1) Always start with the PML Small Endeavor just to calm the nerves. G79SS up
and back no worries.
2) Wildman - painted this time! - K660 to 10840 feet. Tried to use the Rocket
Hunter tracking system but it wouldn't function. As it turned out I didn't need
it as it dropped just over the west hill into the wheat field - 10 min recovery.
Nice start to the big stuff.
3a) Tomahawk - got the big bird together with the 98mm 2 grain CTI L610
motor. This is a Performance Rocketry kit however using G-12 rather than G-10
and a fin can. Still weighed in at 39 lbs on the pad so I needed a 10 ft rail to
get it up to speed with this motor. We got it out and set on the pad as we were
heading toward closing time for the waiver. The button was hit and the igniter
blew out. arg! Roy Jenkins brought me a new one right away but alas the waiver
had closed. Turns out I should have read the instructions closer with this
motor. That little plastic cap DOES have a purpose. You need to put it on to
hold the igniter but not so far as to block all the holes or it will blow out!
Right there in print - RTFM Brad! However this is where the real fun starts. I
was trying to use my new G-Wiz DCS flight computer. It has one software glitch
right now, it wouldn't turn off! That turned out to be a real problem with a 10
ft, 39 lb rocket on the pad with redundant computers and thus redundant charges
totalling 24 grams of BP and not knowing if it would blow if we laid the thing
out. So with the help of Jim Wilkerson, Scott Bowers, Kent and Andy I climbed
the ladder and started to dismantle it on the pad. With the payload off and two
charges cut away now the fun began, I had to hold the AV bay without moving
while Jim and Scott slid the booster away. I can still hear Scott saying over
and over, "Jim look down not up!". Once the booster was down Scott, the only
other one with glasses cut away the last two charges while I stood on a 6 foot
ladder holding the bay and charges at a very uncomfortable height.... :). Thanks
to all for the great help!!!!
3b) The Tomahawk again - this time without the DCS. That Perfect Flight MAWD
looks awlful small in that 6" bay. This time up without issue to 5294 ft and
recovered right over the north hill just at the edge of the swamp. However, I
forgot to attach the pilot chute and deployment bag to anything so they came
down on their own, thankfully right next to the rocket although we still
succeeded in leaving them out in the field and had to send Core back out for
them later.
4) The Beast - painted finally as well! - this was supposed to go up on a
75mm L1115 to over 13k but with no tracking I oppt'ed for a K570. Lovely flight
to..... well, you tell me the G-Wiz MC got confused and reported Max Altitude of
1626 ft, Max Altitude Barometric 4353 ft, Max Altitude Integrated 9397 ft and
shows a graph of barometric altitude of ~3500 ft. It's anyones guess. It two
however landed very close by this time to the east with someone spotting it and
sending Core and I right there with minimal searching. We had now dropped
rockets each direction other than the crowd.
5) Ultimate Endeavor - this big bad boy was a challenge given it's phenolic
with two layers of 10oz glass (done by PML). Even with that it weighed less than
the Tomahawk but was tougher to get together. In reviewing my photo's I realized
how stupid I was here, I was using my mid-section to push the bay into the
payload since it was such a tight fit, however that left the 6 gram BP charge
hanging down below my belt!! (Between this and the adventure with the Tomahawk
it must be subliminal transferance of my reaction to my recent divorce, of
course that almost makes the actions redundant - anyway back to rockets.) Glad
nothing happened and have made note to be smarter in the future. This one was
going up on a central 54mm K660 with three 38mm J400SS. Another heavy lift out
to the pad with lots of great help from the usual suspects and we were ready to
go. I found myself most nervous about this one. It shot off beautifully with the
hot redish/white motor surrounded by the smokie sams! Lovely! It topped out at
6690 ft and came down just over the hill to the west, this one however had the
pilot and deployment bag in tact. I was really getting spoilled at this point.
6) The Ex - this is a highly modified PML Ariel that I built in various
peoples garages while in exile living out of a suitcase during the early days of
my divorce. It was supposed to go up on a 54mm J295 but ended up on a I350SS for
various reasons, including the wind. It topped out at 2910 ft and dropped just
over the west hill for another close recovery, the thing was supposed to go up
and never come back. :)
7) Makers Mark - I had been putting this one off. It was based on an Public
Enemy kit and is the only cardboard rocket I flew this weekend. It kept getting
damaged in transit, at the campsite, in the garage, etc. Perhaps it was just a
falling down drunk. :) I loaded it with 3 38mm I285's, had trouble with the
retaining system and had to drill new holes, chipped more paint putting in sheer
pins and rivets, guessing at chute sizing based on weigh, sigh, I was getting
worried. Not to mention that it was almost noon on Monday. Out to the pads wired
up and away we go. Jeeesh those 3 I's moved that thing off the pad fast.
Deployed perfectly and came down with no damage. All damage was done before
launch. Turned out to be the longest walk of the weekend just north of the
swamp. I'm glad I didn't put the three J330's in it I was thinking of.... :)
