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pantherjon
08-13-2007, 08:49 AM
Well, I went out and FINALLY launched some rockets! Traveled the whole distance to my front yard..It was a long hot and tiring trip! :p Only have one picture prior to launch of one rocket tho :( I tried taking pictures - really, I did - but the launch controller requires 2 hands, one to push the 'safety' button and the other to push the 'launch' button..Tried different contortions to free up a hand with no luck...

Anyways, the first one up and the single picture, was my Wacky Wiggler..It's mission was to be my 'sacrificial' rocket..Well, it's flight was totally anemic to say the least!...lol..Loaded in an A8-3..Went a whopping 30 feet or so into the air!..lol..Recovery is pretty cool with it breaking apart into those 7 pieces..Floated down gently landing about 3 feet from the pad..Maybe I should have used a B in it..It also spitted out the motor, have no clue where IT went..Here it is on the pad:
http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t21/Pantherjon/Wacky.jpg

Next one up was a little rocket I threw together yesterday afternoon from Hotrod Rockets called School Daze..Neat little minimum diameter 18mm rocket..Stuck another A8-3 in it, and off it went..Went to about 200 feet!Floated some on descent with the super long streamer, and landed across the street in neighbors backyard..Simple walk over to recover..Nice flier..Will have to paint it and see what it does on a B motor! :)

Last flight was my 'Patriotic Starfighter'. loaded with an A3-4T..Was the 'high flier' of the group! It zoomed way up there..I am bad at estimating heights but guesstimate it went to at least 300 feet..It floated quite abit under the small 8" chute and landed in the front yard of a vacant house one street over...lol..Here is the Starfighter in its patriotic finish:
http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t21/Pantherjon/NewAdditions003.jpg

I called it quits after that flight as I was seeing that my rockets were straying a bit afield..I got lucky on the 2nd and 3rd flights in that they didn't land in a tree, on a house, or worse yet on someones car..I got lucky, and wanted to keep it that way! I have a large open area nearby scoped out and will see about using it Tuesday to send some more skyward!

CPMcGraw
08-13-2007, 11:01 AM
...I tried taking pictures - really, I did - but the launch controller requires 2 hands, one to push the 'safety' button and the other to push the 'launch' button..Tried different contortions to free up a hand with no luck...

Jon,

You need to look around and find one of the older controllers that use the separate "key" to arm it. The current style does require two hands, but the older ones allow you to use just one hand to press the button. That's what I use when I'm taking pictures. They may be harder these days to locate, but if you spot one, grab it and growl! They're worth the effort (and the expense) just for that capability.

Solomoriah
08-13-2007, 01:00 PM
Okay, dirty trick time.

The Electron Beam controller requires you to hold the key in, right? Wrong. The "spring" that ejects the key is a rubber collar on the key itself. Cut it off with a utility knife, and the key works just like in the old days.

CPMcGraw
08-13-2007, 01:35 PM
Okay, dirty trick time.

The Electron Beam controller requires you to hold the key in, right? Wrong. The "spring" that ejects the key is a rubber collar on the key itself. Cut it off with a utility knife, and the key works just like in the old days.

Neat hack. I should look at mine more closely...

'Course, the one I use most has screws holding it together, and not melt-welds. Makes it easy to modify whenever I decide to do that...

Green Dragon
08-13-2007, 06:37 PM
hmmm, interesting on the Electron Beam info.. I don;t recal ever having one the key ' popped out' on .

I * DO * however, have a few of those laying around ( blue ones and yellow ones ), if anyone needs one for use, drop me a PM, couple bucks, maybe just cost of postage and they could go to a good home.

~ AL

pantherjon
08-14-2007, 12:34 AM
Eureka! I found one in my stash of rocket goodies I have picked up 'here and there'! :D Plop the key in and it's ready to go, don't have to press and hold it in! I was sure I had one, I only have like 6 controllers(with same number of launchpads) from all the starter kits I bought off E-Bay when I got back into rocketry...lol..Cool rocket, want to have it..Oh, it's a starter kit, ok..lol
http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t21/Pantherjon/Controller001.jpg

Will need to put a fob or something on the key so I don't lose it now!..lol

ddanhra69
08-15-2007, 01:25 AM
Keep on launching. I'm going to try and post a video of the Mustang on a E16W. From photobucket.http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc40/dwiaver/th_HPIM0033.jpg (http://s212.photobucket.com/albums/cc40/dwiaver/?action=view&current=HPIM0033.flv)

K.M.Knox
08-15-2007, 07:41 AM
Whenever I hear "Oh, come on" I think of no chute, no ejection, or some other very bad thing happening way up in the sky. It looked like it came down pretty quick, how did the flight end up?

Good looking rocket there by the way.

barone
08-15-2007, 07:05 PM
Whenever I hear "Oh, come on" I think of no chute, .....

You've been listening to Gordon?