December launch report from Roy Potter

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all you exhaust sniffing rocket nerds.
I myself had a great two week holiday season. Lots of neat stuff and gift
certificates to Hobby Town USA. I hope everyone did as well and had a great time also.
And the December launch was pretty darned good overall too!!!!
Saturday, 18 Dec at the Williams farm. The weather was almost �T� shirt
warm and almost no winds. Light breezes at the most. There were continuous giveaway drawings for rocket kits for adults and kids all day, so there should be some new rockets in the air next month. Hey it was Christmas and everyone was enjoying the last flight of the year. Kip Williams was out there with the hands working the fields and he is getting along much better. He gets around with a cane for now, but will continue to recover.

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I, Roy Potter, spent most the time at the launch table; Ralph had family
responsibilities most of Sat so I only got a few flights up. As I discovered
last month, I should always have my gliders on hand because you never know when the weather conditions will be perfect for rocket boost glider flights. And this was a good day for gliders. I got my �Bomark D� glider up 3 times on D12�s till the tail fin came loose on a landing. All the flights were good and I almost made a runway landing once. The �Mars Probe� went up numerous times on C6-5�s with a new twist. I got hold of a Frisbee from my nieces that had whistles that I transferred to the fins of the rocket, and you can clearly hear a distinct whistle effect during the boost and coast phase.

Conner Deason, flew his �Executioner� on a F52-5, the �Callista� on a
G64-7 and a �Black Brant� on a G64-4.
David Deason, flew a �Bull Pup 12D� on a J350-w-m, for a Cert 2 flight. The
main ejection charge failed to detonate at apogee, but the back-up charge
ejected just in time at a low altitude and at a high speed that tore one of the
fins off by the static line and landed just a bit too hard with minor damage
to the tail. David has yet to please the Rocket Gods. His flight of his �Nike
Smoke� on a I212-ss-7 went off perfectly. -
Michael Bernatchez, had seven flights consisting of his Star Wars �Death Star
� on C6-3�s, once raining the stars sphere sections on Ralphs truck like a
cluster bomb attack. His �Bull Pup� went up on a B6-4 for its first maiden
flight, An �Aura� on a E-30 for its first flight also. The �Super Neon� flew
on a B6-4 and a �Falcon� on C6�s. Doc Russell flew a 1972 �Sprint� on a C6-7 (he has a lot of old models, kind of dates him) a �Bumble Bee� flew on a C6-5, the �Arreaux� on a F39-6 and the �Cherokee-E� on a E9-6, (one went into the Hog Pond, which one was it, we pulled a Arreaux out of the pond, was that yours?) �Mr. Spike� went up on a F39-6.
Bob Bernatchez, had seven flights also. The �Maniac� went up on a D15-7, �
Sidewinder� on a D12-3, �DC-Y� on a C6-3, an older North Coast Rocketry
(Estes early intro into high powered rocketry) �Quasar NG� on a G64-4. A �Titan IIIE� flew on a D12-5, the �Mercury Atlas� on a F24-4, and a �Mercury Redstone� on a C6-3 for the last flight of the day at 4:50 pm.
Terry Baucom, had a �LOC IV� fly on a G64-7, the �Wart Hog� on F20-4�s
then the �War Lock� for a successful Cert 2 flight on a J400-ss-9. The 4 pound
nose came down separately on it own chute. His �Tethus� also flew on a
H165-r-s. Cool red flame.
Todd Haring flew a upscale �Der Red Max� on a F21-6, �Masters Revenge� on
a I211-m, and the �Little �O� 3� on a G64-7.
Jesse Watkins flew a �Big Betty� on a C6-5. Com-on back next month, hear?
Johnathan Kavonaugh had a �Flat Kat� boost glider that boosted on C6-3�s!
And it held together during the boost and had a great glide back each time. He really reinforced the wing joints to withstand the force of a C6 boost. His �Navaho� on a B6 to a C6 was the only known loss of the day; the upper stage just floated off and away over the Simpson farm somewhere. A �Arreaux� went up on a E18-7 (was that the one we fished out of the Hog Pond?) and another glider; the �Hi-Flyer� went up a conservative B6-6.
Devon Tomkinson flew a �Super Big Bertha� on a E9-6, the �Defender� on a
D12-5 and a scratch built �Maxi Alpha� on a F21-4.
Robbie Kirk flew a �Rainbow� on a G64-4, �Zenon� on a E11-5, �Moon Racker� on a G64-4, the �C-2� with a cluster of 2 C6-3�s, the �Red Checker Rocket� on a G40-4 and a �Glider� on a very conservitive A3-4T. Another fellow glider flier.
Dell Kirk flew a small rocket on a C6-3, that really took off, maybe a �A�
or �B�? Carson West flew a �USA� on a B6-4 and drag race between a RTF �Navy� and �Army�, both on B6-4�s. Being former Army myself, I am proud to yell victory.
Matthew and Dan Schallenkamp had 9 flights consisting of a �Saturn� on a
C6-3, �Mercury Redstone� on C6-3�s, �Baby Bertha� on a C6-5, �Mini
Meanie� on a A3-4T, two �F-14 Tomcats� gliders on C6-3�s that just goes to prove that the F14 Tomcat Fighter glides like a wet brick. A �Helicat� flew on a C6-3 and a Fat Boy� on a B6-4 for real low flight.
Pat Schallenkamp flew a �Fat Boy� for a very low altitude flight with a
A8-3, then a �Alpha� on a A8-3 and B6-4.
Hunter Simpson, flew a �Cluster Bomb� on a C6-3, �USA Steamer� on C6-3�s
and a �Sonic Boom� on a A8-3.
Mark Canepa from Rock Hill, I could not read your e-mail address, so you�re
not going to see this, so why am I telling you? Got to go with the flow.
Anyway, he flew a kind-of beat up rocket nick-named �Its seen its better days�, a LOC rocket, on a G40-7 and then later on a H180-10. And will live to see even more better days.
Steven and Lauren Hoffman flew an �Eliminator� on E9-8�s. Good show Lauren!
Eric Arndt and the Cannon School flew the �Team America Rocket Challenge �
competition rocket twice. A very impressive two-stage rocket design that
separates into 4 separate parts with a chute recovery for each part. Once on a G80 booster then once to a D12-7 upper stage and then to a E9-8 upper stage. A very impressive flight each time it has come out to the field. They also flew a �Hyperion� on a F20-7 and a �Callisto� on a pro-38 G69-9.
Colin W-T is a �Born Again Rocketeer� with 12-year-old rockets out of his
closet. A �Big Bertha� on a C6-5 and a �Black Brant� on a D12-5. Welcome back brother.
Jack Wright came light with just a �Sky Writer� for two flights on C6-3�s.
Phil Trainor took 6 tries, but finally got an igniter to light up his �
Mustang� on a F20-7 for its maiden flight, them again later on the first try,
again on a F20.
Mackie Hopkins flew a �Chrome Dome� on a C6-4.

Well done over all. Well that put us with 27 fliers, and 89 recorded flights, with 93 total engines burned, including clusters and multi-stagers.
Mini= 2, A= 2, B= 10, C= 33, D= 9, E= 8, F= 11, G= 12, H= 2, I= 2,
J=2.
OK, I am going to send this first part out now, I will try to get Sundays
out tomorrow, time permitting, I�ve a nieces birthday party to attend. Pay her
back for that Frisbee I tore up for the whistles.
Keep those exhaust nozzles clear; I�ll catch you later.

Roy