jflis
I spent the evening putting up photo albums [snip]

Thank you for all of your hard work.