February 20th Launch report

The One-day Sunday Launch, 20 February 2022 Post-Launch Report.

It was a cold start first thing in the morning when we started setting up around 9:30 but noticed we were building up a light sweat with all the hustling with the setup .

For most the day it was cool enough for just a heavy shirt or sweatshirt and other times a lot of guys were down to T-shirts. It was also very sunny, the open field is like a solar collector helping to keep the temperatures comfortable. And as I noticed when I got home and looked in the mirror, my face had a nice bright shade of red from a mild sunburn effect.  Overall, we had a great day, some excitement, maybe two loss’s, a couple of “on the pad” Kato’s, and enough SMALL grass fires from “Sparky’s” and “Kato’s” and even a LP Estes “normal” launch that still spat out an exhaust spark. We ended up using all the water in the two large pressurized extinguishers and so had to halt any additional “Sparky’s” for the rest of the day.

Even when the ground is mowed in advance of our launch, you may not believe how much “Thatch” there is just above the ground surface unnoticed but easily flammable. We are always aware and on the lookout, but it can still catch us off guard.

One time I was preparing to launch the next flight when spectators were yelling “FIRE” and I first thought that I was being too slow when actually they had spotted a small fire starting under a LP pad. Yep, we  have eyes everywhere.

Ken Allen of Performance Hobbies,

Ken was there meeting all our needs in motors, casings, kits for beginners, parts and all those necessities we just have to have.

LOST AND FOUND

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

As a note, when you are walking across the fields, 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.  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  covers the costs of maintaining the launch equipment, supplies and our association fees with the “National Association of Rocketry” and the “Tripoli Rocketry Association” covering our insurance.

(Remember, the Donation Box goes to the Land Owner. Please Donate.)

For memberships, check it out at the launch site. We also now have new envelopes with a membership form that can be picked up and mailed back.

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 20  February 2022

We had  18   fliers,  and flew  48 flights and burnt   82 motors.

This includes all   clusters and   multi-stage  flights

A= 5,   B= 4,   C= 6,   D= 15,   E= 16,   F= 16,   G= 8,   H= 10,   I= 2,   J= 0,   K= 0.

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

Michael Hollowell. Welcome back, we’ve followed your travels on-line you globe trotter. Well he first flew his 3-D printed Whirl+Hurl spinning helo-disk on a long burning “E6-rct”, a plugged motor for launching gliders, that reached a very impressive altitude.

His Purple Krazon built from a large Purple Crayon bank, flew on a “H148-9” with a Jolly/Logic chute deployment at 500ft.

Then he showed what those “E6-rct” motors were for with his Dyna-Soar Kit, the  Aurora Clipper glider. It lifted up gracefully to altitude than went into glide mode under Mich’s radio control to a smooth landing on the edge of the runway. Very impressive.

Doc Russell flew a Boyce Aerospace Model scale Space-X Dragon on a “E30-7” for a good flight but the shock cord broke but, survived damage free. The Star Cruiser flew on a “F67-7” with a good J/L deployment at 400ft. His old faithful Tigger flew on a cti “H163-?” with another good J/L 400ft deployment.

I missed this next one, his very great scratch designed and built Pan-Am Orion space liner from the movie 2001 a Space Odyssey. She flew on a “H110-?” with a J/L deployment at 400ft. I don’t remember any cries of anguish, so I assume it was a great flight.

Rocket Ralph Roberts flew his old classic Cosmic Staff of Azul from Monty Python fame with no major changes other than a new nose cone throughout the years.  The Staff flew on a “H133-9” with a J/L deployment at 300ft. He flew last months unpainted Estes? Red Nova, this time with its white primer on a “D12-5” nice.

Prof Doug Knight flew a nice 4inch LOC V-2 on a “H226-?” Skidmark (sparky). I’m sure he got it back but it looked like it was going to be a bit of a walk. Doug also flew the Transmagnifier on a “F20-6” just fine.

Mark Bartkowiak flew his Golden Snit on a “F15-8” (looks like Estes P-II Executioner) fine. The sci-fi Rysilian Swamper flew well on a “C6-5”.

Sandy Houston, another old timer, welcome back dude. He flew Needs a name on a “C6-5” and the Estes sci-fi Space Clipper on a “E9-4”. Blue Bird Zero flew on a “C6-5” while a mini Tiny Alpha flew on a mini “A3-4T”. All good flights.

Erica Owens flew her Estes Bull Pup on a “B6-4”. Her laser cut kit Snowflake flew on a mini “A10-3T” fine. (Fins are laser cut snowflakes). Her Estes Baby Bertha flew on a “C6-5” and her Estes Fat Boy on a “B6-4”.

Allen Deal flew a Estes Blue Ninja  twice on “E12-6’s”.

Young Eva Martell enthusiastically flew her Estes Viking on a “A8-3”, then a “B6-4” then  the Miss Aurora Sky Ferry flew three times on” D12-5’s”, each time carrying small 3-D printed blue bunnies as payloads. Her Murder Mystery Rocket (a Hallmark Movie Channel Fan?) flew on a “B6-4”.

Roy Potter. Myself, I was showing off my rear ejection rockets with big holed donut chutes. OK, I’m weird. White-1 flew on a “D12-5”, Yellow-2 flew on a “E12-4”, Blue-3  flew on a “F20-4” and a “F32-4”, Orange-4 flew on a “G38-4” then I jumped up to the White-7 on a “G79-4”. (alas, my last flight attempt in the last rack of the day did not fly because of what sometimes happens when we rush. I didn’t notice that I missed hooking up the igniter. There’s always the next time.)

Jacob Gray flew a Un-Named Project-009 on a “F30-8” and a “F44-8”, a Estes? High Flyer on a Q-Jet “D20-8”. His small and light weight two stage DOS (two) lifted on a “D12” to another “D12-7” to never be seen again.

Sarah Pusey also had a Estes Viking and flew twice on “A8-3’s” and her Sky Ferry twice on “D12-5’s” having lots of fun in the process.

Paul Kraemer had LOC-IV (a true efficient good looking kit) that flew on a long slow burning “H73-6” to get a really great altitude with a apogee deployment at the top and with no real wind to speak of, made a safe field landing. A Mach-1 fiberglass kit Trifecta 318 three motor cluster kit flew with a three “D24-10” cluster.

Paul’s Mini Cobra-III flew a cluster of three cti “F51-10’s” with an estimated alt of 2,784ft. The Ultimate  flew a 4 motor cluster of one center “H210” with three  outboard “G72-?”  metal storms with a successful dual deployment around 500ft? Paul’s nice No Name-II flew on a “I305-10” apogee deployment with another great field landing.

Doug Harsch (SP?) flew a classic LOC Weasel well on a “F52-8” and a “G40-10”. A scratch build from various leftovers, G-3 flew on a “F50-6” sparky and then a fire safe “F51-7”.His LOC IQSY Tomahawk, on a “G46-8” suffered a forward closure failure on the pad  that he posted and you have probably seen on line by now. His Wildman kit Gizmo flew on a A/T “H133-7” with no problem. His very nice and big LOC Black Brant-X  flew on a “I280-10” sparky with a dual deployment at unk altitude.

Scott Pennington always brings out a good selection to play with. His Estes? V-2 flew on a “D12-6”. His Javelin flew on a “E12-4”, while Li’L Stella flew on a “F15-6”. The three motor cluster Tri-Fecta flew on three “E12-4’s”. The Cosmo flew on a “E12-4” and a real nice scale Nike Zeus flew on a “H550-8” with a J/L deployment at 300ft. His scale Bull Pup flew on a “E20-4”, the Odessey flew on a “D12-5” and a nice scale Nike Ajax flew on a “F67-9”.

Randy Selman flew the Estes? Spirit  on a “C6-5”. A Lance Delta flew on a “G80-7” with a J/L deployment at 400ft. His nice looking Estes NASA Trajector started with a “E16-6” that suffered a forward closure failure just off the pad that snuffed itself out. His Falcon-9 flew on a “E12-6” fine, but his 4inch Little John on a “H550-7” failed to eject the nose with the chute bundle so impacted ballistic in a far field requiring what we call “The Shovel Recovery System”. He didn’t know the cause. He’s going to do a proper autopsy later at home.

Gilbert Barnhart also flew a Estes? Spirit on a “C6-5”, good flight.

Trent Dominick flew a big bertha looking Gold-1 on a “E12-6” with a video camera. Maybe we will see it on our face book or web site gallery. His red and white, Red, White minus the Blue flew great on a “F67-4”.

OK. This was actually a good day to fly and we all think, along with everything, we all had a great time. It really entertained the first time visitors.

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

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