tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22084225944915252002024-02-18T23:29:17.439-08:00Rocketeer's CornerBill Cookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06558809516739170745noreply@blogger.comBlogger284125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2208422594491525200.post-50639770264828179852022-05-21T15:21:00.001-07:002022-05-21T15:22:10.678-07:00Some quick numbers from the 2022 TARC Finals...<p>The 2021-2022 TARC Finals were held last weekend in northern Virginia. No Huntsville teams made it into the top 100, though 6 teams from Alabama (5 from north Alabama) did compete at the Finals. Of these 6, four were in the top 42 of round one and advanced to round 2. Alabama ended up with two teams in the top 25 - Tharptown, which finished in the money at #10, and Muscle Shoals, which was #20. These teams will receive invitations to participate in the NASA Student Launch Program next year, and I wish them well - it will be a very busy time for those students!</p><p>Trip Barber just sent out the stats of the flights conducted at the Finals - 1st round had 810 feet as the altitude goal and 860 feet was the target of the second. My natural instinct is to fiddle with numbers and that PDF full of stats was just too tempting for me to pass up. It also gave me an excuse to try extracting tables from PDF documents - something that I had never tried before. Turns out it's pretty easy - at least on a Mac. Anyway, on to the graphs...</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcMaBPaSORRz9HZrjz5xBjm4hQh65lo_C-8lgdZ4xJ9oA93rv1tXO4EI5UUSG0pnICtMNCwv0-Rtkt_MTA9G1omlJOSQ1GNlUTZvPoulnMEHTaoja-2m5VcesuMXee00p0C5YtM-c-LX9tIjmhzsbhenJvOn_vAONRjdvZtSnETgn6Mo5jqwff1szj/s1852/2022_Top_100_motors.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1191" data-original-width="1852" height="373" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcMaBPaSORRz9HZrjz5xBjm4hQh65lo_C-8lgdZ4xJ9oA93rv1tXO4EI5UUSG0pnICtMNCwv0-Rtkt_MTA9G1omlJOSQ1GNlUTZvPoulnMEHTaoja-2m5VcesuMXee00p0C5YtM-c-LX9tIjmhzsbhenJvOn_vAONRjdvZtSnETgn6Mo5jqwff1szj/w640-h412/2022_Top_100_motors.png" width="580" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Motor choices of the TARC teams attending the 2021-2022 Finals (Click to enlarge).</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p>The above plot shows the breakdown of motors used by the 100 teams attending the Finals. Note that the Aerotech F39 was the most popular motor, accounting for 25% of the motors flown in round 1. It was followed by the Cesaroni F59, with Duane's favorite TARC motor, the Aerotech F32, coming in a distant 3rd. Exactly two-thirds of the finalists used reloads and 70% of the motors were made by Aerotech. This changes a bit when we look at the same information for the 42 teams making it to round 2:</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxOZKMBuR1dSMrfkQvg8fHnbY1YBPWJuR6rvok5cxBytArTXkwP4nFVdLarH63ejUGiY5dq66ijVjITJHaDL7Tw-f-M_BbMswkUn7J2ENn5F-O0DIHTMzro_danIOGA16JAFN9CmXi5_fln2BUw4u_OPReKVss_LhHOGCBPJdEQts9J_A9WM6PWPJd/s1852/2022_Top_42_motors.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1191" data-original-width="1852" height="373" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxOZKMBuR1dSMrfkQvg8fHnbY1YBPWJuR6rvok5cxBytArTXkwP4nFVdLarH63ejUGiY5dq66ijVjITJHaDL7Tw-f-M_BbMswkUn7J2ENn5F-O0DIHTMzro_danIOGA16JAFN9CmXi5_fln2BUw4u_OPReKVss_LhHOGCBPJdEQts9J_A9WM6PWPJd/w640-h412/2022_Top_42_motors.png" width="580" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Motor choices of the final 42 at the 2021-2022 TARC Finals (Click to enlarge).</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br />Here the number of F39's increases to 33% of the total. Reloads account for nearly 74%, and the Aerotech share increases to 76%.<br /><p>Ever since TARC instituted two altitude goals at Finals (one high and one low), I have always wondered whether it was easier for the teams to go higher or lower. I suspected that it would be easier to hit the low mark, as TARC teams making it into the top 100 would have had plenty of practice adjusting weight, etc. to bring their rockets' altitudes down. Not so much the other direction. The 2021-2022 Finals data give me a chance to see if my guess was right, at least for the recent season.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXD_FrDtzt7UrdyQVFUAMKP058N0g-BdxwQKEYAojRVDP3AWl-NLCMMFY1AZU9C9gGcuQ2vN2yx0JbUFEiKd2fDECUF90n73W83MfLoRWUT14D80SjQ5SyvVzaaGJKo-LtYQeyOPrw_uv0L4I3gcQwbM-O5M32fN0xMprNwNgnWL_be4GhV2DFY_ZO/s1852/2022_Top_100_altitude.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1191" data-original-width="1852" height="373" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXD_FrDtzt7UrdyQVFUAMKP058N0g-BdxwQKEYAojRVDP3AWl-NLCMMFY1AZU9C9gGcuQ2vN2yx0JbUFEiKd2fDECUF90n73W83MfLoRWUT14D80SjQ5SyvVzaaGJKo-LtYQeyOPrw_uv0L4I3gcQwbM-O5M32fN0xMprNwNgnWL_be4GhV2DFY_ZO/w640-h412/2022_Top_100_altitude.png" width="580" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Altitude scores of the teams attending the 2021-2022 TARC Finals (Click to enlarge).</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Looking at the above plot we see that the mean difference between the altimeter altitudes and the 810 foot goal was about 6 feet on the low side (i.e., average altitude was 804 feet). The dashed red lines give the one standard deviation bounds, which correspond to 38 feet above and below the average. In computing these numbers, I have thrown out flights with absurd altitudes or those that were disqualified.</p><p>Now let's look at the same data for the final 42:</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxxoxVi7a6N6XrvQnlljtvj-4ZuzhWVgIIxdp0IY4EpA1IKS5barPeWzigICuKA5_TqmSTEusNsPxY4YSnr2wjRcgJ70ZPInOVO0rkTeEpocEAR4xGOP3vOZoy3q7PK6ZJqtS2SLpRTR1zAb9DOIDnJHVSrlid1maPNVxHiTbAwEMa0Y6WmGuRI3EP/s1852/2022_Top_42_altitude.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1191" data-original-width="1852" height="373" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxxoxVi7a6N6XrvQnlljtvj-4ZuzhWVgIIxdp0IY4EpA1IKS5barPeWzigICuKA5_TqmSTEusNsPxY4YSnr2wjRcgJ70ZPInOVO0rkTeEpocEAR4xGOP3vOZoy3q7PK6ZJqtS2SLpRTR1zAb9DOIDnJHVSrlid1maPNVxHiTbAwEMa0Y6WmGuRI3EP/w640-h412/2022_Top_42_altitude.png" width="580" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Altitude scores of teams in the final 42 at the 2021-2022 TARC Finals (Click to enlarge).</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p>In round 2 the average difference was also low, but by 25 feet - 4 times the round 1 difference. The scatter is also larger; 55 feet as opposed to 38 for the opening round. I noticed that 860 feet - 25 feet is 835 feet, meaning that the round 2 average is the same as the altitude mark the teams had to hit for their qualification flights. This implies that most of the teams in the second round did not really know how to adjust their rocket to make it go higher; perhaps they fell back on the configurations that got them to the Finals in the first place? The round 2 scores were certainly worse, by almost a factor of 2 (average of 95 in round 2 versus 55 in round 1) - which lends some support to my hypothesis. However, the weather was pretty bad at Finals this year, and it's hard to rule out worse conditions in round 2 as a cause.</p><p>I guess I am going to have to see if the trend is there next year...</p>Bill Cookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06558809516739170745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2208422594491525200.post-87643004030902392552022-04-30T11:49:00.000-07:002022-04-30T11:49:05.422-07:00New member of the fleet and pics from the last HARA launch of the season...<p>So I finished the Skylance - it turned out AOK. Now to apply primer to the Centuri Sabre and move on to the next project - whatever that is.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs1pxzRvi01iDYt4Dp5i_kbTxazE7dzZsD-6nz_q3tMY1UulKJO4-4_XaWTbi06-5_O6cBjS3xHKOBXmMFgurMzuxWk4onBtzOv7AaXAxZfjDvARoEE3kBUgDAr2saxRlRZyIwKwxUk7YTxwRyfkCiPft7-vd1gYmPoAnYur3t9P7iYK12RtueoPLF/s3800/IMG_1919.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3800" data-original-width="1523" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs1pxzRvi01iDYt4Dp5i_kbTxazE7dzZsD-6nz_q3tMY1UulKJO4-4_XaWTbi06-5_O6cBjS3xHKOBXmMFgurMzuxWk4onBtzOv7AaXAxZfjDvARoEE3kBUgDAr2saxRlRZyIwKwxUk7YTxwRyfkCiPft7-vd1gYmPoAnYur3t9P7iYK12RtueoPLF/w256-h640/IMG_1919.jpeg" width="256" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Finished Skylance (Click to enlarge).</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p>HARA held its last launch of the 2021-2022 flying season back on April 9. I had to pass because of work, but the skies were mostly clear and the temps comfortable. However, the wind sucked; 3 high power rockets (level 1 certification models) were hung high in the trees, and so far we only have been able to retrieve one. Make that most of one - a part of it is still hanging in the tree. </p><p>Anyway, Patrick and others passed on some pictures for the launch album on the HARA FaceBook page and I thought I would share a few below. Next time I expect to fly is Memorial Day weekend - I am going to launch more than my usual 4 or 5, I think. Have to come out of this dry spell properly.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS43FBdNsM09tvYRfto2N2bHuEgeSSD9mcWFtJvGYRbAWktN_gJjLC_mb6WneHZd8unyA08G7jI7F0CJKwdywO4cgtSlcVvSjdainUWej5A5gdZ-PLzYkHP2RbsXV1a9480k2vbg4QFDIsmY7zj8J4zpuJpXLoW8LPs_0OCWdO-8gmQN5lZ-b8v0-I/s4928/DSC_5126.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="4928" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS43FBdNsM09tvYRfto2N2bHuEgeSSD9mcWFtJvGYRbAWktN_gJjLC_mb6WneHZd8unyA08G7jI7F0CJKwdywO4cgtSlcVvSjdainUWej5A5gdZ-PLzYkHP2RbsXV1a9480k2vbg4QFDIsmY7zj8J4zpuJpXLoW8LPs_0OCWdO-8gmQN5lZ-b8v0-I/w640-h424/DSC_5126.jpeg" width="580" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">A Student Launch team watches the sky while waiting for RSO check <br />(Photo by Patrick Morrison - Click to enlarge).<br /><br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDYVRLO8JxtSctSATnbb0zEx6NZ05wv5jP2AbNic4GTLDTO1iv3usPaghc840_-F-DhQJByVY5mmughRvXGJwRGD7S8fRUdaB3UCPh-xQeueoij9GdC8sl5ajxPE-1cWDokrOfV3IsQzGIhRkyR_LIDgr8SoMf3IQvbgKXHtvLdkYrLyZX791LpecB/s1548/278342350_5363827386995021_7564647941183038703_n.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1548" data-original-width="1152" height="389" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDYVRLO8JxtSctSATnbb0zEx6NZ05wv5jP2AbNic4GTLDTO1iv3usPaghc840_-F-DhQJByVY5mmughRvXGJwRGD7S8fRUdaB3UCPh-xQeueoij9GdC8sl5ajxPE-1cWDokrOfV3IsQzGIhRkyR_LIDgr8SoMf3IQvbgKXHtvLdkYrLyZX791LpecB/w298-h400/278342350_5363827386995021_7564647941183038703_n.jpeg" width="290" /></a></td><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP6-vbt1jjyzC3zGNdodFIjLo4ZX7GqbYyAYj_VSGFPfVmnYhjWbYP-1IkMbIufilGcLaLN6kAAFIzrBG99qivghdFhDWu1jgxRqXH-UZWNeJvu40okPQWk-jrfeUSkge_YImV9ZVC-9pHb_UO5FTa3bFuMzSMgJLmidGHAAHanFuoCjEgqRwotinN/s1548/278359460_5363827366995023_2060210181060556356_n.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1548" data-original-width="1152" height="389" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP6-vbt1jjyzC3zGNdodFIjLo4ZX7GqbYyAYj_VSGFPfVmnYhjWbYP-1IkMbIufilGcLaLN6kAAFIzrBG99qivghdFhDWu1jgxRqXH-UZWNeJvu40okPQWk-jrfeUSkge_YImV9ZVC-9pHb_UO5FTa3bFuMzSMgJLmidGHAAHanFuoCjEgqRwotinN/w298-h400/278359460_5363827366995023_2060210181060556356_n.jpeg" width="290" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Top of Patrick's umbrella rocket (Photo by<br />Doug Aguilar - Click to enlarge).</span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The backside of the umbrella rocket (Photo by<br />Doug Aguilar - Click to enlarge).</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWqCAVut5y4ps8yfcWiGcV4JK-kDY8_5mGpgB5htyoIgBzdNAO3yDIHYSyNYUxgGY4RZ4qfwCWo-fBqW0r1QVp1osH2eUZ4i0n9Z87rcaPYU8Npdh4D9UlxYA54pkBjjqaZ06bsciYoiyGLCyjqmuR3OMG15rDfmyzs6WsVTa2lbJ2pSOOc9-h54Fw/s4928/DSC_5137.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="4928" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWqCAVut5y4ps8yfcWiGcV4JK-kDY8_5mGpgB5htyoIgBzdNAO3yDIHYSyNYUxgGY4RZ4qfwCWo-fBqW0r1QVp1osH2eUZ4i0n9Z87rcaPYU8Npdh4D9UlxYA54pkBjjqaZ06bsciYoiyGLCyjqmuR3OMG15rDfmyzs6WsVTa2lbJ2pSOOc9-h54Fw/w640-h424/DSC_5137.jpeg" width="580" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The umbrella rocket under power (Photo by Patrick Morrison - Click to enlarge).</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjIwu8gcIx-Wf68mdOwJgirQVMZccxjpgNjP7hI8__xmIYBz-RdxAlxyJwqBQ-4Tu-8G1f8_UaRu_z4Myv9UROVvb3MKajAxxBPtAd53_CNoKciIKtJrueCAPnJXUPCZGuz15ESMkmpsnzuffwQNCxg14anlLN9mNP7NtrDsdoPBPPgQWAwIKOPMmd/s3154/DSC_5322.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3154" data-original-width="2089" height="438" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjIwu8gcIx-Wf68mdOwJgirQVMZccxjpgNjP7hI8__xmIYBz-RdxAlxyJwqBQ-4Tu-8G1f8_UaRu_z4Myv9UROVvb3MKajAxxBPtAd53_CNoKciIKtJrueCAPnJXUPCZGuz15ESMkmpsnzuffwQNCxg14anlLN9mNP7NtrDsdoPBPPgQWAwIKOPMmd/w265-h400/DSC_5322.jpeg" width="290" /></a></td><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0KtIlvPDp94-kNUtDwDuDhEp-JHAh6qPSomlImfgMPAnQXf5r50s8pvKAAFuY99ZrQcLUhswmtyhMAtrA8YVR9NnceRZtBS-EA-KupA-CCHlRbMzS_6yEukzqkkLQQnUS99f55W-Nh8NhcalemkP1b1IwjWevzSHJWKPryE8kbVWpih1zayMSRd61/s4189/DSC_5394.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4189" data-original-width="2775" height="438" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0KtIlvPDp94-kNUtDwDuDhEp-JHAh6qPSomlImfgMPAnQXf5r50s8pvKAAFuY99ZrQcLUhswmtyhMAtrA8YVR9NnceRZtBS-EA-KupA-CCHlRbMzS_6yEukzqkkLQQnUS99f55W-Nh8NhcalemkP1b1IwjWevzSHJWKPryE8kbVWpih1zayMSRd61/w265-h400/DSC_5394.jpeg" width="290" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">R2D2 pops his top (Photo by Patrick<br />Morrison - Click to enlarge).</span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The 18mm motor inside an Estes Long Ranger<br />CATOs (Photo by Patrick Morrison - Click to enlarge).</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXx1n2MFbfLIbaKhV0fUmtFjo98itVxuPnRR2h9U0rom3256hOyPNpsQXBd9frGXUHrn33hsfmeCP0yckIqGoqo3BWioZ4G9INObi70ySSHadQC6ZG3jrqobVdMtYGlA7M3jPDJ83IPEJ3T2T1YbacsMIsO88NwbrP-LQbMvB98s_jklnM_jlZ84rw/s3930/DSC_5252.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3930" data-original-width="2603" height="438" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXx1n2MFbfLIbaKhV0fUmtFjo98itVxuPnRR2h9U0rom3256hOyPNpsQXBd9frGXUHrn33hsfmeCP0yckIqGoqo3BWioZ4G9INObi70ySSHadQC6ZG3jrqobVdMtYGlA7M3jPDJ83IPEJ3T2T1YbacsMIsO88NwbrP-LQbMvB98s_jklnM_jlZ84rw/w265-h400/DSC_5252.jpeg" width="290" /></a></td><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY5Zzs1vxZ1bSS5hLWd0ovylN58o4WEHXfES1lw7oCqeK7RLnFb5FHtuxuqA6V2bGbyQ4GQSdZadiMLDT2tRWWscI4d8HS2sPX1UN9PGDmbK7kTTdJKnJJScNyApw11YgX4kpxhgiriKYrB7kVX8i4YWSgtKmjDelOgrAdFsxB2R6BBhaVdv8PSagg/s4152/DSC_5506.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4152" data-original-width="2750" height="438" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY5Zzs1vxZ1bSS5hLWd0ovylN58o4WEHXfES1lw7oCqeK7RLnFb5FHtuxuqA6V2bGbyQ4GQSdZadiMLDT2tRWWscI4d8HS2sPX1UN9PGDmbK7kTTdJKnJJScNyApw11YgX4kpxhgiriKYrB7kVX8i4YWSgtKmjDelOgrAdFsxB2R6BBhaVdv8PSagg/w265-h400/DSC_5506.jpeg" width="290" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Student Launch rocket heads skyward<br />(Photo by Patrick Morrison - Click to enlarge).</span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Nice shot of a mid-power Crayon rocket<br />(Photo by Patrick Morrison - Click to enlarge).</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifxRnYIOAPgsHIueBpY5s2ObuO3dlYZsTC50uahSC8DRPf98R_qOmLZprrz7hGCDDVgUkRnQTbEKaUYjqcrJFzEjSOzRgb6IXlPZS2S14a3VSy0n2kPYoDk6nHC5rgv_Pu95Ww0fMDYjbLKjfz4iR7w2Uey3W5l1XOD32yuESkBI5NzmEbALpP96PQ/s1024/IMG_6999a.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="555" height="438" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifxRnYIOAPgsHIueBpY5s2ObuO3dlYZsTC50uahSC8DRPf98R_qOmLZprrz7hGCDDVgUkRnQTbEKaUYjqcrJFzEjSOzRgb6IXlPZS2S14a3VSy0n2kPYoDk6nHC5rgv_Pu95Ww0fMDYjbLKjfz4iR7w2Uey3W5l1XOD32yuESkBI5NzmEbALpP96PQ/w216-h400/IMG_6999a.jpeg" width="236" /></a></td><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWyGLysq3SzHFALHpdt2gY3ZXsU1OXmjeLBKm1gPqGQMCuJqlTyBEMkg_cCs6KW_OmFUJeyzmTDfcwzGRLWcUxpo4ppU09dxr6DEUy7LqF6Iot_miGGLPD_4-zCDwXQpWddY8rYZ_q-C9rvldqdD0YZEHlAzvz1StQXjmY_s6_DgZ_ZHdwWfsrzv_H/s3870/DSC_5602.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3870" data-original-width="2563" height="438" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWyGLysq3SzHFALHpdt2gY3ZXsU1OXmjeLBKm1gPqGQMCuJqlTyBEMkg_cCs6KW_OmFUJeyzmTDfcwzGRLWcUxpo4ppU09dxr6DEUy7LqF6Iot_miGGLPD_4-zCDwXQpWddY8rYZ_q-C9rvldqdD0YZEHlAzvz1StQXjmY_s6_DgZ_ZHdwWfsrzv_H/w265-h400/DSC_5602.jpeg" width="280" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Flyer posing by his Level 3 cert rocket<br />(Photo by Vince huegele - Click to enlarge).</span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">On its way to a successful Level 3 cert flight<br />(Photo by Patrick Morrison - Click to enlarge).</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh58vtUYsGB0E2y0cz_0Uk81u-YU7ORVv46nnniBG0OUCoht4KMKzr05FlUNuVlX3XXK0oFVd7cZ5QZZs_djSVwDflb6JJ9qCjoEujHEvrPOXfh4CLebMCmaxYJTiYtbl6oDDXb5PCJhILgbuxkV84ZJaBR-6NDeHJ4G3rr6p79LJ23pB3XwC8KY8c5/s3082/DSC_5532.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2041" data-original-width="3082" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh58vtUYsGB0E2y0cz_0Uk81u-YU7ORVv46nnniBG0OUCoht4KMKzr05FlUNuVlX3XXK0oFVd7cZ5QZZs_djSVwDflb6JJ9qCjoEujHEvrPOXfh4CLebMCmaxYJTiYtbl6oDDXb5PCJhILgbuxkV84ZJaBR-6NDeHJ4G3rr6p79LJ23pB3XwC8KY8c5/w640-h424/DSC_5532.jpeg" width="580" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Level 1 rocket hanging in tree (Photo by Patrick Morrison - Click to enlarge).</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2gwumDfxILjjQA04aUl7y3XrPkoZXP2tvWNcHTuwzEGc7eBPOQcY88Pn6-q4H4nbgP0dwQBj6G20NSEtCfH2C01MXtQ4Vq9Xbr1vDf7HCbUx8KrrreWld2u3jbDO77K8C77soVkSLGcnarrgqaPyXmoTGyAhs_boJi_2rz2K_JjEYOg14GJSiPXmv/s2065/DSC_5202.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1368" data-original-width="2065" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2gwumDfxILjjQA04aUl7y3XrPkoZXP2tvWNcHTuwzEGc7eBPOQcY88Pn6-q4H4nbgP0dwQBj6G20NSEtCfH2C01MXtQ4Vq9Xbr1vDf7HCbUx8KrrreWld2u3jbDO77K8C77soVkSLGcnarrgqaPyXmoTGyAhs_boJi_2rz2K_JjEYOg14GJSiPXmv/w640-h424/DSC_5202.jpeg" width="580" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Estes Olympus falling out of the sky (Photo by Patrick Morrison - Click to enlarge).</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGokpOqIgTzlb1HdDdqAAn-qoFZy1z5lrkvoE1Zhf52dgTkZtomeb1Gfn__UvcanIx5qECZ4uDHpYbjtTAzFJ1nLdGlx276rPPJTulAes80C6yL5mV7bJkY9YVB3hwgOr6xytxwcoCH-i4_-6V0Ee8klgO9AW9t-jeStF6bJKlOCEBy6fgaDuzHXdO/s3479/DSC_5449.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2304" data-original-width="3479" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGokpOqIgTzlb1HdDdqAAn-qoFZy1z5lrkvoE1Zhf52dgTkZtomeb1Gfn__UvcanIx5qECZ4uDHpYbjtTAzFJ1nLdGlx276rPPJTulAes80C6yL5mV7bJkY9YVB3hwgOr6xytxwcoCH-i4_-6V0Ee8klgO9AW9t-jeStF6bJKlOCEBy6fgaDuzHXdO/w640-h424/DSC_5449.jpeg" width="580" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Sometimes Estes parachutes do work... (Photo by Patrick Morrison - Click to enlarge).</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br />Bill Cookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06558809516739170745noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2208422594491525200.post-84303250278079813342022-04-24T15:52:00.001-07:002022-04-24T15:52:18.773-07:00The Estes MaxTrax rocket...<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRaDvNlMTQfVN-yq0tbiRiwOFoGh0PEJ2X83n1AAAG03CH-29T8-BLfDV9r7YSOkUrv5PgMcuGuFBXuq5wz_PhHSM0ofvT2jIi7N0VlMmdmJoKPfRmdF9QgQprzaUOSSgjBrtbk-FAyihQaavcEA85Cc8W6N0jT8WXTqQPc0iahbO16ZMHi-IWxfIy/s2000/0405211055.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1500" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRaDvNlMTQfVN-yq0tbiRiwOFoGh0PEJ2X83n1AAAG03CH-29T8-BLfDV9r7YSOkUrv5PgMcuGuFBXuq5wz_PhHSM0ofvT2jIi7N0VlMmdmJoKPfRmdF9QgQprzaUOSSgjBrtbk-FAyihQaavcEA85Cc8W6N0jT8WXTqQPc0iahbO16ZMHi-IWxfIy/w480-h640/0405211055.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Estes MaxTrax starter set (Click to enlarge).</td></tr></tbody></table><br />I recently acquired an Estes MaxTrax starter set (now out of production). The MaxTrax was a ready-to-fly BT-56 based rocket featuring an "altitude tracking capsule" that separated from the rocket at ejection. Slowed by a small streamer, it would fall to the ground at a constant speed; impact would stop the internal timer - which was triggered by a spring loaded switch at ejection - and the capsule would display the altitude, which was simply time of fall multiplied by the speed.<p></p><p>A 1990's application of an old idea based on some simple physics - first proposed in mid-1970, as rocketeers searched for an easier way to get the altitudes of their birds without having to use theodolites, which were cumbersome and hard to maintain. Back in 1974, <a href="http://www.billcooke.org/files/Ping_Pong_ball_altitude.pdf" target="_blank">Stephen Fentress</a> suggested that ping pong balls might be a good option, as they were standardized as far as size and weight. His data and calculations showed that a ping pong ball fell at about 28.5 feet per second, so timing the ball's fall and multiplying that number by 28.5 would produce the altitude in feet. The experiments for the RX-16 rocket in Centuri's Power System outfit also suggested using a ping pong ball to get the altitude, except that <a href="http://www.ninfinger.org/rockets/catalogs/centuri_pshandbook/cenrx16.html" target="_blank">the manual</a> rounded 28.5 to 30 feet per second (page 17). The MaxTrax was the latest rocket to use the concept, creating a capsule with an internal timer to eliminate the need to time the fall with a stop watch. It's also probably the last time this will be used in a commercial rocket - accurate, small and cheap electronic altimeters have eliminated the other methods used in rocketry for many decades. </p><p>Note - I wrote a bit more detail about this in a <a href="http://billsrockets.blogspot.com/2014/02/falling-objects-and-largely.html" target="_blank">blog post</a> 8 years ago. It was intended to be the first of a two-parter, but me being me, I never wrote the second piece.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUOiyaheFEj2oCXjkQ8YrVX-wbG7U1aR0P0x9jdwUImUOlQlMze2GM9RHnJfa-9yx4b7f2sA1COCJsPqRabhpxzcqZCT3Sr8GJyqa0x2nvZc3fLSxaW2JqhETMrazbCVxVNXZNVJ5xC-SWdwqjB0hNXJq9fURiOjxe1P2kbNyW1oZyjEd-kv9Yo3qO/s3332/IMG_1921.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3332" data-original-width="1346" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUOiyaheFEj2oCXjkQ8YrVX-wbG7U1aR0P0x9jdwUImUOlQlMze2GM9RHnJfa-9yx4b7f2sA1COCJsPqRabhpxzcqZCT3Sr8GJyqa0x2nvZc3fLSxaW2JqhETMrazbCVxVNXZNVJ5xC-SWdwqjB0hNXJq9fURiOjxe1P2kbNyW1oZyjEd-kv9Yo3qO/w161-h400/IMG_1921.jpeg" width="161" /></a></td><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqb7B_7_TF_jy_o0PhT56rDRBHWX1NQy5CRcf_3k394K5NoDT__UH4jS8rP_a9F0m3mOGHuvv5fVORpTr5oIVn48aY_Cd3ZHpYjLm6VdRy-Ka-oZYXfEv2CodBsCCY_9c-8mhWejUTxQ3qKXsomPduCVulwrWlZo_R2NZLqi5hKn6j29czRw-Yo9WS/s4032/IMG_1922.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqb7B_7_TF_jy_o0PhT56rDRBHWX1NQy5CRcf_3k394K5NoDT__UH4jS8rP_a9F0m3mOGHuvv5fVORpTr5oIVn48aY_Cd3ZHpYjLm6VdRy-Ka-oZYXfEv2CodBsCCY_9c-8mhWejUTxQ3qKXsomPduCVulwrWlZo_R2NZLqi5hKn6j29czRw-Yo9WS/w300-h400/IMG_1922.jpeg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">My MaxTrax (Click to enlarge).</span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The altitude capsule (Click to enlarge).</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p>So what to do with the MaxTrax? It's pretty obvious - stick an altimeter in the rocket body and compare its altitude at ejection (which we shall take as the "truth") to the reading on the MaxTrax capsule. Easy, and it will produces some numbers to play with. I was stoked until I happened to glance at the MaxTrax reviews on the various forums, which revealed a very important reason why the Estes concept never really worked out.</p><p>The darn thing didn't work most of the time.</p><p>It all has to do with stopping the internal electronic timer, which is started when the capsule is ejected from the body. There is a "bounce switch" in the nose, which consists of a small spring that on impact with the ground is supposed to travel forward and complete a circuit, stopping the timer. One problem is that there is too much space between the spring and the metal contact, requiring a hard impact to stop the timer. The other is that the capsule is fairly light, so it can land on its side - the bounce switch requires a nose-on impact with the ground.</p><p>Estes acknowledged the problem in a note packaged with the rocket:</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS4GhLnq_YFR6HWo3cOeRyWVxhq25C9ILhwDNISEtNrabpKPhsu_gDQ7nP-C2SucTDcR_cfJc5c9iKbfhwiRFjqSh5lgIlMMV_bDeHmVId9md7ugtsU6-78-Y7m-fU5hR551ophHFuhR-K_qU022XmrSj9SVbU1Bq63WtRqeGif6b7pMolQ2DasjeS/s880/maxtrax_notice.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="762" data-original-width="880" height="346" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS4GhLnq_YFR6HWo3cOeRyWVxhq25C9ILhwDNISEtNrabpKPhsu_gDQ7nP-C2SucTDcR_cfJc5c9iKbfhwiRFjqSh5lgIlMMV_bDeHmVId9md7ugtsU6-78-Y7m-fU5hR551ophHFuhR-K_qU022XmrSj9SVbU1Bq63WtRqeGif6b7pMolQ2DasjeS/w400-h346/maxtrax_notice.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Click to enlarge.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>This can't be good. Still, I'm going to give it a try at my next launch. Some have suggested removing the foam around the nose cone to help close the bounce switch, so I'll start with that. I guess I can afford to waste a few B6-4 motors.<br /><p>Stay tuned...</p></div>Bill Cookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06558809516739170745noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2208422594491525200.post-47735950789503401972022-04-15T20:43:00.000-07:002022-04-15T20:43:04.901-07:00This TARC season is over...<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsapU1ZsGpv-zjG8IRdGW-nfFMhthr67wpqVgeS906uw44tDvhHhagLY-QbT3g25qzdYj3_dAg9k__nQ-uJB6RSI3VSvhZTIMntMREf9hCeOW3HEbQBXYCL3fFAiqpAsCG8ouEc5lXYB3PMwtnetrOdJZI8jIXNSCzRe1cAANs2my_IcagSf7WeNGk/s3335/IMG_1565.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2501" data-original-width="3335" height="435" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsapU1ZsGpv-zjG8IRdGW-nfFMhthr67wpqVgeS906uw44tDvhHhagLY-QbT3g25qzdYj3_dAg9k__nQ-uJB6RSI3VSvhZTIMntMREf9hCeOW3HEbQBXYCL3fFAiqpAsCG8ouEc5lXYB3PMwtnetrOdJZI8jIXNSCzRe1cAANs2my_IcagSf7WeNGk/w640-h480/IMG_1565.jpeg" width="580" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Girl Scout team poses with their rocket (Click to enlarge).</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>Another TARC season has passed - and once again, no team from the Huntsville area made it to the Finals up in Virginia. I have some thoughts on why this keeps happening, which I will share later. But first, let's consider the good things that came out of this year's TARC:</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>We had 2 new Girl Scout teams, who went from totally inexperienced to making 3 qualification flights in just three months. This is quite an accomplishment, especially when you consider that one group of scouts had the best scores, beating even the John Paul II teams. One cannot help being impressed, and I sincerely hope that these young ladies will be back next year.</li><li>All teams made qualification flights.</li><li>All rockets flew straight, though we had a few problems with fins popping off. So often, in fact, that it became a running joke.</li></ul></div><div>So one can be pleased that the teams crossed the finish line, which is indeed something to be happy about. We just didn't do well enough to place.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNvGoL_zhH2_9_xGSQre5gluUbVCSI-35tsGfR14i_a7as7pJrV4japoDEFTUI2udr0Es7_2PvZnhjRnf2klaP6Go7N-_7ctCzP-EIRgxf7OB_C8zXaHvJLp9y0tX7ovWXoz7BzKAJfLuZyJnCeYxrTrvxAlzJfvL4_eSm1C_o5C-a5kIKg1ndF46h/s3128/IMG_1836.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3128" data-original-width="2346" height="387" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNvGoL_zhH2_9_xGSQre5gluUbVCSI-35tsGfR14i_a7as7pJrV4japoDEFTUI2udr0Es7_2PvZnhjRnf2klaP6Go7N-_7ctCzP-EIRgxf7OB_C8zXaHvJLp9y0tX7ovWXoz7BzKAJfLuZyJnCeYxrTrvxAlzJfvL4_eSm1C_o5C-a5kIKg1ndF46h/w300-h400/IMG_1836.jpeg" width="290" /></a></td><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiajiRPh8vHKXn2V147F2JtAxwSBCeezc7fiUC99tEt9CtMdG5RWu3xhbPyNahzV5hxz6EQHUM__xEDfkU7U3cSNyHzgE4t508k2fRKyCnsGB0FUuMKjC0Z9ccLkgx-_8CQMRwU_JtXNiLzB1xnteqka7G9LFkNBTrUyH1K91NT3kFC1sd6kFvNcg7F/s4032/IMG_1599.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="387" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiajiRPh8vHKXn2V147F2JtAxwSBCeezc7fiUC99tEt9CtMdG5RWu3xhbPyNahzV5hxz6EQHUM__xEDfkU7U3cSNyHzgE4t508k2fRKyCnsGB0FUuMKjC0Z9ccLkgx-_8CQMRwU_JtXNiLzB1xnteqka7G9LFkNBTrUyH1K91NT3kFC1sd6kFvNcg7F/w300-h400/IMG_1599.jpeg" width="290" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Redstone Composite Squadron team member poses <br />with the rocket (Click to enlarge).</span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Girl scouts prep their rocket (Click to enlarge). </span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>So what went wrong? The Huntsville teams can obviously build stable rockets that meet the competition goals, and they certainly put in the practice time - these are not the issues. The problem is not in the building and the flying. It's what comes after the flying, in the analysis of the data from the practice flights. Therein lies the difference between making so-so qualification flights and qualification flights good enough to make the TARC top 100.</div><div><br /></div><div>The local teams simply do not bother to analyze their flight data. There are no plots, no analysis of the altitude versus mass, no accounting for weather conditions - even though these numbers are recorded for each flight. The strategy used by the teams in recent years is based on luck, i.e., let's practice until we get a flight that has a low score, then attempt the qualification flights immediately afterward. They are essentially making random guesses until the rocket makes a good flight. The specs of that flight - mass, motor, ballast, etc. - are then duplicated for the qualification flights, even when the weather conditions have changed significantly. The outcome is predictable - lacking compensations for the wind and temperature, the qualification flights have scores in the 40's, 50's and 60's, even though the good flight had a score of 10 or less.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZuUIe-5BaZBNuFIpNMhiVOQXavwUzAU4F_DMppGeYV2qaAK_LRHdHxhmP2bGWsxg5uFrsUTXquvd5gq5bjcdDokdlIYjmnI7twpRXGsOFPx5R1VZeMnGlVoELaIfAYFrD7moujWXGNaH5OB8Ea1NXKt74q7MDJAPp5C_egCuTe72jSPVnOCH5ec8d/s2993/IMG_1662.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2993" data-original-width="2245" height="387" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZuUIe-5BaZBNuFIpNMhiVOQXavwUzAU4F_DMppGeYV2qaAK_LRHdHxhmP2bGWsxg5uFrsUTXquvd5gq5bjcdDokdlIYjmnI7twpRXGsOFPx5R1VZeMnGlVoELaIfAYFrD7moujWXGNaH5OB8Ea1NXKt74q7MDJAPp5C_egCuTe72jSPVnOCH5ec8d/w300-h400/IMG_1662.jpeg" width="290" /></a></td><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv7z-4FQ__dUTiIK_xZAAr2GxoFAOaNyuI91dNGgvVhY-Z1KI3sBxRo29Xyyt0fEDZ8M5frW9L5lkYcBFB1ZvFxuaVf5vN_R2EhZ2P5xTePt9GMkTIP2I1x6yo-NzaGJhqWclS3yLhrYe7ih4SoXBp1iqubJy7ftkSWBPRpLt_EfWM2KzjyaUYQeMs/s2098/IMG_1416.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2098" data-original-width="1575" height="387" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv7z-4FQ__dUTiIK_xZAAr2GxoFAOaNyuI91dNGgvVhY-Z1KI3sBxRo29Xyyt0fEDZ8M5frW9L5lkYcBFB1ZvFxuaVf5vN_R2EhZ2P5xTePt9GMkTIP2I1x6yo-NzaGJhqWclS3yLhrYe7ih4SoXBp1iqubJy7ftkSWBPRpLt_EfWM2KzjyaUYQeMs/w300-h400/IMG_1416.jpeg" width="290" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Girl scout rocket takes to the air (Click to enlarge).</span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">JurassicTARC team member retrieves the rocket <br />(Click to enlarge).</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>But you can't compensate by guessing. You have to look at the practice flight data to get those numbers. Unfortunately, that requires the local teams to put forth an effort beyond what they are currently willing to do. So they trust to luck. And sooner or later, that strategy will pay off for someone. On a rare day, Fortune will smile upon a team who will string together two decent qualification flights, setting them on a path to the TARC Finals. But to win in Virginia, you have to fly to a different altitude on a different field, and even Fortune can't help against those odds. Placing in the top 10 requires that you understand how to adjust the rocket to meet a different goal.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQbFr9xirU4Ggmz3d9LbuJ6PwJ6CdGJm6HtYpKSm8tGooFrOo9oiCv7muUljyMU8UrKcakd4ZI7Hb6wTdWCZx09AqHDTxnOAuz4LqKS6B_oQmktrJdtofSjRAllnUkIcTtb2Y9I8x4Z7wZWiGpkU9mhomXqbosW0Dx0LIGX2__-gqM4QNyah4x0tgk/s4032/IMG_1671.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="435" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQbFr9xirU4Ggmz3d9LbuJ6PwJ6CdGJm6HtYpKSm8tGooFrOo9oiCv7muUljyMU8UrKcakd4ZI7Hb6wTdWCZx09AqHDTxnOAuz4LqKS6B_oQmktrJdtofSjRAllnUkIcTtb2Y9I8x4Z7wZWiGpkU9mhomXqbosW0Dx0LIGX2__-gqM4QNyah4x0tgk/w640-h480/IMG_1671.jpeg" width="580" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">John Paul II teams hard at work (Click to enlarge).</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>We are planning to hold a TARC workshop early in the coming season - maybe there will be a team that will listen and realize that looking at the flight data is just as important as designing the rocket. </div><div><br /></div><div>I keep hoping.</div>Bill Cookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06558809516739170745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2208422594491525200.post-49533856599689221382022-03-28T11:05:00.004-07:002022-03-28T13:55:06.973-07:00Merging video and data<p>Rocket electronics have gotten quite cheap - small altimeters and decent HD cameras can be had for as little as $30, putting "instrumented rocket flight" within the reach of every rocketeer. Most folks are content with keeping the video and data separate, but I have always been intrigued with synchronizing the data with the video, so that each frame can be tied to a specific height, speed, acceleration, etc. My first experiments (back in 2017) in doing this involved my Windows PC laptop and a program called <a href="http://www.dashware.net" target="_blank">DashWare</a>; the software was somewhat cumbersome from a usability perspective (hey, it was free!) and so I soon lost motivation. Too much work!</p><p style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/apEFc8U24kI" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">DashWare created video</span></p><p>Time passes and new software appears. Late last year, I discovered that there was this software application called <a href="https://racerender.com/Products/index.html" target="_blank">RaceRender</a>, with capabilities like those offered in DashWare. The good news was that it was available for MacOS, meaning I could make use of my big screen iMac in creating data-synced videos; the bad news was that it cost money, especially if you wanted to remove the stupid program logo/watermark from the videos. After a bit of research, I made the plunge and bought the software. Fortunately, I was not disappointed with this purchase (unlike some others in the past).</p><p>Regardless of whether you use DashWare or RaceRender, you need two things to create a data-synced video - the video from the camera and the data from the altimeter, flight computer, or whatever. The video must be in a format readable by the software - not a problem for the cameras generally used by rocketeers - and the data should be in a file with numbers arranged in a comma separated value format (csv). Files downloaded from all logging altimeters of which I am aware are in this format, so again no problem. You may have to edit the csv file to remove parts before launch and well after landing, but this is pretty easy using Excel or some other spreadsheet application. The only gotcha is understanding the limitations of the software - for example, RaceRender can't deal with negative speeds, so you need to take the absolute value of speeds from altimeters (e.g., FlightSketch Mini) that give the descent speeds as negative.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF7VOGc0RTLNjOcg1Wnws68sR5U1B0odg-s8x_YoPd5CJmLoRq8FCAQPQgRFinq0EPAqa9ugykPNfhkHiuYF9_8tLwSa2F-YEkkzz8TFW3AJdKHrVnMA2lvmdgblqfWVZQlbhyjrx287vxLwDs5BW3zMbQKp2lGSXw4vwnTNGYYqBMdZ_UGX1q8Yju/s2696/RaceRender_1.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1558" data-original-width="2696" height="335" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF7VOGc0RTLNjOcg1Wnws68sR5U1B0odg-s8x_YoPd5CJmLoRq8FCAQPQgRFinq0EPAqa9ugykPNfhkHiuYF9_8tLwSa2F-YEkkzz8TFW3AJdKHrVnMA2lvmdgblqfWVZQlbhyjrx287vxLwDs5BW3zMbQKp2lGSXw4vwnTNGYYqBMdZ_UGX1q8Yju/w640-h370/RaceRender_1.png" width="580" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">RaceRender screen capture (Click to enlarge).</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Once you have the input files properly formatted, you import them into the software and select the ways you want the data displayed - simple numbers, gauges, or graphs; it's up to you. Then you have to sync the data to the video by selecting a video frame corresponding to the first line of data, usually t = 0, the time of first motion on the launch pad. This is easy to do with most rocket videos, as first motion is readily apparent when you step frame by frame through the movie (unless the camera is pointing up - then it is really hard). You then invoke application's sync feature, et voila! The data is now properly displayed on the video as it plays. The final step is exporting your project into a standalone video, which you can share with your buddies on YouTube, FaceBook, etc.</p><p>This past Sunday I flew my Estes Solo with an Estes Astrocam and a FlightSketch Mini, as I wanted to get some footage of the glider separating from the rocket near apogee. The flight was successful - the C6-3 motor carried the rocket up to 222 feet and the glider separated at 200 feet, on the way down. I would like a better camera than the Astrocam - the shutter can't handle fast motion (distorts) and it does not have a good depth of focus - but better cameras are heavier and not easily carried by low impulse model rockets. I eagerly look forward to such critters appearing on the market.</p><a align="left" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7Awq7vT3D5wskcNC551x06_f_H7v5690LGECXcS_3UuhdK3cl99N_B46GpWTJgXtAzN5_w00IdLikc9F8aPY653Srp7KJYqlsC7yAFRE37JHjDm2CZ-asVlw_JdRaQjnvs9gI41DtySbxw72Nd1ZQ5e35cP37JL_w3lc8QLWESxuVHJ8qtfZzdWFE/s1920/Solo_1.jpg"> <img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="326" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7Awq7vT3D5wskcNC551x06_f_H7v5690LGECXcS_3UuhdK3cl99N_B46GpWTJgXtAzN5_w00IdLikc9F8aPY653Srp7KJYqlsC7yAFRE37JHjDm2CZ-asVlw_JdRaQjnvs9gI41DtySbxw72Nd1ZQ5e35cP37JL_w3lc8QLWESxuVHJ8qtfZzdWFE/w640-h360/Solo_1.jpg" width="580" /></a><br /><table align="left" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg89VU1MJbDUQx9FS2yy-xkEXJbhAp5wY4SWdrgqt7S5ky67_4iwbtm9ZW20LTO5GN0-sbnwfKVJ6Bl8BwKA2FIU5UZZC4bblDvmnpNxvCxwvIqR5e27S1mdceM-EUOdbNVuNUHnZSJq-bmNvZ9N9RxW9lRBgfeyk_NOUnTOulS_vmIOGXjWkrRqWjy/s1920/Solo_2.jpg" style="margin-left: lem; margin-right: lem;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="326" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg89VU1MJbDUQx9FS2yy-xkEXJbhAp5wY4SWdrgqt7S5ky67_4iwbtm9ZW20LTO5GN0-sbnwfKVJ6Bl8BwKA2FIU5UZZC4bblDvmnpNxvCxwvIqR5e27S1mdceM-EUOdbNVuNUHnZSJq-bmNvZ9N9RxW9lRBgfeyk_NOUnTOulS_vmIOGXjWkrRqWjy/w640-h360/Solo_2.jpg" width="580" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Frames from the data-synced Solo video (Click to enlarge).</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="326" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4sEpQhyvZTg" title="YouTube video player" width="580"></iframe></p>Bill Cookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06558809516739170745noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2208422594491525200.post-67981996404118682562022-03-18T11:36:00.005-07:002022-03-18T12:00:03.599-07:00Vendor review - Apogee Components<p>I decided some time ago that I should occasionally write reviews of some of the vendors I patronize - to heap praise on the things they do right (which is often) and to keep them honest when they muff things up. A recent email from Apogee asking for a review/testimonial has led to this post, as I can add to the blog and give Apogee what they asked for (well, sort of) in a single writing. Plus Apogee starts with an "A", making it a logical choice for the first review. So let's begin, shall we?</p><h2 style="text-align: center;"><b>Apogee Components (<a href="https://www.apogeerockets.com">https://www.apogeerockets.com</a>)</b></h2><p style="text-align: left;">Started by Ed LaCroix back in 1989, Apogee was bought by Tim Van Milligan in 1995. He grew the business from a small one room shop into what I consider a true small business, now having several paid employees and a dedicated building. Apogee is noted for its wide selection of kits, of its own make and from other manufacturers, and is the developer of what is (probably) the best rocket design/simulation software available, RockSim. I have purchased items from the company for many years, and it has been very nice to watch it expand, both in the product line and in the services offered. Tim is a long-time competition rocketeer who is dedicated to the hobby and he does a pretty darn good job in balancing his company's interests with serving the rocketry community.</p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><b><i>Positive aspects of Apogee Components</i></b></h3><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Extremely fast shipping and 100% reliability:</b> Tim guarantees your order will be shipped by the end of the next business day (same day for orders placed before 2 PM) and has <b><u>always</u></b> lived up to that promise (in my experience). I also have never received the wrong stuff - some vendors make mistakes in matching the packing with the order, but not Apogee. Tim offers the buyer a choice of shipping methods (motors have limited options) and ships using the service selected by the buyer. This may seem stupid to highlight, but there are some vendors who offer a choice of shipper and then ship USPS, regardless of what the buyer selects (and pays for). Apogee is 100% reliable in shipping - in my opinion, they are the best in the business. </li><li><b>Outstanding selection of rocket kits:</b> Apogee has a <a href="https://www.apogeerockets.com/Rockets_by_Manufacturers" target="_blank">very large selection</a> of low and mid power kits, along with some that are Level 1 class high power. Not only do they have the usual stuff from Estes, Semroc, LOC, Aerotech, etc., they also have offerings from less well-known companies like Aggressor Aerospace Rocketry and J&H Aerospace. Apogee's line of 4 inch kits is very popular among high power novices - I cannot recall a HPR launch in the past few years when there was not a <a href="https://www.apogeerockets.com/Rocket-Kits/Skill-Level-3-Model-Rocket-Kits/Zephyr" target="_blank">Zephyr</a>, <a href="https://www.apogeerockets.com/Rocket-Kits/Skill-Level-4-Model-Rocket-Kits/Katana">Katana</a>, or <a href="https://www.apogeerockets.com/Rocket-Kits/Skill-Level-3-Model-Rocket-Kits/Peregrine" target="_blank">Peregrine</a> present. The Zephyr is especially beloved - there are often multiple Zephyrs leaving HARA's pads on launch day. I guess that's why Tim started offering the 24 mm powered <a href="https://www.apogeerockets.com/Model-Rocket-Kits/Skill-Level-3-Model-Rocket-Kits/Zephyr-Jr" target="_blank">Zephyr Jr.</a> for those hesitant to dip their toes in the high power waters - it's a beauty at any size. Recent Apogee releases include a line of BT-55 based beginner rockets (<a href="https://www.apogeerockets.com/Model-Rocket-Kits/Skill-Level-1-Model-Rocket-Kits/Habu" target="_blank">Habu</a>, <a href="https://www.apogeerockets.com/Model-Rocket-Kits/Skill-Level-2-Model-Rocket-Kits/Atomizer" target="_blank">Atomizer</a>), and I agree with Tim's idea that bigger body tubes are better for novice rocketeers - easier to manipulate and pack the parachute. Not a big fan of the Habu's snake decor though <shudder>.</li><li><b>Competition kits and parts:</b> I am currently aware of only 3 companies that have kit and parts offerings suited to rocketeers wanting to participate in non-scale NRC and FAI competitions - Apogee, ASP Rocketry, and Galactic Manufacturing. Apogee has a good selection of kits that span the range of competition, from the <a href="https://www.apogeerockets.com/Rocket-Kits/Skill-Level-5-Model-Rocket-Kits/Cirrus-Breeze-Rocket-Glider" target="_blank">Cirrus Breeze rocket glider</a> to the <a href="https://www.apogeerockets.com/Rocket-Kits/Skill-Level-3-Model-Rocket-Kits/EggTosser" target="_blank">EggTosser egg lofter</a> to the <a href="https://www.apogeerockets.com/Rocket-Kits/Skill-Level-4-Model-Rocket-Kits/International-Thermal-Sailor" target="_blank">International Thermal Sailor duration bird</a> to the <a href="https://www.apogeerockets.com/Rocket-Kits/Skill-Level-4-Model-Rocket-Kits/Rotary-Revolution" target="_blank">Rotary Revolution gyro copter</a> to the <a href="https://www.apogeerockets.com/Rocket-Kits/Skill-Level-2-Model-Rocket-Kits/Spek" target="_blank">Spek payload altitude rocket</a> to the... well, you get the idea. They have lots of competition kits. These tend to be a bit on the heavy side, so you probably won't be setting any records with them, but they are more than good enough to put you on the NRC National Scoreboard. Beginners should take note of these offerings, as they are an excellent first step in building competition experience. Apogee also offers some competition parts - egg capsules (they may be the only current supplier of these), lightweight styrene nose cones, foam plugs to replace wadding, "fly-away" rail guides and launch towers.</li><li><b>TARC:</b> Speaking of competition, Apogee is an excellent source of parts for the annual TARC competitions. There are the usual body tubes, rail guides, motor retainers and so forth, but the company makes the most awesome <a href="https://www.apogeerockets.com/Building_Supplies/Payload_Protection" target="_blank">egg cushions</a> on the market, capable of protecting the fragile egg payloads even in catastrophic circumstances. I kid you not - I have seen TARC rockets come in ballistic, suffering major damage, and eggs in these cushions survived with nary a crack. We strongly recommend these to the local rocket teams and the number of messes has gone down significantly since they started using them. I am also a big fan of the colorful Apogee <a href="https://www.apogeerockets.com/Building-Supplies/Parachutes" target="_blank">printed nylon parachutes</a> - they are not only good for TARC rockets; I stuff them into any rocket of mine in which they fit (BT-50 and larger). Much better than plastic parachutes! Another part of Apogee's TARC support is their "<a href="https://www.apogeerockets.com/Building-Supplies/Body-Tubes/Tube-Assortments/2018-2019-TARC-2-6in-BT-80-Bulk-Pack-of-Parts?cPath=306_" target="_blank">TARC Bulk Pack of Parts</a>", tailored for the active TARC contest year. Unlike past offerings from Estes and others - which were basically SPEAs (<b><u>S</u></b>pare <b><u>P</u></b>arts <b><u>E</u></b>limination <u><b>A</b></u>ssortments) - thought has been put into the Apogee parts assemblage. You can actually build 2 very competitive TARC rockets from this product. The only negative is the provision for a two 24 mm cluster in this year's TARC bulk pack... C'mon Tim, what top 10 TARC team has ever used a cluster? Despite this minor flaw, the TARC Bulk Pack of Parts is an excellent set of components for TARC teams, especially new ones. I sincerely hope Apogee continues to offer this product in future years.</li><li><b>Tutorial videos, newsletter, and rocket plans(!):</b> Tim renders a valuable service to the rocketry community through his many <a href="https://www.apogeerockets.com/Advanced_Construction_Videos/all?acv_id=topics&m=education" target="_blank">tutorial videos</a> on pretty much all aspects of rocketry. We often ask novice rocketeers (especially TARC teams) to view those pertaining to rocket construction. The company's "<a href="https://www.apogeerockets.com/Peak-of-Flight?pof_list=archives&m=education" target="_blank">Peak of Flight</a>" newsletter has informative articles, and occasionally features a rocket design one can build from Apogee parts. <a href="https://www.apogeerockets.com/Peak-of-Flight-Rocket-Plans" target="_blank">The plans</a> are near and dear to my heart, bringing back fond memories of the old Estes "Design of the Month" contest and similar featured in the Centuri newsletters. I particularly love the old <a href="https://www.apogeerockets.com/Free_Rocket_Plans" target="_blank">Shrox designs</a>, but there have been some good ones recently, like the "<a href="https://www.apogeerockets.com/Peak-of-Flight/Newsletter566" target="_blank">Fabled Flyer</a>." BTW, if you can't or don't want to make decals for these designs, you can <a href="https://www.apogeerockets.com/Rocket-Kits/Rocket-Plans/Newsletter-Plans-Decal-Set" target="_blank">buy the markings</a> from Apogee - a nice encouragement from Tim.</li></ul><p></p><h3><b><i>Negative aspects of Apogee Components</i></b></h3><p>In this universe, nothing is ever perfect. No matter how good you are, there are always flaws. Even Apogee has one...</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Cost</b> - Buying from Apogee ain't cheap. Expect to pay retail or something pretty close, and I sometimes wince at the prices. 31 bucks for a <a href="https://www.apogeerockets.com/Model-Rocket-Kits/Skill-Level-3-Model-Rocket-Kits/Razzle-Dazzle" target="_blank">2 stage BT-55 based kit</a>? Ouch - even if it is <u><i>very cool</i></u> in appearance. To be fair, Apogee is a business; Tim has several mouths to feed, overhead on a big building and equipment costs/maintenance, etc., etc. - plus the inflated costs of materials these days. So one should not expect the discounts offered by AC Supply and a few other vendors (which are not as good as in the past, BTW). Tim acknowledges the price issue on his website - see "<i>We are a bit more expensive, but your goals are worth it</i>" on <a href="https://www.apogeerockets.com/index.php?main_page=about_us&m=education" target="_blank">this page</a>. Partially balancing out the higher prices is the Apogee VIR (<b><u>V</u></b>ery <u><b>I</b></u>mportant <b><u>R</u></b>ocketeer) program which allows you to accumulate points that you can apply to future purchases. It's pretty good; I just used some of my points to purchase a fin jig to help my aging carcass get the fins on straight.</li></ul><p></p><p>In summary, Apogee is one of the best rocket vendors out there. It offers a wide variety of products and even caters to niche markets like NRC/FAI competition and TARC. The company also offers excellent tutorial videos and materials, produced by a rocketeer with many, many years of experience. On top of this, they are fast and 100% reliable in shipping - they have never screwed up one of my orders. The only downside is the prices, but I am willing to pay more for the services and unique products Apogee offers. So please consider them when you are buying rocket stuff - you won't regret the purchase.</p><p>If you read this Tim, I have a request - please lay off the snake-themed rockets. I don't want rocket powered snakes haunting my dreams.</p><p>P.S. - RockSim/Launch Visualizer review to come later. It merits a separate post.</p>Bill Cookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06558809516739170745noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2208422594491525200.post-67420977793337833462022-03-12T17:28:00.003-08:002022-03-12T17:31:49.741-08:00I get a thing in the mail...<p> I went to the mailbox earlier this week, expecting the usual bills and "waste of paper" ads. However, there was a surprise - tucked in amongst the Arby's and Dominos flyers was a nice little postcard, sent to me by Ed Mitton. The card was one of 20 flown in the payload section of his Icarus rocket, which made its maiden voyage on March 3. I had read <a href="https://castlerocketeer.blogspot.com/2022/03/rocket-mail.html" target="_blank">about it on his blog</a>, and thought it was a supremely cool resurrection of an old concept. Had no idea I was one of the recipients though - the blog post implied he sent the cards to those attending the launch. I am pretty stoked about receiving one - may even do this myself at future launch.</p><p>Thanks Ed!!!!</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhym_0381aNt17mae_2M5WmOVn4roEoSKY29tNx_m6lD4M_aWiipPMQxinkelCjNdTfxEYV35n8_wEAO87junk4IRuYHnwhr41MdIDZmjFawaLNPPwe5OKYGnn8cJQZE-_5m55QgxfSQVxX1UkxX7rcfUN6ufcJ0Lp0VqHwaRnd-9LjfjwqT_k8XPX9=s931"><img border="0" data-original-height="611" data-original-width="931" height="382" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhym_0381aNt17mae_2M5WmOVn4roEoSKY29tNx_m6lD4M_aWiipPMQxinkelCjNdTfxEYV35n8_wEAO87junk4IRuYHnwhr41MdIDZmjFawaLNPPwe5OKYGnn8cJQZE-_5m55QgxfSQVxX1UkxX7rcfUN6ufcJ0Lp0VqHwaRnd-9LjfjwqT_k8XPX9=w640-h421" width="580" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjPQrGFd96_zeetH8Rjibkv1e7g9j6BjDu5k54j2YHiwr-sq4cQghAoJlMkX6AvHAw0PdLiTh5LtxUI6ut7AS_xbSGH6vNvRhhxkydKyolfl6qrb5XiRGDNYO5T-m0dEQP4FUSFw4CDl3oXSrDHRMdK0KQw0mVowEtdNtRuwONldyB7B0_i44xneqsS=s924"><img border="0" data-original-height="617" data-original-width="924" height="382" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjPQrGFd96_zeetH8Rjibkv1e7g9j6BjDu5k54j2YHiwr-sq4cQghAoJlMkX6AvHAw0PdLiTh5LtxUI6ut7AS_xbSGH6vNvRhhxkydKyolfl6qrb5XiRGDNYO5T-m0dEQP4FUSFw4CDl3oXSrDHRMdK0KQw0mVowEtdNtRuwONldyB7B0_i44xneqsS=w640-h428" width="580" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Bill Cookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06558809516739170745noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2208422594491525200.post-628785804540028522022-02-28T17:06:00.000-08:002022-02-28T17:06:16.397-08:00Free at last!<p>Today was a momentous day - I finally got around to putting primer on the Estes <a href="http://www.spacemodeling.org/jimz/eirp/eirp_46.pdf" target="_blank">Skylance</a>. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiOrdGONxW-Rhm3OjGsOBRsPMf7YTE6apF7ocO45OgwvyQM3ZpDA4ipxRgbdi-MTUGeS4xNnQr9gK1PSKm5Tc2GxcRoQNG55lX374lMDX804vRWV9jOtTjGqsxdN2aF8U6fVkcyv4VWXY1Nt-r2OcYq_gOuZXXWtbTHn-8hZpVJ9F461al-S9xav1YL=s3801" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3801" data-original-width="1736" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiOrdGONxW-Rhm3OjGsOBRsPMf7YTE6apF7ocO45OgwvyQM3ZpDA4ipxRgbdi-MTUGeS4xNnQr9gK1PSKm5Tc2GxcRoQNG55lX374lMDX804vRWV9jOtTjGqsxdN2aF8U6fVkcyv4VWXY1Nt-r2OcYq_gOuZXXWtbTHn-8hZpVJ9F461al-S9xav1YL=w292-h640" width="292" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Skylance in primer (Click to enlarge).</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Doesn't sound like a big deal, but it is. After having several unfinished rockets lying around for months (years), I made a vow that I would attempt no new builds of significance until I cleared the backlog - and the Skylance is the last of that lot. I'm pretty good at finishing off rockets once they hit primer, as the bulk of the sanding is behind me at that point. Where I suck is the procrastination between the construction and the start of finishing - that twilight zone is where the rockets can remain trapped for many moons.</p><p>However, the Skylance has left the workbench and is now well on its way to the final decor of white with gold fins and nose cone. I even worked on the decal, grabbing the name from the plan sheet. All is good - I can hear the Astron Delta parts calling me from their bag, ready to be assembled into a 2 stage masterpiece for lofting my old Estes Camroc.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhk8Q2le7Qmz9rWPSrLemnPbpUbdH4klV4NKbQJb5cJxkRPglGWKCW17ig2LCO3hepp_jz1V3kZVZLHBNbtLs86vCYTjMXwrUwGWXasVFA4U13JfKb9LoJcKI8UsXuQgIo6Jtu3Zml6lUzuj3t3tartIXKow4YvnHGxv9y05qFLiLjqI4NXA9_pcs4h=s1400" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="161" data-original-width="1400" height="82" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhk8Q2le7Qmz9rWPSrLemnPbpUbdH4klV4NKbQJb5cJxkRPglGWKCW17ig2LCO3hepp_jz1V3kZVZLHBNbtLs86vCYTjMXwrUwGWXasVFA4U13JfKb9LoJcKI8UsXuQgIo6Jtu3Zml6lUzuj3t3tartIXKow4YvnHGxv9y05qFLiLjqI4NXA9_pcs4h=w640-h82" width="580" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Skylance decal (Click to enlarge).</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Except the Delta may have to wait a little bit longer, because I have been distracted by the evil Bill Eichelberger. An expert at creating clones and facsimiles of old rockets, it was he who asked for information concerning the old <a href="https://forums.rocketshoppe.com/showthread.php?t=20291" target="_blank">Centuri Sabre on Ye Old Rocket Forum</a>. It was he who instigated the posting of the plans, parts list and decals for that kit. And it was he who uploaded pictures of the Sabre on the pad, ready to fly, in a recent Facebook post. And so I succumbed to the lure of the Sabre, putting the Delta off to another date.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj7waYkhpgwmqxUZX00WFwCMkl_ch06WpDjR3h1VidVkLcV82khs2k73a7ghBbipbQj3NkBZN5pOE3YfWZ8baYbKndkNu4dKheNWszl_bx3sFbOyaQCYSBGFcr4eUOFwl3R1-vmvcmyuNrBYpIximC9ZwKe018QTO_Lga8dKrfQacC02Olcd0N4wuCJ=s2820" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2820" data-original-width="1502" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj7waYkhpgwmqxUZX00WFwCMkl_ch06WpDjR3h1VidVkLcV82khs2k73a7ghBbipbQj3NkBZN5pOE3YfWZ8baYbKndkNu4dKheNWszl_bx3sFbOyaQCYSBGFcr4eUOFwl3R1-vmvcmyuNrBYpIximC9ZwKe018QTO_Lga8dKrfQacC02Olcd0N4wuCJ=w340-h640" width="340" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Sabre face card (Click to enlarge).</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p>It's an easy build - plastic PNC-20N nose cone, 9.75 inch body tube, forward raked fins, etc., etc. I'm not a big fan of forward raked fins - they just don't seem natural - but this model has an appeal. And the best thing is that I can start the build this weekend without suffering pangs of guilt over unfinished birds. The Delta is just a pile of parts in a bag - it can wait.</p>Bill Cookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06558809516739170745noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2208422594491525200.post-71027589335645897262022-02-19T13:26:00.004-08:002022-02-19T13:44:19.383-08:00On the National Scoreboard...<p>In <a href="http://billsrockets.blogspot.com/2022/02/a-blustery-club-launch.html" target="_blank">my post</a> about this month's HARA launch, I talked about the NRC B eggloft altitude flights that Doug and I made. As well as providing great help and the use of his launch gear, Brian was also the score keeper and contest manager. He submitted our scores up to the NAR contest folk, and they appeared on the <a href="https://www.nar.org/nrc-scoreboard/" target="_blank">scoreboard</a> a couple of days ago. We are not yet ranked, as the NAR contest director has not certified the flights, but as it stands now Doug is #8 and I am 5 points behind, at #9. This is out of 11, so it's not a colossal achievement. However, I am reasonably excited to make my first "official" return to contest rocketry since NARAM 30 (1988).</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhLMgF0JG1XPlWb4YZVUi7RGMJJXEhh95YJPcA8dkWCv8_X1smscNPv3Q9ZXj-N_t70fCuqfHBjg8hhey2Tsmo71fScdC5JtvYCHhyik9Qe2zjM6X2oWtPLxTcZeS7cBjlxyDxhq5aGhkJyammrz4STmPCKd9jEv1TbdaeiDGQMLV326-MFI2YsnOoX=s1680" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1680" data-original-width="1374" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhLMgF0JG1XPlWb4YZVUi7RGMJJXEhh95YJPcA8dkWCv8_X1smscNPv3Q9ZXj-N_t70fCuqfHBjg8hhey2Tsmo71fScdC5JtvYCHhyik9Qe2zjM6X2oWtPLxTcZeS7cBjlxyDxhq5aGhkJyammrz4STmPCKd9jEv1TbdaeiDGQMLV326-MFI2YsnOoX=w525-h640" width="525" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">NRC National Scoreboard for B eggloft altitude as of 2022 February 19.<br />(Click to enlarge).</span> </td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: left;">The scores in NRC altitude events are computed rather simply - one corrects the altitude reading for the temperature and the score is the corrected altitude in meters. The FlightSketch Comp altimeter gave a peak altitude of 263.4 feet (80.28 meters) but the temperature was 51.2 degrees Fahrenheit, about 8 degrees colder than the 59 degrees used by the altimeter algorithms. This means the reading was on the high side, and when we correct for temperature we get 79.1 meters. So my score is 79.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: left;">I'm eager to try to better this score, but I made a major faux pas in painting the Eggstravaganza - adds weight, and I want as light as I can get. So I'm sketching out my own design, built around the lighter Apogee vacuform styrene egg capsule and a BT-20 body tube. Only problem is the altimeter placement; there's no room to put it in the egg capsule. It looks like I'm going to have to create some sort of pouch to protect the altimeter from ejection gases. This pouch will be attached to the shock cord up at the parachute connection and I'll punch a couple of small vent holes near the top of the body tube. I figure I can get a significant weight reduction and more altitude with this approach.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: left;">We shall see.</span></div>Bill Cookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06558809516739170745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2208422594491525200.post-73371898187219476922022-02-14T12:37:00.003-08:002022-02-14T12:38:59.086-08:00A blustery club launch<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgSeHI_CYIsrhWjNjfxSHVS8ZWKkjY4256BOcG1Wgc0ucNZhkIpdLS0Ws8qWg32hbE0-6gQRQSYGEdteOkCDOnh67SkT-rS_T4KMlvVJwcXBCh9an0SXZ1MGrm9Monwso2kPXpUyLwNnsx_tymm0JT-AEZLWw5qsmE20favpXxjJz1JzHOMt_OW1-an=s4032" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="435" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgSeHI_CYIsrhWjNjfxSHVS8ZWKkjY4256BOcG1Wgc0ucNZhkIpdLS0Ws8qWg32hbE0-6gQRQSYGEdteOkCDOnh67SkT-rS_T4KMlvVJwcXBCh9an0SXZ1MGrm9Monwso2kPXpUyLwNnsx_tymm0JT-AEZLWw5qsmE20favpXxjJz1JzHOMt_OW1-an=w640-h480" width="580" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Looking down the flight line (Click to enlarge).</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p>HARA held its monthly launch this past Saturday. The day started off well, sunny and reasonably warm for mid-February, but the wind picked up dramatically in the afternoon. By the time of range closure at 3 PM, it averaged 14 miles per hour, with gusts up 18 - so severe that we had to take down the RSO/LCO canopy to prevent it from being damaged. Despite the wind, 46 flights were made, some of which were pretty spectacular. John Kraieski's upscale Mars Lander returned, wowing everyone with a dazzling performance on a L motor. Chuck flew a couple of his Dynasoar rocket gliders - the U.S.S. Orion and a delta-shaped "Man in High Castle" bird. There were also the usual certification attempts, and Brian brought out his tower and gear for a few NRC flights.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhAxBxTB9igq1TUsweyuHgQ6lrWzuRKdy7fQ_9Gq4oTv4YVPAMBowCTLhcl3zk5WnHMRcFx6bHrhpTbQebO8bHimk_gvZdS6O3UlTy7Q-k4XbY8tJHxH1YPiW8yuulHe2p4dgY0BieJ9ukEGjkOeOlPPuPajiIQIGtEcaceEs4UNm3DRQZgKqnGAiml=s4032" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="387" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhAxBxTB9igq1TUsweyuHgQ6lrWzuRKdy7fQ_9Gq4oTv4YVPAMBowCTLhcl3zk5WnHMRcFx6bHrhpTbQebO8bHimk_gvZdS6O3UlTy7Q-k4XbY8tJHxH1YPiW8yuulHe2p4dgY0BieJ9ukEGjkOeOlPPuPajiIQIGtEcaceEs4UNm3DRQZgKqnGAiml=s320" width="290" /></a></td><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhbfvQLMFhCrMDuSNiUhqayfyaqLOu54pyLQHwSpvlGaac55tUPk91-mA0Kv27WLPSFkmUCfzK_X2W5UnaOrsWjdVb9bdJufhO_mYcIIU6aPoT6aUUXOhnhQcgOmZoCy_ohqZDVAnpGWr1JG9u2wj7xHizwd4D8vO2tf5l3DoR5L4ZF93gyFpvT9DOi=s3102" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3102" data-original-width="2326" height="387" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhbfvQLMFhCrMDuSNiUhqayfyaqLOu54pyLQHwSpvlGaac55tUPk91-mA0Kv27WLPSFkmUCfzK_X2W5UnaOrsWjdVb9bdJufhO_mYcIIU6aPoT6aUUXOhnhQcgOmZoCy_ohqZDVAnpGWr1JG9u2wj7xHizwd4D8vO2tf5l3DoR5L4ZF93gyFpvT9DOi=s320" width="290" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Brian's scratch NRC egglofter<br />(Click to enlarge).</span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Vince's reassembled Outlander heads <br />skyward on a Q-jet (Click to enlarge).</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p>I packed 4 rockets - 3 of which were virgins, ready for their maiden voyages. Turns out only those 3 would fly, but more on that later. Let's start with my first flight of the day, that of the Estes Olympus.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjeXOXjoQP0oOyIaYaJPdxVTJ_6NKLqoM-Lzzb9-vY00jkFXF7BozXl2aJneT7wSe5QydVEAMjSeCzrdhN01_ZMrhCdK7EKk4OtHGoXieE6SBOCP_nRLEhTjWpQXEor2-m4BqE9-R3Nd0XXG5_PDV5QP4iWZxNNEqhan2lVPIot5OSF6cyBjiVR9O5l=s3642" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3642" data-original-width="1264" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjeXOXjoQP0oOyIaYaJPdxVTJ_6NKLqoM-Lzzb9-vY00jkFXF7BozXl2aJneT7wSe5QydVEAMjSeCzrdhN01_ZMrhCdK7EKk4OtHGoXieE6SBOCP_nRLEhTjWpQXEor2-m4BqE9-R3Nd0XXG5_PDV5QP4iWZxNNEqhan2lVPIot5OSF6cyBjiVR9O5l=w140-h400" width="140" /></a></td><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiNFd8cEoLE12DMbgZZeHtNf9zMnaQ7khC71MW4wKbZ-wVihytxYccdSQzV2tbTIaXQvlPSDNBomdcjobKzTqz5eQTSgBOVwMIM4pzR6oBlHTNTTEeYqUIn4Ou9jaW1-L2GsPIh2-_2KvCLdltQTeXFIvSY9gla4oADWDr9uzS_HPivWugLebYapdxG=s2159" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2159" data-original-width="1619" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiNFd8cEoLE12DMbgZZeHtNf9zMnaQ7khC71MW4wKbZ-wVihytxYccdSQzV2tbTIaXQvlPSDNBomdcjobKzTqz5eQTSgBOVwMIM4pzR6oBlHTNTTEeYqUIn4Ou9jaW1-L2GsPIh2-_2KvCLdltQTeXFIvSY9gla4oADWDr9uzS_HPivWugLebYapdxG=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Estes Olympus<br />(Click to enlarge).</span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">My Olympus lifts off on a D12-5 (Click to enlarge).</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p>The Olympus is one of those "Hobby Lobby exclusive" kits Estes produced a while back - I picked mine up with a 40% coupon, finding its Greek mythology decor very much to my liking. Powered by 24 mm motors, it is about 1.8" in diameter and features a large payload section, big enough to easily handle an egg or a PocketLab sensor. I built mine many months ago, and it has patiently sat on a shelf, its bronze and white paint scheme trying to grab enough attention to be chosen for flight. Saturday was the day, and an Estes D12 motor kicked it off the pad into the blue sky above. The Jolly Logic Altimeter 3 riding in the payload section reported a peak altitude of 635 feet, followed by gentle landing in the field 40 seconds later. I was a bit surprised at the altitude - it's kinda heavy, and so I expected something around 400 feet or so.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj0ySGBTF43o5z1b2s6ntcGIb-q9VrgDS6SYNZcFxuR3_MYqGzOy8iFeesjBRFkXkjKvJVYuw7hMCvRyCp-PtNVw07127UbItqPW8ytw8bmpBicut68DKf7y74tJMktMnGqkDFIjJIpOi0sD8GjkNpdFVD0QIvQOXhrugBFToRM_r781ww0u3BFl9Bl=s1125" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1125" height="580" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj0ySGBTF43o5z1b2s6ntcGIb-q9VrgDS6SYNZcFxuR3_MYqGzOy8iFeesjBRFkXkjKvJVYuw7hMCvRyCp-PtNVw07127UbItqPW8ytw8bmpBicut68DKf7y74tJMktMnGqkDFIjJIpOi0sD8GjkNpdFVD0QIvQOXhrugBFToRM_r781ww0u3BFl9Bl=w640-h640" width="580" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Altimeter 3 altitude profile for the Olympus (Click to enlarge).</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Next up was the Mini-X, a two stage rocket built according to Estes Industries Rocket Plan #20. Dating from 1964, the Mini-X uses the old school method of staging, in which the booster and sustainer motors are held together by a wrap of scotch tape. While not as elegant as Passport or "Plug N' Play" staging, the tape joint will hold long enough for hot particles from the booster motor to ignite the upper stage - I have found this technique to be quite reliable over the years. I prepped the Mini-X with an A8-0/A8-5 motor combination, figuring a) the booster stage would fall close to the pad making it easy to find/recover, b) it would not fly high enough to drift very far and c) it would grab enough altitude to provide decent data to the FlightSketch Mini altimeter riding in the payload section.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEggdAU4pMKP8HQRbhalOaZ09AVbBK5Ka54cReOwY954D6U9x_meyRwDM3DxAkNl9nIb0ciFxUAtYVWsw82c314msf7Lj7MWW6Qh35J9Bl9tLj41svzeCrEwQBdFSUFHYbr_Mw4p3F8XosARSQ0RnMRcXRc1K7io_wjZv0YxsW91R_XI4R7B08j_6WJS=s2959" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2959" data-original-width="2219" height="387" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEggdAU4pMKP8HQRbhalOaZ09AVbBK5Ka54cReOwY954D6U9x_meyRwDM3DxAkNl9nIb0ciFxUAtYVWsw82c314msf7Lj7MWW6Qh35J9Bl9tLj41svzeCrEwQBdFSUFHYbr_Mw4p3F8XosARSQ0RnMRcXRc1K7io_wjZv0YxsW91R_XI4R7B08j_6WJS=s320" width="290" /></a></td><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiyuPLFqBbJDCK6NgWO8Zm6JCr3YykHKh_yIXPuSRhsRAFWmQ1GqJFQi9aIXYh3di3yrYD_9_UrgU3_HRxetVsv7JA_PShTM6Xw3cCtECGNz8LEAI0N3R8ucED7s_hcEOcAQOxCotau66iUY9jIohbc1HxCzZIYJZ1c373NP90buHe2KTSGvh-Py1j-=s1964" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1964" data-original-width="1473" height="387" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiyuPLFqBbJDCK6NgWO8Zm6JCr3YykHKh_yIXPuSRhsRAFWmQ1GqJFQi9aIXYh3di3yrYD_9_UrgU3_HRxetVsv7JA_PShTM6Xw3cCtECGNz8LEAI0N3R8ucED7s_hcEOcAQOxCotau66iUY9jIohbc1HxCzZIYJZ1c373NP90buHe2KTSGvh-Py1j-=s320" width="290" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Mini-X on the pad (Click to enlarge).</span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The Mini-X clears the rod (Click to enlarge).</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p>I was right on 2 out of 3 - The booster did indeed fall close to the pad and the sustainer of the Mini-X soared to 470 feet, making for a good data take. However, the wind had begun to pick up and the rocket drifted downwind... drifted some more... and more... until finally landing near the eastern edge of the field. Duane generously recovered it for me, but it was quite a walk. Part of the problem was that the red mylar parachute was a bit too large, bringing the rocket down at a very slow 7 feet per second. It should have descended at twice that speed. I made a note to use a smaller parachute next time. The distance the Mini-X drifted caused me to can the flight of my 2-stage Estes Savage, which was set to go on a D12-0/C6-5 combo. Given the wind, that thing would have ended up crossing the Atlantic!</p><p>Yeah, I know - I'm a wimp. At least I still have the rocket. It'll fly on a calmer day.</p><p>My last flight was that of the ASP Rocketry Eggstravaganza 18. Loaded with an egg, a FlightSketch Comp altimeter and a Quest Q-jet B6-4W, it was my first official NRC flight. Even though the Eggstravaganza was a competition kit, I had committed a major faux pas in its construction - I painted the fins and lower body yellow. Paint is a no-no in competition - it adds lots of weight and yields very little benefit (other than increased visibility). Because of this - and my checkered past in competition egg lofting - I was hoping not to embarrass myself and to turn in a qualified flight. I felt more than the usual amount of pressure because Doug was also making his first NRC launch, using the same kit and motor.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgJl2jP3GOF90rypblknbWhqiAoGCAhSEGFgPTeUxufB-aAFLVa8An5aVgfm4qCP6ILdGHPVrCAC9XeHdl6gQ3_G6ilvL9M20ad7G0ixBorKbhi2_AfquzBhI74JcMgVEiZ1NB0gqVNKUtUYTA-QnjTs0y_GlGr2m2o6JGPEt8Wg9HqmI21qTifiQwd=s4032" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="387" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgJl2jP3GOF90rypblknbWhqiAoGCAhSEGFgPTeUxufB-aAFLVa8An5aVgfm4qCP6ILdGHPVrCAC9XeHdl6gQ3_G6ilvL9M20ad7G0ixBorKbhi2_AfquzBhI74JcMgVEiZ1NB0gqVNKUtUYTA-QnjTs0y_GlGr2m2o6JGPEt8Wg9HqmI21qTifiQwd=s320" width="290" /></a></td><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh1pD_PWwOFS6kr4lFlUsURwcO3T7DlqG1IgYbHpKh-QsHWMaHaywmxpjCHB-RGP_7u9MMl3cril0z4yL0gHSrgkdjP1rZPg85ghG3yR5N-_hQDVIn0Y_4rDeZg3lRiexL4-D7GS60D_hdiivCclTJXuqI73TyyEdUtml6XF6BxXPaY6NONyMUk3-4X=s2605" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2605" data-original-width="1954" height="387" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh1pD_PWwOFS6kr4lFlUsURwcO3T7DlqG1IgYbHpKh-QsHWMaHaywmxpjCHB-RGP_7u9MMl3cril0z4yL0gHSrgkdjP1rZPg85ghG3yR5N-_hQDVIn0Y_4rDeZg3lRiexL4-D7GS60D_hdiivCclTJXuqI73TyyEdUtml6XF6BxXPaY6NONyMUk3-4X=s320" width="290" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Brian helps load my rocket on the piston<br />(Click to enlarge).</span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The Eggstravaganza leaves the piston<br />(Click to enlarge).</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Brian helped me load the model atop the piston attached to his spiffy tower. We stepped back, and after a quick 5 count, Brian launched the model. The piston kicked it up into the air nicely, but I was disappointed to see the model arc into the wind - a loss in altitude. Ejection seemed to occur a little late and the parachute only partially deployed. Brian ruled it a safe landing, but I was sweating as I opened the egg capsule - scrambled eggs are quite common when I egg loft; I should probably bring a camp stove and skillet. Fortunately the egg was undamaged and I had my first qualified NRC flight, a B Eggloft to 263 feet (not corrected for temperature). I am waiting for it to appear on the National Scoreboard - I wonder if I will rank with the kiddos (A division). We shall see. But I can tell you this much - Doug beat my altitude by 16 feet. Pretty good for his first contest flight ever!</p><p>And so Saturday's HARA launch saw my return to NAR competition. A unremarkable return, but a return nonetheless. It felt kinda good.</p>Bill Cookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06558809516739170745noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2208422594491525200.post-21886234194907185412022-02-10T12:53:00.004-08:002022-02-10T12:53:46.476-08:00Sunday afternoon launch<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjbZBVB6mjZ9ZfeH0qjvrUSXnbVtkzqP0y-MKgMSFaeXlKJIEB1QoZanNt4lsD8wX-pVZoDXcvbGar_GuPyrmAa_o-lGtIRImJb8ucwY7BSq0XKMBj381IfGiVRAg8FknVKtkpCJ7LVUD2VQ_m5DM_9zRUB3sQ8JOWrjPOygG8E6MapbnMEd2hC8RZS=s2902" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2571" data-original-width="2902" height="516" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjbZBVB6mjZ9ZfeH0qjvrUSXnbVtkzqP0y-MKgMSFaeXlKJIEB1QoZanNt4lsD8wX-pVZoDXcvbGar_GuPyrmAa_o-lGtIRImJb8ucwY7BSq0XKMBj381IfGiVRAg8FknVKtkpCJ7LVUD2VQ_m5DM_9zRUB3sQ8JOWrjPOygG8E6MapbnMEd2hC8RZS=w400-h356" width="580" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Girl scouts watch as the rocket they prepped heads skyward (Click to enlarge)</span>.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>The John Paul II TARC teams had scheduled a TARC practice for this past Sunday, which provided a perfect excuse for some of us to drag out rockets eager to be flown. We assembled at Pegasus around high noon - me, Duane, Brian, Doug and family, Vinny and Jeannie (Duane's neighbors), the two JPII teams and one of the Girl Scout TARC teams. After setting up the range, Duane shifted into TARC mentor mode, spending most of the launch showing the girl scouts how to prep and fly mid-power rockets and heckling the JPII TARCers with unsolicited commentary and advice, some of which was actually useful <smile>. He must have anticipated being very busy, as he only brought one rocket - an Estes Mammoth. </p><p>The most interesting launches of the day were made by Brian, who brought a few of his FAI competition models, pistons, and a superb homemade tower. He made a couple of S9 helicopter duration flights - the first stayed aloft for a respectable 105 or so seconds before disappearing behind the Blue Origin building, while the second maxed out at 300 seconds (yay!). Unfortunately, both drifted way, way out of the field to the west and Brian was able to find/recover only one. He seemed unperturbed by the loss and went on to fly a S6 streamer duration bird, which stayed on the field - 40 mm diameter models don't drift very far on sub-A impulse.</p><p>Always cool to see pistons in action. I was timing the flights, so I don't have any pics to post - maybe next time.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhjFrWyhpShO8OvpVBIcsfEzQlJ2GfqKw6x4bM0DBa_8aqA3hkVgy4IkaBpDC3NQqrRDqAPPhHHgPeb4_aXumsJ9fjhu8NKvcZdwGvp6ZezFsvjVG2CJ0k0oUlaQQy_DYiTsoFURfmlApjxcNd6NyFcmZHaMBRuAzvQo8_3p6-1skVbje6yKsjPoPqv=s3111" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3111" data-original-width="2536" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhjFrWyhpShO8OvpVBIcsfEzQlJ2GfqKw6x4bM0DBa_8aqA3hkVgy4IkaBpDC3NQqrRDqAPPhHHgPeb4_aXumsJ9fjhu8NKvcZdwGvp6ZezFsvjVG2CJ0k0oUlaQQy_DYiTsoFURfmlApjxcNd6NyFcmZHaMBRuAzvQo8_3p6-1skVbje6yKsjPoPqv=s320" width="290" /></span></a></td><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjEHZrIX4dWDkd3-t-UbtRUJu6HoVfFJS99v9ERukgonLEOHPBjpYwe-GrPruRZGjv30eiw2kNQtmfymPfF9BcXqD4TuMTQC7Acc6oTeJuEqjAjU7u-WPZoU76n5kXoT6PAPbFmNy89zTT-Yo0r2XivybLUry6NnCzkDzX4Mbh4yRfjYFw5CxLz9ztr=s3292" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3292" data-original-width="2347" height="407" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjEHZrIX4dWDkd3-t-UbtRUJu6HoVfFJS99v9ERukgonLEOHPBjpYwe-GrPruRZGjv30eiw2kNQtmfymPfF9BcXqD4TuMTQC7Acc6oTeJuEqjAjU7u-WPZoU76n5kXoT6PAPbFmNy89zTT-Yo0r2XivybLUry6NnCzkDzX4Mbh4yRfjYFw5CxLz9ztr=s320" width="290" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Doug's V-2 gets going (Click to enlarge).</span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">His Geezer TARC rocket starts its wacky flight<br />(Click to enlarge)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Doug made several flights, starting with his red Estes V-2. The thing I like about him is that he is fearless - he has absolutely no problem cramming a C motor into a light rocket and letting her rip. My Geezer self doesn't do that anymore; I'm too old for chases and too fearful of the rockets drifting away. Anyway, the V-2 put in a flawless flight, which is more than I can say for the next bird to launch - Doug's Pringles can Geezer TARC rocket. Loaded with a single egg and an Estes E16, it lumbered off the pad and immediately went unstable, tracing a nice spiral in the sky. Surprisingly, the egg survived smack down with the ground - pretty good packing on Doug's part!</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjDCmXULhhl9XplzuX98uxh1G-fxXAmoXE3Mgm7Y1f-tg2MO_jyR7LQiHvmQ4XVm8rRuEN1ACoUb41ehEePWtMILP8Ch7L-jDm76-jax2duoixmP3j0xSvoZvj466ZBF0Ys4dbe4ZeAaqj-QxoSNZVE0aQ3SVxDNMQ_CqOOOT0Zifblvd-0ekyQIb8p=s3406" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3406" data-original-width="2482" height="398" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjDCmXULhhl9XplzuX98uxh1G-fxXAmoXE3Mgm7Y1f-tg2MO_jyR7LQiHvmQ4XVm8rRuEN1ACoUb41ehEePWtMILP8Ch7L-jDm76-jax2duoixmP3j0xSvoZvj466ZBF0Ys4dbe4ZeAaqj-QxoSNZVE0aQ3SVxDNMQ_CqOOOT0Zifblvd-0ekyQIb8p=s320" width="290" /></a></td><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgr3LZKkAsF4fyEvjSn13Jbv4Oweb0QZ8jez8p0qJVSxEVw9bWjjQ2MiBn9iCz23agevAJOpLOAPc-bebmPqZvORJbACWrh2FhH3CJ3SMgXlfWEAqDnFtdTyUu1mEmh_k_fnjaVi_emrwhBSZOFJ9iTFoREow5qSgkNuOBRCTjXpTDeIM-_w9UjQuTN=s3170" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3170" data-original-width="2480" height="371" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgr3LZKkAsF4fyEvjSn13Jbv4Oweb0QZ8jez8p0qJVSxEVw9bWjjQ2MiBn9iCz23agevAJOpLOAPc-bebmPqZvORJbACWrh2FhH3CJ3SMgXlfWEAqDnFtdTyUu1mEmh_k_fnjaVi_emrwhBSZOFJ9iTFoREow5qSgkNuOBRCTjXpTDeIM-_w9UjQuTN=s320" width="290" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Another of Doug's rockets on a Quest Q-jet<br />(Click to enlarge).</span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The Neon Tiger rises on a C6-3 (Click to enlarge).</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p>The TARC rocket was followed by a four finned rocket I did not recognize, but it shot off the pad like a bullet, getting way up there before popping its parachute. An Estes Neon Tiger was next - the C6-3 carried it to a respectable altitude, whereupon the cylindrical glider detached for a nice circular glide in. I was jealous - my model's glider flies a straight path, making for long recovery walks (usually done by Duane).</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg6dQkVvxHrR8Xx2smSV0snVxryXYG23eS5DekaYE96kxL_x00kMSSj--7_bf553XC-lFqexMYh2o5sSas7hqn2ozcLNLrf6uANoRXrP05L5ylYpNaB0_kImcQWh_3y88vNHODhGsO9pKHaYTUHYV5Rg-TOHUX3cgN4qeJCeMNq9X39Zffp-sRS19cs=s3406" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3406" data-original-width="2454" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg6dQkVvxHrR8Xx2smSV0snVxryXYG23eS5DekaYE96kxL_x00kMSSj--7_bf553XC-lFqexMYh2o5sSas7hqn2ozcLNLrf6uANoRXrP05L5ylYpNaB0_kImcQWh_3y88vNHODhGsO9pKHaYTUHYV5Rg-TOHUX3cgN4qeJCeMNq9X39Zffp-sRS19cs=w466-h640" width="466" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The last image of Doug's Wizard before it became parts (Click to enlarge).</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Doug's final flight of the day was a classic example of what happens when you pair a rocketeer who likes using the most powerful recommended motor with a contest rocketeer. Doug had brought along an unpainted Estes Wizard with misaligned fins and in not-so-good shape overall. Common sense would have it powered by a low impulse A motor - if it was to fly at all - but nooooooo... The two of them decided that cramming a composite Quest Q-jet C18W into the back end was a good idea, sure to achieve a spectacular altitude - if it held together. Which it did not; the model rekitted itself soon after leaving the pad, parts raining down on the field.</p><p>Alas, poor Wizard - its life was so short. And to think that its demise was celebrated by much laughter on the part of those on the field... A truly horrible ending.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgGfRcvEsqPxj-HLKJUThU-Fo03l9sG1KEN3dUo7-aGexxDMog8Fp31unwixXYeMZfehdkkvxSVgboRFFGJvAP4UhPDdhieiLduKh42XoEooyC4R9z10i9FxptCbeKNGgOw-6XKgj8khZMT04pMDU0tKXe1KanY4WEiOCjX06LBUIf_CNtRs3ssF7QR=s4032" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgGfRcvEsqPxj-HLKJUThU-Fo03l9sG1KEN3dUo7-aGexxDMog8Fp31unwixXYeMZfehdkkvxSVgboRFFGJvAP4UhPDdhieiLduKh42XoEooyC4R9z10i9FxptCbeKNGgOw-6XKgj8khZMT04pMDU0tKXe1KanY4WEiOCjX06LBUIf_CNtRs3ssF7QR=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Duane loads Jeannie's Ghost Chaser on the pad (Click to enlarge).</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p>The last flight of the day was made by Jeannie's Estes Ghost Chaser on a Quest B6-4 - its first. Unfortunately I did not get a launch picture, as we were starting to break down the range and I was busy packing my stuff. The flight went well, with the parachute fully deployed for a gentle landing in the field. It should be noted that Duane still had not flown his Mammoth - indeed, it didn't fly on Sunday. I think Brian's helicopter birds sailing away on the breeze kinda spooked him a bit. I certainly can't blame him, as the Mammoth gets some decent altitude on Aerotech F motors.</p><p>And now for my flights...</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiWSQbqH3N2z3OSUkMSM-XCsf_hyT-W_cKlma33HW10oSDsZlRrSN4CdCWK9ZprvcRwc5XrzoFixCfDaL-UKcCYAZfSmwmptQy4x3Wn2MfY97S0YfKuIIoX2QC3IB28zebaKIRTcYnde5t5awqWdDbZt5_x8oCUF2wFRVd1yHrCLczD3iF-nDYhXGs0=s3226" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3226" data-original-width="2709" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiWSQbqH3N2z3OSUkMSM-XCsf_hyT-W_cKlma33HW10oSDsZlRrSN4CdCWK9ZprvcRwc5XrzoFixCfDaL-UKcCYAZfSmwmptQy4x3Wn2MfY97S0YfKuIIoX2QC3IB28zebaKIRTcYnde5t5awqWdDbZt5_x8oCUF2wFRVd1yHrCLczD3iF-nDYhXGs0=w538-h640" width="538" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The Star Traveler (Daffy Duck) lifts off on a C6-3 (Click to enlarge).</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p>The first (and the first flight of the day) was that of my MPC Star Traveler, featuring Daffy Duck. Being somewhat heavy, the only recommended motor is the C6-3, which gets it to about 300 feet or so. My flight was fairly conventional and hohum - the parachute deployed near apogee and it touched down softly on the field. Boring, but it needed to fly. No shelf queens in my fleet.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiI3WhBHGCjBYQx8hsT1gcWGNMyGj98WwaQVqsTm57Dkl5Ot7B1v6d0lSJwgxuVsIE-iYZFWTMC3ErYn91Xc3DqjK1xTkMY0buCbgtC6K7bWtR1bJLXHisRBprAWxaBXEv07G-53n1tj06t9ETiPJsoLBnvUj6MgrQfYt2gZGkqRIsxijYtLdCttlem=s2945" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2945" data-original-width="2180" height="392" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiI3WhBHGCjBYQx8hsT1gcWGNMyGj98WwaQVqsTm57Dkl5Ot7B1v6d0lSJwgxuVsIE-iYZFWTMC3ErYn91Xc3DqjK1xTkMY0buCbgtC6K7bWtR1bJLXHisRBprAWxaBXEv07G-53n1tj06t9ETiPJsoLBnvUj6MgrQfYt2gZGkqRIsxijYtLdCttlem=s320" width="290" /></a></td><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjYbrJs1shF3GALBvCspTHeXz9bLQ8uQB2XaZrIIC3nSpGGT2Vt-c4yg1FyYSUc26iqg-WinaTw2_aj6jRezusivw8kjXU83ZM2MeDgCXG5dW_IvYHyF08I1acl2J7sOXEIjuxr1j0iVn5Rneux1zCQi3BQvsybEnCdY4zcRnfcVa5PPkFPScnwVQMy=s2867" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2867" data-original-width="2221" height="374" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjYbrJs1shF3GALBvCspTHeXz9bLQ8uQB2XaZrIIC3nSpGGT2Vt-c4yg1FyYSUc26iqg-WinaTw2_aj6jRezusivw8kjXU83ZM2MeDgCXG5dW_IvYHyF08I1acl2J7sOXEIjuxr1j0iVn5Rneux1zCQi3BQvsybEnCdY4zcRnfcVa5PPkFPScnwVQMy=s320" width="290" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Skyblazer II heads skyward (Click to enlarge).</span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">And coming down under parachute (Click to enlarge).</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p>My second and last flight was that of the Mad Science Skyblazer II rocket. An off-brand kit, it has plastic fins, couplers and nose cone; the latter is two piece, enabling one to put a small altimeter inside. This I did, loading a Flightsketch Mini, plus I strapped an Estes Astrocam to the side. I too was kinda spooked by the wind (too much electronics to lose), so I chose a B6-4 for the motor - turns out a C6-5 would have been a better choice as far as altitude, but I was playing it safe. Everything went well - the rocket struggled to 218 feet and was down in just under 45 seconds. I got good video and altimeter data, which I merged using RaceRender later that evening.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg06Sj8lnff8S8kVRxm0b5xrmi4HEA6gdhaPZaentlXIIPKyxQVQaYJkQ2gI12Q3YlDEANkmx_Z3lxgv8y_dPzuegeRvlpaD6n182LKuEGiPkTrgITZsNk058pj09Ck9NDdUwYp4BLpcUym041p3oOwWnHbCK4qwo1ZbIxk93lnVO-oTvO5S2W9ztI7=s1920" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="326" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg06Sj8lnff8S8kVRxm0b5xrmi4HEA6gdhaPZaentlXIIPKyxQVQaYJkQ2gI12Q3YlDEANkmx_Z3lxgv8y_dPzuegeRvlpaD6n182LKuEGiPkTrgITZsNk058pj09Ck9NDdUwYp4BLpcUym041p3oOwWnHbCK4qwo1ZbIxk93lnVO-oTvO5S2W9ztI7=w400-h225" width="580" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Frame from the Skyblazer II Astrocam video showing shock cord and wadding (Click to enlarge).</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Here's the flight video:</p><center><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6eeQjproRiY" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></center>Bill Cookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06558809516739170745noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2208422594491525200.post-73797022765459363622022-01-30T16:36:00.005-08:002022-01-30T20:41:41.220-08:00More TARC musings...<p>I keep thinking about TARC - specifically, my rocket's performance in Geezer TARC. I wanted to understand why the simulation programs were giving way too high altitudes, while Thrustcurve.org and the iPhone app were much closer to the actual performance. So I reweighed EggTu, made sure the Rocksim weight matched and forced the simulation to use the "standard" drag coefficient of 0.75 rather than the computed one. This gave a peak altitude that agreed very closely with those provided by Thrustcurve.org and the app, and I was able to match the FlightSketch altimeter data pretty well by reducing the rocket drag coefficient down to 0.70.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjUQC2zu7ex5pEdgSK10O3-e3AUNRzXRfylQ6VfKtSCct47SF6HFmIqT3jiysuiuJNWJjvSFnOTQTfH2rcyDAK9dTMq-StjCz-ZrXsvGdRIRpynIuWzwu8OkTnomOUuTY40tKdc_l-gk1nLcA6NUTw5urY7dXz45Ikd_k7aIX4wA2PeCUs4sElBfcyU=s2292" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1438" data-original-width="2292" height="365" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjUQC2zu7ex5pEdgSK10O3-e3AUNRzXRfylQ6VfKtSCct47SF6HFmIqT3jiysuiuJNWJjvSFnOTQTfH2rcyDAK9dTMq-StjCz-ZrXsvGdRIRpynIuWzwu8OkTnomOUuTY40tKdc_l-gk1nLcA6NUTw5urY7dXz45Ikd_k7aIX4wA2PeCUs4sElBfcyU=w640-h403" width="580" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Rocksim/Altimeter data comparison (Click to enlarge).</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p>So my takeaway is that both OpenRocket and Rocksim computed too small drag coefficients for this particular design - why, I don't know. At least Rocksim enabled me to verify this by allowing the user to override the program value. With Rocksim more or less dialed in, I was then able to run additional simulations using other F motors and discovered that the F30 I used was not the motor I should have chosen. It turns out that the best motor would have been the F23FJ-7, also a Fast Jack. This motor sims peak altitudes a bit over the mark, whereas the F30 is always under - yet another example of why you should throughly study and sim your TARC design. The proof, of course, is in the flying, and I shall have to launch EggTu with a F23 in the near future - once a) I repair the fin broken at Duane's demo launch last Saturday, and b) when I can get some F23 motors.</p><p>It also occurred to me that I need to gather data with a TARC rocket so that I can demonstrate a few of the math things I have been posting on the blog. I need to work out a better design process, as I am getting tired of Duane kicking my can in Geezer TARC. I think I can kill both of these birdies with one stone, and that stone's name is Bob. A very conventional TARC rocket, Bob features a BT-80 payload section and a BT-70 sustainer, with power provided by a single composite F motor. He is a bit more robust than my standard Geezer TARC builds, featuring thru-the-wall trapezoidal fins to minimize breakage - gonna have to make several flights to gather enough data. I did many sims of the design; once again Open Rocket and Rocksim gave high altitudes using the default drag coefficients. I plotted things out to make sure that I have the best motors in my stash - turns out I need a total impulse around 52 newton seconds, which makes the Aerotech F20 and F23 my prime choices. F20s I have, so I placed an order with BuyRocketMotors.com for some F23s - should get them in about a week.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg3w8DNw4HpBBBkWWlMg-lBlRWtr2MJAqPhSiwr2cTh406nSdRJX-HcYfMqoWXIkSj_CK_euDUv_5JFTQUeyCCKRyvzqL7hEQY1d5kpoZrihaURpUGc93Ve7hsfzcdBxaTaKn6XEOmTtCZxg0J_XDtWYABLGbA_kjrJ_ny3tryB9k_mvsZr6hERkOhf=s2169" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1326" data-original-width="2169" height="355" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg3w8DNw4HpBBBkWWlMg-lBlRWtr2MJAqPhSiwr2cTh406nSdRJX-HcYfMqoWXIkSj_CK_euDUv_5JFTQUeyCCKRyvzqL7hEQY1d5kpoZrihaURpUGc93Ve7hsfzcdBxaTaKn6XEOmTtCZxg0J_XDtWYABLGbA_kjrJ_ny3tryB9k_mvsZr6hERkOhf=w640-h392" width="580" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Bob design motor analysis (Click to enlarge).</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Time to start building Bob...</p>Bill Cookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06558809516739170745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2208422594491525200.post-57439884900160215912022-01-22T18:58:00.001-08:002022-01-22T19:10:24.742-08:00The factor that many TARC teams ignore<p>Duane spent a few hours this afternoon giving a couple of new TARC teams much needed practical experience in launching mid power rockets. Naturally, he had to fly the rocket that propelled him to Geezer TARC glory. It was configured as before, loaded with the standard Mayer TARC motor - an Aerotech F32. I have no doubt he expected to show the assembled teams how close he could come to the TARC goals of 835 feet max altitude and 41-44 seconds duration.</p><p>But it didn’t happen.</p><p>Much to his surprise, the rocket, which was only 5 feet off the mark in October, soared much higher, to 955 feet!</p><p>While talking to him on the phone, I flashed back to the many instances TARC teams have complained that they couldn’t repeat the previous practice’s performance. Everyone acts puzzled, but they shouldn’t be. One should not expect the altimeter in a TARC rocket configured exactly the same to always give the same altitude. If you read my blog post from March of last year, you know one reason why.</p><p>It has to do with temperature - model rocket altimeters compute altitude assuming the temperature is 59 degrees. If it isn’t, the altimeter will not spit out the true altitude, but what it thinks the altitude is. This altitude will be low or high, depending on the temperature. If it is colder than 59 degrees, the altimeter will think the rocket went higher; warmer temperatures will give a lower reading. In NAR competition, flights made in altitude events have the altimeter heights corrected for the temperature, but in TARC, you are stuck with whatever the little beastie beeps or flashes out. No corrections allowed.</p><p>So let’s look at the performance of Duane’s rocket on its two flights. After his October 8 Geezer TARC flight, the Perfectflite APRA beeped out 840 feet. The temperature on the field at that time was 81 degrees - hot for October! Today’s flight went to 955 feet; the temperature at Pegasus field was a cool 36 degrees. If we apply the formula in my March blog post to get the “true” altitudes, we obtain values of 876 and 913 feet, respectively.</p><p>This means that:</p><p>1) Duane’s rocket is performing fairly consistently, with the actual difference in altitudes being 37 feet - not the 115 feet given by the altimeters! </p><p>2) His rocket is also “hot”, as the corrected altitudes are above the mark. Need to add some weight.</p><p>So temperature can be a big deal! The graph below shows the altimeter readings as a function of temperature for a rocket that hits exactly 835 feet when the temperature is 59 degrees. This means that TARC teams must add or subtract weight depending on temperature. If the day is cool, weight must be added. If the temp is 60 or higher, weight must be reduced. If the weight is left the same, the altimeter altitudes will vary from practice to practice, and much frustration will arise.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhxK-tJfFyoJ0S9MQ49-n42MAMPprAHmHNhoYMoHkin5smh9r1pb_sknRwKZLiYcYAJI1_UF2WTCBpOpQFr16qY2nZkldeET1H_hvhwSdCXzJ5H8LsQBm5uPZeem7_DUna5ELjZS4zInc5I8uwfLmIgBzltNci4803AXjc6K6dXf_nUD2Tcc7RvRhGN=s1204" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="988" data-original-width="1204" height="329" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhxK-tJfFyoJ0S9MQ49-n42MAMPprAHmHNhoYMoHkin5smh9r1pb_sknRwKZLiYcYAJI1_UF2WTCBpOpQFr16qY2nZkldeET1H_hvhwSdCXzJ5H8LsQBm5uPZeem7_DUna5ELjZS4zInc5I8uwfLmIgBzltNci4803AXjc6K6dXf_nUD2Tcc7RvRhGN=w400-h329" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Click to enlarge.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p>This is just one factor influencing altitude, but it is one that is often neglected. Many teams adjust for wind speed; very few take into account temperature.</p><p>Reckon they oughta?</p><p><br /></p>Bill Cookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06558809516739170745noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2208422594491525200.post-82512633338636150692022-01-22T12:27:00.000-08:002022-01-22T12:27:30.600-08:00Finishing off some builds<p>As the pandemic wore on and my motivation waned, three unfinished rockets - a Boyce Aerospace Redstone missile, a Skylance from an Estes rocket plan and a Glencoe Jupiter-C plastic model conversion - caught my eye every time I looked at my workbench. Things got to the point where I couldn’t stand it anymore and resolved to finish them. First up was the Boyce Redstone - I had already spent beaucoup hours sanding the 3D printed parts smooth, so it was a simple matter of glueing them together and applying primer and paint. The former was quickly done, but I had no olive drab paint, so I had to order some. While waiting for it to arrive, I primed the Redstone with Krylon gray and white primers. Then came gloss white followed by the olive drab, which went on nicely (I really like Tamiya paints, even if they are a bit pricey). For markings, I used Stickershock vinyl decals made for this model; however, after application, it was obvious they are a bit on the large side when compared to photos of the actual missile. No matter - it’s a semi-scale model, after all.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjQwYNmwvEmHH1_cuSqEV_G1373Rea3uCUZ-1QxP11U8dghUIdL720QgFB5qjDWFTwJTU3u5dIs3fsnLsZnp_RA9N946dSI3I8GGviUnsasDjkN0WjmBR4eOEhEjH9DPIYcNq5tbWeR4WZs_qYxNZ4N9_bfmzo2_QcH6Afo2wUXxDeztSh8-M4PqUN6=s3878" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3878" data-original-width="1996" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjQwYNmwvEmHH1_cuSqEV_G1373Rea3uCUZ-1QxP11U8dghUIdL720QgFB5qjDWFTwJTU3u5dIs3fsnLsZnp_RA9N946dSI3I8GGviUnsasDjkN0WjmBR4eOEhEjH9DPIYcNq5tbWeR4WZs_qYxNZ4N9_bfmzo2_QcH6Afo2wUXxDeztSh8-M4PqUN6=w330-h640" width="330" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Boyce Redstone compared to the Estes Mercury Redstone <br />(Click to enlarge).</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Next was the Glencoe Jupiter-C. One of the easiest plastic models to convert to flight, it was built following Harry Stine’s <a href="http://www.ninfinger.org/rockets/ModelRocketry/Model_Rocketry_v02n02_11-69.pdf" target="_blank">article</a> in the November, 1969 issue of Model Rocketry. The decals were provided in the kit and I used the wonderful Tamiya tape to mask off the roll patterns - worked great! </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgRpt2YbVoq6EftVOoVG5SQgnWNhSck5_YFg70RoWWuhS_sf8UQ359zW03h_2BX0f0XfSoG3I6nKWJvgktVXTuJBJ1goEuFg1Ubkp5ti2hT3ic6nRWT09rQo4tRrpfAeSrifWXfxDoBIO-mzkPngKnY7Gpm5QpymGO2K3Xb3G90wJBFS9RwikOQ-bTF=s3803" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3803" data-original-width="2394" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgRpt2YbVoq6EftVOoVG5SQgnWNhSck5_YFg70RoWWuhS_sf8UQ359zW03h_2BX0f0XfSoG3I6nKWJvgktVXTuJBJ1goEuFg1Ubkp5ti2hT3ic6nRWT09rQo4tRrpfAeSrifWXfxDoBIO-mzkPngKnY7Gpm5QpymGO2K3Xb3G90wJBFS9RwikOQ-bTF=w402-h640" width="402" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Glencoe Jupiter-C on the pad (Click to enlarge).</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Both these models have scale fins - the Estes Mercury Redstone fins are way over sized, as you can see from the picture - and so required a lot of nose weight. The Boyce Redstone required so much that I am a bit afraid to fly it, fearing that the 3D printed base of the nose cone may not take the stress of ejection. Don’t want heavy things falling out of the sky, but I suppose I will have to risk it soon, as my models do not just sit on a shelf. I flew the Jupiter-C back in December, powered by an Estes B6-2. It flew straight as an arrow, but the Estes plastic chute did not open, resulting in a hard landing that broke Explorer 1. It is now sitting on the workbench awaiting repair.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiVMyxxh8zbmwcGE9UJyhjQRlczfUFbjy_JE8tnMROcRgW70EzQBAu6j9ohAPRDBwgHhynVEwljljZx7x8IwapS0XpyqL5m-P1VWE0G-nx5tm4RO-QqUu73WfWZ0Kl3s6GSXnF6XvKav0pvPTZksdmNzpFN3qm4DjmDNdqXsNIsh6YEpGVtvI1DC5iw=s2069" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2069" data-original-width="1519" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiVMyxxh8zbmwcGE9UJyhjQRlczfUFbjy_JE8tnMROcRgW70EzQBAu6j9ohAPRDBwgHhynVEwljljZx7x8IwapS0XpyqL5m-P1VWE0G-nx5tm4RO-QqUu73WfWZ0Kl3s6GSXnF6XvKav0pvPTZksdmNzpFN3qm4DjmDNdqXsNIsh6YEpGVtvI1DC5iw=w470-h640" width="470" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The Jupiter-C lifts off (Click to enlarge)</span>.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>And the Skylance? I put it in a corner so I would not have to look at it. Hopefully, I’ll finish it soon - it deserves that much.</p><p><br /></p>Bill Cookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06558809516739170745noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2208422594491525200.post-12680150716895894952022-01-16T11:25:00.003-08:002022-01-20T06:35:38.863-08:00Geezer TARC 2021<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEieGZLff7eX-3J7i357e4joEZfRzFtQdx9PYvYveWFYyKk4tXqTWyYwZMkMSsnRZTdy640SQ8e_-rHb0BWGBKkdKJaHWiDkkc-f73LQSVM8Y5LRYkr2-d92BcTOFlyVUhrII2dmFpsKahCg1WYqVBZiZW6kpM6pWZuOijkpbge-U2DsDgWiF-_y1pSz=s4928" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="4928" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEieGZLff7eX-3J7i357e4joEZfRzFtQdx9PYvYveWFYyKk4tXqTWyYwZMkMSsnRZTdy640SQ8e_-rHb0BWGBKkdKJaHWiDkkc-f73LQSVM8Y5LRYkr2-d92BcTOFlyVUhrII2dmFpsKahCg1WYqVBZiZW6kpM6pWZuOijkpbge-U2DsDgWiF-_y1pSz=w640-h424" width="580" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The TARC Geezers ready their rockets (Photo by Patrick Morrison- Click to enlarge).</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p>I'm back.</p><p>Maybe... The pandemic has dragged on and on, and my motivation really began to suffer several months ago. Things are still sucky out there in the world, but my guilt over neglecting the blog has now got the edge over my depleted morale. So I'm going to try to restart blog posts. We shall begin with a summary of this year's Geezer TARC competition.</p><p>As you may know, this year's TARC challenge was to fly two eggs "lying on their back" to 835 feet and bring them safely back to the ground in 41- 44 seconds. The two eggs were going to mean a fairly heavy rocket, but them being mounted horizontally was also going to require at least a 2.5 inch tube for the payload section, thereby adding more surface area/drag. "Gonna need F impulse" I thought as I started designing.</p><p>I should have listened to my instincts. But we'll come to that in a minute.</p><p>I didn't take very long for me to design EggTu - the fairly conventional rocket used a 29 mm, BT-60 sustainer with upscale Alpha fins joined to a BT-80 payload section housing the eggs, Apogee egg cushions and a Firefly altimeter. The sims showed plenty of margin, even suggesting it could make 835 feet on an E30. I was little bit skeptical, so I ported the design over to Rocksim - it gave similar results with a standard drag coefficient of 0.75. My doubts laid to rest, I moved on to building the rocket, installing the 29 mm motor mount "just in case" (very easy to adapt down to 24 mm motors).</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi2rlwtcMNwtG_YGpiREBN9JlZv4diMGkPH2-kA_7rrwZ459Bc2jNBOOBqiuNnvtOCV28oblfvAAsIWRXZHKixqXJfzsvVIS-g0Ab2Y5md2BzXN1ifn5_QLFcVmUEzprqbFmIGK2lVOTnrgh_HkytBcla2jfVhLDjcCErMSrj3Yo4wHoGofAQfA0mJN=s721" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="258" data-original-width="721" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi2rlwtcMNwtG_YGpiREBN9JlZv4diMGkPH2-kA_7rrwZ459Bc2jNBOOBqiuNnvtOCV28oblfvAAsIWRXZHKixqXJfzsvVIS-g0Ab2Y5md2BzXN1ifn5_QLFcVmUEzprqbFmIGK2lVOTnrgh_HkytBcla2jfVhLDjcCErMSrj3Yo4wHoGofAQfA0mJN=w640-h230" width="580" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Annotated EggTu design (Click to enlarge).</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Weather and other things got in the way of the normal September launch, so the Geezer TARC flights had to wait until the October HARA launch in Woodville. The night before, I was once again nervous about using an E30 motor; the rocket seemed too heavy for an E to power it over 800 feet. So I entered EggTu's mass and diameter into my iPhone's rocket app, which spit out 700 feet on an E30. Great... I then went to thrustcurve.org and used that site's altitude calculator. It too gave a peak altitude around 700 feet for an E30 motor. I was in a fix - the two sophisticated sims said 840 feet and the two simple ones indicated 700. What to do?</p><p>October 9 was beautiful day for flying in Woodville, with comfortable temps and blue skies. There were four of us competing in Geezer TARC - myself, Duane, Vince and Doug. Doug was a first timer, eager to try his hand against the "veterans" (if there is such a thing in Geezer TARC). Vince's rocket was the usual Frankenstein, featuring an Estes Omega sustainer and a BT-80 payload section. The BT-60/BT-80 adapter was fashioned out of styrofoam, and it looked weak - very weak. My comment to him - which proved to be prophetic - was that I didn't think it would take the flight stresses.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhR3WyHmOwvmdwFxkY23BfjaGiVYCv0cEygnQZ3YiKCFT8RMpiTPIk-IllDEiIBgnvAUx2rRBkRu1MMP-2LHoJaLiNNT4kF82erGyKbI8uTPTW8DkO7JrTTMT2kQMxub07kr0rzWZpW3Ii9isqnZz22s3sRLYbyxkNgoJ6RIMLnzXgTe4_nBi6X9a89=s4032" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhR3WyHmOwvmdwFxkY23BfjaGiVYCv0cEygnQZ3YiKCFT8RMpiTPIk-IllDEiIBgnvAUx2rRBkRu1MMP-2LHoJaLiNNT4kF82erGyKbI8uTPTW8DkO7JrTTMT2kQMxub07kr0rzWZpW3Ii9isqnZz22s3sRLYbyxkNgoJ6RIMLnzXgTe4_nBi6X9a89=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Vince proudly displays his ill-fated Geezer TARC rocket <br />(Photo by Patrick Morrison - Click to enlarge)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p>You can guess what happened - Vince's rocket made it to about 160 feet before the adapter broke and the rocket fell out of the sky. Max altitude of 158 feet and a duration of 9.38 seconds, giving him an 803 score. Miraculously, the eggs survived.</p><p>Duane's design was the opposite of mine - his rocket featured a 3" diameter sustainer adapted down to a BT-80 payload section. Powered by the Mayer TARC standard F32 motor, it was very robustly built. To be honest, I considered it the better design - not only were the fins shaped to minimize breakage, but the larger diameter sustainer meant he could use standard rail buttons instead of the bulky 3D printed rail guides I had to purchase from Apogee. Elegantly simple.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhpw-N5S4Ky4wvL_lg8iyCBDgc5c-V87FhBbcQSlyiksReol4ld9DLhOUN_BZRZ0WH3l7ZNU0OwqsQ1EjaCq6W-x_34k_OJEBqejq_1WbGJThcWp-lfcxo3wSwjWwmCZSFtY5RycGcqlaWI-AyKVd3hjbe3uLBfy8TzBIPvw7f-G1hddP6fs4sY4HPe=s4928" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="4928" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhpw-N5S4Ky4wvL_lg8iyCBDgc5c-V87FhBbcQSlyiksReol4ld9DLhOUN_BZRZ0WH3l7ZNU0OwqsQ1EjaCq6W-x_34k_OJEBqejq_1WbGJThcWp-lfcxo3wSwjWwmCZSFtY5RycGcqlaWI-AyKVd3hjbe3uLBfy8TzBIPvw7f-G1hddP6fs4sY4HPe=w640-h424" width="580" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Duane's Geezer TARC rocket awaits launch (Photo by Patrick Morrison - Click to enlarge).</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p>And it performed fabulously. Duane's rocket soared to 840 feet, only 5 feet above the goal, and was down in 41.76 seconds. A 5 score - hard to beat, even at the TARC Finals.</p><p>Doug's rocket raised some eyebrows - not only were the fins very, very small, but he also used a Pringles can as the payload tube. It left the pad and almost immediately flew nearly horizontal, reaching a peak altitude of of 177 feet. The parachute deployed and he managed to get 24.36 seconds duration before the Pringles can touched ground. Score - 724. Now that he has some experience, I'm sure Doug is going to be a contender in future years. At least he now knows not to put too much faith in Open Rocket.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgZ9lrDeB57O_xMcPHyzg7IPRKlJoToQFiHw6b9ESEL0wZcghiLS-DjjMSe3z6YjGskVAkQAEmMTksK3mdrq0rQ5rxegjeCFEHb-9X3iEl0aPlNkT7NH2MnS_59C4N5HNIp5B44iAl95TvxvgIwKwQZEi0AxPiXSVUAY8Sta4gShlpcKmeKotdWn7Y_=s4928" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4928" data-original-width="3264" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgZ9lrDeB57O_xMcPHyzg7IPRKlJoToQFiHw6b9ESEL0wZcghiLS-DjjMSe3z6YjGskVAkQAEmMTksK3mdrq0rQ5rxegjeCFEHb-9X3iEl0aPlNkT7NH2MnS_59C4N5HNIp5B44iAl95TvxvgIwKwQZEi0AxPiXSVUAY8Sta4gShlpcKmeKotdWn7Y_=w424-h640" width="424" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Doug's Geezer TARC rocket begins to arc over <br />(Photo by Patrick Morrison - Click to enlarge)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">A lesson I have yet to learn, as I decided to go with the E30 in my flight. EggTu flew straight as an arrow, but only reached a max altitude of 678 feet. Naturally, the duration was also short, only 38.56 seconds. This resulted in a miserable 2nd place score of 167.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhg0j1eaXgm9CE18S4Bv_S4MMRmwL16kMefguYq3VhxgTYIZ5jtyHhvZkPlS-ILM8c1S-N2TTrcBs20jFjJYj3pNU-Nn8yhdoYGsU0FzecsEb5xGV2pVwg92OVHyd7JQJm9axWtp8gGQelIn0SYYqRAm781cLVrjvQ70-tawK9fHZrpX5MC2LoVbS-C=s4928" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="4928" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhg0j1eaXgm9CE18S4Bv_S4MMRmwL16kMefguYq3VhxgTYIZ5jtyHhvZkPlS-ILM8c1S-N2TTrcBs20jFjJYj3pNU-Nn8yhdoYGsU0FzecsEb5xGV2pVwg92OVHyd7JQJm9axWtp8gGQelIn0SYYqRAm781cLVrjvQ70-tawK9fHZrpX5MC2LoVbS-C=w640-h424" width="580" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">EggTu descends on its two 15 inch parachutes (Photo by Patrick Morrison - Click to enlarge).</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p>It was over. Duane had won Geezer TARC for the third time.</p><p>And he deserved it - his design was clearly superior to any of the others, including mine.</p><p>Vince got the Flying Pig award for the worst flight. Doug's rocket may have had small fins, but at least it did not come apart.</p><p>Just to check things out a bit more, I reflew EggTu a month later at Pegasus field, this time with an F20. It reached 801 feet and was down in 41 seconds - a 34 score. Not good enough to beat Duane, but a damn sight better than its performance on the E30.</p><p>Moral of this tale - Trust your instincts!</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEimUKGkNAQOZbeCqz4mjGRy8KaL7A6C15tliSdOlOVrC1Q064ZSc-nax62QdUUoKP6iOHQRXNsd7xI8B9LOMRt174ZmkgGZ1veozyMoo3WCWNulBPT_73QQG_nndFQ-dvXV7F_TVOaX-PILr6eAEIxjUh72woH-vL-tevk1wjLQ5OU3bFRbdYoz_dfd=s4032" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEimUKGkNAQOZbeCqz4mjGRy8KaL7A6C15tliSdOlOVrC1Q064ZSc-nax62QdUUoKP6iOHQRXNsd7xI8B9LOMRt174ZmkgGZ1veozyMoo3WCWNulBPT_73QQG_nndFQ-dvXV7F_TVOaX-PILr6eAEIxjUh72woH-vL-tevk1wjLQ5OU3bFRbdYoz_dfd=s320" width="240" /></a></td><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh6sMXbce_pSPTV7ss4vLIr16H2I4D7985pWZjplM4C0v_CnG3fkBeQvamVzKVkumj7oUp-zq8vAhauv3_PCxFebJctTYREhxW3W_rFCS2vPjEW5dEZsvi8EgSbZHRigpEzK9ywzYvfbil2ESSfjeRS3hmbhaSTCvaQ-6DeuE81Op0S_TZRnKLptUcI=s4032" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh6sMXbce_pSPTV7ss4vLIr16H2I4D7985pWZjplM4C0v_CnG3fkBeQvamVzKVkumj7oUp-zq8vAhauv3_PCxFebJctTYREhxW3W_rFCS2vPjEW5dEZsvi8EgSbZHRigpEzK9ywzYvfbil2ESSfjeRS3hmbhaSTCvaQ-6DeuE81Op0S_TZRnKLptUcI=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Duane the winner! (Click to enlarge)</span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Vince with the "Flying Pig" (Click to enlarge).</span></td></tr></tbody></table>Bill Cookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06558809516739170745noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2208422594491525200.post-89133729899107959692021-03-31T17:35:00.002-07:002021-03-31T17:39:18.714-07:00Learning more about altimeters...<p>After the flight of the Shell Shocked on March 13, I got to thinking about the data provided by the Flight Sketch Mini it carried to just over 300 feet. The day had been warm for mid March - 71 degrees - and I wondered how far off the altimeter altitude was from the actual value. I knew there would be some difference because</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>All hobby altimeters use the same mathematical model to convert pressure to height, and</li><li>They all assume a temperature of 59 degrees (15 degrees Celsius) in the model. Warmer temps mean that the altimeter readings are low, but flying on a cold day gives readings that are too high. It is a simple matter to calculate the correction by using the formula</li></ul><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZFkvNtsRXOUBn92EWhNYacQWRu8Ja60ktCdA8tPS5kJwvTGJeFN-l3YhKu99-zRP66qR3Uvn5sMHCkIbEprnrmsKSshiyLWJYCybhJhoKL8GiHwR1-YCj8MvwUrbXqWiDqAZx3OOrbJQ/s848/Altimeter_correction.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="87" data-original-width="848" height="52" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZFkvNtsRXOUBn92EWhNYacQWRu8Ja60ktCdA8tPS5kJwvTGJeFN-l3YhKu99-zRP66qR3Uvn5sMHCkIbEprnrmsKSshiyLWJYCybhJhoKL8GiHwR1-YCj8MvwUrbXqWiDqAZx3OOrbJQ/w503-h52/Altimeter_correction.png" width="503" /></a></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"><span> </span>where T is the temperature in degrees Celsius.</p></blockquote><p>So computing the altitude the Shell Shocked actually reached was very quick. 71 degrees Fahrenheit = 21.9 degrees Celsius, giving a correction factor of 1.024. The Shell Shocked actual peak altitude was 1.024 x 319 = 327 feet.</p><p>Easy peasy. Can do it on an iPhone calculator...</p><p>However, I soon wondered what the model used by the altimeters was; I figured it was a pretty simple model, probably based on the U.S. Standard Atmosphere. A bit of internet searching proved me correct - the bottom two lines in the below slide are the basic equations. The altimeter measures pressure, so all you have to do is solve the equations for altitude in terms of pressure and Voila! You have the math model used to calculate altitude by the altimeter. The only difference is that the 2116 in the pressure equation is replaced by the pressure measured by the rocket on the pad. This gives you the altitude relative to your pad, which is what you want.</p><p>Please ignore the primitive English units - I particularly hate mass measured in slugs; it is just wrong!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0ANudwRhWitJx-FUyUmY-NQlqQ-aJTelSv1DlxDeGSeQqtXCQaDGLx8HcFunwxpSZnnBoPciq5GmfAaIzkvteK2wgFw06iuG-_RjTIOdcQ3klUKrMX2euXVrmciuG0leD68gNQerY7uE/s709/atmos.gif" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="532" data-original-width="709" height="396" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0ANudwRhWitJx-FUyUmY-NQlqQ-aJTelSv1DlxDeGSeQqtXCQaDGLx8HcFunwxpSZnnBoPciq5GmfAaIzkvteK2wgFw06iuG-_RjTIOdcQ3klUKrMX2euXVrmciuG0leD68gNQerY7uE/w527-h396/atmos.gif" width="527" /></a></div><p>So I had the model, and me being me, I had to check it out by taking the altimeter pressure numbers, setting the temperature to 59 degrees, and seeing if the altitudes I calculated matched the altimeter's. Sure enough, they did.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzdV7OrbY1n0S8WC__splXKBvju9Lc0l-0hgLYtSf5tXwKnFNrX5ShEcrjWUaVvLoGujFoaKe3kpS8NGj7f1_lw9CYwpB4RtvZ6kpuBG4ynROP1XHCr514ZAuAVX4SsJn2b0Ixp6xaSwU/s2048/Shell_Shocked_pressure_altitude-2021Mar13.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="359" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzdV7OrbY1n0S8WC__splXKBvju9Lc0l-0hgLYtSf5tXwKnFNrX5ShEcrjWUaVvLoGujFoaKe3kpS8NGj7f1_lw9CYwpB4RtvZ6kpuBG4ynROP1XHCr514ZAuAVX4SsJn2b0Ixp6xaSwU/w478-h359/Shell_Shocked_pressure_altitude-2021Mar13.png" width="478" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Altimeter readings versus model calculations (Click to enlarge).</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>Immense satisfaction. Putting in the actual temperature of 71.4 degrees (21.9 Celsius) produces a plot like</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiewZ99l4vIBa3pnRJvWD_1C8MYKBo5QFWzZ6slmzSOXI-s3izf_-acLAiIwk_X1EGuewChVaFujigxuDyHKsDfh9d9MVcl4ffwd-hSmsmz5Wr9M8XJLgA3Ae8MpBoaUuaI5EQgChsp7U4/s2048/Shell_Shocked_pressure_altitude_1_2021Mar13.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="359" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiewZ99l4vIBa3pnRJvWD_1C8MYKBo5QFWzZ6slmzSOXI-s3izf_-acLAiIwk_X1EGuewChVaFujigxuDyHKsDfh9d9MVcl4ffwd-hSmsmz5Wr9M8XJLgA3Ae8MpBoaUuaI5EQgChsp7U4/w467-h350/Shell_Shocked_pressure_altitude_1_2021Mar13.png" width="478" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Altimeter readings corrected for the actual temperature (Click to enlarge).</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>Peak altitude is 327 feet, matching the hand calculated correction.</div><div><br /></div><div>I love math...</div>Bill Cookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06558809516739170745noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2208422594491525200.post-17383096645881436592021-03-28T12:05:00.001-07:002021-03-28T16:41:10.897-07:00Of rockets and Girl Scout cookies...<p>A couple of weekends ago, Duane and I flew a few rockets at Pegasus field. We were both needing a launch fix, and Duane was eager to try out the new wireless launch controller he's building for HARA. So Saturday, March 13 saw us setting up the new equipment, down to the warning lights used to indicate that the pad was active. I have to give Duane major snacks - from my perspective, the launch system worked flawlessly, even handling a drag race with ease. Of course, he, being an engineer, came up with a list of things he wanted to tweak. At any rate, HARA will soon have a setup where we no longer have to snake long cables out to the pads - a major step forward!</p><p>And now for the rockets...</p><p>First up was Duane's Cherokee-D, which did the "as-usual" great performance on an Estes C. Pegasus can't handle Cherokee flights with D motors - the bird simply soars too high. As it was, Duane's model drifted a bit downwind on the C.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmueRIKhHtwgw8iNb1x3wujRjX_aOMPGcR8UC9gW0Re0HMEMzEUPx7rfHBlqOQdIGUAFtFP5nkinb6HyP3ymXKuJlxj20hnxGFOJE8aOwNy6PKeH5_p7cqtSlHCgiroLeCJZLDRhJ_Zp4/s2048/IMG_4429.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="369" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmueRIKhHtwgw8iNb1x3wujRjX_aOMPGcR8UC9gW0Re0HMEMzEUPx7rfHBlqOQdIGUAFtFP5nkinb6HyP3ymXKuJlxj20hnxGFOJE8aOwNy6PKeH5_p7cqtSlHCgiroLeCJZLDRhJ_Zp4/w277-h369/IMG_4429.jpeg" width="277" /></a></td><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCXhggEBNv-Xw5CSYa_uev-bznsDT7mpeGe8_fyq6yeCH1iFC-GNv9Ivdr6CP9L9_rO_CpVMNqA2tGDT8sS1pUZTz_ibvnxP5VboNSuu7xOEibvkgMP9ZPd6tx2nKlrcbRp4eGlFuiry0/s2048/IMG_4453.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="370" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCXhggEBNv-Xw5CSYa_uev-bznsDT7mpeGe8_fyq6yeCH1iFC-GNv9Ivdr6CP9L9_rO_CpVMNqA2tGDT8sS1pUZTz_ibvnxP5VboNSuu7xOEibvkgMP9ZPd6tx2nKlrcbRp4eGlFuiry0/w278-h370/IMG_4453.jpeg" width="278" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Duane's Cherokee-D gets moving (Click to enlarge).</span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Duane chasing it down (Click to enlarge).</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p>The maiden voyage of my Estes Pop Fly was next. Released by the company in 2007 and discontinued in 2008, the rocket consists of a foam/cardboard/plastic "baseball bat" upon which you place a foam "baseball", which pops off at ejection. According to the 2007 catalog, someone is supposed to catch the ball before it hits the ground while the rest of the model comes down by parachute. I was kinda dubious of this one, but it flew very well on a C6-3 - nice stable flight and the ball came off at ejection as advertised. However, no one ran to catch the ball; us old guys watched it descend to the ground and picked it up later. At my age, life is very much a least energy equation.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKLCUf2mIL1jnyX_okp4PHboSWy_Zurdh4BS7Ha2R3IkRTCB8zXVl2GsZUbM_cawPXeX271WBO6OZAoU0wuneerDwSqka3NEzhtdJWJQNXqULGqXwzFnxnDmIs6YUTb8q3rapIwDUfYz8/s2048/IMG_4529.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="369" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKLCUf2mIL1jnyX_okp4PHboSWy_Zurdh4BS7Ha2R3IkRTCB8zXVl2GsZUbM_cawPXeX271WBO6OZAoU0wuneerDwSqka3NEzhtdJWJQNXqULGqXwzFnxnDmIs6YUTb8q3rapIwDUfYz8/w267-h356/IMG_4529.jpeg" width="277" /></a></td><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvRTmR72S-jHu7MPVhdMEs0Z-iDBJhfSjUkk5vL2rob-DBpLMOGFY-5ETphSKVSPEAuXG_RykAHPH0sI44EckOiQ8nEfaybEqtr2yjXS6lPAwbrKshbq7spd4I45sR2_So-vhJVopiUlo/s2048/IMG_4541.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="369" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvRTmR72S-jHu7MPVhdMEs0Z-iDBJhfSjUkk5vL2rob-DBpLMOGFY-5ETphSKVSPEAuXG_RykAHPH0sI44EckOiQ8nEfaybEqtr2yjXS6lPAwbrKshbq7spd4I45sR2_So-vhJVopiUlo/w269-h359/IMG_4541.jpeg" width="277" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Pop Fly heads up the rod (Click to enlarge).</span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Pop Fly under parachute (Click to enlarge).</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p>3rd off the pad was my Estes Nike Arrow. This rocket is obviously a SPEV (Spare Parts Elimination Vehicle) kit - seems like Estes may have had a superabundance of Gnome parts, because that's what the upper part of this rocket is. It is definitely not a replica of any member of the venerable Nike series. Anyway, the model was also making its first flight, propelled by an Estes A10-3T. The Nike achieved a nice altitude, arced over at apogee, and then... nada. Niente, zero, zilch, zip, nil, nothing - there was no separation. I didn't even hear an ejection charge. The rocket core sampled the Pegasus earth, crumpling the upper section and burying the small BT-5 nose cone so deep Duane had to dig it out. Damage is repairable (I'll cannibalize a Gnome kit for the silver upper tube) but the post flight inspection showed that the ejection charge did not fire - the clay end cap was still in place. Later on, I dutifully went to <a href="https://www.motorcato.org" target="_blank">motorcato.org</a> (yes, there is such a site) and filed a MESS (<b>M</b>alfunctioning <b>E</b>ngine <b>S</b>tatistical <b>S</b>urvey) report on the bad A10. Complete with a picture, mind you.</p><p>Duane followed my Nike Arrow flight with a launch of his Estes Make-It-Take-It rocket. No longer produced by Estes, the Make It Take It's were packaged in bulk (24 in a box) for schools, groups, and special events. They were basically an Alpha 3 with a different color scheme - same parts, same build steps. As you might expect, the Make It Take It put in a nice flight.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjPWw-9Of-UvLszAfIrTM9vVboLzdii1PhB9d_CohpXGEA_aOkeZMlgPPY1py7MfYpUEnmeqwzzd4UDafOD5c6OSI3OWYZPjK6bYsR_PLgJ21J-XRClnyE1dfoD-ki-NlzWFF6frx-v4g/s2048/IMG_4590.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="369" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjPWw-9Of-UvLszAfIrTM9vVboLzdii1PhB9d_CohpXGEA_aOkeZMlgPPY1py7MfYpUEnmeqwzzd4UDafOD5c6OSI3OWYZPjK6bYsR_PLgJ21J-XRClnyE1dfoD-ki-NlzWFF6frx-v4g/w273-h363/IMG_4590.jpeg" width="277" /></a></td><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivkZQiEaayU5ttHdfqwE9stZMJqaVvB9tV8DTTNxG0TQhVCjVIVaJ62hqEXIvaQaOkhxq_hV3Szy-QQLAlfiPVn5Zeb0G_jro1LfC27ppfqIIahSDTZCAxIuizyXSw28gbvPuXy6Va8Ac/s2048/IMG_4619.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="369" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivkZQiEaayU5ttHdfqwE9stZMJqaVvB9tV8DTTNxG0TQhVCjVIVaJ62hqEXIvaQaOkhxq_hV3Szy-QQLAlfiPVn5Zeb0G_jro1LfC27ppfqIIahSDTZCAxIuizyXSw28gbvPuXy6Va8Ac/w276-h367/IMG_4619.jpeg" width="277" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Estes Nike Arrow on an A10 (Click to enlarge).</span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Duane's Estes Make It Take It (Click to enlarge).</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Launch #5 was another maiden voyage - that of my Estes SLS. The released version of the prototype I flew back in 2019 for the Apollo 50th anniversary, it is a RTF (Ready To Fly) model - no building, just stuff in a parachute and motor and go. However, I had decided that the first flight of this model would not use an Estes motor - I wanted some real fire and noise. So I popped in one of the new Aerotech "White Lightning" Q-Jets, a C18-4W. As I have mentioned, motors with the White Lightning propellant produce a brilliant white flame and a nice amount of noise. The C18 in my SLS did not disappoint. The rocket shot off the pad faster than a hound dog chasing a raccoon, producing a beautiful exhaust and a satisfactory sound as it streaked into the sky. The parachute deployed near apogee and the model safely touched down on the ground - I was very happy with the first flight of my SLS!</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGMkYINM5hHH-fTPpC0G5XXtdDo8p_6AQijeydfpNVAWcBgXsTY5_8ILy9t1aN_hCM8fDMKN_RCsuajzSsn8cgog1xg2nwWWp72LNukH94ow3GJuv4TJyVqqhJDYVpwyJ1L6d46BcCTmw/s2048/IMG_4662.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="369" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGMkYINM5hHH-fTPpC0G5XXtdDo8p_6AQijeydfpNVAWcBgXsTY5_8ILy9t1aN_hCM8fDMKN_RCsuajzSsn8cgog1xg2nwWWp72LNukH94ow3GJuv4TJyVqqhJDYVpwyJ1L6d46BcCTmw/w281-h375/IMG_4662.jpeg" width="277" /></a></td><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEislk9hbX-F9UtDN7kOurulr-bghO9zHB4fO2ES88gcbFIpJa4O54fYAhzOVIQahUL6O4VrJwYQiHbvo7V51JPxNdfroCoP7AdvK6ceEU9gGgdCunIZwWGAJtGEZenTem5pCuY4Cvyq9II/s1915/IMG_4671.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1915" data-original-width="1436" height="369" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEislk9hbX-F9UtDN7kOurulr-bghO9zHB4fO2ES88gcbFIpJa4O54fYAhzOVIQahUL6O4VrJwYQiHbvo7V51JPxNdfroCoP7AdvK6ceEU9gGgdCunIZwWGAJtGEZenTem5pCuY4Cvyq9II/w282-h376/IMG_4671.jpeg" width="277" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">My SLS scoots on a White Lightning Q-Jet <br />(Click to enlarge).</span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Coming down under parachute (Click to enlarge).</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Duane's 3" BMS School Rocket was next. He decided to live dangerously with this flight, loading one of the notoriously CATO-prone Estes E9's into the model. Both of us expected the rocket to blow into pieces on the pad, but the E9 did what Estes designed it to do. The model lumbered off the rod (low thrust to weight), arced over, and deployed the parachute. Duane had won his throw of the dice and I was left with some pretty standard launch sequence shots.</p><p>The School Rocket was followed by Duane's Estes Mega Mosquito, another one of those "I wish Estes had not discontinued this" kits. Textbook flight on a D12.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxqYCuC8felAbBrFucJMQvftr90QLOp0u5HgymUwcaOrg_uwL4Eff_Izc1hyw9QI53FJOd8cXil8SrxwqSL1MHN7ouU2-8JOn8SIgkYzyhRV3MOcdWMZ0ErdmE_5NyGbY9b71WZnAeLjE/s2048/IMG_4704.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="369" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxqYCuC8felAbBrFucJMQvftr90QLOp0u5HgymUwcaOrg_uwL4Eff_Izc1hyw9QI53FJOd8cXil8SrxwqSL1MHN7ouU2-8JOn8SIgkYzyhRV3MOcdWMZ0ErdmE_5NyGbY9b71WZnAeLjE/w275-h367/IMG_4704.jpeg" width="277" /></a></td><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzqsPnqSykoqsx7Y8xWiLb-OHF2qoYhi2ce88kl-KQTLY6UsV28CnubqzN_X49-UMtxtcQSQUtIC5zZKKBwL-YR0wgIPt3INeR2KTN7GJWMoXTlNx-MwogL6SSt-csjI0S6va261Crn2Q/s2048/IMG_4796.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="369" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzqsPnqSykoqsx7Y8xWiLb-OHF2qoYhi2ce88kl-KQTLY6UsV28CnubqzN_X49-UMtxtcQSQUtIC5zZKKBwL-YR0wgIPt3INeR2KTN7GJWMoXTlNx-MwogL6SSt-csjI0S6va261Crn2Q/w275-h367/IMG_4796.jpeg" width="277" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Duane's BMS School Rocket risks death riding an<br /> E9 (Click to enlarge).</span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Textbook flight of Duane's Mega Mosquito <br />(Click to enlarge).</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p>#8 off the pad was my Estes "Shell Shocked". Introduced in 1998, the Shell Shocked was a rebranded Estes <a href="https://www.rocketreviews.com/estes-omloid-donald-besaw-jr.html" target="_blank">Omloid</a> (first appeared in 1993). Both featured a huge, screw together egg capsule and plastic fin unit. The Shell Shocked was going to make my NARTREK Silver payload flight, but it would not carry an egg - a FlightSketch Mini altimeter would be the payload. I had cobbled together an altimeter "holder" out of a short length of BT-20 body tube and a CR-2070 centering ring - the fit was perfect! Using a push pin, I also punched three holes into the lower part of the egg capsule to allow proper air venting for the altimeter. The C6-3 powered flight went well - the FlightSketch recorded a <a href="https://flightsketch.com/flights/2013/" target="_blank">peak altitude of 319 feet</a>, in fairly good agreement with the 338 feet predicted in the kit instructions. NARTREK Silver payload flight completed - on to scale!</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg08GYbYlI4zzAfH-Yc9fbTjWUuN2IM5xlVl19rhQBrge2nwsV7ZhKtVBWy4oNGZNRGplvmiU4DTv6bPrrRMxNO8kY0EdsTfv5TAL0KGUIpMxweYX1_p-DeZXhADuVB0YoT3OjRS-noq8Y/s2048/IMG_4834.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="369" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg08GYbYlI4zzAfH-Yc9fbTjWUuN2IM5xlVl19rhQBrge2nwsV7ZhKtVBWy4oNGZNRGplvmiU4DTv6bPrrRMxNO8kY0EdsTfv5TAL0KGUIpMxweYX1_p-DeZXhADuVB0YoT3OjRS-noq8Y/w276-h368/IMG_4834.jpeg" width="277" /></a></td><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPDwezEK0uYbYJh99pd9yoFiirGBKxSDLYhIUHJsKQ26KRRxl3p1cgrmzFhNLMH5EnSc3Jssz296_gh7sq-0rISDD1i1COCglCOffaciD9luIvcpttjnfY7Sid82hYytiSlyIRBMmH9_c/s2048/IMG_4840.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="369" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPDwezEK0uYbYJh99pd9yoFiirGBKxSDLYhIUHJsKQ26KRRxl3p1cgrmzFhNLMH5EnSc3Jssz296_gh7sq-0rISDD1i1COCglCOffaciD9luIvcpttjnfY7Sid82hYytiSlyIRBMmH9_c/w268-h358/IMG_4840.jpeg" width="277" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Estes Shell Shocked on a C6-3 (Click to enlarge).</span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Shell Shocked under chute (Click to enlarge).</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Flights 9 and 10 were a drag race of mine and Duane's Astrocams. This was intended to check out one of the features of the wireless controller, but I was also excited about the prospects of getting some nice launch shots and a cool video or two. Both models were powered by B6-4's, and my Astrocam left the pad a smidgen ahead of Duane's. The models almost crossed paths a few feet off the rod, and I was very, very, very eager to see the videos, especially from my camera, which should show Duane's rocket just beneath it. The Astrocam was plugged into my computer's USB port as soon as I got back to the apartment and I opened the video folder to look at what I expected to be a masterpiece. NOTHING was there. Crushed, I reviewed in my mind the moments just before the flight, and sadly realized what had gone wrong. I did indeed turn the camera on, but forgot to start it running by pressing the button again. After a little self-deprecating profanity, I called Duane to ask him to send me a copy of his video. He informed me that there was no video, that he had also forgotten to activate the camera.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioww0gfvucTOPb1t1H6xUU0aTMmAos3kW6ee7q2_Wc5sRnT8ITCoiN92GSvjMyl4TTQRRosp8pqIHozb4fx8i5d7xfPOGiI_t-XuxcdAyDjI-UK4emWWYDfOBnxbWKCd1_WcJk3kk8i-U/s2048/IMG_4879.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="369" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioww0gfvucTOPb1t1H6xUU0aTMmAos3kW6ee7q2_Wc5sRnT8ITCoiN92GSvjMyl4TTQRRosp8pqIHozb4fx8i5d7xfPOGiI_t-XuxcdAyDjI-UK4emWWYDfOBnxbWKCd1_WcJk3kk8i-U/s320/IMG_4879.jpeg" /></a></td><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipQWO158WByI5AXxqveYWOapXwLYhNkJl3nWF71VLzaNpMfR6GorCyX-YBkcSF5e53k78mT-9c18p4IkTLxuoXlETacJHAjedSgxiMKwPb9Co7bQP7LEF1e_G1U9lRvILkoSDWOjz7Hao/s2048/IMG_4880.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="369" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipQWO158WByI5AXxqveYWOapXwLYhNkJl3nWF71VLzaNpMfR6GorCyX-YBkcSF5e53k78mT-9c18p4IkTLxuoXlETacJHAjedSgxiMKwPb9Co7bQP7LEF1e_G1U9lRvILkoSDWOjz7Hao/s320/IMG_4880.jpeg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The Astrocams clear the pad (Click to enlarge).</span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">A</span><span style="font-size: x-small;">lmost colliding (Click to enlarge).</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p>I felt a little better... At least I knew there was another dummy on the field that day <evil smirk>. Note to self - next time, bring the camera instructions and read them before flying the model. Might get a video if you do that.</p><p>Duane's last flight of the day was that of his red and white TARC rocket powered by an Aerotech F reload. I shy away from reloads - I don't have an organized mind, and the odds of me screwing something up in the assembly process is high. Being "Mr. Checklist", Duane doesn't have this problem, so he flies reloads all the time. However, about 50-100 feet off the pad, his rocket suddenly deployed the parachute and numerous pieces of the payload section fell to the ground - the nose cone hit just a few feet from my chair. Obviously something went wrong, but an inspection of the motor casing showed it to be in good shape and undamaged. Go figure...</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSWCNKCsoUcEgFxESRecOQmActgIiGllJQjIx5S_hK__qzcOEIJO_c_uMBJCONB2IkqBfgqctGBM3uLdJQ9HtS9fmMmJ5Lu2A3jXWcM_DC-q5jhldgjMbLcBQwDSj1YSiyAqBRRYdwEKo/s2048/IMG_4925.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="369" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSWCNKCsoUcEgFxESRecOQmActgIiGllJQjIx5S_hK__qzcOEIJO_c_uMBJCONB2IkqBfgqctGBM3uLdJQ9HtS9fmMmJ5Lu2A3jXWcM_DC-q5jhldgjMbLcBQwDSj1YSiyAqBRRYdwEKo/s320/IMG_4925.jpeg" /></a></td><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy1CeCkLFO3EsJNvraGh6qPoMum0CRWkN5IJ1EDxrHyWi0wDNDkxr1Gyi6ARBufSg3l7aB3Pz39o4t6-AxR1zd-dqGcH5wiapltb95jOcJuerPSVeXrWh_M7N8PX5nCdhXkOUgDQv5nvo/s2048/IMG_4936.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="369" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy1CeCkLFO3EsJNvraGh6qPoMum0CRWkN5IJ1EDxrHyWi0wDNDkxr1Gyi6ARBufSg3l7aB3Pz39o4t6-AxR1zd-dqGcH5wiapltb95jOcJuerPSVeXrWh_M7N8PX5nCdhXkOUgDQv5nvo/s320/IMG_4936.jpeg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Duane's TARC rocket clears the rail <br />(Click to enlarge).</span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The smoking rocket descends - Red circles mark <br />some falling stuff (Click to enlarge).</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">By this time, we had some company on the field. Chuck stopped by to watch and Doug and his family arrived with a few of their rockets to fly. Duane and I had flown everything we brought, so the pad was theirs - A Nova Payloader took to the sky soon after their arrival. It was followed by a D12-powered red and black Estes V-2, which drifted periliously close to the roof of the Blue Origin building - Have to watch altitude when the wind is out of the east at Pegasus. An Estes Star Hopper flew next, streamer deploying at apogee. The last flight of the launch was Doug's Estes Wizard, painted in the modern catalog decor. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4No89NswBqh-Oo4Xn38B_xLXSRa-qi_2ZCMAq0hE51zV7NF5oZlVgPmXL0eT1Mx4cYaAD2Dk-ntl_CZHy8TGpAs604sjCuV362nd8BsDHysNHw50CG3GZadfcJE8FE24voN9Lm1sL2JE/s2048/IMG_4973.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="369" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4No89NswBqh-Oo4Xn38B_xLXSRa-qi_2ZCMAq0hE51zV7NF5oZlVgPmXL0eT1Mx4cYaAD2Dk-ntl_CZHy8TGpAs604sjCuV362nd8BsDHysNHw50CG3GZadfcJE8FE24voN9Lm1sL2JE/s320/IMG_4973.jpeg" /></a></td><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUKznnyQ5i8dkaIZG6YPhez6O6BXQWgg7ZCO8WEWRh9EAW_XVJV4ilRhreG98fWhcR1XLogD3ZAyyOHVjvjlTa3WUI35vXvkVvGBRz8k3fmWTiC7YfSG4q0fhUPwllrJhSPIJYrh7QIIk/s2048/IMG_4974.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="369" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUKznnyQ5i8dkaIZG6YPhez6O6BXQWgg7ZCO8WEWRh9EAW_XVJV4ilRhreG98fWhcR1XLogD3ZAyyOHVjvjlTa3WUI35vXvkVvGBRz8k3fmWTiC7YfSG4q0fhUPwllrJhSPIJYrh7QIIk/s320/IMG_4974.jpeg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Doug's Nova Payloader goes up into the blue <br />(Click to enlarge).</span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Doug's V-2 lifts off (Click to enlarge).</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWGLSi12E7Z5e3r9W2NICvenlrCNT3gy9n1rM-Q1-t2pyJJtZpBa3Uo9dVVp53LzidMCvC1xXudJydCL-hO2RU6tHQjdakdI1wl5MDIr-37C0guIcqo4GCarV55ZfVIorsB8d0mfLm-tc/s2048/IMG_5031.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="369" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWGLSi12E7Z5e3r9W2NICvenlrCNT3gy9n1rM-Q1-t2pyJJtZpBa3Uo9dVVp53LzidMCvC1xXudJydCL-hO2RU6tHQjdakdI1wl5MDIr-37C0guIcqo4GCarV55ZfVIorsB8d0mfLm-tc/s320/IMG_5031.jpeg" /></a></td><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXkX50PPvdQRjxWXuG5o5LnwMB8ZYuPLtFiOinx72iExgDeOLenqLvfSw_gPVaJ22DDF-ddmI687ul6klqSK5CmZiAlQ__bqPBKrxMOsLKiIYgY66GBp405xQCdNUwwXmNGQrrhtJEYl4/s2048/IMG_5107.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="369" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXkX50PPvdQRjxWXuG5o5LnwMB8ZYuPLtFiOinx72iExgDeOLenqLvfSw_gPVaJ22DDF-ddmI687ul6klqSK5CmZiAlQ__bqPBKrxMOsLKiIYgY66GBp405xQCdNUwwXmNGQrrhtJEYl4/s320/IMG_5107.jpeg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Chuck watches the Star Hopper (Click to enlarge).</span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The motor in Doug's Wizard ignites <br />(Click to enlarge).</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br />But the best part of the day occurred after the launchings - Doug's daughter is a scout, and she had a generous supply of Girl Scout cookies in the back of their vehicle, just waiting for hungry old rocketeers to buy them. We handed over some cash, and I happily left the field with 5 boxes of my favorite flavors - I'm down to 1 box (Tagalongs) as I write this post.<br /><div><p>Chuck was absolutely right when he said there were at most 2 servings in each box of Girl Scout cookies. They go very quickly.</p></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />Bill Cookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06558809516739170745noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2208422594491525200.post-71681524299483244582021-02-27T18:58:00.003-08:002021-02-27T19:04:33.558-08:00Picking up where I left off...Back in the 70's, a lot of young rocketeers were members of the Estes Aerospace Club (EAC - see <a href="http://billsrockets.blogspot.com/2015/08/a-second-try-at-sponsoring-rocket.html" target="_blank">this post</a> for more details). There were a couple of EAC specific kits (the Viper and Pegasus), a newsletter, a membership certificate, and - best of all - an iron-on EAC logo. As you advanced through the EAC, you received various colored "thrust bar" iron-ons, which you added to your T-shirt. This shirt became your badge of rank, and the rocketeers in my neighborhood wore theirs to every launch, showing off their rocketry prowess. You were ok if you had the blue thrust bar. Magenta wearers were scoffed at, and those with just the basic gold were ridiculed. I personally wore the green - the red was unattainable, as Camrocs, Cinerocs, and Transrocs were well beyond the means afforded to me by my allowance.<div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLFazarJrAWBm-fDCjSvdiPFsoZvpsXJi-fgFxQ45-iBPcF_pDr_-A5eS3XacTIO39MFRhFgwV-OIoO6kXkwDfCnzOBBfPSDiNibVG6FXEkgB6CvCPfwFO_Kfe3SvK9JrA4vL_JwzgSwk/s2048/Screen+Shot+2021-02-27+at+7.37.54+PM.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1025" data-original-width="2048" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLFazarJrAWBm-fDCjSvdiPFsoZvpsXJi-fgFxQ45-iBPcF_pDr_-A5eS3XacTIO39MFRhFgwV-OIoO6kXkwDfCnzOBBfPSDiNibVG6FXEkgB6CvCPfwFO_Kfe3SvK9JrA4vL_JwzgSwk/w555-h278/Screen+Shot+2021-02-27+at+7.37.54+PM.png" width="555" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Estes Aerospace Club levels and requirements (Click to enlarge).</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div><div><br /></div><div>The EAC faded away as the many years passed; then, back in 2004, I discovered that the National Association of Rocketry had something called NARTREK, in which you advanced levels similar to the old EAC (except Estes kits were not required). NARTREK intrigued me... First, there was the name - nothing with 'Trek' in it could be bad - and second, it had been around for a very long time, since 1978. I wondered how I could have not known about it, given that it was prominently featured in Model Rocketeers of the late 70's. I guess I was so wrapped up in college, I neglected to properly read my rocket magazines. If I had, I would have known not only of the program's existence, but that the NARTREK name was not just NAR joined with last half of Star Trek, designed to appeal to us nerds. It actually stands for something, as you can see from the logo:</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8gMfcHTBhf-0ZhpYKeuGwoxGoCToCWfuTqaaitNSNLLSo4-6rkkHdQEE77UfTLkGfjp89wKuU0UOSaMzqx1I1gpcEZOQbyupIunTK9MyaytIN2ZjIQvNhRWl6Kx5X3pXEZAoAaxeOhWg/s958/Screen+Shot+2021-02-27+at+6.54.06+PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="958" data-original-width="918" height="440" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8gMfcHTBhf-0ZhpYKeuGwoxGoCToCWfuTqaaitNSNLLSo4-6rkkHdQEE77UfTLkGfjp89wKuU0UOSaMzqx1I1gpcEZOQbyupIunTK9MyaytIN2ZjIQvNhRWl6Kx5X3pXEZAoAaxeOhWg/w422-h440/Screen+Shot+2021-02-27+at+6.54.06+PM.png" width="422" /></a></div><br /><div>Well, ok, so there's a little Star Trek mixed in...</div><div><br /></div><div>The NARTREK creators also did not like the program being compared to the EAC. NARTREK, they said, was designed to help NAR members advance their rocketry skills, preparing them to design safe rockets and to compete in competitions; it was not a gimmick to get young rocketeers to buy more kits. In the words of Chas Russell, the first honcho of NARTREK:</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMEC4fpcCE03o4IMMShKW6bGRnjjB-B97j7N0bZOZmVX6ODash1kUJr7r4mxHJMOcV0U4SNKUQVt1TxSvAar-rD5h3qRXfhxt6-oRaYxyfyg2Fw6FYC_4KL12vTbWwnIGXbacszmH12mQ/s1594/Screen+Shot+2021-02-27+at+8.04.19+PM.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="1594" height="171" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMEC4fpcCE03o4IMMShKW6bGRnjjB-B97j7N0bZOZmVX6ODash1kUJr7r4mxHJMOcV0U4SNKUQVt1TxSvAar-rD5h3qRXfhxt6-oRaYxyfyg2Fw6FYC_4KL12vTbWwnIGXbacszmH12mQ/w542-h171/Screen+Shot+2021-02-27+at+8.04.19+PM.png" width="542" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Model Rocketeer, December 1978, page 7 (Click to enlarge).</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>"ROCKET ON!" How could I not want to be part of a program like that?</div><div><br /></div><div>And so I obtained my Bronze and Silver packs, and began my voyage through NARTREK. Bronze level was super easy - all you had to do was:</div><div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Make a 60-second parachute duration flight with a kit.</li><li>Make a 30-second streamer duration flight with a kit.</li><li>Fly a 2 stage kit.</li><li>Fly a kit with a D or larger motor.</li></ul></div></div><div>Did all the flights in a single launch, filled out the forms, attached the 4x6 color glossy photos printed on my spiffy ink jet, and mailed the materials to NARTREK Base (ok, so there's a little more Star Trek). My Bronze certificate soon arrived, along with little bronze NARTREK logo decals to put on my rockets (badges of honor, I suppose).</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRabFoaPUilzcGkJQcLSx-r085grorMImNg4V4HMbl4wuD2iDZJ9LJR8zNaQ8w4au6yvSw2AddP1SYXv1Ij5M5KFaOorzb68uZoyEUzyuQOvOAwOY6QVMWQAR9XXXzOVpFCSqfMTYDNzg/s2048/IMG_4398.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1587" data-original-width="2048" height="394" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRabFoaPUilzcGkJQcLSx-r085grorMImNg4V4HMbl4wuD2iDZJ9LJR8zNaQ8w4au6yvSw2AddP1SYXv1Ij5M5KFaOorzb68uZoyEUzyuQOvOAwOY6QVMWQAR9XXXzOVpFCSqfMTYDNzg/w510-h394/IMG_4398.jpeg" width="510" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">My Bronze certificate (Click to enlarge).</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>I started Silver immediately - did the boost glider flight in February 2005 using an Estes Dragonfly (which was a very nice glider, BTW) and followed through with a cluster flight the following weekend (3 B6-4s in my Semroc Goliath). I was rolling!</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgogTFdYPnsvCXVvrgV4TGVx_UCePzztebdJFSvpp_mXR8F4yvS9p1hDofQft-yHmJHgijOSEwlkFwuppMXH-Ac5cE5KtTV5hx7Bh17RB6JboSTlpMPqWDsPdewGmebc_NFy7RpGdh9mSc/s2048/100_0435.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="381" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgogTFdYPnsvCXVvrgV4TGVx_UCePzztebdJFSvpp_mXR8F4yvS9p1hDofQft-yHmJHgijOSEwlkFwuppMXH-Ac5cE5KtTV5hx7Bh17RB6JboSTlpMPqWDsPdewGmebc_NFy7RpGdh9mSc/w508-h381/100_0435.jpeg" width="508" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Dragonfly on the pad before its NARTREK Silver flight (Click to enlarge).</span></td></tr></tbody></table></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha4qu630JiKEonipPzsMc4sCBRPW2sK4FctppP_lAVH0ahfv6gOk2DIGjDEnvbP6DTZ0PS62TfPaHnbdenI86BKlm0-OMLwk23tRALwv7uhGxy8i-KczWHLO5lYkpIi2I5YLjH2GM6pGw/s2048/Goliath.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="380" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha4qu630JiKEonipPzsMc4sCBRPW2sK4FctppP_lAVH0ahfv6gOk2DIGjDEnvbP6DTZ0PS62TfPaHnbdenI86BKlm0-OMLwk23tRALwv7uhGxy8i-KczWHLO5lYkpIi2I5YLjH2GM6pGw/w505-h380/Goliath.jpeg" width="505" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Semroc Goliath stuffed with 3 B6-4s for a NARTREK Silver flight (Click to enlarge).</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And then I just stopped...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Don't remember why - probably got sidetracked into some other part of rocketry (TARC maybe?). Anyway, I did not do the other 2 Silver flights (payload and scale) - NARTREK simply went out of my mind and stayed gone until this week, when I ran across my NARTREK packet in a pile of some old rocket papers. I had recently seen some posts on YORF about other rocketeers wanting to finish NARTREK, so I got to thinking that I ought to do the same. But 16 years had gone by - would I be allowed to pick up where I left off, or would I have to start back at the beginning? So I emailed George Scheil, the current NARTREK coordinator. He responded quickly and let me know I could pick up right where I left off, as if it were yesterday. He also informed me that I still had to mail in the paper forms with the photos.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I can't remember the last time I printed photos - probably back in 2004 for my NARTREK Bronze. Talk about nostalgia!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So I have added NARTREK Silver and Gold to my goals for 2021. Time to finish what was started many years ago. I have even located some old 4x6 sheets of glossy photo paper.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">NARTREK - something every rocketeer ought to do, even if it takes them forever. Check it out <a href="https://www.nar.org/members/nartek-skills-program/" target="_blank">here</a>!</div><br /></div>Bill Cookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06558809516739170745noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2208422594491525200.post-40194780537629561522021-02-14T20:32:00.002-08:002021-02-14T20:32:32.839-08:00Estes culls the herd...<p>The <a href="https://estesrockets.com/wp-content/uploads/Catalogs/Interactive/2021_ESTES_CATALOG_INTERACTIVE/mobile/index.html" target="_blank">2021 Estes catalog</a> is now out - there are some pretty cool things in there, like an upscale, 24mm powered Mars Snooper (super excited about this!), a rather strange looking addition to the Space Corps line (the DARC-1) and the Antar, a new member of the signature series based on a non-flying model G. Harry Stine built back in the 1950's. The Antar looks awesome - I am eagerly awaiting this kit! Lots of goodies from Estes, and you can hear about them (and great offerings from other rocket vendors) in the NARCON Manufacturers' Forum posted <a href="https://youtu.be/j_jbcXleE3I" target="_blank">here</a>.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMS_emTAX9XMz8ibKrxrykBX9qUCkl-huDAJqSYo2-VB7NcInJET-OXd06SQDr_Qv8rfiHztGTUwNWjipqMpPhwmnY_yv_A1WjT8cG09kp_imLMKo3TLnw8bLZHYoLt9ph7EWBWxdcCBM/s1280/IMG_1588.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1269" height="489" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMS_emTAX9XMz8ibKrxrykBX9qUCkl-huDAJqSYo2-VB7NcInJET-OXd06SQDr_Qv8rfiHztGTUwNWjipqMpPhwmnY_yv_A1WjT8cG09kp_imLMKo3TLnw8bLZHYoLt9ph7EWBWxdcCBM/w484-h489/IMG_1588.jpeg" width="484" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">G. Harry Stine holding the Antar (Click to enlarge).</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p>I am so excited about the new things in the Estes catalog that I never notice the discontinued stuff. Never notice, that is, until they become unavailable. However, folks over at <a href="https://forums.rocketshoppe.com" target="_blank">Ye Olde Rocket Forum</a> have pointed out that Estes has dropped over 20 kits this year, which seems like a pretty big number! So a few days ago I did a little research and put together a list of the discontinued kits (there's also one on YORF) - 23 in all:</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXIUvoAnPsKQLd7b1g1ef3WEhxiwtOlUtyOptHIchHgiSh1o1qKWYhqcHjLh46Evm0nicXisotMyFpxNMQlXNz-o4WPnjcg3CEppEL3nLTz36ww6EmpmGT_7hNo2OoeY1SFcEYop-6fmI/s1344/Screen+Shot+2021-02-14+at+10.15.05+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1344" data-original-width="526" height="671" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXIUvoAnPsKQLd7b1g1ef3WEhxiwtOlUtyOptHIchHgiSh1o1qKWYhqcHjLh46Evm0nicXisotMyFpxNMQlXNz-o4WPnjcg3CEppEL3nLTz36ww6EmpmGT_7hNo2OoeY1SFcEYop-6fmI/w262-h671/Screen+Shot+2021-02-14+at+10.15.05+PM.png" width="262" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">This year's discontinued kits (Click to enlarge).</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Some of these are not going to make rocketeers happy - the scale kits are quite popular with old rocketeers like me. I kinda get the V-2, as there are a lot of these offered by other vendors, in all sizes. However, the Black Brant 3, the Nike Smoke and the Nike Apache are surprises, especially since Estes has been prominently advertising their line of scale models over the past year. I suppose sales of these kits were not so great, and ultimately we have to realize the Estes is a business. Poor sellers have to go bye-bye in order to make money.</p><p>So, in the midst of our celebration of the new arrivals, let us take a moment to mourn the dead. They will be missed...</p>Bill Cookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06558809516739170745noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2208422594491525200.post-8344127452771736582021-01-31T15:59:00.004-08:002021-01-31T16:04:27.354-08:00NARCON solves a mystery!NAR's annual convention, NARCON, started on Friday afternoon and finished just a couple of hours ago. As usual, it was great - lots of informative and entertaining talks, good keynotes, socialization, and news from rocket vendors. But this year was special - COVID had eliminated the possibility of an in person NARCON, so the conference went virtual. This may have initially been met with trepidation, but the meeting was absolutely superb - not one iota decrease in quality - and best of all, a record 500+ people attended (as opposed to 100-150 for an in person NARCON). Not only was the attendance 4 times greater, but the virtual format had the advantage of eliminating one great problem experienced by past NARCON attendees. There are 3 parallel tracks, and you often had to make agonizing choices between two interesting talks held at the same time. This year, the conference vendor was making videos of the presentations available to attendees as soon as they were over, so you could go back at your leisure (up to a month from now) and catch up on the talks you missed. How cool is that!<div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI-g60Hj0qHv01a45AiedhXUxckron28C7xchaXl1n9xQMzMO4tSK-NbqqkTsmlOmrhetH1Z2i-wKYgQt6QEjzn47nJHgLOPv-8wsgee6y478F81o1CSKwH7l8Ynb4dPXLPnoQv2e-oz0/s2048/Screen+Shot+2021-01-31+at+5.56.51+PM.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1245" data-original-width="2048" height="344" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI-g60Hj0qHv01a45AiedhXUxckron28C7xchaXl1n9xQMzMO4tSK-NbqqkTsmlOmrhetH1Z2i-wKYgQt6QEjzn47nJHgLOPv-8wsgee6y478F81o1CSKwH7l8Ynb4dPXLPnoQv2e-oz0/w566-h344/Screen+Shot+2021-01-31+at+5.56.51+PM.png" width="566" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Part of Saturday's NARCON schedule</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>So, what were the highlights? Well, I loved the manufacturing forum announcing the forthcoming goodies and the two keynote talks (on Osiris-Rex and commercial spaceflight). There were excellent video tours of LOC Precision, Kennedy Space Center, and the rocket capital of the world, Estes Industries. Among the talks, there was an outstanding video presentation by James Duffy on kit bashing common kits into works of art, some great tips on making and using decals by Randy Gilbert, and how to use and care for common rocket altimeters by Bernard Cawley. Because of the packed schedule I missed several good presentations, and I will be looking at those over the coming days. </div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDLwfkcj1YjuJLCnlEGLvqYnauCWRdbtXA8_Ne7dIJ0tva1NssqDwa23IUi_iigpEj54wjQPOxYmySiSTMQ0t8lnnsY61aiHGe7T2RnL39EX1lK3bVByZWrWEZv7g0tpxPFAVsrfFqpEQ/s1918/Duffy_Alphas.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1133" data-original-width="1918" height="326" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDLwfkcj1YjuJLCnlEGLvqYnauCWRdbtXA8_Ne7dIJ0tva1NssqDwa23IUi_iigpEj54wjQPOxYmySiSTMQ0t8lnnsY61aiHGe7T2RnL39EX1lK3bVByZWrWEZv7g0tpxPFAVsrfFqpEQ/w551-h326/Duffy_Alphas.png" width="551" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Alphas in WWII fighter livery (Click to enlarge).</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuxBZSUD8TFnQvBb5UNRR8ZpSIQ6xCt0PsUERIeK3THRIFmt03GvT2pqDTEGH71rgdux6ssBMX6w7EpNQ-acVEfA5hPhd-DAsYBZTZiF_DUqOrat89neDU81NYrz16Mgaqic-FfnIoyDU/s2048/Duffy_explorer_aquarius.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1090" data-original-width="2048" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuxBZSUD8TFnQvBb5UNRR8ZpSIQ6xCt0PsUERIeK3THRIFmt03GvT2pqDTEGH71rgdux6ssBMX6w7EpNQ-acVEfA5hPhd-DAsYBZTZiF_DUqOrat89neDU81NYrz16Mgaqic-FfnIoyDU/w550-h291/Duffy_explorer_aquarius.png" width="550" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Estes Explorer Aquarius with tanks painted to resemble freight cars (Click to enlarge).</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>And let's not forget Ed LaCroix's proposed logo for this year's NARCON...</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJTiz8ZF-Hy88NVR9ZqyISx0yAij0UyK3URggTsCCkJiPWD1RIvzUsLVCeoxwXSXbu2GT6hdhz7foEaZZQA8fQGcowQw6Rabs506p-Ds7_qF7bYRTN11WTvkiV1HLduF806ZUfDU_G6-0/s1314/NARCON_2021_logo.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1314" data-original-width="1088" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJTiz8ZF-Hy88NVR9ZqyISx0yAij0UyK3URggTsCCkJiPWD1RIvzUsLVCeoxwXSXbu2GT6hdhz7foEaZZQA8fQGcowQw6Rabs506p-Ds7_qF7bYRTN11WTvkiV1HLduF806ZUfDU_G6-0/w399-h482/NARCON_2021_logo.png" width="399" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: left;">Bernard's talk on altimeters solved a long standing mystery that has had me puzzled over several years. My altimeters often reported a sharp dip in altitude at ejection, indicating that the compartment with the altimeter was getting pressurized by the ejection charge. I figured it may have been due to too large vent holes in the payload section (altimeters need to sense the outside air to work properly, and vent holes are the easiest way to accomplish this). So I made my vent holes smaller, but the dip remained, showing up in flight after flight. I had resigned myself to living with it, but in his talk Bernard pointed out something that was so obvious I was kicking myself for not thinking of it.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5DsriFRAUkNXOv4fogPcd3CAsTTZZsm1gU6dQ1w0IDYYeRK-gPwdgtZqJbaO0xHwY_rkvCn7m2QN84ySW87TUOPsaK71r_vBxgDaE3oAM7wRzgqrlgOyYjd9IMVaxgeWy3bc4LZGznLQ/s2048/RX16_2020Nov14.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5DsriFRAUkNXOv4fogPcd3CAsTTZZsm1gU6dQ1w0IDYYeRK-gPwdgtZqJbaO0xHwY_rkvCn7m2QN84ySW87TUOPsaK71r_vBxgDaE3oAM7wRzgqrlgOyYjd9IMVaxgeWy3bc4LZGznLQ/w556-h416/RX16_2020Nov14.png" width="556" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div>Balsa is a very porous wood.</div><div><br /></div><div>I use balsa couplers at the rear of my payload sections to connect them to the rest of the rocket, and so the ejection gases were flowing through the balsa into the compartment, spiking the pressure. The vent holes quickly allow the pressure to drop, but not before the altimeter records the spike as a sharp decrease in altitude. Simple, and you fix it by sealing the balsa - easiest way is to coat the coupler in wood glue. That will block the ejection gases. So I will soon start sealing the balsa couplers on my rocket payload sections, starting with the RX-16.</div><div><br /></div><div>NARCONs are good - even old dogs like me learn a thing or two.</div>Bill Cookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06558809516739170745noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2208422594491525200.post-69040956708205857402021-01-01T19:14:00.005-08:002021-01-01T19:20:15.465-08:00What to do when OpenRocket no longer works...Some of you may know that I switched from Windows/PCs to MacOS/Macs several years ago - I got tired of all the issues with drivers, the "blue screens of death", the endless stream of updates, and the relentless virus/malware attacks. However, this change came with costs - the first being that Macs are very expensive compared to the equivalent PC in terms of horsepower. There is also less software available, especially in the engineering area, and you pretty much sell your soul to Apple. Microsoft only wants to own your computer's operating system - Apple takes the whole shooting match, hardware and OS. But I will say that things work very well the vast majority of the time - practically no system crashes, and the software that is available works smoothly and has a "better polish" than the Windows equivalent. I have had no problems with software from the Apple App Store; it's only the stuff one downloads that causes the fits.<div><br /></div><div>Which brings me to OpenRocket...</div><div><br /></div><div>On all my past Macs (including my MacBook Air laptop), OpenRocket has worked flawlessly; it even worked fine on my new Mac until yesterday, when I upgraded the operating system from Catalina (10.15) to Big Sur (11.1). I did the usual reinstall of Java you have to do when you perform such an upgrade, checked to make sure the Java was working, and then fired up OpenRocket as a test. That's when I saw this:</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnFJTc_JrssNosOJYFMLlIUswj5ElD7cAYxUsHMvU4DsjrBU0CsOHVEvgrb8h6LN0_nMsnHNLi7blnbFL5Cca7fAM98DZXRJCwdLG92OytOphJHGfLqgf5PNJCntLUAV7ijMNBBEy6JpI/s1616/Screen+Shot+2021-01-01+at+8.02.19+PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="524" data-original-width="1616" height="182" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnFJTc_JrssNosOJYFMLlIUswj5ElD7cAYxUsHMvU4DsjrBU0CsOHVEvgrb8h6LN0_nMsnHNLi7blnbFL5Cca7fAM98DZXRJCwdLG92OytOphJHGfLqgf5PNJCntLUAV7ijMNBBEy6JpI/w561-h182/Screen+Shot+2021-01-01+at+8.02.19+PM.png" width="561" /></a></div></div><div><br /></div><div>Well, crap.</div><div><br /></div><div>I spent the next couple hours googling and trying things with permissions and stuff - nothing worked. My frustration mounted, and I began to understand the feelings of TARC newbies who struggle to get OpenRocket working on their computers. I had often shrugged off their issues by telling them their Java installs were not right, and that if Java was working, there would be no problems with OpenRocket. Well, darn it, my Java was working and the stupid program would not run! I can tell you, I will be much more sympathetic in the future.</div><div><br /></div><div>For a few minutes, I thought OpenRocket's performances on the screen of my shiny new Mac were a thing of the past, and that I would have to run it on my laptop (which I am not going to upgrade to Big Sur anytime soon!). Then my searching revealed <a href="https://github.com/openrocket/openrocket/releases" target="_blank">this page</a>, in which someone had posted links to OpenRocket run times and executables compiled for different operating systems. I downloaded the MacOS version, and voila! OpenRocket once again graced the screen of my Mac!</div><div><br /></div><div>Big sigh of relief.</div><div><br /></div><div>However, this whole experience once again drove home the fact that major updates to our computer operating systems, driven by security and technology advances, are just as, if not more, frequent than software updates. This is especially true for hobby programs like OpenRocket, which hasn't been updated since 2015, and also for altimeter drivers/codes like those from PerfectFlite. Keeping these legacy codes running often involves hacks or bypassing OS security features, and eventually things reach a point where even that is not enough. Catalina did that to me, as 32 bit codes no longer work. Unlike Microsoft, which provided a fair amount of backwards compatibility, Apple simply forced developers to upgrade their programs to 64 bits. So now I have to find a Windows box to download data from my Perfectflite PNUT. This is the major reason I have largely switched to Bluetooth altimeters like the FlightSketch, as small vendors like PerfectFlite focus on the Windows platform, which is over 90% of the market. Macs are an afterthought, if there is a thought.</div><div><br /></div><div>I understand that we can expect a new version of OpenRocket sometime in the foreseeable future, which would make me quite happy. It's a great program and needs to be maintained/upgraded.</div><div><br /></div><div>Back to designing rockets...</div>Bill Cookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06558809516739170745noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2208422594491525200.post-12235229345765711612020-12-31T16:46:00.003-08:002020-12-31T16:46:45.647-08:00Bye Bye 2020!<p>Can't say I'll be sorry to see you gone... COVID-19 wreaked havoc on the world, causing many deaths, lost livelihoods, business failures, and radical changes in our daily lives. It also impacted the rocketry hobby, causing the cancellation of launches and a shift to online meetings. In addition to this plague, we had to deal with considerable bad weather - my goodness, the number of hurricanes! Hard to imagine a worse year.</p><p>Hoping 2021 turns out to be much better!</p>Bill Cookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06558809516739170745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2208422594491525200.post-9099263697556638672020-11-28T20:02:00.003-08:002020-11-28T20:09:56.525-08:00Whoops!I only made 2 flights at the November HARA launch; the first was that of the RX-16, <a href="http://billsrockets.blogspot.com/2020/11/comparing-instruments.html" target="_blank">described in the last post</a>, and the second was the maiden flight of my Quest Q E-Z Payloader, a "Qwik Kit" I acquired many moons ago. It was recommended by Art Upton as a good starting rocket to loft his <a href="https://www.rocketreviews.com/booster-vision-mini-gearcam.html" target="_blank">BoosterVision Mini GearCam</a>, a 2.4 GHz camera that live-streamed the video to a receiver, much like the way it is done by NASA, Space X and ULA. While I tested the GearCam on the ground, I never got around to flying it - and for the life of me, I can't remember why. Anyway, the Q E-Z Payloader has sat on the shelf for over a decade, until I decided to launch it two weekends ago.<div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_DwoEjsDyXyo08KrrukCre7U2uBNZXSNgIPDfAq1uyYBgp_NjEGPGjtD4369GDVk95Hk2Zhrmvmbdm6Qh64RwBk9K8SbAQQu3yn8b2VFXC9T7pIAYtmZMW1-maOwvFVzoubBNuaGqWUY/s1024/QEZPayloader.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="768" height="540" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_DwoEjsDyXyo08KrrukCre7U2uBNZXSNgIPDfAq1uyYBgp_NjEGPGjtD4369GDVk95Hk2Zhrmvmbdm6Qh64RwBk9K8SbAQQu3yn8b2VFXC9T7pIAYtmZMW1-maOwvFVzoubBNuaGqWUY/w405-h540/QEZPayloader.jpg" width="405" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Quest Q E-Z Payloader (Click to enlarge).</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>And the rocket did carry a camera, even though it was not the one for which it was purchased. I taped the Estes camera to the side of the payload section, and, just to make things more nerdy, loaded a Perfectflite PNUT into the compartment. A quick weight check indicated that an Estes C6-5 would be about perfect for the flight - I estimated a peak altitude of around 350 feet, which was high enough to get good footage, but not so high as to make for a long walk. Yep, I had thought things through and prepared pretty well.</div><div><br /></div><div>Uh huh...</div><div><br /></div><div>The Q E-Z Payloader left the pad and headed up into the blue sky. I watched it arc over and was pleased to see the nylon Apogee chute deploy. But then I caught a glimpse of other pieces falling, and that's when it hit me...</div><div><br /></div><div>I had forgotten to tape the nose cone to the payload tube, so it would stay in place throughout the flight.</div><div><br /></div><div>So those two additional falling pieces were the nose cone (no big deal) and the PNUT altimeter (big deal, to the tune of $60). And I did not see where they landed, so I did not have a location to search.</div><div><br /></div><div>Sighing, I trudged after the rocket, having little hope of recovering the nose cone or, more importantly, the altimeter (assuming it survived the fall). But fortune did smile upon me, for as I was returning to the flight line one of the rocketeers at the high power pads handed me the altimeter. He had heard it beeping - PNUTs are noisy little beasties - and located it on the ground using the sound. I also got back the nose cone, which was a minor miracle. The model has been put back on the shelf, ready for its next flight. And I hope to not be as stupid for that one.</div><div><br /></div><div>Anyway, I downloaded the data from the altimeter - which appears to be undamaged, as it fell in its holder tube - and got an answer to the question "What does an altimeter record as it is free falling to the ground?" Apparently the tumbling results in oscillations, as you can see from the below graph. The altimeter was also not as snug in the holder tube as I would have liked, and that also shows in the flight profile. At least my motor choice was correct.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjelXjLA3rDc-AvujfdEuMMMQbm6HrzvS-6m_RcFJecOutgvoJAVNuNvjdb1utKRF94Kw9Wbd0PPRXgcF3-20w-OIGSCIdVuB_RBhMb1bGWquW_S_RmwLolTgEpOBsOt2PE2UR7805EBDs/s2048/QEZ_Payloader_2020Nov14.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="427" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjelXjLA3rDc-AvujfdEuMMMQbm6HrzvS-6m_RcFJecOutgvoJAVNuNvjdb1utKRF94Kw9Wbd0PPRXgcF3-20w-OIGSCIdVuB_RBhMb1bGWquW_S_RmwLolTgEpOBsOt2PE2UR7805EBDs/w569-h427/QEZ_Payloader_2020Nov14.png" width="569" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Q E-Z Payloader flight profile from November HARA launch (Click to enlarge).</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>Being taped to the side of the payload section, the camera stayed with the rocket, and I managed to pull a few interesting frames from the video:</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid_A2v16ayDkOR0fGxqfyb_AqJzAW8lruJoyTOnTs4F59q7NsUylDdcEPBfU2hNL81SwSiyXoabupD6QRKU5ykEy8aPvsWC3iGyVcAdTqWdr_7Q-J-vG0M6lCpzWxO0c-TRFlRhrPtVkU/s1920/Ignition_2020Nov14.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="324" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid_A2v16ayDkOR0fGxqfyb_AqJzAW8lruJoyTOnTs4F59q7NsUylDdcEPBfU2hNL81SwSiyXoabupD6QRKU5ykEy8aPvsWC3iGyVcAdTqWdr_7Q-J-vG0M6lCpzWxO0c-TRFlRhrPtVkU/w576-h324/Ignition_2020Nov14.png" width="576" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Ignition (Click to enlarge)!</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggPXfbyPpJh66rcmZUbDRKFNH4R8fagtbKyT8_0pDCZoMEHbaskVzq4WORTxoEG85lOgdvKdvNuVXDopEB0P6v7S4A5AIaisAP2yLPF7LrcTaprlw1VY0BojyNXRNebo4aaM6L6LS3j9c/s1920/People_below_2020Nov14.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="323" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggPXfbyPpJh66rcmZUbDRKFNH4R8fagtbKyT8_0pDCZoMEHbaskVzq4WORTxoEG85lOgdvKdvNuVXDopEB0P6v7S4A5AIaisAP2yLPF7LrcTaprlw1VY0BojyNXRNebo4aaM6L6LS3j9c/w577-h323/People_below_2020Nov14.png" width="577" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Coasting upward (Click to enlarge).</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5KbFnyR0x9xqdZQ41iSzPXTaAyXH-ZzwSDN8n3Hyalv0kH0Qp3p0Q4jo_WDMdbyFhOUKlV_az_WPZ6ia3DK4uZ5LcwHPIVk9I5gnImc1Kak3u5KShpC9sOJM6VEZpTkuSDnai2wPpfXU/s1920/Ejection_2020Nov14.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="324" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5KbFnyR0x9xqdZQ41iSzPXTaAyXH-ZzwSDN8n3Hyalv0kH0Qp3p0Q4jo_WDMdbyFhOUKlV_az_WPZ6ia3DK4uZ5LcwHPIVk9I5gnImc1Kak3u5KShpC9sOJM6VEZpTkuSDnai2wPpfXU/w575-h324/Ejection_2020Nov14.png" width="575" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Parachute deploy (Click to enlarge).</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFjV0lX3EjfRgLjRFvFpNOpO_fKlg9EokZ2ApGBLUiiY2xta0Wt_x8k8c5fmAcyW79fpQW7ogbCeIwaoDW8b3XHGeST8Q6bHl040hnwONVJiZ84GhfAyW6RzrtLd3WFCOfWp4yGxkKNes/s1920/Nose_altimeter_2020Nov14.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="324" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFjV0lX3EjfRgLjRFvFpNOpO_fKlg9EokZ2ApGBLUiiY2xta0Wt_x8k8c5fmAcyW79fpQW7ogbCeIwaoDW8b3XHGeST8Q6bHl040hnwONVJiZ84GhfAyW6RzrtLd3WFCOfWp4yGxkKNes/w577-h324/Nose_altimeter_2020Nov14.png" width="577" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Altimeter and nose cone falling away (Click to enlarge).</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>So a good ending came out of a royal screw-up on my part. That does not happen often.</div>Bill Cookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06558809516739170745noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2208422594491525200.post-55507301125276657012020-11-28T15:06:00.004-08:002020-11-28T16:11:35.274-08:00Comparing instruments...<p>Today's electronics are wonderful; you can fit a lot of measurement capability into a very small package. There are a goodly number of choices available from various vendors and it is a very natural thing to compare capabilities and accuracy, especially when new products hit the market. That's one reason I built the clone of the Centuri RX-16 and the beefy Big Bertha look-a-like, Beulah. Their large payload sections and interchangeable motor mounts enable me to fly multiple instruments on the same flight, facilitating comparisons.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoImtRXklQ6W4d_JJprGbz5A7vQIk0RZIYAsE5fTCRU4bwGBMfwSI9DSOS9IsiAlM9GNBzVVXprFXI8B_aw6QyDym5U7W6YciJLXxxZaUtTquK26J4htn-M1kWpKprTijvcLtfgyvzqsc/s246/PocketLab_Voyager.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="246" data-original-width="227" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoImtRXklQ6W4d_JJprGbz5A7vQIk0RZIYAsE5fTCRU4bwGBMfwSI9DSOS9IsiAlM9GNBzVVXprFXI8B_aw6QyDym5U7W6YciJLXxxZaUtTquK26J4htn-M1kWpKprTijvcLtfgyvzqsc/w303-h328/PocketLab_Voyager.png" width="303" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">PocketLab Voyager</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>I was perusing the Estes website last month, and came across these <a href="https://estesrockets.com/edu/b2s/green-eggs-bundles/" target="_blank">teacher's bundles</a>, which feature the large 24mm powered Green Eggs rocket and some electronics gizmo called the PocketLab. The prices were a little rich for my wallet, but I was intrigued by the PocketLab - I had not heard of it. A Google search instantly produced the <a href="https://www.thepocketlab.com" target="_blank">manufacturer's website</a>, where I learned that the PocketLab included in the Estes bundles was the <a href="https://www.thepocketlab.com/store/pocketlab-voyager" target="_blank">PocketLab Voyager</a>, a 1.5 x 1.5 x 0.6 inch mini laboratory capable of making measurements of the following:</p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Acceleration</li><li>Angular Velocity</li><li>Magnetic Field</li><li>Barometric Pressure</li><li>Altitude</li><li>Infrared Rangefinder</li><li>Internal Temperature</li><li>Temperature Probe</li><li>Humidity</li><li>Light Intensity</li></ul><div>Wowzers! This is a lot of capability, and after perusing the online documentation, I figured I ought to get one - in the interest of science, of course. I never play... Anyway, the PocketLab Voyager arrived within a few days, and quick trial and error showed that it would fit - albeit very tightly - in the 1.6 inch diameter Estes BT-60 body tube (the Green Eggs rocket that Estes bundled with the Voyager is 1.8" in diameter). I was happy, as this meant I could use the RX-16 or Beulah to fly the PocketLab Voyager and compare it to other instruments.</div><div><br /></div><div>So when I attended the HARA launch earlier this month, I carried with me my trusty RX-16, loaded with a Quest Q-Jet D16-4 and 3 devices in the payload section - the PocketLab Voyager, a FlightSketch Mini altimeter, and a Perfectflite PNUT altimeter (the TARC gold standard). I was curious not only to see the data returned by the instruments, but also to see how well my iPhone could configure and handle 2 Bluetooth devices simultaneously (Both the Voyager and the FlightSketch Mini communicate via Bluetooth). I need not have worried about the latter, as the phone was more than up to the task, and as for the former, the instruments agreed fairly well, as you can see from the below plot.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyJlgQBKBy90uKl8hF9IG579nxgY2V1-ohxNwbKnQ5TS9Z5ywPjubc1EKFfKhGqXyr5E1WCs5YDn7aGV9PqYeYgmb4jqLxtieqqqtARV06cJT81c_d_mZmS-4SVv-yvnHwgGwWmE4eDBg/s2048/RX16_2020Nov14.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="432" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyJlgQBKBy90uKl8hF9IG579nxgY2V1-ohxNwbKnQ5TS9Z5ywPjubc1EKFfKhGqXyr5E1WCs5YDn7aGV9PqYeYgmb4jqLxtieqqqtARV06cJT81c_d_mZmS-4SVv-yvnHwgGwWmE4eDBg/w575-h432/RX16_2020Nov14.png" width="575" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Comparison of altitude data taken on November 14 (Click to enlarge).</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>Note that the Voyager ceases to return data after 140 feet - that's my fault, as I had not yet figured out how to set the instrument to autonomously record data over a span of time (What? I have to read instructions?). So it was transmitting real-time numbers via Bluetooth, which stopped once the rocket passed beyond range. However, the little bit I received looked good. A club member pointed out that the FlightSketch data is systematically lower that of the PNUT, especially below 300 feet altitude. However, the difference is less than 5 feet, so while curious, I am not bothered by it.</div><div><br /></div><div>The FlightSketch altimeter also is capable of measuring acceleration, so let's look at that data along with the Voyager's:</div><div><br /></div><div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg9m6qYkKG7PBAJwzuYGI74CX7cFRBQ0B_0sSQ1fVRHQSOrenL0Wlm3pFSt0SUsHfTmn4SrRtb7l4dMOarkXO9355MP0qk5g30BFQQzQ4Z_15RLl54vOjbeO-_nWCX4G6MsVQXL_q725I/s2048/RX16_2020Nov14_b.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="429" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg9m6qYkKG7PBAJwzuYGI74CX7cFRBQ0B_0sSQ1fVRHQSOrenL0Wlm3pFSt0SUsHfTmn4SrRtb7l4dMOarkXO9355MP0qk5g30BFQQzQ4Z_15RLl54vOjbeO-_nWCX4G6MsVQXL_q725I/w572-h429/RX16_2020Nov14_b.png" width="572" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">FlightSketch Mini and PocketLab Voyager acceleration data for the November 14 RX-16 flight<br />(Click to enlarge).</span></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Again, the agreement is good until the Voyager data transmission stops. Kind of interesting to see 22 g's at ejection, which is substantially larger than the 12 g's experienced during thrusting.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">A note about the PocketLab Voyager - the documentation is not that great, as they encourage you to "experiment" with the device to figure out how it works. However, their email support is awesome, answering questions about the device operation very quickly. They were able to help me to figure out why the iPhone app was not showing the screens that allow you to configure the PocketLab to collect data offline (iPhone has to be set to "light" not "dark" mode).</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I did a reflight at last week's launch, but the <a href="http://billsrockets.blogspot.com/2020/11/the-one-where-nothing-goes-right.html" target="_blank">bad luck pervading that afternoon</a> messed things up. Structural repairs have been made to the RX-16 and it is awaiting a new coat of paint on the fin unit. I'll be trying again at the next launch - whenever that is.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div>Bill Cookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06558809516739170745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2208422594491525200.post-69055562483766953612020-11-22T21:10:00.009-08:002020-11-22T23:21:33.247-08:00The one where nothing goes right...<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy3KFG9EZyN1FcKdu8PtPuW8QEamfUUa7bZJhgNN4HXrHTUnyIljKLY_1R2EEWa1XzWzBadXXIPfYemSl16YwyB102JNk5TzwN0RdAWIT1UCG2tiJ4JMASqp_SG9AmgZWTf-Pi4fzoiYA/s1920/LGM_on_ground_2020Nov21.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy3KFG9EZyN1FcKdu8PtPuW8QEamfUUa7bZJhgNN4HXrHTUnyIljKLY_1R2EEWa1XzWzBadXXIPfYemSl16YwyB102JNk5TzwN0RdAWIT1UCG2tiJ4JMASqp_SG9AmgZWTf-Pi4fzoiYA/w530-h298/LGM_on_ground_2020Nov21.png" width="530" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">My LGM lies on the ground after its fall (Click to enlarge).</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Yesterday was a very nice day, perfect rocket flying weather - clear sky, no wind, and an afternoon high of 70 degrees. So Duane and I packed our stuff and headed out to Pegasus field to launch a few rockets before the Thanksgiving holidays begin. Greg and Josh joined us, and there were quite a few launchings. The up parts generally went OK... Not so much with the landings. The short summary is that Duane and I had terrible luck on the field, and I hope it doesn't stick around for the next launch.</p><p>The first rocket off the pad was my new Estes Centurion, a foam rocket styled like a space fighter. It looks pretty darn sharp, and flew low but straight on an Estes A8-3.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1Uzn9kkl4vi4lprliqB4ubBMZxIE3H6InzHvTkLAWEh_Vt1Nm7K24no2EkqxF46_uGFTKRvisW_SB95N6_a5LWR2eziSnEgyRT86DHDWrlLRfhhjApTMMueZmfMpoXVmUHCZziG1O8oY/s2048/Centurion_on_pad_2020Nov21.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1Uzn9kkl4vi4lprliqB4ubBMZxIE3H6InzHvTkLAWEh_Vt1Nm7K24no2EkqxF46_uGFTKRvisW_SB95N6_a5LWR2eziSnEgyRT86DHDWrlLRfhhjApTMMueZmfMpoXVmUHCZziG1O8oY/s320/Centurion_on_pad_2020Nov21.jpeg" /></a></td><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUNwePWyAZaAhyZ3lMfwHQfVaNE2xBjOJ7PHX3q2AzsgRIHmG5-U68E0fgTtEKjCaszTpl4_pjsVXjzNrNtD5NpBX4-OcwIbt7EYM5JN1YAYRwG-zMkdYQd2xKLCDqNJQjxNhu0OwpQ6w/s2048/Centurion_2020Nov21.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUNwePWyAZaAhyZ3lMfwHQfVaNE2xBjOJ7PHX3q2AzsgRIHmG5-U68E0fgTtEKjCaszTpl4_pjsVXjzNrNtD5NpBX4-OcwIbt7EYM5JN1YAYRwG-zMkdYQd2xKLCDqNJQjxNhu0OwpQ6w/s320/Centurion_2020Nov21.jpeg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Centurion on pad (Click to enlarge).</span><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Centurion clears the rod (Click to enlarge).</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Duane's 2019 Christmas rocket followed mine, heading up into the blue on a D12-3. We saw the model arc over and waited for ejection to occur. And waited, and waited, and waited... Right up to the point where the rocket smacked headlong into the ground, popping a fin off and squishing old Frosty's head pretty good. Damage is repairable, but I bet the snowman has a terrible headache.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVNHppvBakDAq4XDEniii21Kr0WPtci5lmm3rrNIlKdLtw8S1c3zigtq3CAWl_2WeYCSbY3d4-71NSMZpZR0rap8ixRDnRqcR_Vb8ZnQPX4roepc92VXOwzmne3XTfdH3C-WIy4j3PXTM/s2048/Duane_Christmas_rocket_2020Nov21.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVNHppvBakDAq4XDEniii21Kr0WPtci5lmm3rrNIlKdLtw8S1c3zigtq3CAWl_2WeYCSbY3d4-71NSMZpZR0rap8ixRDnRqcR_Vb8ZnQPX4roepc92VXOwzmne3XTfdH3C-WIy4j3PXTM/s320/Duane_Christmas_rocket_2020Nov21.jpeg" /></a></td><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyb3fJgr8Le6DbldkR5NT3OzDCA7bCn2cx-rK8giZdhhs5T9-2fLcO30PBZGdGQVSny3LUAmi2k_VsFvsKu9AD4ZEGkTmbNfndLck1qIqAgK9qsA-tPC2ZFt3DOti0Aeflr1KvI3b1O18/s2048/Christmas_rocket_2020Nov21.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyb3fJgr8Le6DbldkR5NT3OzDCA7bCn2cx-rK8giZdhhs5T9-2fLcO30PBZGdGQVSny3LUAmi2k_VsFvsKu9AD4ZEGkTmbNfndLck1qIqAgK9qsA-tPC2ZFt3DOti0Aeflr1KvI3b1O18/s320/Christmas_rocket_2020Nov21.jpeg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Duane with his Xmas rocket <br />(Click to enlarge).<br /></span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Up, up, and away (Click to enlarge)!</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh0Lm7PpHZhGLqsq_tv6Tt4FSrIFi7IPpLpIyZ8gKNrqtQFnVgPHAF-7yaRqY05g7weoRHlz1PLpsaBe3y5sBlcBiaBQSB9YJvb7yLpFC00Bd4sUDI2qXH1qScL6LmrlNXJGlDmFGhx2Y/s2048/Frosty_smashed_head_2020Nov21.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh0Lm7PpHZhGLqsq_tv6Tt4FSrIFi7IPpLpIyZ8gKNrqtQFnVgPHAF-7yaRqY05g7weoRHlz1PLpsaBe3y5sBlcBiaBQSB9YJvb7yLpFC00Bd4sUDI2qXH1qScL6LmrlNXJGlDmFGhx2Y/s320/Frosty_smashed_head_2020Nov21.jpeg" /></a></td><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZF9UITg7scUn0I-GDnIKOBLLqhtxUELr_VLQcCL7ZDlGPUWwZYigekoN9_HuKwmpyUaSxAmFUA9cTGKoY5wOgVVPKTdIvq8Wk1UT_SGac59bK1FzQ3qBk-SeXRfIHi0jNxb_RyHn4lls/s2048/Greg_Star_Wars_2020Nov21.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZF9UITg7scUn0I-GDnIKOBLLqhtxUELr_VLQcCL7ZDlGPUWwZYigekoN9_HuKwmpyUaSxAmFUA9cTGKoY5wOgVVPKTdIvq8Wk1UT_SGac59bK1FzQ3qBk-SeXRfIHi0jNxb_RyHn4lls/s320/Greg_Star_Wars_2020Nov21.jpeg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Frosty has a headache (Click to enlarge)!</span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Greg shows off his Star Wars outfit <br />(Click to enlarge).<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></span></td></tr></tbody></table>Next was Greg. He brought his 1990's retro Estes Naboo fighter, complete with pad and R2-D2 controller. Up it went and it came down safely under a partially deployed parachute. All in all, a good flight; kinda neat to see one of the old Estes Star Wars models fly.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>Duane's Cherokee F is always a crowd pleaser, being an very nice looking upscale of the Estes model (Have I mentioned that Duane is a Cherokee fanatic, with several versions in his rocket stable?). This time it was prepped with an Aerotech F52 reload and a Jolly Logic Chute Release - which, as it turned out, would not be needed. In the saddest flight of the day, the forward closure of the motor case failed right after launch, separating the payload section from the sustainer - which was barbecued by the flame going forward through the rocket. I could not bear taking pictures of the aftermath; the fried remains were too pathetic. Needless to say, Duane was not a happy camper. But he soldiered on - and found yet more grief.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDpi1erjsPXSV3aLdG3IFLKRWtIfYINrAgR9S0nIzsBw6PGIkbElfI7RgGtmgrdoeTEAT6ApuBI-FDiZSO2A15o0lA4znhgm7kGsuS_BF8-SQjjXjiQGPgMlhz4bv5IzrTt7dWcvmzSh0/s2048/Cherokee_F_Liftoff_2020Nov21.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDpi1erjsPXSV3aLdG3IFLKRWtIfYINrAgR9S0nIzsBw6PGIkbElfI7RgGtmgrdoeTEAT6ApuBI-FDiZSO2A15o0lA4znhgm7kGsuS_BF8-SQjjXjiQGPgMlhz4bv5IzrTt7dWcvmzSh0/s320/Cherokee_F_Liftoff_2020Nov21.jpeg" /></a></td><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfWhQKRklAoA7S5JwyGkG6uahxOAUo_fgk_5Qa5U7atX2-HQksMdq3xoOn4w_k9mZO0TTJ127kyLZt5hw1KOoKRJHi6707PLT5E53iltNIFkuAHWDn4fNPU1rLPReirqAe5rPupZeB120/s2048/Cherokee_F_coupler_2020Nov21.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfWhQKRklAoA7S5JwyGkG6uahxOAUo_fgk_5Qa5U7atX2-HQksMdq3xoOn4w_k9mZO0TTJ127kyLZt5hw1KOoKRJHi6707PLT5E53iltNIFkuAHWDn4fNPU1rLPReirqAe5rPupZeB120/s320/Cherokee_F_coupler_2020Nov21.jpeg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The motor in the Cherokee-F ignites <br />(Click to enlarge).<br /></span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The payload section coupler appears as the<br />forward closure fails (Click to enlarge).<br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br />Josh had mixed luck yesterday - his 3D printed Y-Wing broke apart on a hard landing, but the Estes Multiroc had a pretty good flight (even found the glider). His Starbase Starcruiser flew well on a Q-Jet, but the lad has yet to perfect his cluster technique. Despite the use of low current Q2G2 igniters, only one motor in his NASA Deuces Wild lit, causing the model to arc over into the ground - just like it did at the club launch a couple of weeks ago. Everything went fine with the flight of the Fliskits ACME Spitfire, but his 2 stage Estes Supernova had a slight issue. The booster fit too tightly into the upper stage, so that the 2nd stage motor blew the lower motor right out the back of the first stage, scorching the booster a bit. It hung on throughout the flight.<br /><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiBYm-JD_WjgE2yqpOpoT0DDzuzAQopyquDVHQB40HPiJaVv04XCEmPT3q1s5MM-_kq-2W0HH-1gys4wHaAxW-vYgM07A63R7BZXTcnc8IsRFomJ2qPmE-AGZYU7nsO3ndGSEHbE0xk0Y/s2048/Y_Wing_2020Nov21.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiBYm-JD_WjgE2yqpOpoT0DDzuzAQopyquDVHQB40HPiJaVv04XCEmPT3q1s5MM-_kq-2W0HH-1gys4wHaAxW-vYgM07A63R7BZXTcnc8IsRFomJ2qPmE-AGZYU7nsO3ndGSEHbE0xk0Y/s320/Y_Wing_2020Nov21.jpeg" /></a></td><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_1y2o3-yXzU_7YD_7XDcebHVaoLNx5mGOcfK3lDqDD3K9p30UcXDsB3OJkX5Fzf1iqy3myZzNJ7pptvK8qq6RHfCgTUBRRRzZWPsPTEBHiCabTkZBAoLiWno7i4ZQd7Pu5B_NWf5razs/s2048/Josh_Mutilroc_2020Nov21.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_1y2o3-yXzU_7YD_7XDcebHVaoLNx5mGOcfK3lDqDD3K9p30UcXDsB3OJkX5Fzf1iqy3myZzNJ7pptvK8qq6RHfCgTUBRRRzZWPsPTEBHiCabTkZBAoLiWno7i4ZQd7Pu5B_NWf5razs/s320/Josh_Mutilroc_2020Nov21.jpeg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Josh's Y-Wing gets going (Click to enlarge).<br /></span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The Multiroc starts up the rod <br />(Click to enlarge)</span>.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ4T5mNgluC4xSJS88uI67aE9vl-dMlWF_ipgp81Fqf8Uf6KYGNPa7LxgBQ5ZT4viW7Aa5vWa5AVbucjWGhtgFPTLJS0RASRX9gf0kFXLkolwhOeSFguG35nLxVvAVm7so7KVQiVsnWN4/s2048/Josh_Starcruiser_2020Nov21.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ4T5mNgluC4xSJS88uI67aE9vl-dMlWF_ipgp81Fqf8Uf6KYGNPa7LxgBQ5ZT4viW7Aa5vWa5AVbucjWGhtgFPTLJS0RASRX9gf0kFXLkolwhOeSFguG35nLxVvAVm7so7KVQiVsnWN4/s320/Josh_Starcruiser_2020Nov21.jpeg" /></a></td><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDIx_hyXw7bSWXnqVj53sN9_Y1vC748n8I7TNqPsuxeKors7FEJ6Hb-ZoVVCH6fkYR-39GJrpr7tWrOpgCC6oaapOV3_Hj5ejheCQuHnFl7P5BCmAVxQRgZvGW8hy1LZXUkApWcHy4asM/s2048/Josh_Deuce_2020Nov21.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDIx_hyXw7bSWXnqVj53sN9_Y1vC748n8I7TNqPsuxeKors7FEJ6Hb-ZoVVCH6fkYR-39GJrpr7tWrOpgCC6oaapOV3_Hj5ejheCQuHnFl7P5BCmAVxQRgZvGW8hy1LZXUkApWcHy4asM/s320/Josh_Deuce_2020Nov21.jpeg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The Starbase Starcruiser rises on a black <br />pillar of smoke (Click to enlarge).<br /></span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Uh oh (Click to enlarge)!</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFVjC2JjQPC11iG7fddxGUZb9YP32fRo7wvoJP1ULqddLYyfoUQSlwDJM2Du61biiCY9EyAEIdtwjfLfVy0SarGJDESxvtDOSSUWYblw3j-fiKTUw7EwctPqb47BxrXiaO5RUdGuU2AWw/s2048/Josh_ACME.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFVjC2JjQPC11iG7fddxGUZb9YP32fRo7wvoJP1ULqddLYyfoUQSlwDJM2Du61biiCY9EyAEIdtwjfLfVy0SarGJDESxvtDOSSUWYblw3j-fiKTUw7EwctPqb47BxrXiaO5RUdGuU2AWw/s320/Josh_ACME.jpeg" /></a></td><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKrmdSisZNH1ZdSMs3nCoRCD6sGOhvJwz6yVzS-ewr_aa68Cha8YKF1AW1g5Mm1mIkSXe-O1V5LS0hCeoVUA-ghImy4T8bTaosExdxxBA6eRAtuTL_VDSxbKTOTL0CT9owUBu4_YDYTPw/s2048/Josh_Supernova_2020Nov21.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKrmdSisZNH1ZdSMs3nCoRCD6sGOhvJwz6yVzS-ewr_aa68Cha8YKF1AW1g5Mm1mIkSXe-O1V5LS0hCeoVUA-ghImy4T8bTaosExdxxBA6eRAtuTL_VDSxbKTOTL0CT9owUBu4_YDYTPw/s320/Josh_Supernova_2020Nov21.jpeg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Josh's ACME Spitfire on a D12 <br />(Click to enlarge).<br /></span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The 1st stage in the Supernova ignites <br />(Click to enlarge).</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />Duane hoped to reverse the recovery failure trend by flying one of his reliable TARC rockets. The model shot off the pad, attaining a respectable altitude. We saw it arc over and then heard the rocket whistle in as it plunged straight into the ground - it was buried so deep that Duane had to struggle to pull it from the Earth. As Dr. McCoy would say, "It was dead, Jim." I was beginning to feel extremely sorry for Duane, but, determined to have a successful flight, he pulled out his Estes Cherokee E and loaded it on the pad. It too flew straight as an arrow, but the parachute partially unfurled, and the rocket had a hard landing on the asphalt entrance to the Blue Origin parking lot. 2 fins broke off, - that was it for Duane. He sadly loaded his corpses and casualties into the SUV and watched the remaining few flights, refraining from some colorful language because of the presence of Josh and his mother.<div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjmjmBpgfSZcLscz2VDqehXU692qAcx3Jp8Q2z5EE5GAkcVntYB6t88H32h671TQ0oj9xqGGXVvjz5BkjPsK5JiPsOB7Q2sAXzY86pLBnl6MN4UlGwtsM6-PgXahYfZNSlC02irNKq5xs/s2048/Duane_TARC_rocket_2020Nov21.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjmjmBpgfSZcLscz2VDqehXU692qAcx3Jp8Q2z5EE5GAkcVntYB6t88H32h671TQ0oj9xqGGXVvjz5BkjPsK5JiPsOB7Q2sAXzY86pLBnl6MN4UlGwtsM6-PgXahYfZNSlC02irNKq5xs/s320/Duane_TARC_rocket_2020Nov21.jpeg" /></a></td><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCGXGgA5goEhbNMes7ViCBvvD6BciWWWYUaPfMnnKpuZ9PaA3jI_t7IT7LlxfivXBWazS2OnkXatzIJb85oFf9LrggzOkZDmts4m8Rx9plwRS_J3chkvBYoJAgMp893y2VrvHd2QVGdZc/s2048/TARC_rocket_2020Nov21.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCGXGgA5goEhbNMes7ViCBvvD6BciWWWYUaPfMnnKpuZ9PaA3jI_t7IT7LlxfivXBWazS2OnkXatzIJb85oFf9LrggzOkZDmts4m8Rx9plwRS_J3chkvBYoJAgMp893y2VrvHd2QVGdZc/s320/TARC_rocket_2020Nov21.jpeg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Duane hooks up the igniter (Click to enlarge).<br /></span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Duane's TARC rocket clears the rail <br />(Click to enlarge).<br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br />Which brings it back to me and my remaining two flights. These would not go as well as that of the Centurion.<div><br /></div><div>In an attempt to get some HD footage of staging, I had outfitted my Estes LGM with a booster and the camera from the Estes Astrocam. The C11/B6 motor combination propelled the model to a decent altitude, but the old rubber shock cord broke at ejection, leaving the body/camera to fall horizontally (thank goodness!) and the nose cone to sail off into the sunset with my nice new Apogee nylon parachute. Fortunately, I was able to replace the nose cone but the camera footage did not yield anything useful. Apparently the camera was tilted just enough to miss the booster falling away.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkxXgTWaEeEiplndq7yvO-MDiAuq446vgmndYuqpUCACsXZR4Mc72jIqPOUi93Nx5waNnm9K5TYKQzUmMdOObgeKKa79cibBJ50rCMHR9Mj0q8HaHPujFtCBLRvrd_C_nIkeVxcj6Scus/s2048/LGM_2020Nov21.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkxXgTWaEeEiplndq7yvO-MDiAuq446vgmndYuqpUCACsXZR4Mc72jIqPOUi93Nx5waNnm9K5TYKQzUmMdOObgeKKa79cibBJ50rCMHR9Mj0q8HaHPujFtCBLRvrd_C_nIkeVxcj6Scus/s320/LGM_2020Nov21.jpeg" /></a></td><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC5cF8hjYPqr3a0qTQ_-KwL_6RSE4cOcmexwo5e1snh5QMMMqfN87KdZMtENou86Mddn-5P6oLprOa4plOPKJhzCY18k5kNyOex6Txqa-2IlUgHXyasGwn0COGxmdv_KjBqMqDJHh-RmM/s2048/RX16_2020Nov21.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC5cF8hjYPqr3a0qTQ_-KwL_6RSE4cOcmexwo5e1snh5QMMMqfN87KdZMtENou86Mddn-5P6oLprOa4plOPKJhzCY18k5kNyOex6Txqa-2IlUgHXyasGwn0COGxmdv_KjBqMqDJHh-RmM/s320/RX16_2020Nov21.jpeg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The LGM blasts off (Click to enlarge).</span><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">My RX-16 under Q-Jet power <br />(Click to enlarge).<br /><br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6UGVYF_eFo2H74qEpIHsBnCAxIRTeJ-6LZwhXJA4NNWI_o13eHcDwEDOOzvZuHCb1DbfnPQsr9wySZPARln6WfzBfqVAFmXqXjn8f9Yk44H8y_RPZhjjACiSpbHlGAR2PHovH_hELh7c/s1920/LGM_staging_2020Nov21.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6UGVYF_eFo2H74qEpIHsBnCAxIRTeJ-6LZwhXJA4NNWI_o13eHcDwEDOOzvZuHCb1DbfnPQsr9wySZPARln6WfzBfqVAFmXqXjn8f9Yk44H8y_RPZhjjACiSpbHlGAR2PHovH_hELh7c/w527-h296/LGM_staging_2020Nov21.png" width="527" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Frame showing staging from camera on the LGM (Click to enlarge).</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>All the failures of the day caused me to look long and hard at my Centuri RX-16 clone, which was loaded with a Quest D16 and about $200 in electronics (FlightSketch Mini altimeter and the PocketLab Voyager). The rocket had had a perfect flight at the HARA launch, so I figured I'd give it a go. I almost backed out as I loaded the model on the pad, but talked myself into proceeding. The rocket sped up into the blue sky and I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw the orange nylon parachute come free. However, it would not open - the rocket kept falling and the parachute stayed closed, wriggling about as if to say "Should have not done this." The RX-16 hit the ground hard enough to break a fin, adding another strand to the day's awful string of recovery failures. Even worse, the landing jarred the altimeter, which gave nonsense readings of negative 500 feet. And then, flustered as I was, I must have accidentally wiped the PocketLab's memory trying to download the data into my laptop. Sigh...<br /><div><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I laid my casualties next to Duane's in the vehicle, and we left the field wondering how such a beautiful day could give birth to enormous carnage. The RX-16 repair is under way, and I am still trying to figure out how I wiped the Voyager's memory. In a way, I envy the Voyager - a memory wipe of yesterday from my brain would be good.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Here's hoping the next launch goes better!</div>Bill Cookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06558809516739170745noreply@blogger.com2