April 2015 Launch Report
Sunday, May 10, 2015 at 12:34PM Well we finally got an April launch, even if it was the 3rd of May 2015.
We didn’t get our annual April “campout” weekend. Wet weather, wind direction and crop growth. They just all kind of ganged up on us. Let’s face it. Our hobby is one that is just naturally subject to the restrictions of the weather.
Though Saturday was good weather wise, there was a strong wind, and it just had to blow over into the barley/wheat fields where, insead, on Sunday the wind was light, almost calm, and towards the bare and empty fields. So a good call there.
Because we had planned on our annual “ROCC Yard Sale” along with the campout, even though the campout was canceled, a couple of us had everything ready for the yard sale, so we went ahead with that also.
Ken Allen of Performance Hobbies, (the designated target area for out of control rockets) Was there for Sundays launch delivering orders and keeping us supplied with our rocketry needs.
Jason Pettler had the grill up and putting out hotdogs and burgers by request, chips and drinks. Jason was also busy recruiting people into our new 2015 ROCC Membership.
MORE LOST AND FOUND.
4inch (LOC?) round tip nose cone, heavily weighted, painted black and white like I would see on a V-2 nose cone was found at the 31 Jan- 1 Feb launch.
Rodney Earp flew and lost a black/white LOC V-2 at the Jan 1st New Years launch, so it could be his.
Bottom section of a Estes Pro-series II “Argent” with a base white paint job with a 29mm Aerotech 29/40-120,RMS. Both Matthew Stecher and Larry Becigneal flew a Argent on a G64-7 last month, 21-22 March. The RMS was removed and cleaned. Did find a “split” across the threads on the forward closure end.
Red Dr. Rocket 38mm RMS, 38/720, SN#110 with two metal grain spacers “now in excellent condition”. Found by a flier while out by the 5 trees along the ditch on the right side of the field where it was for who knows how long, plowed up out of the ground wrapped in a decayed cardboard and plywood motor mount. As I said, it is in excellent condition after being removed and cleaned.
Pictures. Check the Gallery for launch photo’s. We see everyone is taking photo’s.
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.
Sunday, 3 May, 2015.
Very calm and t-shirt weather for the day. The only Crop landings to the left field was because they wanted to go that way.
We had 27 actual fliers who put up 80 flights burning 93 engines.
That includes all clusters and multi-stage flights.
A’s= 12, B’s= 12, C’s= 18, D’s= 7, E’s= 21, F’s= 10, G’s= 6, H’s= 4, I’s= 3, J’s= 0, K’s= 0.
(Remember, what I write is influenced by the penmanship/spelling of the writer.)
Roy Potter. I flew my repaired “Red Dwarf”. An extended Estes Big Daddy, on a underpowered E9-4. No damage as it turned and flopped in the tall soft barley field. My new naked LOC Forte, “Union Jack” flew a test flight on a G40-4 with a new 58inch British Union Jack flag chute.
Micah Epps. Flew a LOC “Fantom” on a I236 bluestreak with a dual deployment at 500ft. His “Reffer Madness” flew on a cti H110 with a dual deployment at, again, 500ft.
Evie Epps flew a Estes “Hornet” four times on B6-4’s.
Avery Walden flew the “US Star Killer” on a C6-5, a tiny Estes “swifter” on a mini 1/2A3-2 for a tumble recovery and I think he got it back. His new “Falcon” flew on a C6-5, a mini scale “Hyper LOC 835” flew on a A8-3, a Estes “Sky Writer Pencil” on a C6-5 with a streamer recovery. A Estes “Executioner” flew on a E22 smokey sam and another new rocket, the “Beee” flew on a C11-3.
Spencer Walden flew a LOC “Forte” on a H143-10 just fine and a Estes “Blue Ninja” on a E22.
Mark Bartkowiak test flew his “Sky Condor” glider on a B6-3 that tangled in the booster’s streamer then again on a C6-7 trying for his NARTrek Silver badge with a 30 second flight requirement. His totally novel “Psycho Rubber Chicken” flew on a E9-4 but just could not stabilize and looped like a chicken with its head cut off. Pun included. His three stage green/white “Michigan State” giant mosquito (has flown well as a two stage) flew on a F15 to F15 to E9-4 but the weight was too much for the F15 to get to a stable speed and went horizontal to the left out over past the wheat field onto the clear field by the tree line. His Estes extended “Super Neon XL” was straight and true on a E9-4.
Emily Nelson flew her scratch built “Shadow Man” (from the Disney movie the Princess and the Frog) on a E30-4 returning on a large purple donut chute. Her impressively airbrushed “Avatar” (inspired by the Avatar movie) flew on a G80-5 returning in two chuted sections.
Julius Burris flew a “LOC IV” on a F50-4 (that’s what’s on the launch slip) and his “Stars and Stripes” on a E9-4. His Estes “Blue Ninja” flew on a D12-5.
Zachary Hoelscher, a Jr. flier went for his Junior Level One certification attempt with Doc Russell as mentor with his “Up-Goer-1” on a H128 for a successful flight. Congrats and welcome.
Liam Thrower flew a Public Missile “Miranda” on a G125-7 redline that was fast off the pad, and his “Space X Falcon 9” went up twice on E9-6’s.
Jason Pettler flew a C. Ogino creation, the “Carbon Cowboy 38” on only a G75 but gained a very high altitude and returned by a dual deployment with a main chute deployment at 300ft. Charles carbon rockets are obviously very light.
Kaitlin Pettler flew a very colorful “Dr. McStuffin” on a D12-3.
Joe Pettler flew his team colored “Steelers II” on a F52, a LOC “Weasal” on a F15-6, his “Formula 54” flew on a F240? (maybe a F24-6?) I must have missed that one. And his “38 Special” flew on a F36.
Laura Owens flew a new or repaired “36D Squared” with a cluster of two D12-7’s and a LOC “Little Big Nuke” on a G64 that also got a high altitude to return on a dual deployment at 500ft.
Scott Pennington flew a Estes “Cosmo” (a challenging kit to assemble) on a E9-4. A scale “Archer” missile flew on a G40-10 white lighting and a scale “Harpoon” missile flew on a E9-4. His “Three Amigos” went up twice on a cluster of three C6-5’s. One flight a motor didn’t ignite and the two remaining could not keep it stable. His “SR 71 Black Bird” looked so good under thrust on a C6-5 to return by chute. Another challenging kit is the Estes “Black Star” that flew on a E9-4.
Kim Bergsmith flew a Estes crayon, the “Purple Rain” that just did not want to ignite. We told her there was no rain today. But she kept trying and it did eventually fly up on a C6-5.
John Bergsmith flew a C. Ogino “Carbon Cowboy 54” on a H143-10 to a recorded altitude of 4,300 feet. The Carbon Cowboy 38’s and 54’s are great performers.
J.R. Devine flew a “Phoenix” twice on a E12-6, his “Explorer” also twice on a E9-4 and his “Black Knight” on a D12-4.
Barb Tobin Did a number of test flights of her NAR competition rockets. Her “Helicopter” return rocket flew on a C6-3 and really got a decent hang time once it got spinning and her Sem-Roc “Swift Glider” went up twice, once on a 1/2A4-3t then a A10-3t. Her “Thermal” flew on a 1/2A4-3t and her “Chute Duration” went up on a 1/2A4-3t. Her only noncompetitive flight was of her floppy eared dog rocket “Snoopy Dog” on a B6-4. PETA will hear of this Barb.
Cheryl Batten flew a Estes Chrome Dome named “Top Cat” on a B6-4 and a Estes “Sky Writer Pencil” a few times on B6-4’s.
Steve Batten flew a Estes Solar Warrior named “Waiver of OZ” (get it?) on a C11-5 and a D12-7. A Estes Bul-Pup named “Pup Fiction” (get it? He has a thing with movie titles) flew on a A8-3 then a B6-4 with a streamer return.
Jonathan Batten flew the “Ignite at the Museum” (get it again?) on a B6-4.
Andy Lavoie flew a cut-down version of a Estes Mean Machine named “The Meaner Machine” a few times on E12-8’s, a Estes “Guardian” on a C6-5 and the “Humdinger” on A10-3t’s.
Tim Tulowitzky flew a Aerotech “Barracuda” twice on a F15-6 respectfully. His two stage “Zenith” on a C6 to C6-6. His three stage “Bumble Bee” flew on a mini A10 to A10 to A10-3t.
Charles Ogino flew his “Carbon Cowboy 38” on a H999. Yowza! Bowza! It be gone in the blink of an eye. He ended up not needing the high tech tracking equipment as it came down in the field. His “3inch Punisher” went up on a I455 with a dual deployment at 1,000ft.
Randy Hewat flew a unpainted LOC “Star Fighter” on a F56 that separated over the wheat field and nose cone and fighter body could not be found. Sorry loss but you could be within 3 feet of something in there and not see it.
Doc Russell did take some time from RSO’ing to get his upscaled Estes “Sprint XL” up on a D12-5 for a streamer return.
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.