April 14, 2001 Launch Report

 

by Michael Ludwig

 

 

Let us begin.  Or should that have been “Please let us begin.”  Or, maybe, “Oh Lord, pretty please let us begin!”  Perhaps that would have got us fair weather results on March 31 or April 1 or even April 7.  But it wasn’t until the second Saturday in April that we were able to start burning our bloated stores of AP in Elsberry, MO.

 

Unfortunately, with this second alternate date being the day before Easter, the number of fliers and flights were down even with a very favorable day weather-wise.  But, there were a couple of surprises; the most noticeable being the arrival of Larry Mills who, the week before, at an extremely windy and ultimately aborted launch attempt said he couldn’t be with us the following week.  Selfishly, those of us who knew what he was planning to launch were a little more disappointed than usual because of what we would miss.  More on that later.

 

So, on Saturday, April 14^th the days first igniter launched Claude Paquin’s Delta Clipper(?) on an eager C6-3.  The launch card says “dual deployment.”  Claude, does that mean two parachutes or two pieces?  The next rocket up, one of my favorites, Mark Grant’s Aerospace Specialty Products Wac-Corporal with Tiny Tim booster flew on a D12-0/C6-5 combination.  All went very well.  Only the second launch of the day and a fine two stage flight to boot!  Things were looking promising.  Then up stepped Steve Mizerany.  Steve was about to launch his most current and largest version of his beloved X-15 fleet on a G80.  All kidding aside, the flight was beautiful for most of us, but I thought I heard Steve vocalize alarm a couple of times concerning the glide pattern after the burn-out, and sure enough, what appeared to me to be an acceptable landing turned out to be the ship’s last.  One of the wing assemblies was ripped from the fuselage.  Steve doesn’t intent to repair it.  That’s too bad.  Later, Steve’s X-15, Jr. was to make two fine flights on E30 power.

 

Another first for the day went to Claude Paquin who launched the initial high power rocket, a scratch-built  called Mini Me on an Aerotech H238.  I didn’t see the flight, but it must have been cool, because the flight card says ... “Cool!”  To wind up the morning session of the launch, Jack Hollister sent Clara Belle on the first of two flights powered by an Aerotech F-20-7.  Later, he was to launch her with an G-80-10.  That flight, if I remember correctly was best watched with closest scrutiny, because after chugging in a few small steps to just above the launch rod, the rocket canted to the southeast and really took off on a trajectory  wouldn’t have won any prizes for altitude.  Jack then went on a walkabout and we didn’t see him for a while.  In between these two launches he flew another of his Paris creations on a H112.  He dubbed it the Tres Grand Bustard.  If the name leaves you puzzled and curious, ask Claude Paquin to translate sometime. 

To start the afternoon session, Alex Bahr launched his Quest Phoenix on the second of what I believe was four flights–all on C6-5 motors.  Who needs a fleet of rockets, anyway?  Just one kept this young fellow happy and busy for most of the afternoon.  Next up was Chad Rogers flying his U.S. Rockets Bauche(?) on an Aerotech G80.  Following this was a LOC Forte on an Aerotech G40 belonging to Brian Nessing, and Dick Jones with his Aerotech G40 powered Phantom 4000.  Dick is our newest member and the latest to achieve his Level 1 certification, which he obtained that day with a flawless flight using a PML 1/4 scale Patriot on an H242.  Congratulations, Dick!  Tom McAtee made his second flight of the day with an Aerotech Mustang on an F-50-9.  I think Tom also disappeared for a while after this launch.  I have observed Mustangs sending a few people on long walks.  It flies high on just about any motor one puts in it.

 

And now more about what proved to be the talk of the day.  I have noticed that one of the Rights of Passage for high power fliers is to build an upscale of the Estes Fat Boy.  Larry Mills’ version of this rocket icon delighted all of us that day on an L952.  I must say, having seen a half dozen or so versions of these high powered beasts, that Larry’s was the most convincing and elegant of all of them.  Having seen his fine workmanship up close, I was not surprised when it rose powerfully and confidently up on a beautiful column of dense white smoke to a point just below invisibility and, without a hint of an arc at apogee, began a relaxed recovery, the booster settling gently in an upright position with the nosecone acting as an anchor in the soft dirt.  It wasn’t long after the chute deployment that Larry was quoted as having said with a big smile, “Let’s do it again!.”  So how about next October!  As a side note:  I had invited two friends, who had never seen a mid-power rocket, let alone and high-powered one, to come to the launch.  Upon arrival, the first lift-off they witnessed was the Fat Boy.  Their reaction is best left to the imagination.

 

I have to mention what I thought was an interesting juxtaposition to Larry’s L952 Fat Boy:  Claude Paquin’s E6 Maniac.  After the roar and grunt of the L, the seeming eternal hiss of the E as it climbed out of sight made me think of the little runt of the neighborhood saying “I can do that too!”

And, of course, I must take the opportunity to be self serving and report that my new PML Li’l Lunar Express did me proud on its maiden flight using an Aerotech I161.  All four fin pods stayed on.  Amazing.

Around the 2 PM mark Robby Kutten, who had won his first rocket, an NCR Archer, at a raffle sponsored by our club while displaying our wares at one of the showings of “October Sky” a few years back, returned to fly it on an F62-4.  Kevin Souers returned to active flying duty with a fine flight of his Binder Design Sentinel on a K550.  Good to have you back as a consumer, Kevin.  See, there is life after a Level 3 after all!  Following this impressive flight was Mark Grant launching a scratch-built he calls Exuberant on a K700.  And if that weren’t enough, Mark Geislinger made a rather eventful flight using a HyperTek K240 Hammerhead.  The event eluded to was the rocket shredding at about two seconds into the flight.  There is some suspicion that these K240s are generating a little more power than  the specs might lead one to believe.  Mark also remembers not throwing the mach switch on the altimeter, which may have led to an early ejection firing due to more acceleration than expected.  Fortunately, Mark expects an easy repair to the rocket.  Next to join in the excitement was David Mulawa with the third launch of his PML Io on an Aerotech G125-15.  He had previously flown it on a G40-10 and then a G80-10.  The delay proved to be too long on the G125, however, as the shock chord didn’t withstand the late deployment.  The Quantum tube proved robust enough to take it, though. There was no zipper and the rocket was recovered relatively unharmed.

The ol’ reliable Presto-Change’O made its first appearance on a Estes D12 at around 3 PM for the first of two flights.  Steve Mizerany upped the anti by using an E15 to power the second flight.  For Elsberry, I think that’s the motor of choice.  Pretty impressive.  Steve seemed surprised with the positive outcome.