Wrap-up of the (much postponed) January 2015 launch

Welcome to the twice rescheduled Monthly January 2015, Weekend Rocket Launch.

 Between rain and soft fields to no rain and sunny but soaked fields we finally got a break and had both good weather and dry fields to work with.

Saturday, 31 January was both sunny, not to cold, very calm on the most part and really let us get down to some good rocket flying.

Ken Allen of Performance Hobbies was there for all our needs starting off the new rocket flying year.

Jason Pettler had the grill up and putting out hotdogs and burgers by request, chips and drinks. Jason was also busy getting our new 2015 ROCC Membership drive in gear.

LOST AND FOUND.

I think we found the two halves of Barb Tobins Red Plastic Estes Motor Adaptor. You can find it in the donation box at the sign-in table.

Also someone flew a orange rocket with orange fins with a black stripe on the fin edge and lost one, it also is in the donation box.

What won’t fit in the donation box is a 4inch (LOC?) round tip nose cone, heavily weighted, painted black and white like I would see on a V-2 nose cone. I took it home to clean it up and will have it back out at the next launch.

2015, Annual ROCC ROCKET RAFFLE.

We started off with 5 rockets. The “Grey Ghost”, two 24mm motor cluster, was won by Tom Propst who picked it up at the Sunday launch.  Sunday the “Long Sword” a single 24mm, was won by our own Prof Doug Knight who will pick it at the next launch. The Three remaining rockets, the “Three Seas” with a three 18mm motor cluster, the Estes “Executioner” a single 24mm mount and the LOC “Graduator” with a single 29mm mount will be raffled off at the next, (hopefully Feb), launch.

Tickets are $1 each, or 6 for $5, 12 for $10, 24 for $20 ect, ect.

 Pictures. Check the Gallery for launch photo’s, sometimes with captions.

Remember, for our embarrassment and your entertainment, any pictures you have from this or any recent launch that you would like to get posted on the web site for everyone to see, just contact Doc Russell at: "rocketrycarolina (at) gmail (dot) com",  or as some have done, pass it on a disk, memory card or flash drive. We can always get it back to you. That’s how I do it.

Saturday, 31 January, 2015.

We had  34 fliers who put up 112 flights burning 128 engines.

That includes all clusters and multi-stage flights.

A’s= 11,  B’s= 23,  C’s= 53,  D’s= 8,  E’s= 8,  F’s= 8,  G’s= 9,  H’s= 2,  I’s= 3,  J’s= 3,  K’s= 0.

(Remember, what I write is influenced by the penmanship/spelling of the writer.)

Stuart Samuels flew a “13mm Helix” (Mono-Coptor) on a mini A3-4t successfully. (Stuarts sharp eye noted that the ejection charge on the ground had started a small fire in the grass where it landed next to the pad). The “Recycle Rocket” (soda bottle top half?) flew on a C6-3 with a air-drag tumble recovery. His “Polska-2” flew with a 3 motor cluster of C6-7s, the “Sunrise” flew on a G64-2. His 400% up-scaled “Maple Leaf” went up on a E18-2, not as high as  wanted but it separated and made a successful maple leaf helicopter  recovery. The “Trifecta” three stage, separate tumble recovery, flew on a A10 to A10 to A10-3. And his old fashioned “Bottle Rocket” basicly a motor on a stick with streamer recovery flew on a C6-3 and of course making a impelling standing landing.

Mark Bartkowlak flew his two-stage “Michigan State Mosquito” on a F15 to E9-6. The staging was strong enough to blow damage to the coupler and chute cover panel on the booster. His “AIM 9 Sidewinder” flew on a F15-8 fine but the streamer recovery on his “S.W.A.T.” flying on a E9-6 couldn’t slow it enough to avoid breaking a fin.

Dave Popkin as you see in the photo gallery, flew a pyramid looking device in three concepts. “Concept #1” flew on a G57, kind of off balance. “Concept #2” flew on a G88 smokey sam just fine and “Concept #3” flew on a long burning H54 also just fine. All doing a air braking landing.

Doc Russell flew his new Estes piggy-back “Glider” for a test flight. It boosted fine on a C11-3 but one of the two wings that are suppose to pop out got stuck, so it lightly spiraled in with no damage. He wants to fine tune that before trying again. His “Talon II XL” flew fine on a F59-6. He also had a Estes “Duces Wild” with a cluster of two C6-5s that always looks so cool when they both ignite. His “3FN&C” flew on a E12-6. Didn’t get a look at that.

Roy Potter, I spent most the time launching and hawking Raffle tickets but did get my “Test III” up a few times on D12-3s.

Bryon Butler wanted to have something up on each rack so he was busy. He put a “Long Tom” two stage up on a B6 to C6-3 just fine, a Estes “CC Express” two stage on a C11 to a D12-3, then on a D12 to D12-7, also getting it all back. He flew a Estes “Photon Probe” a few times on C6-3s and the “Photon Disruptor” also on a C6-3.

Adam Butler was also getting something up on each rack, even trading back and forth with Bryon. He flew a two motor cluster “Magnum” on B6-4s, then B6-6s and then C6-3s that returned on a two chute recovery system. Then he flew that “Photon Disruptor” a few times on B6-4s and then the “Photon Probe” on a B6-6.

Steve Batten flew a Aero-Tech Strong Arm named “Strakes on a Frame” first on a F26-6w followed by a F40-7w then last on a G53-7fj, all good flights and looking good.

Cheryl Batten keeping up with Steve, flew a Estes “Pink Crayon” for some flights on B6-2s.

Jonathan Batten flew a Estes Sky Trax named “Neon Deon” a number of flights on B4-4s.

Dave and Mike Strunk were able to recover the Super Bertha from the trees after a month with some small tree surgery. It is all fiber and super built so after a little maintenance and clean-up it should be good for next month. They flew a Estes Pro-Series II “Leviathan” on a G33-9 and a “Raptor” on a G88-11.

Tom Propst, Scout leader of Troop 91 out of Concord, besides buying a bucket of raffle tickets to win the “Grey Ghost” later, flew a Estes “Fat Boy” on B6-4s and C6-5s and drag racing with Scott and Hunter Elliott.

Hunter Elliott, Troop 91, also flew a “Fat Boy” on B6-6s and C6-5s. Drag race winner was who arched over first.

Scott Elliott, Troop 91, flew a “Neon Bertha” on a C6-5 winning the Drag Race. A “Baby Bertha” flew on a A8-3 then C6-5.

Mark Mogge, visitor who usually goes to O’Burg, (and said we run a smooth efficient launch) flew a “SA 14 Archer” on a G80-10t and a Estes Pro Series II “Ascender” flew on a F15-8 better than mine did. He had a naked almost transparent fiberglass “V-2” (Mad Cow?) that went up on a G80-10t that landed just inside the Simpson pasture but was pulled in with the retrieval pole. Come on back Mark.

Gary Pfisper flew a nice looking “Tequila” on a E9-6 that may have had one before launch, it went that-a-way but ok. The “NASA” flew on a C6-5, the “US Army” on a C6-5 and the “NSA” on a C6-5.

Tim Tulowitzky flew a classic Aero Tech “Barracuda” on a F15-8 doing better than I expected, a two stage “Taser” went from a C6 to C6-7 fine and a three stage “Bumble Bee” on a A10 to A10 to A10-3t.

Steve Rhudy flew a Mad Cow kit for level-2 attempts called of course, “Level Two Kit” on a J210 with a dual deployment after separation at apogee, free falling to a successful 400ft main chute deployment. He also flew the “Always Ready, Blue Phoenix” on a I357, also a successful dual deployment at 400ft.

Scott Pennington flew the “Harpoon” on a E9-4, a Estes “Ascender” on a F15-6, the sci-fi looking Estes “Cosmo” on a E9-4, a “F15 Eagle” jet fighter on a C6-5 that always looks so cool when under thrust. His “Interceptor” flew on a C6-5, a “Centuri Kit” on a C6-5 and a cloned kit, the “Mars Snoop Dog” also flew on a C6-5. His LOC “Extended Minni Magg” went up on a impressive H400-8 but I didn’t hear an ejection and it came back down in a flat spin. Hopefully that will be less damage than a ballistic impact.

John Bergsmith, who by the way, was elected the Tripoli Rocketry Assoc Prefect for our club, (see him for any TRA business/ certifications) flew his Mad Cow kit, the “Bat Ray” on a I600 with a successful dual deployment at 400ft.

Kim Bergsmith flew her Estes “Pink Crayon” a number of flights on C6-5s.

Ryan Bergsmith flew his cool looking “Bulls Eye” with the skull and cross bones chute on a C6-5 and a Wyli-Coyote looking “Acme Spit Fire” on a D12-3 that did look like a Bugs Bunny cartoon.

Siri, Sathvi and Raja Chadalawada. Raja is a new comer to the hobby and thinks it looks like a lot of fun and interesting. So he got a basic snap together “Hi Jinks” kit from Ken to start out on and flew that on some B4-4s. Hope it works for him.

Chris Thomas flew a Estes kit that he named the “Cirro Cumullis” on a A8-3 then B6-4 and a Estes “Mini Fat Boy” on a A8-3.

Kaitlin Pettler flew her neat looking Pink flying Pig, the “Pepe Pig” on some C6-5s, a Pink Mosquito named the “Summer Fun” on a E9-6 and a Estes “Freedom” on a C6-5.

Doug Knight, our own UNCC Collage Professor, and mad Scientist, flew his rocket that does indeed look like a rocket, a “Visible 3inch” on a I345-8 for its first flight looking good.

J.R. Devine flew the “Black Knight” on a C6-5 and a Estes three stage “Comanche-3” on a D12 to C6 to C6-7 two times getting everything back both times. You got to love it when that happens.
Avery Walden flew a Estes “Prospector” a number of times on a B6-4 and C6-5s. a Estes “Bandito” flew on a mini A10-3t, a Estes “Metalizer” on C6-3s and the “Little Green Man” also a number of times on C6-5s.

UNCC NASA Student Launch Team (under Prof Doug Knight) flew the subscale version of the “Roxanne” on a J415 twice to test the programed command functions of the very high tech rocket they are working on in the national rocket competitions.

Devon Tomkinson flew a LOC “Onyx” on a G125-7 red lighting really putting out a red flame for just the briefest of a second it took to fly away off the pad. It was quick.

Brad Shea flew a spool called the “C Fly PO” on a C6-0 for a tumble recovery with a streamer.

Andrew ? flew the “Lawn Dart”, but it didn’t, on a C6-5.

Pete ? flew a “Black Knight” on a C6-7.

 Sunday, 1 February, 2015.

OK, it was Super Bowl, Football Holliday, Sunday. And it was overcast with high clouds, which is usually no problem, but we did have some light winds most the day. By selective flying and taking precautions we actually did OK, no loss’s.

So it was a slow easy going no rush no pushing launch day.

We had  7 actual fliers out of the many who did come-out to put up 28 flights burning the same 28 engines.

That includes all clusters and multi-stage flights.

A’s= 6,  B’s= 8,  C’s= 11,  D’s= 2,  E’s= 0,  F’s= 0,  G’s= 1,  H’s= 0,  I’s= 0,  J’s= 0,  K’s= 0.

(Remember, what I write is influenced by the penmanship/spelling of the writer.)

Barb Tobin, a NAR competitor test flew her “Helicopters” “#1” on a B4-2 that accidentally popped the motor out moving the center of balance so it returned helicopter style but nose first instead of base first but looking cool. The larger “#2” also on a B4-2, also came down nose first but did not spin, the blades just provided plenty of air drag to softly settle on the field. Barb also does some really good painting by hand. I thought her yellow bee “The Buzz” was decals or stickers but it was all done by hand. “The Buzz” flew on a D12-5. Her hand painted “Minions” from the Dispicable-Me movies flew on mini A10-3s, #1 with one eye and #2 with two eyes drag raced eachother who also ejected little Minions on parachutes. This was very cool.

Barb also flew a chrome looking extended fat boy looking rocket called the “Silo” on a C11-3, the “Spidermans Tower” also hand painted, flew on a C6-5 with the “Spin” going on a B6-4.

Roy Potter, I flew my “Little Red Bull Pup” a number of times on C6-3s to try different packing techniques to get the Horse-Shoe streamer to deploy correctly each time.

Avery Walden came back today to fly his Estes “Bandito” again on A10-3s and the “Little Green Man” flew again on B6-4s and C6-3s, the “Prospector” flew again also on a B6-4 and C6-3. The Estes “Metalizer” flew again on a C6-3.

Spencer Walden also returned and flew a “Der V-3” on a D12-5, nice looking, kind of like a extended Fat Boy but with a pointed nose. He spent the last part of the day to prep and then burn a number of igniters to launch his LOC “Forte” on the only G flight with a G185-7 for the last flight of the day.

Teresa Klauss Flew a Estes “Fat Boy” for a low fight with a B6-4.

Tom Propst flew a “Fat Boy” also on a B6-4. And picked up his new “Grey Ghost”.

Brad Shea flew a Estes “Fire Streak” on a mini A3-4t with a streamer recovery.

I hope everyone had fun and will be looking forward to our next launch, till then, remember to keep your exhaust nozzles clear.

Roy. ROCC Sec.

Comments

[MarkBartkowiak]

Um, Roy, I built and flew the Polska 2 (Poland 2).
Mark Bartkowiak

[Roy Potter]

Well, yep, you even have photographic evedence that I can't dispute.
I can only say that the synapes that are suppose to fire between the brain cells are fireing out of sequence.
Lets see what I do next month.
Roy