January 22nd & 23rd launch report....
Thursday, January 27, 2011 at 8:26PM Hello, and here is the post-Launch report for 22 – 23 January 2011
(Our make-up flight weekend due to conditions the prior week.)
I want to thank those who have provided us with photos of our launches in the past.
We Want More.
If you have any from a recent launch and would like to get them posted on the web site for our embarrassment and your entertainment contact Doc Russell at rocketrycarolina at gmail dot com or as some have done, pass it on a disk or flash drive. We can always get it back to you.
We are continuing with our Range Safety standards by making specific assignments of a RSO=, Range Safety Officer to pre-inspect rockets before flights and the LCO=, Launch Control Officer to check range conditions and control the launch’s in a timely and efficient manner. So far this has worked fine with little to no effect on launch flow.
Check both the WEB site and at the launch’s for info on volunteering for RSO (Cert Lv-2 required) and LCO (Cert Lv-1 preferred, but any responsible and experienced adult can apply).
It’s great for anybody who isn’t flying that day but wants to take part anyway.
And it’s fun to push the red button.
Saturday the 22nd was COLD and then cold later on. The wind conditions were very good over all, there were some long recovery walks but mostly due to high chute deployments.
The cold did make writing the launch slips harder to read with gloved shivering fingers but it didn’t seam to detour us from flying any.
I always thought that the motors burned more efficiently in the cold anyway.
TARC and USLI teams were both out making test and qualification flights and we had three L-1 certification flights, I believe all of them were good.
Ken Allen of Performance Hobbies was in attendance providing us with all our rocketry supply needs, Rocket Ralph provided hot drinks and hot dogs while I had the very popular “fire pit” going with donated firewood keeping us all warm to the delight of many chilly flyers. Very chilly it was.
We had 22 fliers with 71 flights burning 79 engines with clusters and multi-stage rockets.
A= 11, B= 6, C= 5, D= 10, E= 6, F= 13, G= 12, H= 14, I= 2. Engines burned.
Who flew what?
Any misspelling of flyer or rocket names/info is due to our COLD penmanship on the forms.
Michael Hollowell made all his flights with some cool Spinning chutes with slits propelling the air out to the sides. His LOC “Expediter” flew on a H123, the LOC “Initiator” on a H123 and a Aerotech “Mirage” on a G53 and G76, all with two counter rotating chutes. Looking Cool Dude.
Roy Potter flew the “US Stars” on a F20 suffering a nose and chute separation resulting in a 2inch body core sample of dirt. The “Stars and Stripes-F” flew on a F50 and a newly built “Orange and White Test” rocket on a D12 that also suffered the same fate as the “US Stars”.
Stuart Samuels flew a 150% and 200% scale “Maple Seed” on a A8 and B6. A rocketry salute to this weekends football games, the “Go Deep” rocket football flew on a D12. a “Boost Glider” flew on a mini A10. His L-1 cert flight was a reddish flying pyramid “Sunrise” on a H128 after test flying it on a G64. (launch slip didn’t state if Cert flight was successful, I assume so.)
Doc Russell flew a 1.5 upscale “Sprint” on a E9, a “Blue Ninja” on D12’s, the “Cross Fire” on a B6 and his new “Fed Ex Pyramid” on a F20.
John Metcalf flew a “Super Mad Cow DX3” on a Pro 29 G115 for it’s first flight and then a H118 for his L-1 certification flight. (launch slip didn’t state if Cert flight was successful, I assume so.) His Loc “Forte” flew on a G46 and a “Arreaux” on a F27.
Prof. Doug Knight with a few of his students I believe, flew a “Storm Caster” beefed up for a F30, a small rocket called “Buh Bye Now” on a E30, which he did indeed get back. His “White Trash” not his prettiest rocket, flew on a Cessaroni H400. Now THAT was pretty.
Steve Brown flew a “Gremlin” on a D12, a classic “Pterodactyl” on a G80, a Quest “Stilletto” on a C6, a re-released “Gyroc” spinning return model on a A8, the “Worm Burner” (no, I don’t know why) on a E28 and the “Sham-Roc” on a D12.
Gaston Day School TARC Team Class Rep. Spencer Thompson and team flew the “Asparagus” and the “Schmetterling” on F50’s for test and qualification flights within 5 ft of the target altitude.
MAE USLI Rocket team flew their rocket on a H148 and are doing a 2/3 scale NASA rocket raffle.
Mike Garner flew a “Guardian” on a H165 with altimeter chute deployment at 500 ft. A two stage, the “Purple” flew on a B6 to A8 then as a one stage on a C6. A very neat looking “Gold Finger” with a C6 and three mini A10 cluster molded on the outside of the body.
Sandy Houston flew a “LOC IV” with altimeter chute deployment at 500 ft and a up-scaled Estes “Alpha” on a D13.
Erica Owens flew a Estes “Fat Boy” on a B6.
Scott Schnegelberger flew a “AMRAAM 2” on a G88 and a “Mirage” on a G53 and G76.
Clark Millikan flew a yellow and black “Weasel” on a E16 and a F22, once fished out of low limbs over Mr. Simpson’s fence line and another bad flight later. It was not the Weasel’s day.
James Tanzer flew a tube fined rocket, “Tubes” on A8’s and B6’s, the “Off Color” on a A8 and the “Gold Bullet” on a A8.
Louise Ferrell Joined her husband Mark and made her successful L-1 cert flight on the first try with a “Mini Mag” on a H148. She was happily bouncing around like a ping pong ball.
Terry Baucom flew a Estes “Big Daddy” on a E9 that went horizontal into the field but rebuildable.
Matthew Baucom flew a “Blue Ninja” on a D12 and “Sky Scraper” on a C6.
Corky Story has a real nice “Black Brant” that flew on a I435 with main chute at 600 ft, but the chute pulled out at apogee and drifted past the creek bridge. If anybody can recover it, Corky will.
Corky also recovered another rocket that had been in the trees since last Oct but amazingly was in not to bad of shape. Both rocket and cleaned engine casing was returned to the owner Sunday.
J.P. Appenzeuer flew a “Initiator on a G35 and a F40, a nice “Strong Arm” also on a F40 a nice “Astro Bee” on a G64 and another nice one, a “SA14 Archer” on a H128.
Brad Shea, ROCC Prez, with busy family obligations, had the time to come out and socialize and launch his “Speaker Wire Spool” on a C6 and the “Tubey Duo” tubular rocket on a B6.
Emily Nelson launched her new golden “Sultan’s Court” on a E9, just a tad underpowered but we’ll see. Her beautiful airbrushed movie inspired “Avatar” flew on a G80 that could use a shorter delay before ejection.
That was Saturdays launch’s, considering the weather, temperature and all, we all had a great time.
Sunday the 23rd of Jan was really a much warmer and better day. Most removed their heavy coats and were down to just sweatshirts or light jackets in the morning. A lot more sun and almost calm conditions made most of the landings close to the runway, all fairly short walks. I don’t think there were any losses, just a couple of lawn darts to speak of.
Ken Allen was still there, Ralph had the drinks and hotdogs and I had the fire pit for any chills.
We had 19 fliers with 52 flights burning 53 engines with one multi-stage rocket.
A= 3, B= 2, C= 4, D= 7, E= 9, F= 11, G= 5, H= 9, I= 1, J= 1. Engines burned.
Who flew what is by launch slips collected. Any Misspelling due to penmanship.
Steve and Ian Morris flew a “Condor” on a A8, a “Fire Hawk” on a D21, a “Storm Caster” on a C11 then a D12 with a video camera onboard and a two stage “Solar Flare” on a B6 to a mini A10 which was a good performer. A “Patriot” was flown on a old discontinued C5 that blew thru the ejection charge totaling the small rocket.
Brandon Jackson flew a green and red “Christmas Spool” on a very long burning H54 that was stable up till the top. It was pretty cool. He flew a long “Mean Machine” on a E18 for it’s first flight. A “Pterodactyl Jr.” flew on a G106 skidmark in a drag race with Doc R. Who won? Speed, Altitude, First down?
Doc Russell flew his “Fed Ex” spinning pyramid on a F40 and his “Blue Ninja” on a D12. His “Aierial” flew on a H128 in the drag race with Brandon.
Bob Bernatchez brought out a whole arsenal and only flew his “Titan III E” on a D12 with rebuilt stabilizing fins, a “Wac Corporal” on a F52 then a G64, a old NCR “Orbit” on a F39, a AGM ¼ scale “Hellfire” missile on a F39, a “Standard Arm” on a E28, the “D Region Tomahawk” on a E28, the French missile “Matra Majic R550” on a F35 and a old “Super Big Bertha” on a F24.
Joe and Jason Pettler flew a “Harm AGM 88A” on a E18, a neat Estes “Screaming Eagle” jet fighter on a C6 then a “Red Max” on a C6.
Louise Ferrell re-flew her L-1 “Mini Mag” on a H128 that suffered a burn thru the bottom side of the casing that resulted in minor damage and will probably be repaired by next month.
Roy Potter, A small product promo here. I got that new small Peak Altitude “Altimeter One” from “Jolly Logic” available by “Apogee” with a digital display that can fit in a BT-20 body tube. It can be attached to the chute cord or nosecone, in a cargo section, or as I did, make a “Parasite Pod” out of a clear BT-20 cargo section and two nosecones that I can tape to the outside of the body. It’s pretty cool. Check the “Apogee” web site, select the product and you can see the two video’s that describe it and how it works. It’s being evaluated for TARC use.
I got “closest landing to your vehicle” award with my Estes 4in “V-2” on a F12 draping the chute over my side mirror. My “NASA” flew on a D12 for 224ft then on a E9 for 537ft. The “Union Jack” on a E15 to 368ft.The “Thumper” on a F20 to 713ft. My “ARCAS” flew on a G35 to 1,042 ft.
Dan Mathers flew a “Tomahawk” on a F20.
Terry Baucom flew his 4inch “Goblin” on a H110, cool, then a “Storm Caster” on a D12.
Todd Haring brought out his one of a kind, Halloween inspired “Draculas Revenge” on a pro 38 I211 that was a crowd pleaser. (kind of creepy too)
Brian Eagle flew a “Fantom” (a NCR Phantom 400?) on a H128 and a “Horizon” on a G64.
Sandy Houston flew a PML “Black Brant” on a H255 and a “Extended Mini Mag” for a successful L-2 cert flight on a J350 with main chute deployment at 500ft.
Ralph Roberts came out to play and loaded his “Fear Factor” with a H123 for that drag race with Brandon and Doc, but sat on the pad with a non-ignition, so later flew it solo. Then he reloaded the “Fear Factor” with H999 warp 9 propellant to a altitude of 2,088ft with chute deployment at apogee and it still only landed about 40ft from the sign-in table. He’s the man.
Spencer Thompson with the Gaston Day School Tarc team flew the “Asperagus” on a F50 that suffered a separation with then a 3inch body core sample taken. The team “Schmeterling” took over test and qualification flights on a F52.
J.P. Appenzeuer re-flew his “Initiator” on the new engine released, a G138R, it was a WoW.
He also flew his “SA14 Archer” on a H165.
Joe Pettler flew his football teams “Steelers” rocket on E9’s and a “Unkown” on a A3.
That brings things up to date.
We are still planning on our regular 3rd weekend monthly launch for next month.
Keep checking the ROCC Web Site for updates.
Hope to see you on the pads and remember to keep those exhaust nozzles clear.
Roy,
ROCC Sec.