February 9th 2020 GRC 790 Launch Report

The weather turned out really very nice for a club launch for February 9th 2020 at the WyEast Middle School

A very Impressive kit.

Vernon, Don and John Casey were in attendance along with me for the launch.  It was sunny with little to no wind.  The field was quite marshy, so the pad was set up on the pitcher’s mound since that was the highest and driest spot out in the field.  John Casey launched a very cool model rocket from Estes called the Manta II.

It may be a discontinued kit, however Estes is offering starter kit called the Javelin which looks very similar: https://estesrockets.com/product/001436-javelin-launch-set/

The rocket was launched as least four times on Sunday and each time the little glider stayed up in the air for more than 30 seconds each flight and was really impressive to watch fly.

This kit would be ideal for anyone wanting to try for the NARTEK Silver patch: https://www.nar.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/NTSilver.pdf

The NARTREK program is a great skills achievement program. They offer the Bronze, Silver and Gold Achievement and advanced programs: https://www.nar.org/members/nartek-skills-program/

The Sirius Eradicator

Don Buchanan Launched the Estes Multi-Roc Rocket once with the boost glider attached and twice in the two stage configuration without the boost glider.  The booster sections parachute caused the rocket to land up behind the baseball catchers mount fence. Before we knew it, Vernon was climbing up the fence and retrieved the booster section which was used again for two more flights as a two stage rocket. All flights were very impressive and successful. Then he launched the Sirius Rocketry Eradicator rocket: https://www.siriusrocketry.biz/ishop/sirius-rocketry-eradicator-29mm-1332.html

The First launched was on an Estes E motor which was a slow liftoff and achieved an altitude of less than 200 feet.  He made up for it on the second flight with an Aerotech Economax F-67-4 https://www.rocketryworks.com/f67-4/?gclid=Cj0KCQiAm4TyBRDgARIsAOU75sqjFEguDZi7O6XuxNIGOZLM33xtuExu3vWbbVtuKOlWWF6XL58QLKoaAiodEALw_wcB which kicked that rocket up to 600 plus feet.  Don had a Jolly Logic Alt 2 in the rocket so it provided data for speed (max speed was 192 miles per hour with close to a max g force of 10 gs).

That was the highest impulse launch of the morning. J

I launched four very light weight rockets from Discount Rocketry that were called Nexus rockets: https://www.discountrocketry.com/advanced_search_result.php?keywords=nexus&sort=4a they are pretty cool because they require assembly without any glue.  They can easily go up to 1000 feet with an Estes C6-5 motor.

I launched two with Estes motors and then two more with the new Quest Aerospace C and D composite motors:

Motors that did not perfom as expected 🙁

I was not impressed and honestly embarrassed and disappointed as to how the C and D motor under performed.  Both motors sputtered on the pad and then caused the rocket to lift off and do a U-turn into the muddy ground. It was funny to see that happen, however if this had happened to a new rocket hobby enthusiast with a complex model they had spent hours on, hoping that the motor would push the rocket high up in the air like the Estes C and D motors normally do, then that would have been very bad and sad. Fortunately you as a hobby consumer can do something about it.  First, retain the motor and take a photo like the one above that has the motors lot/batch number. Go to this web site: http://www.motorcato.org/ There is a link to report a motor malfunction.  There is also a list to review of the most recent motor issues here:  http://www.motorcato.org/latest

Don Buchanans Multi Roc Two Stage and Flikits Borealis ready for launch

Sometime it may be a good idea to see what others have reported about a certain motor before buying it. Also sometimes you can email to the motor vendor such as Aerotech or Estes and they may try to compensate you with a new kit or new motors if the motor burned through the side of your rocket.

Towards the end of the launch window, I launched a FlisKits model rocket called the Borealis.  It is a very cool looking Sci-Fi kit that I do hope the new owners bring back for further sales.  It looks complicated, however can be built within two days. It was launched up into the sky with an Estes C6-3.  The rocket lifted up perfectly and the rocket rotated while under thrust slowly as if it was going to be placed in orbit. The recovery parachute did not deploy perfectly, however the model is so light weight that the landing was fine and the rocket suffered no damage at all.

Next Sunday February 16th is our launch at Goldendale.  I do hope the weather turns out nice like the launch we just had here at Wy East.  Keep your fingers and toes crossed.  I will see you all there.

“May the winds be light, and the skies be blue, and may all your rockets fly straight and true”

Quoted from Tim Van Milligan at Apogee Rockets

Wy East Launch Photos

The December 14th launch was a cold morning. However, the sun did come out for a bit and there was no wind during the times of the launch schedule. We had a few contest flights and some nice D impulse launched rockets.

Don Buchanan had a picture perfect launch with the Estes Conquest model rocket on a D12-3.
Don Buchanan had a picture perfect launch with the Estes Conquest model rocket on a D12-3.

Photos courtesy of Vernon Buchanan
Don Buchanan had another picture perfect flight with his Estes Dark Star Voyager on an Estes D12-3

Photos courtesy of Vernon Buchanan
Don Buchanan’s Multi Roc on a two stage boost.

Photos courtesy of Vernon Buchanan
A Picture Perfect flight of the Upscale Super Scorpius on an Estes D12-3. The kits is by Morerockets.com

Photos courtesy of Vernon Buchanan

June Sport and Contest Launch

The weather at the field was very nice and pleasant today. Even though along the the Columbia Gorge waterfront it was really blowing, We had very little wind during the morning launch hours of 9 am to noon.
We had sport flyers and a contest.  Myself and Don Buchanan competed and did pretty good since we have not had a contest for a while.  I was able to succeed in the B Eggloft duration with two succussful flights and have the egg return from its flight without any damage.  I will used that egg in my morning omlette the following day 🙂

Glenn Wilson passed his level 2 written test with a score of 100 % and that is awesome.  I look forward to seeing him and Don out at the up comming NXRS launch in Brothers which is next weekend. 
Thank everyone who made it out and I hope to see you all at a future launch event.

For those interested in Apollo 11 web items, Ben Feist made a great Apollo 11 live as it happens experience of Apollo 11: https://apolloinrealtime.org/11/

May 4th Launch Photos

Dans Nike Smoke up on a G75-M Metalstorm motor

We had the rare luck of trying out a new Field this past weekend. It was a trial run and it turned out to be AWESOME! We had a NOTAMS in place for a 3500 AGL waiver for the site. This was not publicized really very widely since this was a new location.

We hope to have another launch at this site in June. Once it has been approved by the FAA more will be published.

We had a good turn out of about twelve people including the land owners.

Here are some great photos provided by Vernon:

Glenn’s rocket going up on a nice Aerotech H motor.
Dons Eradicator rocket going up on a G White Lightning motor

Vernon Buchanan certified level 1 at the site with a great rocket 🙂

Dans Hawk missile going up on a Dark Matter H motor by Aerotech

Exos Aerospace News

https://spacenews.com/exos-aerospace-reflies-suborbital-rocket/

WASHINGTON — Exos Aerospace flew its SARGE reusable sounding rocket for the second time March 2, but winds kept the rocket from achieving its planned altitude.

The Texas-based company launched the Suborbital Autonomous Rocket with Guidance, or SARGE, rocket from Spaceport America in New Mexico at about 12:45 p.m. Eastern time March 2. The launch had been scheduled for early January but postponed twice because of issues linked to the partial government shutdown.

The launch, called “Mission 1” by Exos, reflew the same rocket it launched from the spaceport on a “Pathfinder” mission in August 2018. The rocket carried several small research payloads and was intended to reach a peak altitude of 80 kilometers. The rocket, though, reached only a peak altitude of about 20 kilometers before gliding back to a landing about 1.2 kilometers from the launch pad.

John Quinn, chief operating officer of Exos, said in a later email that engine shut down when it hit a limit for instantaneous impact point (IIP) on its trajectory. The vehicle is designed to shut down its engine during ascent if it runs the risk of impacting outside a “safety circle” seven kilometers in radius around the launch site. That’s intended to protect the major buildings at Spaceport America, including the hangar for anchor tenant Virgin Galactic, that are 7.1 kilometers away, and lowers the company’s insurance costs.

The rocket’s control system wasn’t good enough to overcome high winds on ascent that threatened to push the instantaneous impact point outside the safety circle. “As the winds buffeted the rocket the gimbal correction was insufficient to keep it close enough to center of the circle to keep the IIP within the 7 km circle,” he wrote.

Despite missing its planned altitude, Quinn said the flight was otherwise successful. “This was a great test. Any flight where Exos and its payload customers can walk away with another set of data and an intact vehicle/payload makes for a good day.”

Exos says it will move into regular commercial operations of the SARGE vehicle, but didn’t state when their next launch would take place. The company also plans to use SARGE as the basis for an orbital launch vehicle called Jaguar able to place payloads weighing up to 100 kilograms into low Earth orbit.