December 2008 Launch Report

Welcome All Ye December Rocketeers.
It was the weekend before Christmas and we all huddled together in the Holiday spirit one last time before the current rocket year ends. Saturday, 20 December started out quite good, �T� shirt warm for many, and high altitude clouds and not to breezy. Good over flying conditions, and we had a pretty good flight crew, friends and spectators. We had 31 fliers sign-in on the flight roster and like I said, there were more people on site.
At the end of the day, of which I will describe later, we had a total of 85 flights.
Well, we got a couple of light rains as the day progressed. We quickly covered the tables and basically kept the launches going. Then somewhere around 3 or 3:30 it got more persistent and heavier.
But, the rains didn�t stop a few of them, Malcom Smith, Wyane Hill, Terry Baucom, Corky Story, Devon Tomkinson, Brad Shea and especially Doug Knight. And doublely especially Mark Canepa, who on his hands and knees using his body to protect his work from the rain struggled with a 3rd igniter and switching dry hookup leads in the falling rain, then ducking under the tarp to push the launch button to get his �Seen Better Days� up for the last flight of the day even as we are tearing down the rest of the site. That�s some powerful dedication. And it was worth the effort; you could almost see the roar push the raindrops out of its way.
Remember to check the ROCC web site for info at WWW.rocketrycarolina.org
. You need to type in the WWW.
We had a number of people renew ROCC club memberships, buy some tie-died ROCC �T� shirts and Special thanks to Malcolm Smith who generously matched a doubling amount to last months Rocket Raffle. That will bring the club treasury up to a healthy amount to help cover the costs throughout the coming 2009-year. Louise and I will get together next launch to combine the club funds.
Last point of info, when it gets wet/moist/damp we need to remember to drive along the edge of the runway. The farm equipment only goes over it a few times a week, but when we have up to 30 vehicles out at a time, it doesn�t take long for the center to get mushy soft and cause wheel rutts. We have had a couple of new signs made to put up when the conditions need it.
Which is why we didn�t have a Sunday launch, the too soft ground and a forecast of strong winds, which was what was going to push the rain clouds out of the area Sunday.
The terms, LP= Low Power flight, MP= Mid Powered, and HP for High Powered flights.
Wayne Hill had some good stuff. His helicopter return �Rose-A-Roc� competition model on LP astounded the fans who weren�t expecting it. His �Saucer� did a long burn on LP, the �Aero Dart� on MP, and the �Texas Fire Fly� on a LP 2 stage. A �Laser Space Probe� on LP and the �Deuces Wild� on 2 LP cluster.
John Bergsmith flew a �Super Big Bertha� on MP, he had his �Deuces Wild� also that flew on a 2 LP cluster. His Estes �Paveway� and �Storm Caster� both flew on LP while his Aerotech �Initiator� flew on MP.
Ashley Bergsmith flew her nicely done �Der Red Max�, the �Converter� rocket that can be reassembled in different configurations, an �Out Law� and a scaled �Honest John�, all on LP.
Ryan Bergsmith flew his �Fire Bird� on a LP.
Roy Potter flew a drag race with his extended Big Daddy, the �Stars and Stripes� VS Emily Nelsons extended Big Daddy, the �Iron Man� on MP. OK, she was first off the pad, I think I got greater altitude, but my shock cord separated so Emily won. I flew my �Union Jack� with a British flag chute a couple of times on MP but didn�t get good altitude because on both flights, it �Chuffed� on the pad using up fuel that it needed to get to a safe altitude. Luckily, the chute deployed just in time. And I flew another extended Big Daddy called the �White Dwarf� a couple of times on LP.
Malcolm Smith flew a number of Semroc kits, the �OSO�, �Micron�, �Explorer� the �Thumper Bee� all flew on LP along with a �Gremlin� also on LP.
Bob Bernatchez always brings out a wide collection to choose from. Many are old classics. His 1.6% upscaled classic �Mars Lander� flew on HP for a great flight and near perfect standing landing. Those are great looking but hard to get to perform right, he got it this time. His �D-Reginal Tomahawk� and �Pathfinder� both flew on LP while his �Quasar� and �Super Big Bertha� both flew on MP.
Steven Ayers flew the �Athens-5� on LP and a nice looking Star Wars �Y-Wing Fighter� that flew a steady, straight and smooth flight. It looked cool while under thrust.
Brad Shea only had time to visit but did get time to fly his �Yellow Jacket� on MP.
Robbie Kirk, one of our original �Rocket Kids� now grown and in collage came out to visit and fly a couple of his old rockets, the �Red Checker� and a �No Name� on MP. He builds good rockets, but just never gets around to naming them, usually he just calls then by their paint job. The red one, the white one, the checkered one, striped, dots, ect.
Mark Easter got 2 PML kits up. His �Bull Puppy� and a �Horizon� both flew on MP.
Sandy Houston flew a rocket named the �G Whiz� on Mp for a good flight.
Emily Nelson Flew her extended �Iron Man� with a nice airbrush paint job of Iron Man from the movie on MP in that drag race with me and then flying her �Yoga� rocket just to relax for the day.
Todd Haring I though just came out to visit, but instead ended up launching his �Little O III� on MP, the �Gizmo� on HP and a Estes �Silver Comet� on LP.
Terry Baucom flew a good collection. The �After Thought� (a story there I�m sure) flew on MP and a �Big Daddy� on LP and the �2 Up� with a 2 LP engine cluster. An altemeter-controlled flight of the �Little Petro� went up on HP with an altimeter deployed main chute at 400 ft. That always looks good.
Drew Baucom flew daddies �Big Daddy� on LP but the nose weight fell to the back of the rocket on acceleration and flipped to the ground unbalanced. No damage, Terry flew it again later.
Liz, Brad and Emily Duniec, (daddy just watched) flew a Estes �Ninja� a �Express� with gliders that detach, a �Sxpress� and the �Dora Rocket� all on LP.
Jacob Crain flew a Estes kit, the �Sky Writer� that looks like a yellow #2 pencil, on LP.
Corky Story, who always wows the crowd with large two stage rockets and other biggies was out with a �Phoenix� air to air missile on HP and spent a lot of time prepping his large scaled �Honest John� surface to surface missile to fly on HP. The flight was great, but the rocket gods separated his shock cord with the body landing the field and the nose and chute drifting off, after a long search the chute/nose was not yet found.
Tony Stitt also fed the rocket gods his Aerotech �Mustang� on MP that came in ballistic shattering/disintegrating against a tree. The motor and some parts were salvageable.
Mike O�Hara flew two scratch built rockets. Both were very artistically graceful and flowing in design. The �Stryker� and the �Sting Ray� both flew on MP.
Devon Tomkinson was one of our �who cares if its raining, I�m still flying� people who flew a �Super Big Bertha� and a �Super Baby Bertha� both on LP. His two stager Estes �Renegade� flew on 2 LPs.
Doug Knight our resident collage professor flew the �Angry Hornet� twice with a altimeter main deployment at 900 ft. His �Yard Sale� (story there I�m sure, maybe made from stuff bought at a yard sale, he does stuff like that) flew on MP and a little Estes �Eliminator� rocket with a MP motor that he never expects to see again, but keeps coming right back to the immediate area.
Charlie Ogino, local boy scientist, just did some test flights of his TARC (Team America Rocket Challenge) rockets on MP getting ready for future competitions.
Mark Canepa, rocket exhaust sniffing addict that he is was intent to get his �Seen Better Days�up as many times as he could that day. His flight card said that it first flew on MP then HP, then big HP for the rest of the day with dual altimeter main chute deployments. And it was also the last flight of the day launched in the rain.
Clark Millikan worked to get his flights up for the day with a �Rascal� and a �Guardian� both on LP with a �Navaho� 2-stage flight on LP.
Jonathan ? Flew a �Patriot� twice on LP during the day.
Clark ? Flew a �Puma� and a �Guardian� both on LP.
Russ Kirkley was the last to sign-in and flew a Estes �Big Bertha� on LP.
Until we know for sure, keep a look at the ROCC WEB site WWW.rocketrycarolina.org for the latest information and
scheduling.
Till then, remember to keep your exhaust nozzles clear and see on the pads.
Roy
ROCC Sec.