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Friday
Arrived about 2:00PM Friday to find an almost full workshop. A good job we pre-booked the tables. Friday . Prep'ed and took two new low/mid power composite rockets to launch. The first to "fly" was "Blue Yonder" on a 24mm E 18. Typical, Mike Williams was RSO and of course we had a little CATO. At about 30 feet the motor started thrusting at both ends. Consensus at the post mortem was that a cracked delay grain had allowed a burn through at the top. The top end closure hole is now about twice the usual size. The rocket was blown apart just above the fin canister. The second rocket, "Twister" was much better behaved on an F 62. Clean flight and perfect recovery.
Saturday
First, thanks to the loan of a 6-grain Pro 38 casing from Pete Davy, I flew Shorty on a J 360. This is my 110 mm diameter camera rocket with the two stage recovery system. The flight was good on the way up, as usual. The first stage of the 'chute deployment happened right on cue at apogee. However, the 'chute is supposed to be held closed down to 400ft when a "gate" opens to allow the canopy to open fully. It is not supposed to stay closed all the way to the ground and then have the gate flip open as I pick it up to inspect the cracked fin joint. The G Wiz DL altimeter had fired the ignitor, the charge had gone off and the nylon tie had burned through. There was nothing holding the thing closed except the will of the rocket gods and who can argue with that. Next up was "B MOVI" a time capsule thing inspired by the sort of rocket ship seen in Sci Fi B movies of the 1950's. It flew well on a G 64 describing a very neat spiral, ending in a perfect deployment and recovery. Next up was "ACUS" (Latin for needle) on a G 104. A first time flight with perfect two- stage recovery again using the G Wiz. Last flight was "Eggscape Capsule" a little RSO scarer based on a plastic egg on a D 12. It was flown from the HPR section with the RSO's happy agreement. Although small it was found easily in the middle of the crops due to the day-glow pink streamer.
Sunday
Weather bad, lost ignitors, a motor that would not fit. The rocket gods seemed to be whispering "Forget it, Sharpie" so I packed up early and left without flying. Many thanks are due to the organisers and next year I must put my name down for an RSO session.
Regards,
Mel S
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