Paul Smith:

We had a nice launch out there yet again yesterday, though not quite as free of prangs, seps, and losses as the last launch. Mark had us record all of our launches so he can write up a report, but I thought I'd do my usual passing along of some of what happened for the poor deprived who didn't get to fly...

I flew a number of two-staged flights:

My Big Bertha with the booster from my long-since lost Mongoose, using a C6-0/A8-5. It flew more horizontally than last month, and the delay was too long, and at ejection the shock cord simply snapped. The chute and nose cone landed near the pads, but the main body pranged into the marsh across the street. I found it easily, and it'll fly again. That Bertha has 41 flights on it, including a couple of prangs.

My Hercules flew on a C6-0/C6-7 combination, getting some really good altitude. Unfortunately, the parachute wrapped around the shock cord, and the hard landing cracked the transparent plastic payload section. Great flight, though.

My Avenger flew nicely on a B6-0/A8-5, but cracked a fin on landing. That rocket cracks a different fin on every flight - it's starting to look like the old Oldsmobile's I see up on North Avenue.

My V-2 re-release (the BT-80 version) flew twice on D12-3s, cracking a fin on the second flight (same fin that was already cracked).

My Big Daddy flew on a D12-3, no damage.

My Apogee D-Region Tomahawk flew on a C6-5, no damage.

Finally, my cloned Astron Cobra flew nicely on three A8-3s.

Kurt had a couple of very interesting flights of a cloned Centuri Point, a mostly cardboard-rolled-into-a-cone rocket about 6 inches tall and 4 inches in diameter. It was really a nice looking rocket, which flew with an interesting sound, and stopped dead almost at the exact moment of motor burnout.

Otherwise it was more-or-less the same collection of rockets we've been seeing, for the most part.

Paul Smith

Dave Seer:

One of my flights was with a two stage Farside X that flew with a BlackSky Altimeter that had been configured to capture the flight data. The B6 in the booster was just enough to get the rocket off the pad and the sustainer motor lit successfully. But when the stages separated the payload section came loose and caused an abrupt end to the flight.

I also flew a Trident clone for the first time and a Solar Sailor II original for the first time. The Solar Sailor II kit includes a huge 24-inch Mylar parachute and I have very vivid memories of my first Solar Sailor II drifting in a light wind for several blocks before it snagged the very top of a chimney. Consequently, I used an A motor this time to keep the altitude down. The result was a seriously under powered flight. It recovered in time, but for a few seconds it was looking like my new Solar Sailor II was only going to last for one flight.

None of my rockets had any serious damage, but the hard layer of ice and crusty snow that covered the field caused a lot of dents and scratches. Several rockets also had snow stuck inside. The moisture from the snow made the body tubes swell just enough to allow most of my rockets to only be flown once.