Well I lost one today…

[billeblurzz]

Today against my better judgement I for first time decided to launch my Tuber!

 

[Hobie1dog]

I see the tree Gods in the background

 

[billeblurzz]

I was concerned about finding it after recovery among the remaining cornstalks…that turned out to be NOT the problem! It was the out of sight altitude that it surprised me with! Being a 2 stage I was more concerned with keeping an eye on the falling first stage which I easily found. But when I looked for the 2nd stage after I heard and saw the ejection smoke I could not pick back up the second stage or orange parachute in the air!

 

[billeblurzz]

It seemed to just disappear! I did go with a C11-5 in 2nd stage with a D12-0 first stage. Looked for maybe 3 hrs? total over 2 days along cornstalks but with no idea where to begin it’s hopeless. Here is shot of it lifting of from my tilted up phone camera…was trying to capture 2nd stage ignition.

 

[billeblurzz]

If anyone has one of these…be aware of how high it goes on recommended motors!

 

[billeblurzz]

This one was by far my best yellow paint job…which is usually a color hard to spray paint. I was thinking that I’d rather lose the booster since it was the easier to build of the 2 stages! But that’s rocketry I guess…

 

[sriegel]

Sorry you lost a bird. It's part of the game, sadly.

Those who have and those who will...

 

[afadeev]

I was concerned about finding it after recovery among the remaining cornstalks…that turned out to be NOT the problem! It was the out of sight altitude that it surprised me with! Being a 2 stage I was more concerned with keeping an eye on the falling first stage which I easily found. But when I looked for the 2nd stage after I heard and saw the ejection smoke I could not pick back up the second stage or orange parachute in the air!

If you have a drone - get it (together with spare batteries), drive out to the launch area, and start flying the search grid over it.
It is amazing how much clearer and easier to spot orange parachutes are from the air, than from the ground!
For example, I found this 3 foot rocket only after I came back to the field with a drone the day after. This is despite me observing the ejection event, and having a good bearing on the landing spot. Once it went down among the corn stalks, it was all but gone. Until I spotted the yellow spec among the stalks from the air.

BTW extracting it from the corn field took another ... forever. I had to back out of the field a few times after getting lost in failed attempts to find the rocket, and then dived in counting the rows of stalks and walking into the field of 10+ foot high corn until I spotted the rocket from at most 1-2 feet away.
Corn is evil.

YMMV,
a

 

[Fishhead]

View attachment 606120If anyone has one of these…be aware of how high it goes on recommended motors!

Somewhere, Doug is laughing.

 

[86mustang408w]

They can go out of site very quick. Big thing is add a large lightweight streamer or get yourself and eggfinger mini or something. You can also put a larger amount of baby powder or colored powder in your chute so when it opens you'll see a puff. Its hard to see but they have tracking smoke that comes out, but you can lose it quick even then. I lost one a few weeks ago but it hangs in a tree. I'd rather not know, but have fun and great pictures!

 

[86mustang408w]

If you have a drone - get it (together with spare batteries), drive out to the launch area, and start flying the search grid over it.
It is amazing how much clearer and easier to spot orange parachutes are from the air, than from the ground!
For example, I found this 3 foot rocket only after I came back to the field with a drone the day after. This is despite me observing the ejection event, and having a good bearing on the landing spot. Once it went down among the corn stalks, it was all but gone. Until I spotted the yellow spec among the stalks from the air.

BTW extracting it from the corn field took another ... forever. I had to back out of the field a few times after getting lost in failed attempts to find the rocket, and then dived in counting the rows of stalks and walking into the field of 10+ foot high corn until I spotted the rocket from at most 1-2 feet away.
Corn is evil.

YMMV,
a

View attachment 606122

I want a drone with a line to pluck them out of trees. I know that would work, I'm just not sure what drone I would need or want...