What did you do rocket wise today?

[Astronaut Cheeseball]

Been a rough year so far in the desert for wind not many good flying days so far. Finally ventured out early this morning to get the Honest John Maxi Brute and Estes Executioner off before the wind machine starts up again. The HJ main air frame came in hard.... lawn darted with a busted shock cord at apogee almost taking me out upon landing. The Executioner was almost perfect flight but caught a tree just before landing.
0-2 today in the rocketry department.

 

[Sooner Boomer]

Trying to prep for Saturday's memorial launch. Thought I would launch my 7-motor Fat Boy. Tried to find motors. Looks like Hobby Lobby is out of the model rocket business. I no longer have a reason to shop there. Went by local Hobby Town. Bought some of their limited selection of small (#4-40) hardware (nuts/bolts/etc.). No rocket engines. ATT internet out all afternoon. [incoherent cursing] I need to find a better provider. Good thing I've got an antenna for the TV (streaming Hulu instead of cable).

 

[Wayco]

After building all the 54mm motors yesterday, I realized that I was almost out of O-rings. I went online to McMaster-Carr and ordered 200. In less than an hour, they notified me that my order had been shipped. UPS just stopped by:

 

[lr64]

I've always been impressed with how fast they ship orders.

 

[BEC]

Along with my wife, helped set up the range for the American Rocketry Challenge Finals which due to a truly unflyable forecast (ceilings <400 feet all day Saturday) are moved to Sunday for the first time in 20 years.

 

[RokitFlyr]

Good on you and your wife, poop on Wx.

 

[miket6000]

Built most of a saw horse launch rod system for the local club I'm trying to start. Uses mini drill chucks which normally have a 1/4" quick change bit, but that's attached by a 3/8" UNF thread so I purchased some matching bolts and drilled 9mm holes for them and used a forstner bit to create a pocket just a bit too small for the bolt head. A hammer persuaded the bolts into the holes and because everything was an interference fit, it's not going anywhere now. I did need to drill out a hole in the tip of the bolts before attaching the drill heads to ensure enough of the launch rod is inside the chuck.

Now I just need to finish the controller and figure out some cheap blast plates.

 

[burkefj]

Its good that the reloads are still "available" sort of, even if they really aren't, my guess is that very few of the D2.3 and even fewer of the 32mm RC motors get ordered. Personally I have never seen a 18mm or 32mm RC motor flown at launch in the last 7 or 8 years that I am aware of and one of the most prolific glider fliers in the hobby is a member and frequent flier at our club Frank Burke, his rockets are all 24mm RC or 29mm low thrust like the H13.

I have flown the d 2.3 at your launches, you just didn't notice...I have about 30 R/C rocketplanes that use them.

 

[burkefj]

Agreed. I'm glad they're still around as options though, even if they require a lot of lead time and planning ahead.

I bought some D2.3s and the sealed closure this year, just in case I get into R/C in the next year or two.

Agreed. I'm glad they're still around as options though, even if they require a lot of lead time and planning ahead.

I bought some D2.3s and the sealed closure this year, just in case I get into R/C in the next year or two.

I carry the D2.3 reloads, I have 30+ 3-packs in stock at very good prices.

Frank

Here are a few more pics of my d2.3 powered R/C models

 

[teepot]

I've been to Jean Dry Lake a few times. The last time it was the weekend I went with Bill. The weather was in California and moving north. But one day we returned to Vegas the Streets had water running down them draining into the ducts.

I was shocked, Bill said it does this from time to time.

On the Friday at Octoberfest I flew a light built Estes Partison PSII 2.5" on an I205 to a mile POP at the top and we got in Bill's van and drove to it. Flew it again on Saturday on the I205 again as folks that came in for the weekend did not believe it. [Yes no outside fillets and body tubes friction fit for shipping take down]

In the 33 years we have lived here I have seen many many floods. I have seen Vegas flood and it didn't rain in town. It can rain in the mountains and flood the valley. It happens here in Pahrump the same way. We're closer to the mountains here that Vegas. When it rains hard here rocks, mud and boulders come into town.

 

[teepot]

I prepped the rockets for tomorrow. The DD I'm taking I retired a couple of years ago. It had been dragged across the lake bed and was tore up. When I was taking it down from the ceiling I saw wires sticking out of the AV bay, ?. I pulled the bottom tube off and saw an ejection charge. You have got to be kidding me. I took the AV bay out and there were two more ejection charges and inside was an RRC3 all hooked up. It just needed the battery hooked up to be ready to fly. I wondered what happened to that RRC3. I must have been going to fly it in the past and didn't. The four mid-power rockets are ready to go with motors and chutes. I figure the chances to fly are 50/50 because of the wind forecast. The Explorer is packed and ready to go. It only took 4 hours to get ready. I thought it would take two. You would think I would have learned my lesson about how much time it takes to get ready by now. But no. Happens every time. It's going to be a short night. 1:40am now and I'll get up at 6am and leave at 7am and be at the launch site by 8:30.

 

[prfesser]

Found a few photos from the "Spears II" and "Barrens" launch sites, back in the mid-90s. Scanned them and will post, along with interesting stories, in a separate thread.

 

[Adam3836]

Misty lite rainy day in CT
Our CATO rocket club held the launch for a couple hours then called it cause bigger batch of rain on the way

I was able to send my LOC cool spool up on a G78 Mojave green
Alway fun to see

 

[bjphoenix]

I made a quick visit to Hobby Lobby to buy some non-rocket items. (Probably very few of us actually do that.) I went by the clearance area- no rocket items there. The rocket stock area looks like it has for awhile- the biggest kits are ESAM, Cherokee-E and Olympus. There are a half dozen smaller kits and some RTF sets. They had A through C motors plus E12-4 and D12-5. I bought some B and D motors just because I was already there.

 

[Jeff Curtis]

Took all day, but I managed to get all the remaining 54mm Ex motors built today. Started off pretty slow with the smaller motors being difficult, had to cut down grains and peel some of the casting tubes to fit. When I got to the 54/2550 loads everything started fitting better, even pulled some old phenolic liners out that were already cut to fit the AMW and Kosdon casings.

These are just the motors that I couldn't get built before we took the Stealth toy hauler up to our property in Southern Colorado earlier this month:

View attachment 645652

NCR's "Mile High Mayhem" is a three day Tripoli research launch, so we brought a fleet of 17 rockets for Sharon and I to fly. The club is similar to our home club TRA/PHX, with an excellent launch site, and a laid back attitude. Really hoping the weather cooperates.

Where can you get that netting to protect your cases?

 

[MarsLander]

Prepped for launch day tomorrow...4 grandkids and guests!

Great Goblin D22, E26 (First Flight)
2x @Bad Boy Rocketry EAC Viper D12, D22 (Second flight, first in color)
2 x Alpha IIIs A8s, maybe B4s (One first flight Gson #1, one second flight Gson #2)
Astrocam B6s (old hand)
Spaceman A8s (30 years old...we'll see!)
Red Max B6, C6 (30 years old, veteran)
Firehawk 1/2 As (First rocket for this young one)
Green eggs D12s (Second flight, with egg!).

Got some thin mil Top Flight chutes I'm going to try...

 

[kuririn]

Along with my wife, helped set up the range for the American Rocketry Challenge Finals which due to a truly unflyable forecast (ceilings <400 feet all day Saturday) are moved to Sunday for the first time in 20 years.

The latest issue of Sport Rocketry came in the mail today.
Read the lovely article by your wife, Bernard.
How great is it to have your significant other loving the same hobby that you do?
You lucky dog!

 

[lr64]

If it's still in the tree, you might string up a tarp several feet off the ground to soften the blow if it falls out. Has worked for me*. There are also things you can do with archery, strings, etc. if you don't have a pole that can reach it. The tarp is also useful for that.

*For a couple of model planes on different occasions. One of them fell out just after I put up the tarp. The other needed a little persuading.

Been a rough year so far in the desert for wind not many good flying days so far. Finally ventured out early this morning to get the Honest John Maxi Brute and Estes Executioner off before the wind machine starts up again. The HJ main air frame came in hard.... lawn darted with a busted shock cord at apogee almost taking me out upon landing. The Executioner was almost perfect flight but caught a tree just before landing.
0-2 today in the rocketry department.

 

[DocSeuss]

Repaired a little Bandito I found in my old range box. When I left it at home on my way to college, I guess some of my younger siblings built and flew some rockets for a while. The bandito just needed its fin reattached.

Reattached an Estes Patriot to its nose cone, finally untangled my Der Red Max parachute. Put the finishing touches on this New Way Little John (still no way to prime and paint my rockets. no idea what to do about that), built an Estes Atomic Sky I had lying around (I like the looks of it even if it is just E2X) and dug out a Semroc Lil' Ivan in storage. Now I've found I've misplaced my Aerotech Initiator instructions.

All just low power stuff today. Got a pool noodle so I can build a rocket cradle.

 

[BrendanH69]

Loaded the car and drove out to the QRS May'24 launch day. Didn't fly anything as it was waaay too windy to chance anything on a G motor, especially as the JLCR failed it's field prep test, which is sad/weird after yesterday's ground tests being OK and all the testing I'd done in recent months on this last JLCR. Don't know what to do with it.

Launch day wasn't a waste as I got to talk to the UQ (University Queensland ) team conducting ground tests on their latest big ( 98mm MMT) rocket, plus a couple of key members and I got to look at our risk controls for an electrical safety risk assessment that we need to document. Apparently last month we had 6 LPR descents hang-up on the 11kV overhead power lines directly beside our flight line, plus a couple of HPR descent near misses. Energy company were accommodating on the day to remove them, but not happy.

Also got to borrow a CTI Pro75 4G case as a test subject for rolling a 75mm MMT in the coming weeks. Compared to my 38mm and 24mm usual motors - ITS HUGE!!!

 

[BEC]

The latest issue of Sport Rocketry came in the mail today.
Read the lovely article by your wife, Bernard.
How great is it to have your significant other loving the same hobby that you do?
You lucky dog!

I’m still amazed that she’s even more into it than that article suggests now. It was written just after vNARCON 2022.

Off to the field momentarily to help with the tARC finals.

 

[Wayco]

Where can you get that netting to protect your cases?

Uline
https://www.uline.com/Product/Detai...tive-Netting-1-2-x-164-Red?FromOrderHistory=Y

 

[mikeyd]

Where can you get that netting to protect your cases?

usplastics.com
https://www.usplastic.com/catalog/item.aspx?itemid=125385&clickid=searchquickview

 

[jeffjblack]

Yeah I Flew Some Rockets Last Saturday XV. Small DIY rocket with tiny camera. Quest D20-6W to approx 750ft, 200mph. 3 inch diameter rocket made from Red Baron frozen pizza boxes. Estes D12-5 to approx 330 ft, 93mph.

#Rocket #Rockets

 

[Ron Soto]

raining again today.. and for the past week.. it has rained everyday..

so, inside today finishing up on my ET Quantum.. (and hoping it works when i'm done..) i have the first side of the CB done and working on the WiFi circuit as i write. should be done by early afternoon.

 

[Pabsst]

Yeah I Flew Some Rockets Last Saturday XV. Small DIY rocket with tiny camera. Quest D20-6W to approx 750ft, 200mph. 3 inch diameter rocket made from Red Baron frozen pizza boxes. Estes D12-5 to approx 330 ft, 93mph.

#Rocket #Rockets

The Red Baron is classic! Did you paste it over a body tube? Lots of possibilities there.

 

[rharshberger]

usplastics.com
https://www.usplastic.com/catalog/item.aspx?itemid=125385&clickid=searchquickview

you can also get it from a ROCKETRY vendor...https://rail-buttons.com/ocart3/index.php?route=product/category&path=66_62

 

[MarsLander]

2x Alpha IIs on A8s
Firehawk on 1/2A...surprised at altitude attained.
Green Eggs on D12. Made a mistake with the launch angle and lost it, with egg to the tree monster.
Great Goblin on a D22 composite...really nice flight.
2x @Bad Boy Rocketry EAC Viper on a D12. This IS my favorite rocket...straight, little to no spin. Lots of fun.

Flew everything on two size smaller chutes...hay was 2 1/2 feet high! Very soft.

Used Top Flight chute protectors on the Goblin and Viper. They are great and you avoid the Bog Darf!

No pictures, just memories.

 

[berlinetta]

Yesterday, I had to made an unexpected repair to my Hellfire. I think the payload bay landed weird when I last flown it. The terminal block was knocked a little loose. I ended up epoxying it once again and it is solid this morning.

Today, I put a 24" elliptical chute into my 3" LOC Magnum for its flight at LDRS. I also ordered a Wild Child decal from Mark Hayes at Stickershock. Tonight, I'll be making the charges for the Hellfire.

 

[Wayco]

Yesterday Sharon and I registered for Airfest and I noticed that they will allow sparkies this year. We already have all the rockets we were planning to fly at that launch up in Colorado, but when I heard that we can fly sparkies, I had to add one more. Since it's a lot easier to drive to the Rocket Pasture from Colorado, I'm adding this big boy to the truck for our trip back up there.


And one more motor, my most favorite, which I have had for a while now: