January 2021 Launch Report

Sunday, 17, January 2021 ROCC Launch Report

Saturday was pretty windy so I was glad to see the forecast for Sunday being sunny with passing clouds and light winds. It pretty much turned out that way. There were periods as the day progressed that the ground winds were pretty brisk and the winds carried a chilly bite to it.

 So long as you were moving around and active it was quite comfortable. Especially when the sun was unblocked by high clouds, then the solar effect of the open fields collecting and reflecting the suns energy made it even warmish.  

Winds in the higher altitudes increased in the mid to late afternoon, but no rockets drifted out of the fields boundary unless it decided to turn and fly over that way on its own first.

Somebody brought out a box of a dozen or so really nice 3-D printed “C” motor sized rockets. Red nose cone, black body and fins. No motor retainer so a friction fit will work, complete with shock cord and simple streamer. Really tough and durable. We really would like to thank the guy, so THANKS, Good Stuff.

 (This was Dave & Michael Strunk BTW)

Brenda took the lead looking out for us and had the hand washing, cleaning and mask requirements under control plus cleaning the tables, pens, pencils and common table items. Doc Russell had brought out a case of sanitizer and supplies last month.

We all took precautions, but with the wide outdoors we felt pretty safe. Most remembered to utilize their masks with occasional periods of forgetting in the excitement. But we can do better and will need too next launch. Its getting worse.

Ken Allen of Performance Hobbies,

Ken was there and as always, providing some essential, desperately needed item, a lost part, tube, epoxy, nosecone, motor or brick-a-brack. You know…, that stuff.

LOST AND FOUND.     Roy has Terry Baucom’s lost 29/240 motor caseing.

Check the box for a few nose cones, and a few other odd items.

Farmer Kip brought a fresh red big daddy sized nose cone as we were cleaning up.

As a note, when you are walking across the fields on the trek to locate your latest launch, keep your eyes open on the ground for anything. Not all motor casings look alike. Also there are mini altimeters, nosecones, motor retainers, ect.

Pictures. Check the Gallery for launch photo’s.    Come on, We see everyone is    taking photo’s.   Lets Get them onto the ROCC Club WEB Site Gallery.

Just contact Doc Russell at rocketrycarolina@gmail.com, “or” as some have done, pass it on a disk, memory card or flash drive

ROCC Club Membership (along with the Raffle sales) covers the costs of maintaining the launch equipment, supplies and our association fees with the “National Association of Rocketry” and the “Tripoli Rocketry Association” plus covers our insurance.

For memberships, check with Brenda Marshall, our Membership Officer, out at the launch site. ( Or check the Club web site on line for any new updated information At= WWW. RocketryCarolina.org). 

At this time, Ask Brenda first about how to do any checks.

ROCC Club “T” Shirt’s, are limited right now but can be purchased as the supplies last until a new source is obtained. Check on styles and colors available at the launch.

Sunday, 17 January, 2021.

We had  26   fliers,  and flew  76 flights and burnt an even  100 motors.

This includes all  clusters and  multi-stage flights

A= 9,   B= 10,   C= 27,   D= 16,   E= 7,   F= 9,   G= 7,   H= 11,   I= 4,   J= 0,   K= O.

Remember, what I write is influenced by your penmanship and spelling.

Also, with the surprise of discovering there were not enough launch slips, we ended up reusing and making improvised launch slips so some flights may have skipped being recorded. NO problem, I’ve got 600 new launch cards available for use.

Spencer Welland flew his LOC “Athena” twice. First on a H133-8, apogee deployment for a Tripoli L-1 Certification flight, Then on a H90-5 in a drag race with Vic’c Green Athena on a H133-7. Vic got the speed on takeoff and flight, but Spencer got the altitude with a longer burning motor. Vic did get down faster as his ejection did not work and darted.

Vic Welland, besides flying his “Green Athena” in the drag race, it flew on a H90-7, apogee deployment for his L-1 Cert flight. And he also flew a Estes “Renegade” 2 stage, first with the main stage alone on a C6-5 then the 2 stg on a C6 to a C6-5. I love it when the staging works.

ACHS TARC Team, Drake, Auston, Culver, Brevon and Hunter. Flew the “Corn Stalk Killer” on F39-6’s and F59-6’s on TARC test flights for egg, altitude and times.

Paul Kraemer flew his “Vertical Assault” on a I345 with a electronic deployment at 500ft. The “7-Up” flew with a 7 motor cluster of mini A3-4t’s and a EggTimer deployment. The “Swarm” flew with a cluster of 12, C6-7’s. (not really sure if it flew or not, someone was having a problem with a cluster).His classic “LOC-IV” flew on a G125-7 with a Jolly Logic deployment at 400ft. The “No Name III” flew on a I280 dm sparky with an apogee deployment. His “Trivecta 318” flew a 3 motor cluster of C6-5’s using a Mach Buster fiberglass  kit body. It flew well, just without the mach or altitude.  May try the Q-Jet “D” motors next.

Blaine Seaboalt ( Model Rocket TV on facebook) came out to film and interview and to get a flight or two in himself. He flew a “Der Red Starliner x 1.3” on a C6-5. He has an Estes “Goliath” he carries around for when the opportunity presents itself. So he got in two flights on C6-5’s including the last flight of the day at 4:28pm.

Ron Crosier flew a “Sprint” on B6-4’s and a “Shrike” 2stage twice on a C6 to B6-4’s. He also has a nice “Goblin” (all goblins look nice) that flew on D12-5’s and 7’s and a “X-Ray” that flew on a A8-3. Ron’s “Constellation-D” flew on a D12-5 and a “Ranger” with a 3 motor cluster of B6-4’s.

Jill and Broody, a mother and young son beginner team, got one of the 3-D printed rockets that were donated and got in two flights on a B6-4. It dosen’t have a built in motor retainer so you have to use a “friction fit” motor retention which she didn’t understand so the first motor ejected. The 3-D rocket is tough and just needed to be wiped off to be re-flown.

Those were really nice 3-D printed rockets, thanks for whoever donated a box of them at the sign-in table.

Mike McKeon flew a nice “Zephyer”, once on a H242 then a H550-10 (that was a fast take off) with a Jolly Logic deployment at 400ft. His “Big Goblin” flew 3 times, on a H130, a H219-8 and a really fast H550-10 with J/L deployments at 400ft. Really great flights and recovery’s. Got to love those Jolly Logic chute release systems. Mike also flew a “Blue Ninja” on a D12-3 and a Estes “Big Daddy” on D12-5’s in drag races with Kevon.

Kevin Donovan flew his Estes “Big Daddy” “Mike made me do this” on D12-3’s in drag races with Mike. I don’t know who it was but he got down first twice by darting, the ejection charges went off but didn’t push off the nose.

Doc Russell brought out his rocket “Tigger” (from Whinie the Pooh fame). First motor was a H128 (this usually happens to me) that sat on the pad and “Chuffed and Chuffed” like the little steam engine that couldn’t. Of course, that burned through the delay so the ejection charge went off on the pad popping the chute out while it kept Chuffing away on the pad till the motor finished and burned out. What can you say but, it will happen to you too. OK, a little clean-up and a new motor and “Tigger” is ready with a H165-8 for a great flight with a J/L deployment at 500ft.

WIHS TARC Rocket Team test flew their competition rocket B.A.R.T. on F36-7’s for altitude, time and a egg cargo.

Caleb Knight flew the big “H” on a G80-7, apogee deployment for a successful flight and recovery.

David Strunk (glad to see you guys back) flew a 3-D printed “V-2” with the launch rod guide built into the body along the center tube line. Really nice and smooth looking. It flew nice on a F59-9, apogee deployment.

Michael Strunk flew the “Strunk II” on a C6-5 and then a naked (unpainted) Large “Der Red Maxx” on a G131-7, apogee deployment for a great flight.

Dan Rushing flew a Estes-? “V-2” in the yellow/black paint pattern on a E12-4, a “Black Brant III” flew  on a B6-4 and a really nice looking scale spaceship “Odeysses” on a D12-3 that was noted “Will Turn to the Left” and when it cleared the rod, it did in deed turn left into a nice graceful flight.

Matt Rushing flew the “Helio-Copter” (like the Estes Cobra, nose helicopter return, body on a chute) on a C6-5. The “Slo-Mo” flew on a C6-3 that is designed with Air Drag to keep the assent slow. Interesting designed fins and slots in the body. He also had a competition class “Helicopter Duration” “Rotery-R” on a A10-3t that our NAR contest flier Barb would like.

Hayden Kerkhoff flew a Naked (unpainted) Estes “Interceptor” on a C6-5.

Chris Hinteg, I know the guy so I feel bad I couldn’t recognize the spelling of his name. I first saw his “T-Loc” at a  Hendersonville launch. It’s a interesting fin design which flew on a G77-7r with a J/L deployment at 400ft. His “High Flyer XXL” flew on a H128-10w.

Mike Nay flew a small Mini “Cow-a-Bunga-A” on a F20-7w off the HP pad just for the extra rail length, and it did take off for a great flight. His “Wild Man Demon” flew on a G80-9 with a Egg altimeter for chute deployment. His “Saturn V” (B?) flew on a D12-5.

Leaton Jones flew the “Shadow Hawk” on a G54-7 with a J/L deployment at 400ft. The “Whistling Death” flew on a D16-6. A scale missile “SA-12” flew on a D12-5. His “Aspire” flew on a E16.

Scott Pennington (only 4 flights Scott? Usually you have a fleet of 9 or more.) Scott’s “Black Dogg” flew on a E12-4, his “Vaga Bond” flew on a E12-4 and the elegant futuristic “Cosmo-2” also flew on a E12-4. His “Merc Red Stone” flew on a D12-5 that looped-D-looped with no crew survivors.

Jeremy wagner flew the “Gungnier”? on a I345 plugged motor with a electronic apogee ejection and then a J/L deployment at 800ft. (I think this was the test of the chute ejection coming out from the inside of the nose cone that will go to Black Rock on top of a 80’000ft flight rocket.) (I could be wrong).

Lenier Rhyne Rocket Goons, Rocket Team, test flew the “Trash Bear” on a I450 with a streamer at apogee then Stratologger deployment at 450ft.

Dwane Dominic flew a “Big “Big Bertha”  on a E16-6 and his also much bigger “Big Gold” that flew on a H143-13s with a J/L deployment at 500ft which was really close. 13 seconds is a lot of “fall time”. I think the J/L released in the tube at 500ft, then the motor ejection popped the chute out ready to inflate at the last second.

Trent Dominic flew a smaller “Gold” on a much less complicated E12-6 successfully.

Layton unk? Flew a “Striker” on a G33-6 with a J/L deployment at 400ft.

OK, that was fun. A bit chilly but that’s our winter season.

Watch the Facebook postings and web site for future launch’s.

Just remember, keep the pointy end up and your exhaust nozzle clear.