Centuri Day...

Much has been going on lately - this year's TARC season is coming to a close, and there have been lots of flights made as the deadline nears. Unfortunately, I haven't been up for blogging - I was hit by a bout of bronchitis, which took me out for a few days, and recovery has been slow. However, the blog must not be neglected, so today's post is kind of a picture log of some flights made back on March 6. The birds that flew on that day were all Centuri clones, hence the title of this post.

My RX-7 clone on the pad, loaded with a B6-6 and

the Altus Metrum Micropeak altimeter (Click to

enlarge).

Liftoff of the RX-7 (Click to enlarge).

The GoPro camera view of the RX-7 leaving the rod. Note the flying igniter plug at right (Click to enlarge).

Proof that staging does not always yield higher altitudes for the equivalent impulse. Compare this plot from December 5 in which the RX-7 flew in its two stage configuration (A8-0/A8-5) to the one below it, which is the March 6 flight of the RX-7 on a single B6-6. The RX-7 went over 150 feet higher with the B6-6!

Next up was my Long Tom two stager, powered by a B6-0/B6-4 motor combination:

The motor in the Long Tom's lower stage ignites
(Click to enlarge).

The Long Tom descends to Earth under an orange rip
stop nylon parachute (Click to enlarge).

The Long Tom streaks up the rod (Click to enlarge).

The Long Tom was followed by my Screaming Eagle clone, propelled by a B6-4:

The Screaming Eagle on the pad (Click to enlarge).

And in motion (Click to enlarge).

My last two flights involved clones of a couple of Centuri science fiction rockets. First was the Vector V, first released way back in 1972. Back then, I put a several into Oz by stuffing C6-7's into them; age has moderated me a bit, so this flight was on an A8-3:

The Vector V on the pad (Click to enlarge).

Smoke billows out from the bottom just before liftoff
(Click to enlarge).

Finally, my Taurus clone, on a B6-4:

My Taurus looking pretty on the pad (Click to enlarge).

The Taurus clears the rod (Click to enlarge).

The Taurus heading up into the blue sky (Click to enlarge).