Personal Launch Report - 2013-09-28

[gdjsky01]

It had not seemed like 5 months since I had made the 2 hour drive out the Antelope Valley, past Mojave Space Port, to the launch site out near the historic Edwards AFB. But indeed the calendar does not lie. It was a perfect day. Really. Bright, clear, winds at ground level and above were calm to a slight whisper, and temps were a very comfortable starting out at 19C (64F) rising to only 29C (84F). Just perfect.

As is my way, all rockets were prepped minus ignitors (taped to the side) and of course arming. YMMV. Here's most of fleet for today

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Lets get on with it shall we?!

 

[gdjsky01]

First up the fourth flight of the Rocketry Warehouse 'Extra Value Meal' Formula 98. I say that because it is a great value IMO for a 3FNC Fiberglass rocket.

So far I think it's done two of the four 38/720 loads. The J350 and J500. Time for the J420. A wimpy 2% J that just squeaks in at 10ns over a full I.

And launch

Perfect flight. The motor threw out the bundled laundry, the Stratologger banged on the Archetype Cable Cutter at 500', and the R6 chute brought it down.

The altimeter beeped out 2040' (662m). Another lob. But a crowd please (and the 1st launch of the day). always nice for things to go well when everyone is watching.

 

[gdjsky01]

The Starchaser 2.6 is an upscale of a Barclone design by Craig McGraw over on YORF. They have TONS of great ideas just waiting to be built or upscaled.

This rocket took forever to build (as documented here on TRF). I would pause, come back, pause, come back... in the end I was SO ready for it to be done.

But it gets a few comments as you might expect.

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Looks very nice under all the smoke from the CTI F79SS ... I favorite of mine in the CTI 24mm line. At 69ns (71% a full F) you do pay an impulse price for the smoke...

Recovery duties were done by a MissleWorks RRC2 mini which beeped out about 750 feet with an 8 second motor backup.

 

[gdjsky01]

Yep... another CTI Smokey Sam load... A two grain 239ns (49% of a full H) 38mm load. I had it in the 3 grain case with a spacer. In the schnazola I had my home built AtiDuo which had been tested at RocStock. At Rockstock it went along for a ride with just e-matches hooked up to both channels. Today it would be handing the main channel with an Archetype Cable Cutter connected to it.

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As is the norm, the CTI lit right away powering on up to 1100' (335m). Another lob.

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The recover was not as nominal as I'd have liked. :smile: I drilled the delay but it was still long, so we were heading down at a good clip when the motor shot out the chute bundle. No big deal. The AtiDuo and the Cable Cutter worked perfectly and chute came out... but it looked like a lost a shroud...

Now that's odd... but this chute was made by the Delzel's who attended ROC launches in the late 90's and it is a VERY stout chute. The rocket landed with a hollow thud right on the tail in sand with zero damage. And that shroud? I had not hooked it up to the quick link. :blush:

 

[gdjsky01]

This rocket is a scratch built amalgamation of spare parts I built to be tough (again like most of my rockets there is a build thread right here on TRF). It's built from 54mm motor mount tubing with a 38mm mount and short TTW fins.

I like it. Today we had a MissileWorks RRC doing apogee deployment with the G76 as backup. BTW: I just use cut off plastic eye droppers as charge holders and run them below the chute protector. Low tech, but they seem to work.

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And off we go...

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Kinda pulled the shutter late on this one so I barely caught it! The flight was perfect. I'd tell you the altitude but I disconnected the power to the RRC before writing it down, and not I fergit... :confused2:

Rocksim said 1600'... I seem to think it was more like 14xx' (~ 420m)

 

[gdjsky01]

Next my 24mm/24mm scratch built Saparinger-XL. Inspired by a YORF poster name BRAIN who came up with a whole bunch of interesting designs. Some practical, others not so much.

Any here it is loaded with a C11-0 and an E9-4. The -4 is a tad short, but its what I had the sustainer is a BT60. So it's not light for a BP rocket. In the nose was a Adept ALTS-1 recording altitude.

Indeed I had an E9 CATO on a staged flight... but lets give it a shot


That looks good!

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That... not so much :no::eyeroll::shock::fly:

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So you'd expect a lawndart... right? But no... the sustainer turned on its side and fluttered down to the ground like it was meant to do that with no damage. The Adept had not even 'armed'. :wink:

So what to do? Well fly the sustainer of course! :lol:

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A fine effort on up to 978' (298m)

 

[gdjsky01]

Well the last rocket I had thrown in the back was one I did not get to last weekend at the SCRA launch... my LONG ago built (1998ish) Custom Rockets Dynamic Carrier. This is such a sweet design... I really should upscale it. Someday...

Anyway it launched and recovered on a C6-5. A bit of a rainbow flight (first of the day) so the Estes Altimeter recorded a wimpy 413' (125m)...

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[gdjsky01]

It was getting on towards noon and I had my usual 2 1/2 to 3 hour drive home ahead of me, so I was thinking of heading out... but the day was perfect... and the Saparinger-XL staging failure was a bit embarrassing... I KNOW! I'll show them I can stage!! So I quickly packed the chute protector and chute, taped in a D12-7 in the sustainer, and another C11-0 in the booster and headed out to show the crowd what I steely-eye rocket dude I was!


3... 2.... 1...

That looks good... but we've gotten that far before.... :lol:

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Wow! That's better!!!! (I think...)

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By golly ... I showed them! We have ignition!

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The sustainer powered it's way up to about 914' (279m). I had stuff the chute in a weee bit too tight in my haste to get going... but it bumbled and tumbled to a safe 'landing'. That's what happens when you rush. :no:

 

[gdjsky01]

With mission accomplished and my reputation restored I packed it in and yes, it was about 3 hours and 10 minutes back to the rocket shop (thank you I-405 ... not! :rant

You can find all the photos, mostly my rockets, but not all... at

https://www.flickr.com/photos/jeffgortatowsky/sets/72157635994946713/

Comments, question, and critiques welcome...

 

[bradycros]

Very impressive photos.

 

[Salvage-1]

Looks like a nice day out.... its pouring with rain here... i need to get some smoke in the sky again soon

Real nice photos, especially of the staging.

 

[goldlizard]

Looks like you had a good day. When you bring home what you took out and not extra pieces, your doing great!
Good looking birds!!!

 

[gdjsky01]

Looks like you had a good day. When you bring home what you took out and not extra pieces, your doing great!
Good looking birds!!!

Thanks. Photographing rockets is like a hobby in a hobby.

And yes...!! Bringing home just as many pieces as I came with is always a 'Good Thing' :wink:

 

[gdjsky01]

Just realized the one E9 was just a bit higher than a C11 + D12. Sounds about right. Of course there is some altimeter variation I guess (I used the same Adept ALTS-1 each flight). It almost shows, slow and steady wins the race....

 

[marcusSRG]

Nice one! GREAT staging shot!!!

 

[DizWolf]

Now that's odd... but this chute was made by the Delzel's who attended ROC launches in the late 90's and it is a VERY stout chute. The rocket landed with a hollow thud right on the tail in sand with zero damage. And that shroud? I had not hooked it up to the quick link. :blush:

Opps. must be contagious. I had the same thing happen Sunday. I looped all the lines and pulled the chute through. All felt good so I packed it. Looked like it broke, but as soon as I got to the rocket I saw what I did. Slightly embarrassing.

And great shots....as always.

 

[Fishhead]

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The sustainer powered it's way up to about 914' (279m). I had stuff the chute in a weee bit too tight in my haste to get going... but it bumbled and tumbled to a safe 'landing'. That's what happens when you rush. :no:

[/SIZE]

This one is awesome!

 

[gdjsky01]

Thanks. Staging shots are fun, when it stages!!!! :lol: