ROCstock was absolutely awesome! I got far too much flying done over the course of the 3-day event to do a play-by-play report, but here is a quick summary:
- My Super Gnome made five flights: three successful flights in two-stage configuration, along with one successful flight in a single-stage configuration and an unsuccessful two-stage flight in which the sustainer failed to light. This rocket attracted some attention from a few attendees who had seen it here on TRF and wanted more information on how I made it and how it works.
- My rebuilt Phantom made all of its six flights with a cardstock liner inserted in the body tube to preserve its transparency. This included my first ever night flight, with a blinky installed in the nose. This flight was the one that did it in; I have since replaced it with an Estes Generic E2X, although I’ve held onto the nose and blinky just in case I ever want to do a night flight on that one.
- I intended to enter my stock Estes Goblin reissue in the contest for Goblin derivatives, clones, and upscales. The guy at the check-in booth just laughed at me. I think it ended up flying three times through the event, ending its weekend with a tangled chute and two cracked fins.
- My Hi-Flier XL made two successful flights on the reinstalled motor mount, but while I was loading it up for a third flight, the forward centering ring failed from damage sustained during its splashdown at Fiesta Island last month. I purchased a new mount kit from Discount Rocketry and I plan to install it soon.
- My Star Orbiter made not one but TWO successful flights on E23s, my first flights with any kind of reloadable. I have since cleaned out the hardware and ordered Aerotech E16W reloads through AMW.
- I tried my hand at working the launch control system and PA system, hitting the button for rockets up to M power and helping a couple of flyers make their certification flights.
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