June post-launch report

Welcome to all you Rocket loving Geeks.

Well it has been a long time for a lot of us. So it was good for us to get out and be able to launch some rockets again.

As everyone who came out knew, it was quite hot and very good for flying. Light winds that blew mostly the right way and only two losses that I know about. One small "ready to fly" in the corn and a lower section of a Este�s rocket that drifted up on thermals over and past the bridge.

Thanks to Tim Durbin, vender rep for Giant Leap Rocketry, who came out to the launch the day after returning from a vacation in Myrtle Beach.

Like I said, it was pretty hot and everyone did pretty OK for the most part. I think that I�m the only one who didn�t follow my own suggestions and didn�t realize that I was succumbing to the heat myself. I really conked out when I got home and probably was a bit out of sorts for the last half of the day.

ROCC Prez Ralph had family obligations and had to leave early so thanks to everyone who helped get everything covered for the night, that made setup the next morning that much easier and quicker for it.



Sat, 23 June. We had a very impressive, and unexpected attendance of 29 fliers, plus family, friends and visitors, and we had a odd number of 99 flights for the day. Not all were what we may call a satisfactory flight, but overall everyone had a great time.

Wayne Hill, had a �6 footer� on MP, a Long Tom or Mean Machine I think. Also he flew the �X21� on LP, a �Sprint� on HP for a successful Cert-1 flight. Then the �Geminee� with 2 gliders on LP. I know one glider set worked fine, and another darted in before releasing. Then he flew the �VF-261� and the �OSO� both on LP.

Roy Potter, flew the �Pirate Ship�, the �Sounder� on MP. The large Estes �V-2� went up on MP but instead of blowing the nose off, it blew out the side of the ejection passage tube from the engine to the nose, blowing the fin canister off one way, the body another and the nosecone off but not enough to push out the chute. Repairable with time. I flew the �Silver Comet� on LP without problems, but the �Whistler� on LP ripped off the chute cord and darted-in, non-repairable.

Robbie Kirk, who is off to school a lot, far, far away, gets in as many flights as he can when he can come out to play. He got in 10 flights with his �Red and White� on MP, the �Blue and Silver� on LP, the �Red Checkers� on MP and the �Rainbow� on MP. You will see a correlation between his rockets appearance and their names when you see them. He also flew a scratch built �Phoenix� on MP and a 2 LP cluster rocket named �C-2�.

Keith Biddinger flew the �X-Caliber� a few times on MP including a redline that was ruby red even in the daytime. He also flew a �Cool-Spool� on MP.

Sandy Houston flew a classic Estes design, a �Up-Scale Alpha� on LP, the �Diamond Back� on LP, �CB Special� on MP, the �Gee-Whiz� on MP, the �Arrow� on MP and a �Big Daddy� on MP.

Bryan Little, new visitor and now member, made one flight, not immediately prepared for more, with the �Weasel� on MP.

Todd Haring spent his time prepping and then flying a large �Patriot� on HP with altimeter to successfully deploy the main at 400 ft.

Max Cunningham also flew a smaller version of the �Patriot� on LP for a couple of flights.

Micah Currie had a number of flights, with the Estes �Max Trax� with the built-in altemeter, a �Skybird�, the �Blue Flame�, �Sizzler�, �Sport� and the �Razor� all on LP. He also flew the �Sam X� two stage on LP, but I think the booster section had a regular engine, so it did not ignite the upper stage and it darted.

Joshua Currie had 5 flights with the �Snitch� UFO and the Estes �36-D Squared� on a 2 LP cluster. I think the bottom half floated off on a uprising thermal.

Nicholas Hutchinson flew a rocket named �X-Glider� on LP that wasn�t a glider but a streamer recovery. Then a new �Code Red� on LP also with a streamer, then a �Cosmic Cobra� on LP.

Jake Hutchinson flew the �Metalizer� and the �Red Bullet� on LP.

Evan Hutchinson flew a Estes �Blue Ninja� on LP.

Brad McLelland flew a rocket named the �Orange-Black� on LP.

James McLelland flew one named the �Orange Fire� and the �Red Fire� on LP.

Terry Baucom spent most of his time assisting others and prepping a new one named the �Duracell Battery� rocket, you know, the copper topped one, that made its first flight on HP for a successful flight. And he also flew his reliable �LOC IV� on MP.

Brian Helms, who makes his out of common household items, flew his �T P Express� a couple of times on LP and the �Ugly Red Thing� also on LP.

Brian Eagle had time to fly a Estes �Alpha� and �Big Bertha� on LP and a �LOC Aura� on MP.

Doug Knight, our favorite Professor, came out without his students so he could play by himself. He flew a �Big Betty� on a Roadrunner MP that zoooomed off the pad, then the new Estes �Speed Freak� on LP that has a built-in device that displays the speed of the rocket. He also had a scale classic model of the rocket used in an anctent Russian sci-fi movie, the �Frede� for its first flight on MP. He also flew a �Blue Ninja�, an �Extended Initiator� and a �Storm Caster� on MP. The Storm caster also took off like a bullet.

Mark Ferrell only had one flight, the �Lil Nuke� on MP.

John Lucas flew a Estes �Blue Ninja� and a �Big Daddy� on LP.

Kelly Jenkins flew her PML �Bull Pup� on HP and a Aerotech �Wart Hog� on MP.

Brad Shea, I thought had additional flights, but I could only find the slip for a new rocket that he spent hours prepping and setting up and removing until all the little �beeps and churps� sounded right. So his Level 2 cert flight with the �Rind a Ding Ding� tubular fined rocket on HP succesfuly roared off the pad.

Maddy Haring flew a up-scaled �Der Red Max� on LP and the �Madster� on HP with altemeter to release the main chute at 500 ft.

Paul Phillips flew a scratch built hex shaped UFO thing called the �Black Thing� on LP, and the �Round Thing� on LP. Then the great rocket gods called for sacrafice. You have to understand that most of his rockets are like sculpted art work, curving vanes and fins, multible body tubes and such. So the sacrafice was costly. The �SSTOG� HP level 2 cert suffered a electrical failure of unknown cause and came in ballistic near the hog pond for a total loss. Then the Gods clamed his �Python II� on HP that just �shredded� on take off, or as we call a �instantaiuons decomposition�.

David Clancy flew a �Out Law� on LP that�s usually a two stager, but I didn�t see if it was flown as a single or double stage, and one named the �X-16� on LP for it�s first and consecutive flights for the day.

Rachel Clancy flew her new rocket, �Marvin the Martian� on LP trying to send the lost Martian home. He came back.

Colin W-T flew a � scale �Patriot� on HP for a good flight, then a �Fat Boy� on LP and one named �Pimp Daddy� (a modified Big Daddy?) on MP.

Carter Strickland our last listed flier, was the littlest flier, flying Micro Max rockets. Those tiny little rockets that you can safely fly in a average front yard. He flew a �Venom� and the �Teeny Tiny Tim� on MMX engines.



Sun, 24 June. Was another good day to fly, and I was properly prepared this time including bringing a lunch this time.

We only had 8 flyers and 16 total flights for the day. It was a slow lazy kind of flight day where we flew�em when we had�em. Ralph was there all day to assist anybody that needed it and we all just had a good time.

Roy Potter, I tried to fly the �Sounder� on a lesser impulse MP engine than normal so it impacted before ejection. Bummer. The �Pirate Ship� flew again on MP and then I borrowed an engine caseing so I could try a high impulse MP engine for a successful flight of the �Science Week Display Rocket� instead of a HP engine.

Brandon Jackson flew his �IQSY Tomahawk� on MP and a Estes �Patriot� on LP and then the �Bellatrix� on MP.

Brad Shea also returned and flew the �Improved Initiator� on MP with a note that Adam requested this rocket. He also flew a Estes �Blue Ninja� on LP.

Mark Ferrell flew his �Lil Nuke� again on MP and a �HV Arcas� on MP.

Ralph Roberts took some time to get in a flight of his own with his �Initiator� on MP.

Amanda Roberts flew her �UFO� saucer on LP.

Dave Hobson flew his Loc �Graduator� on MP.

Tim Durbin, our local Vender from Giant Leap Rocketry took some spare time to fly his �Chester Cheatah� on MP to an estimated 2200 ft altitude.



Well that was our launch weekend for June. Overall a good weekend.

The soybeans will be higher by next month, and the corn will be very high, so we will have to see what our options are for July.

Ralph will put out a e-message once he knows what our options are. Also, you can check the ROCC web site at WWW.rocketrycarolina.org. Until then, remember to keep your exhaust nozzles clear and we will see you on the pads soon.

Roy ROCC Sec.