Flew the old Vigilante reproduction today. Awhile ago, my son was in my room and asking a few questions about the rockets (we haven't launched together in probably three years, he's only eleven), and asked if a two stage went twice has high as a single stage. I told him that was a good question and maybe he should do one of the dreaded science experiments for school about that question. So, when it came time this year, he asked if we could do that experiment.

We launched today in probably the best conditions I have ever launched in around here (always windy). Negligible wind and a brilliant blue sky. We launched it single stage with a C6-5 and two-stage with the C6-0/C6-5 combo and used an altitude tracking device.

Perfect flights, landing 25 and 50 yards away respectively. Great fun. Only problem was that we wished we had brought the whole fleet. See, when he as younger, he was always worried about us losing the rocket, so he didn't find it as fun. Today, he just got psyched and can't wait to launch more. Hope we get another good day soon.

Thanks, just thought I'd share a fun experience.

Unlike the Hokey-Pokey that we danced in elementary school, *this* is "what it's all about!" :-)

__________________
Black Shire--Draft horse in human form, model rocketeer, occasional mystic, and writer, see:
http://www.lulu.com/content/paperba...an-form/8075185
http://www.lulu.com/product/cd/what...of-2%29/6122050
http://www.lulu.com/product/cd/what...of-2%29/6126511
All of my book proceeds go to the Northcote Heavy Horse Centre www.northcotehorses.com.
NAR #54895 SR

Well? Did it go twice as high?

__________________
"I'm the blues man, he's from Long Island." - Blind Dog Fulton

"Those who trade liberty for security have neither" - Benjamin Franklin

"Constantly choosing the lesser of two evils is still choosing evil." - Jerry Garcia

www.paulsavia.com

www.soundclick.com/paulsavia

Yep, went more than twice as high. Blew his hypothesis out of the water (I didn't tell him beforehand). So we got to discuss, and he got to research in the "Handbook of Model Rocketry" to find out exactly why that was.

Now I need to take it back out and do my own experiment. I have always launched my two-stage rockets with the upper and booster stage fins in alignment. I have never had any problem with performance (flight path-wise). I saw in the book that you should get better performance with inderdigitated fins. Gonna be hard to go away from what has always worked for me, but hey, if it goes bad I can always build another one, right. Of course, I am figuring if it flew well with in-line fins that bodes well for the other method.

And, "Blackshire", you are right. His excitement, the experience, and the discussion made it probably my single most enjoyable launch ever.

Thank you, six-o-one. Things learned from real-life experiences and experiments stay with children better than things learned from books. Flying your Vigilante with in-line fins and interdigitated fins offers another such learning opportunity for him, as the differences in drag and "control authority" between the two fin configurations should result in noticeable differences in peak altitude for two-stage flights. Figuring out the how and why of the differences will teach him reasoning skills and enhance his communication skills (it is easier to solve problems that are described clearly).

__________________
Black Shire--Draft horse in human form, model rocketeer, occasional mystic, and writer, see:
http://www.lulu.com/content/paperba...an-form/8075185
http://www.lulu.com/product/cd/what...of-2%29/6122050
http://www.lulu.com/product/cd/what...of-2%29/6126511
All of my book proceeds go to the Northcote Heavy Horse Centre www.northcotehorses.com.
NAR #54895 SR

Well stated, and inspirational. Thank you.