Elapid
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- May 2, 2009
- Messages
- 1,735
- Reaction score
- 2
whoa!
i forgot how powerful APCP was!
LOL!
Sunday was a beautiful, clear day, but i couldn't get anyone interested in going flying, so i went alone! i grabbed 4 rockets, the sandhawk, fade to black, skeeter 3D, and baby bertha.
i got to the field and there was a bit of a breeze, but no more than about 3-7 mph gusts. i set up and decided to do the cluster first thing. I had modified my estes launch controller with battery clips so i could use it with my Black & Decker 18V battery, so i was ready for clusters and composite propellent ignition.
First up was the Skeeter 3D on 3x C11-3. at the press of the launch button, the 3 motors screamed to life taking the SE hurtling skyward. the chute popped at apogee, and ill-aimed, the bird landed way back in the parking lot, mashing a fin slightly, but overall it appeared unscathed and no worse for its journey.
a nice first flight!
second up was Fade to Black on an AT E25-7!
WHOA!
FtB weighs less than 65g and is 34mm (bt-50?) in diameter...
it went up so fast it looked like a cartoon!
i sim'd it and it was doing about 82 at the top of the launch rod, maxed out at 410 mph, and went about 1300 ft.
i think it needs to be a little heavier to make a better altitude.
next i decided to burn 3x D12-5 in the S3D to see if it could live up to the name. i stuffed the igniters in the motor, did the secret twist that allows use of a simple pair of clips, and inserted the interlock key. the rocket leaped off the pad like a cat on fire, at about 300' the light balsa fins shredded and, still under power, the bird arced over toward the running track. the chute popped about 10' up, depositing the smoking body tube and nose cone rudely on the grass. slight buckling of the body tube, but nothing that needs repair except the fins.
One down.
Next up, the FtB on another E25-7
i got the clever (not) idea of using one of those little plastic plugs to hold the igniter in place, sealing the nozzle of the plastic-cased composite motor. when i pressed the launch button, there was a *pop* and the rocket moved a little on the pad. i was taking video and just as i was turning off the camera, i noticed something strange. the bottom of the rocket had a hole in it. OOPS! now i know! the pressure caused by the burning igniter burst the case of the motor. the fuel grain is intact except the paper shroud is kind of shredded...
Two down!
Next, since it was the only one left...
oh i forgot to say what happend to the sandhawk!
on the drive to the launch site a hen turkey crossed the road and i hit the brakes hard to keep from hitting it, sending my range box sliding into the aft end of the sandhawk, shattering two of the fins. i did have super glue with me, not sure why i didn't fix it?
anyway, i guess that's Three down!
Baby bertha was the remaining victim of my abuse. i sent her up on an a8-3 and she went up nicely, out came the streamer, and it landed 30' from the pad. next flight was on a c6-5 and a similar result.
by this time 3 boys, about jr hi age, came up to check out the rockets and ask a lot of questions. i told em all about where in town to get a starter kit and some of the tech stuff they asked about...
i decided to give baby bertha a workout and loaded up the last E25, this one with a 10-second delay. It screamed off the pad just like the FtB, went waaaaaaaayyyyy up there, and came down about 150 yds away a couple minutes later.
lol!
i sent it up on about three more flights with A and B motors until the shock cord gave out at ejection. fortunately, on an A motor, it didn't have enough altitude to damage itself when it lawn-darted.
Four down, time to go!
the guys had left after the e25 flight in the bb and thanked me for the info and turning them on to model rocketry.
even with all the carnage, i had a great day!
9 launches total.
i forgot how powerful APCP was!
LOL!
Sunday was a beautiful, clear day, but i couldn't get anyone interested in going flying, so i went alone! i grabbed 4 rockets, the sandhawk, fade to black, skeeter 3D, and baby bertha.
i got to the field and there was a bit of a breeze, but no more than about 3-7 mph gusts. i set up and decided to do the cluster first thing. I had modified my estes launch controller with battery clips so i could use it with my Black & Decker 18V battery, so i was ready for clusters and composite propellent ignition.
First up was the Skeeter 3D on 3x C11-3. at the press of the launch button, the 3 motors screamed to life taking the SE hurtling skyward. the chute popped at apogee, and ill-aimed, the bird landed way back in the parking lot, mashing a fin slightly, but overall it appeared unscathed and no worse for its journey.
a nice first flight!
second up was Fade to Black on an AT E25-7!
WHOA!
FtB weighs less than 65g and is 34mm (bt-50?) in diameter...
it went up so fast it looked like a cartoon!
i sim'd it and it was doing about 82 at the top of the launch rod, maxed out at 410 mph, and went about 1300 ft.
i think it needs to be a little heavier to make a better altitude.
next i decided to burn 3x D12-5 in the S3D to see if it could live up to the name. i stuffed the igniters in the motor, did the secret twist that allows use of a simple pair of clips, and inserted the interlock key. the rocket leaped off the pad like a cat on fire, at about 300' the light balsa fins shredded and, still under power, the bird arced over toward the running track. the chute popped about 10' up, depositing the smoking body tube and nose cone rudely on the grass. slight buckling of the body tube, but nothing that needs repair except the fins.
One down.
Next up, the FtB on another E25-7
i got the clever (not) idea of using one of those little plastic plugs to hold the igniter in place, sealing the nozzle of the plastic-cased composite motor. when i pressed the launch button, there was a *pop* and the rocket moved a little on the pad. i was taking video and just as i was turning off the camera, i noticed something strange. the bottom of the rocket had a hole in it. OOPS! now i know! the pressure caused by the burning igniter burst the case of the motor. the fuel grain is intact except the paper shroud is kind of shredded...
Two down!
Next, since it was the only one left...
oh i forgot to say what happend to the sandhawk!
on the drive to the launch site a hen turkey crossed the road and i hit the brakes hard to keep from hitting it, sending my range box sliding into the aft end of the sandhawk, shattering two of the fins. i did have super glue with me, not sure why i didn't fix it?
anyway, i guess that's Three down!
Baby bertha was the remaining victim of my abuse. i sent her up on an a8-3 and she went up nicely, out came the streamer, and it landed 30' from the pad. next flight was on a c6-5 and a similar result.
by this time 3 boys, about jr hi age, came up to check out the rockets and ask a lot of questions. i told em all about where in town to get a starter kit and some of the tech stuff they asked about...
i decided to give baby bertha a workout and loaded up the last E25, this one with a 10-second delay. It screamed off the pad just like the FtB, went waaaaaaaayyyyy up there, and came down about 150 yds away a couple minutes later.
lol!
i sent it up on about three more flights with A and B motors until the shock cord gave out at ejection. fortunately, on an A motor, it didn't have enough altitude to damage itself when it lawn-darted.
Four down, time to go!
the guys had left after the e25 flight in the bb and thanked me for the info and turning them on to model rocketry.
even with all the carnage, i had a great day!
9 launches total.
