SCRA Launch Report for 2014-01-04

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gdjsky01

Kim's Rocketeer
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Despite a packed schedule yesterday I was able to sneak away for the 45 minute trip to the Santa Fe Dam Recreational area and the first SCRA launch of the year. I would have been out at FAR and seen DeeRoc29s O motor, but just could not spend the day. Too much other crap to do.

Anyway I brought quite a mixture but with only 7 rounds, and some time out in the field, got in 5 flights.

First up was the maiden flight of the Darkside-X. A Farside-X like model, but not really. I believe scottydog gave it that moniker. It was loaded with a C6 to B6 to an A8-5. I built it with a 3/16ths lug knowing that a heavy model needs more rod. It is gap staged with two 3/16th or so vents on first and second stages.


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And we're off...

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Staging went fine. The ATLS1 beeped out 489'. I think thats a bit low. I may not have the holes in the payload bay big enough. The rocket and boosters were recovered (eventually) unscathed.

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I spent 45 minutes out in the field looking for the sustainer. Fortunately it was found by someone else. I had a bead on it, but then turned around to take a few more shots of other rockets... stupid!! :bangpan::bangpan::bangpan:

 
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Next up a genuine MPC Zenith Payloader I finished up late last year. It too was here for it's maiden voyage. It was loaded with a B6-0 and a B6-6.

The flight was picture perfect to 785' (240m) which seems quite plausible.

You can see the Altimeter Two in the payload bay.

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Last weekend I documented right here on TRF an E12 from 08 18 11 fame and its demise. It was the last of a pack, so I opened a new pack of those sweet 08 18 11 E12-4s and grab the E-Limination E, built from spare parts to fly those E12s... :eyeroll::wink:


Survey says...

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Works fine...

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Flew to 1031' (314m) with a perfect recovery... go figure?

 
When I was a BAR in 1997 the first kit I built was a Custom Rockets Engage. I flew it until I doinked it in last August. It had a lot of flights and many many many were on a C5-3. It got to the point I had to friction fit motors as the hook wiggled back and forth...

A few weeks ago I took the original nose cone and made a clone. The big difference is this one has a big payload bay and the fins are papered.

Motor of choice? C5-3 of course. This keeps the rocket close with a slow and crowd pleasing flight. Flown under that Expired Motor Program (report already sent in), it flew perfectly. Very happy


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Recovery was fine and the altitude recorded was a normal 281' (85m).

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Final flight of the day was the cursed Big 70 Reloaded. A SLS Hustler like, but not quite, rocket. This time on an old E15-4 whose delay went long (about 8), 'Hustling down' the payload hit the fins again breaking two off clean, then the body tube flew through the parachute fouling it, and hit the ground hard enough to crack a third fin. :(

Done. I am salvaging the payload bay because the balsa parts are expensive, but it will return as something different.
FWIW, the altitude was about 580' (176m)


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So there you have it. :) First flights of 2014. Knowing now that DeeRoc29 was doing his O motor, I should have tried to arrange my schedule differently, but its hard moving events around when its the wife's family. :p

As it was I was lucky to get Saturday morning out. Next week is ROC.

There are more photos here:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/jeffgortatowsky/sets/72157639411295376/

Enjoy.

 
Last weekend I documented right here on TRF an E12 from 08 18 11 fame and its demise. It was the last of a pack, so I opened a new pack of those sweet 08 18 11 E12-4s and grab the E-Limination E, built from spare parts to fly those E12s... :eyeroll::wink: Survey says... Works fine... Flew to 1031' (314m) with a perfect recovery... go figure?


The E-limination E seems to be surviving numerous flights. If I remember you originally built this to use as a sacrificial rocket. How many rebuilds have you had to do on it? What altimeter do you offer up as a sacrifice when you launch this rocket?

Thanks for the launch report. I had hoped for my first launch of 2014 yesterday but 25MPH winds, 18 degree Fahrenheit temps and 8 inches of snow on the access road at the sod farm (hasn't been plowed) deflated my ambition to launch.
 
This is fifth E12 from 08 18 11 it has consumed. Then there was a exploded one in the Big 70 Reloaded last week. And two more in the upper stage of a two stage that were fine. And there must be one more as I opened a new pack of E12-4s for this flight.

An Estes Altimeter flys in the payload section as it's pretty rugged and in the payload section I think it would survive. But it $30 shipped on eBay so if I did find it damaged the loss is not as bad as a $70 Altimeter Two.
 
Great report! Liked how there were two fire extinguishers behind the E-Limination E... intentional or subliminal? :wink: Glad you didn't need them. Sorry about your Big 70... that was a purdy rocket, but I'm sure it will be even better in it's next life. Gonna miss ROC next week... hope you all have a great launch.
 
The fire extinguishers are about 15 to 20 feet away from that rocket and the pads. They sit there throughout the launch, just like the gallon jugs of water that rest on one leg of each of the individual launch pads that people bring.

We have not needed to use one in a long, long time, but we keep them on hand just in case.

The last extinguishing incident I remember was a few moths a go when something failed at ignition (possibly an F32) and I poured some of my 44 ounce drinking water cup onto it to put out the smoldering remanants of the back end of the rocket.

It has been years since we used an extinguisher. We kike to be careful since there are often perriods of extremely low humidity as a result of high pressure over the Great Basin which creates an airflow that shoots out toward the ocean and gets hot and dry from compressional heating. When the winds are blowing, they cancel the prevailing breeze at the Dam and we often have near zero wind. in other locations the winds can be quite high.

The weather was really, really nice. Almost 80F.


Great report! Liked how there were two fire extinguishers behind the E-Limination E... intentional or subliminal? :wink: Glad you didn't need them. Sorry about your Big 70... that was a purdy rocket, but I'm sure it will be even better in it's next life. Gonna miss ROC next week... hope you all have a great launch.
 
Jeff,

Good to see you at the launch. :)

Great pictures as always.

My pictures of your Zenith Payloader flight didn't turn out very well. The auto-focus locked on to another object and the pictures are blurry (I forgot to set the camera to manual focus).

You should name the rocket built from the Big 70 Reloaded model parts 'Steve Austin' ("...We can rebuild him..."). :wink:
 
Initiator001's Estes Prowler on I believe a 29mm Estes E16-6

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I used an Estes E16-4 motor for this flight.

I made the change after watching all four of my Estes PSII E2X models arc all the way over before ejecting the parachute with an E16-6 motor.

While the E16-6 is the recommended motor the E16-4 worked better for me.
It may have to do with the difference in my flying near sea-level and the altitude at which Estes does their flight testing.
Or I may just be barking up the wrong tree. ;)
 
The fire extinguishers are about 15 to 20 feet away from that rocket and the pads. They sit there throughout the launch, just like the gallon jugs of water that rest on one leg of each of the individual launch pads that people bring.

We have not needed to use one in a long, long time, but we keep them on hand just in case.

The last extinguishing incident I remember was a few moths a go when something failed at ignition (possibly an F32) and I poured some of my 44 ounce drinking water cup onto it to put out the smoldering remanants of the back end of the rocket.

It has been years since we used an extinguisher. We kike to be careful since there are often perriods of extremely low humidity as a result of high pressure over the Great Basin which creates an airflow that shoots out toward the ocean and gets hot and dry from compressional heating. When the winds are blowing, they cancel the prevailing breeze at the Dam and we often have near zero wind. in other locations the winds can be quite high.

The weather was really, really nice. Almost 80F.

Great precautions as always... just found it kinda humorous how the extinguishers happened to line up in the photo. :lol: Sounds like another good launch.
 
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