Rocketry Organization of California (ROC) August 13 2022 Launch: My flights

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smstachwick

LPR/MPR sport flier with an eye to HPR and scale
TRF Supporter
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Poway, CA
This was my first launch of the new season at a HPR club, where I could take advantage of the high ceiling and fly multistage. It certainly was worth it!

My first flight was my repaired and prettied-up Super Hi-Flier. It got burned and banged up pretty bad at LDRS, but it was fully repaired and given a few coats of paint (the latter courtesy of my girlfriend, who very kindly offered her skilled hands for the job).

DB140ECA-8BDA-43EE-BE43-1D54EA5D6C68.jpeg

I wish I had gotten video of this flight, which went on a B6-0 / B6-6 stack. Clearly my nose weight was insufficient, as the thing pitched to a shallow nose-down angle about 100 ft off the pad, staged, then became stable and shot itself south of the access road. I thought I had lost it until another attendee spotted it and helped me track it down.

02A2980F-5E42-4D96-BEA5-D9B293D8984C.jpeg

It impacted at a moderate angle and a high velocity, possibly under power, hitting fin-first and also scraping up the nose. Only one small fragment of the impacted fin was recovered.

The nice thing is that the rocket is still pretty quick off the pad, I think a bit of nose weight should be doable. I’m definitely doing my homework on the CG next time though, not just relying on Estes’s built-in idiot-proofing that had served me so well prior to this mishap.

Being a little bit embarrassed by my Super Hi-Flier’s hazardous failure, I prepped my Super Goblin with my chosen D12-0 / C11-7 stack and conducted two swing tests. Even starting it fins first, it righted itself and flew correctly after a few revolutions. Having satisfied the RSO, I lit it up and achieved a nominal flight with fully successful recovery.


View attachment trim.CC09C575-0428-4B3D-9549-6A452BA9E1AD.MOV

That was the end of my flying, nothing else was in a condition that satisfied me. I’m thinking I’ll skip a few launch events to get my fleet back in working order, only the Super Goblin is fully ready. My Fliskits Doubles needs assembly, my Luna Bug needs paint snafus fixed, my Hi-Flier sustainer needs replacement, my Hi-Flier XL needs a straighter body tube graft, and I’d like to have a booster ready for my Star Orbiter before I venture into F reloads for it. So maybe I’ll head back out to the flying field in a few months, once everything is looking pretty.
 
I nice report. Too bad 99% of the other fliers on TRF don't write up a report. The weather in your pictures showed a little of my reason to skip out. I was worried about the flash flooding going on in the high desert. It is SO EASY for a t-storm to move out of the S.B Mountains onto the playa.

Maybe September. Again thanks!!!
 
I nice report. Too bad 99% of the other fliers on TRF don't write up a report. The weather in your pictures showed a little of my reason to skip out. I was worried about the flash flooding going on in the high desert. It is SO EASY for a t-storm to move out of the S.B Mountains onto the playa.

Maybe September. Again thanks!!!
My pleasure!

I mostly write these so I have some record of what I learned and when. Someday I’d like to be able to look back at these like photo albums.

Maybe I can even prevent somebody else from having to reinvent the wheel if they want to try what I’m trying.
 
This was my first launch of the new season at a HPR club, where I could take advantage of the high ceiling and fly multistage. It certainly was worth it!

My first flight was my repaired and prettied-up Super Hi-Flier. It got burned and banged up pretty bad at LDRS, but it was fully repaired and given a few coats of paint (the latter courtesy of my girlfriend, who very kindly offered her skilled hands for the job).

View attachment 532726

I wish I had gotten video of this flight, which went on a B6-0 / B6-6 stack. Clearly my nose weight was insufficient, as the thing pitched to a shallow nose-down angle about 100 ft off the pad, staged, then became stable and shot itself south of the access road. I thought I had lost it until another attendee spotted it and helped me track it down.

View attachment 532727

It impacted at a moderate angle and a high velocity, possibly under power, hitting fin-first and also scraping up the nose. Only one small fragment of the impacted fin was recovered.

The nice thing is that the rocket is still pretty quick off the pad, I think a bit of nose weight should be doable. I’m definitely doing my homework on the CG next time though, not just relying on Estes’s built-in idiot-proofing that had served me so well prior to this mishap.

Being a little bit embarrassed by my Super Hi-Flier’s hazardous failure, I prepped my Super Goblin with my chosen D12-0 / C11-7 stack and conducted two swing tests. Even starting it fins first, it righted itself and flew correctly after a few revolutions. Having satisfied the RSO, I lit it up and achieved a nominal flight with fully successful recovery.


View attachment 532728

That was the end of my flying, nothing else was in a condition that satisfied me. I’m thinking I’ll skip a few launch events to get my fleet back in working order, only the Super Goblin is fully ready. My Fliskits Doubles needs assembly, my Luna Bug needs paint snafus fixed, my Hi-Flier sustainer needs replacement, my Hi-Flier XL needs a straighter body tube graft, and I’d like to have a booster ready for my Star Orbiter before I venture into F reloads for it. So maybe I’ll head back out to the flying field in a few months, once everything is looking pretty.
Hi Shane,
I fly with ROC. Hope for fare weather this week end. Will be flying Zephyr Zephyr JR scratch built 29mm. Withe Tacoma blue EZ up.
SeeYou,
Bart
 
Hi Shane,
I fly with ROC. Hope for fare weather this week end. Will be flying Zephyr Zephyr JR scratch built 29mm. Withe Tacoma blue EZ up.
SeeYou,
Bart
I wasn’t originally planning on attending since I have so little in flying condition, but another attendee recruited me for one of his projects so I’ll be heading out to fly and chat, possibly to pick up some components as well.

Currently I’m finishing my Fliskits Doubles with the aim to successfully fly and recover it in two-stage configuration on Saturday morning. I’m planning to be at November ROCStock and possibly at ROC’s October launch, depending on the project’s needs.
 
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