The Stage is Set

[rocwizard]

After recieving confirmation from Erik Gates, the stage is now set for what should be a very awesome drag race! Thier 11.5" 3x upscale Sumo will drag race my reinforced Sumo clone two weeks from now at ROCstock XIX. Theirs will have a nearly full motor compliment onboard with a central M1939 and four outboard M1315s. Mine will be loaded to the max with a K1275R. Mine (which is currently in primer, and will get paint this week) will go to 9500 feet and Mach 1.1. The Gates' will likely go 10K and near Mach, so it should be pretty fair. To sweeten the deal, First TV will be videoing ROCstock, including the drag race. The footage is said to be aired on either the History Channel or Discovery Channel.

Wish us luck!

 

[Stones]

Good Luck! Should be quite a site!

 

[rstaff3]

The Gates Bros are goin' down

 

[rocwizard]

Originally posted by rstaff3
The Gates Bros are goin' down

Hopefully not in flames like their last drag race :kill:

 

[daveyfire]

Awww but that was so... entertaining?!

It's too bad I'll have to miss it. I always wanted to see Eric shred a rocket


Good luck to both of you guys! Hope this doesn't happen... (pic is of the Athos II CATO/Crash)

 

[rstaff3]

Hehehe, my bad I meant that figuratively, not literally. But a win is a win, eh

 

[gerbs4me]

good luck, should be quite a site
take pics

 

[Elapid]

but i bet it will be quite a sight

 

[BlueNinja]

Oh boy this is gonna be awesome.... The GBs are gonna get outdone for once!

 

[rocketkid88]

do u know when the footage will be aired? when you find out (and what chanel 4 sure) i'm sure we'd all like to know

good luck!!

 

[Neil]

Thats quite a crash picture!!! I hope the govt doesent get hold of that, they might try to prove that LDRS is a surface to surface missile test range...

Good luck to both of you! TAKE A PICTURE OF LIFTOFF

 

[Ryan S.]

good luck man, good luck.

that is an awesome pic btw

 

[daveyfire]

Remember, we want Eric to fly straight up into the sky trailing 10 feet of red fire, not end up splattered all over the lakebed like Athos... though it may be amusing...

This Sumo will survive. Believe me, the thing weighs like 10 lbs and only went 5500 on a J570W! Looked pretty cool though...

 

[rocwizard]

Thanks for the support guys.

Hopefully all will work well. I guarentee it wont shred. Like David said, it is a tank. I don't think i will be able to catch this thing, but the Gates will surely have their awesome cameras to get soem sweet lift off shots.

I will be sure to find out when any footage will be aired. I can't wait!

 

[Adam Selene]

Originally posted by rocwizard
To sweeten the deal, First TV will be videoing ROCstock, including the drag race. The footage is said to be aired on either the History Channel or Discovery Channel.

Wish us luck!

i still want to build a sumo.
when and where is ROCstock?

 

[rocwizard]

ROCstock is a bi-annual event held out here by our club ROC (Rocketry Organization of California) in June and in Nov. It is a 3 day launch with night flights and all that fun stuff. You can find out more at www.rocstock.org

btw, If you want to build a Sumo, don't buy the kit, the plastic fisn are dying to break off, like they did to me. Rather, go and scratchbuild one like I did. Not necessarily as heavy duty, but with say LOC style components and ply fins, and a 38mm mount, and you'll be in business. Then just order up a set of decals from AT to finish it off.

HTH

 

[Adam Selene]

thanks!
i had a feeling it was in some far off fantasy land like oz or californee!
i travel a lot but i tend to stay east of the mississipi except for a swamp tour or two when i'm down in N'orleans.

i sure would love to do a night launch.

 

[daveyfire]

Did it shred? Did the Gates munch another rocket? Or was it just a boring, plain old drag race?

At least I'm optimistic

 

[BlueNinja]

Curious minds are listening...

 

[rocwizard]

I'm sorry to report that the drag race didn't happen. Dirk couldn't make it because of some unfortunate family business that had to be taken care of. Erik and his son David was out there flying their PoleCat Aerospace Nike Smoke though. I was telling him that we should try at it again at Nov. ROCstock as by then my 2x upscale Sumo should (fingers crossed) be done for it.

However, my Sumo still did fly. I got it up on our notorious Pad 39a, armed the altimeter, and then posed for Nadine. Then it was off to fly it. Lucky me, I got to stand about 75 feet from it. The automated count down was done courtesy of Bill Seiders and it HAULED off the pad and went dead straight up. it dabbled with Mach for a sec or two on its way up to 8769 feet per the G-Wiz. The Rocket Rage chute popped right at apogee and it was on its looong way down. All in all a great flight except for some marring of the relatively fresh paint. Now I want to put in a K700!

P.S. Nadine got an excellent lift off shot (as she always does) and said it would be in with some of the other cool flight shots along with an article about ROCstock XIX in one of the upcoming HPR/ Extreme Rocketry mags.