Saturn V from Arkansas [Estes #2157]

[Crawf56]

WOW!!! Compare Post #166 to #179.

My instructions list a copyright of 2010.

 

[Crawf56]

Attaching the big ol' rubberbands….

 

[Crawf56]

Been to the Walmart sporting goods department.

 

[Crawf56]

Progress on the 'nose cone'.

 

[Crawf56]

One of the 24 inch parachutes that came with the kit.

 

[Crawf56]

Instructions on the parachute.

 

[Crawf56]

Getting some of the string untangled drove me nuts....

 

[Crawf56]

Work on the 3rd Stage/Command Module [nosecone]. Getting the string & elastic just right.

 

[Crawf56]

And here we go. Might be time for a first launch.

 

[Crawf56]

I had hoped to be telling you about my first launch of the Saturn V...…..

But with 10 to 12 mph winds, gusting to 15 mph, I decided to hold off on a launch.

 

[Crawf56]

Alright, the winds died down this afternoon, and I had a SUCCESSFUL LAUNCH of my Saturn V!

 

[Crawf56]

This afternoon, the winds were out of the east/southeast at 7 mph (that is what my $25 anemometer said).

In this pic, I am looking north/northeast. The wind is from the right to left in the pic (from the east). The rocket has a 5 degree lean to the left (west).

I was guessing that the rocket would track into the wind, and I was trying to compensate. Which was kind of right.

LAUNCH ROD
I am using a 3/16 inch launch rod; the top of the launch rod is at the black band on the rocket!

Ok, this gets a bit weird..... The launch lugs on the rocket are 1/4 inch. But the instructions repeatedly say use a 3/16 inch rod. I tried the rocket on a 1/4 inch rod, but the lower launch lug seemed to be really bad about catching on the rod, AFTER the top launch lug had cleared the launch rod.

Consequently, I used the 3/16" rod.

 

[Crawf56]

Here is the early pic again, but not zoomed in. Note that the rocket is following the angle of the rod.

 

[Crawf56]

I was using an Aerotech E15W-4. It was LOUD...…..which was COOL!

 

[Crawf56]

Upward, and the rocket is turning into the wind.

 

[Crawf56]

Saturn V seems to be moving east (into the wind), but my impression at the time was that the rocket went fairly straight up.

 

[Crawf56]

A bit of correction, heading up.

 

[Crawf56]

Nearing apogee. The high speed of the camera makes conditions look a little darker than they actually were.

 

[Crawf56]

Apogee.

 

[Crawf56]

Ejection charge.

 

[Crawf56]

Parachutes out.

 

[Crawf56]

'chutes deployed.

 

[Crawf56]

Canapies. The rocket and nose came down almost beside each other. Landed about 75 yards west of the launch pad (downwind).

 

[Crawf56]

On the ground. Broke the Tower Jet.

 

[Crawf56]

The Main Body, with two 24 inch parachutes, came down SLOW.

 

[Crawf56]

No damage to the fins.

 

[Crawf56]

Now that I know that I have a functional model, it is time for more paint and decals.

 

[Crawf56]

 

[kuririn]

Congratulations on a great flight! Your pics are great, especially the last one.

 

[dcastle]

The escape tower fix is pretty easy, looks like a clean break and the legs were fine. Looks like you had a "tower jet(tison)" command on the ground instead of after first stage and skirt separation like on the real thing but close enough. I've broken the one on mine many times and it's never flown (or been painted...in fact I'm going to probably build a new one instead.