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  #1  
Old 12-27-2013, 06:44 PM
A Fish Named Wallyum A Fish Named Wallyum is offline
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Default Disappointing launch report, 12-27-13

I had the box o' rockets to do the 20 flights, but circumstances conspired to limit me to five flights today. On the surface it was bright and sunny, not terribly cold, and only a trace of a breeze. Up higher it was still bright, sunny and chilly, but LOTS windier.
First off was the Estes Arrow I cloned before NARAM last summer. It flew once at NARAM, right into an ill-placed pond, much to the displeasure of the frogs.





This flight was a B6-4, and would have been perfect except that the chute didn't open. Actually, based on where it landed, it might have wound up in trouble if the chute had opened. I was only a few feet from trees and US 27. Pretty decent launch shot, though. Especially considering that I was punching the button and working the big camera at the same time.
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http://wallyum.blogspot.com/

I miss being SAM 0058

Build floor: Centuri Design Contest F-150 Hurricane Estes - Low Boom SST Semroc - Gee'Hod, Shrike, SST Shuttle

In paint: Canaroc Starfighter Scorpion Estes F-22 Air Superiority Fighter, Solar Sailer II Semroc Cyber III

Ready to fly: Estes - Multi-Roc, Solar Sailer II Semroc - Earmark, Snake Jumper
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  #2  
Old 12-27-2013, 06:52 PM
A Fish Named Wallyum A Fish Named Wallyum is offline
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Flight #2 was another Estes Mini Max, this one a gold one of the species. Flight was on an A3-4T, and was one of the better placed flights of the day. It arced back over my head and reached 300 feet or so.



The trouble came at ejection, and announced its presence with a loud, LOUD bang. Yep, an Estes shotgun ejection. I wasn't expecting it, but I immediately began looking for the parts and sure enough, the body tube was falling rapidly while the nose cone began floating languidly across the field. I watched as it drifted off to the NE, across US 27, and behind the YMCA. The body tube dropped near where I recovered the Arrow on the previous flight. Once the nose cone was out of sight, I went to pick up the body tube, but couldn't find it. The gold blends in quite nicely with the winter ground.

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Bill Eichelberger
NAR 79563

http://wallyum.blogspot.com/

I miss being SAM 0058

Build floor: Centuri Design Contest F-150 Hurricane Estes - Low Boom SST Semroc - Gee'Hod, Shrike, SST Shuttle

In paint: Canaroc Starfighter Scorpion Estes F-22 Air Superiority Fighter, Solar Sailer II Semroc Cyber III

Ready to fly: Estes - Multi-Roc, Solar Sailer II Semroc - Earmark, Snake Jumper
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  #3  
Old 12-27-2013, 07:03 PM
A Fish Named Wallyum A Fish Named Wallyum is offline
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"Flight" #3 was to be another attempt at getting the Screw Loose to perform like I'd hoped it would when I built it.



The last time I flew it was on an A8-3, and it suffered from an issue with the ring fin bending at liftoff. I shored up the area where the ring fin attaches to the body, hoping that would cure the problems. This flight was on a B6-4. I cured the problem because the ring fan stayed rigid, but the flight still wasn't what I'd hoped for.



If you look at the right side of the brown shack, you can see the Screw Loose coming out of a loop just before impact. The fact that the smoke trail is going in the same direction as the nose cone is a hint that something isn't right.



Just before impact.....



Impact.....



And ejection.
Just spitballin' here, but I think the ring fin might be too heavy. I'm going to try once more after adding nose weight. If that doesn't work, the Screw Loose will join my all basswood Mach 10 in the failure bin.
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Bill Eichelberger
NAR 79563

http://wallyum.blogspot.com/

I miss being SAM 0058

Build floor: Centuri Design Contest F-150 Hurricane Estes - Low Boom SST Semroc - Gee'Hod, Shrike, SST Shuttle

In paint: Canaroc Starfighter Scorpion Estes F-22 Air Superiority Fighter, Solar Sailer II Semroc Cyber III

Ready to fly: Estes - Multi-Roc, Solar Sailer II Semroc - Earmark, Snake Jumper
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  #4  
Old 12-27-2013, 07:15 PM
A Fish Named Wallyum A Fish Named Wallyum is offline
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Flight #4 was an Estes Bullpup 12D that my son built in the space class he took one summer. His was one of the few that flew as it was supposed to. Almost all of the other failed miserably because of a combination of incompetent help, inappropriate building materials, and an unwillingness to read the instructions. (I offered to help and was turned down. ) I made sure Sam had the correct glue, some Kevlar, and browbeat him into following the instructions no matter what else anyone told him.



The B6-4 flight was a bit higher than expected and was obviously in major peril from the start. It didn't windcock at all, instead flying with the wind to the NE. At ejection it looked doomed and started drifting toward the roof of the insurance building, which claimed my Holverson Tangent back in the summer. At one point it looked like it was going to wind up in the trees behind the building, but it drifted out at the last possible moment before taking a turn back at the VERY last possible moment.



DOH!

All's well that ends well, though. By the time the next rocket treed itself it had already blown down to the sidewalk.
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Bill Eichelberger
NAR 79563

http://wallyum.blogspot.com/

I miss being SAM 0058

Build floor: Centuri Design Contest F-150 Hurricane Estes - Low Boom SST Semroc - Gee'Hod, Shrike, SST Shuttle

In paint: Canaroc Starfighter Scorpion Estes F-22 Air Superiority Fighter, Solar Sailer II Semroc Cyber III

Ready to fly: Estes - Multi-Roc, Solar Sailer II Semroc - Earmark, Snake Jumper
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  #5  
Old 12-27-2013, 07:21 PM
A Fish Named Wallyum A Fish Named Wallyum is offline
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The fifth and what became the final flight of the day was a new build, a scrap bird from the Fishhead Works called Mostly Harmless. Nothing more than a BT-20 tube, an engine hook, a fin can and launch lug from an Estes Nike Arrow kit from 2001, and a balsa nose cone.



I figured I'd paint it later. Probably won't be bothering now.

B6-4 flight. WAY overflew the field. Probably wouldn't have been too bad with a streamer, but I forgot that it had a chute in it when I was prepping birds last night. Oops.



On the plus side, it did fly like a scalded dog.
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Bill Eichelberger
NAR 79563

http://wallyum.blogspot.com/

I miss being SAM 0058

Build floor: Centuri Design Contest F-150 Hurricane Estes - Low Boom SST Semroc - Gee'Hod, Shrike, SST Shuttle

In paint: Canaroc Starfighter Scorpion Estes F-22 Air Superiority Fighter, Solar Sailer II Semroc Cyber III

Ready to fly: Estes - Multi-Roc, Solar Sailer II Semroc - Earmark, Snake Jumper

Last edited by A Fish Named Wallyum : 12-27-2013 at 07:53 PM.
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  #6  
Old 12-27-2013, 07:27 PM
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There's still a few days left in the year, maybe you can get those other 15 flights in.

Nice looking Arrow. I managed to get my recently completed one in primer today. I hope it turns out as nice as yours.
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  #7  
Old 12-27-2013, 07:51 PM
A Fish Named Wallyum A Fish Named Wallyum is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DaveR
There's still a few days left in the year, maybe you can get those other 15 flights in.

Nice looking Arrow. I managed to get my recently completed one in primer today. I hope it turns out as nice as yours.

Thanks, but I cheated. I used basswood to make the fins easier to finish.
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Bill Eichelberger
NAR 79563

http://wallyum.blogspot.com/

I miss being SAM 0058

Build floor: Centuri Design Contest F-150 Hurricane Estes - Low Boom SST Semroc - Gee'Hod, Shrike, SST Shuttle

In paint: Canaroc Starfighter Scorpion Estes F-22 Air Superiority Fighter, Solar Sailer II Semroc Cyber III

Ready to fly: Estes - Multi-Roc, Solar Sailer II Semroc - Earmark, Snake Jumper
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  #8  
Old 12-27-2013, 07:58 PM
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Rich Holmes Rich Holmes is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DaveR
Nice looking Arrow. I managed to get my recently completed one in primer today. I hope it turns out as nice as yours.

Yes it is! I like it. Not a model I'm familiar with... no surprise since on investigation it appears to have been in production only from 1987 to 1988. Wonder why.
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  #9  
Old 12-27-2013, 08:05 PM
A Fish Named Wallyum A Fish Named Wallyum is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Rich Holmes
Yes it is! I like it. Not a model I'm familiar with... no surprise since on investigation it appears to have been in production only from 1987 to 1988. Wonder why.

No idea. I just stumbled onto it while looking for something to build with a spare PNC-60AH. Sharp looking bird for such a short run.
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Bill Eichelberger
NAR 79563

http://wallyum.blogspot.com/

I miss being SAM 0058

Build floor: Centuri Design Contest F-150 Hurricane Estes - Low Boom SST Semroc - Gee'Hod, Shrike, SST Shuttle

In paint: Canaroc Starfighter Scorpion Estes F-22 Air Superiority Fighter, Solar Sailer II Semroc Cyber III

Ready to fly: Estes - Multi-Roc, Solar Sailer II Semroc - Earmark, Snake Jumper
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  #10  
Old 12-27-2013, 08:08 PM
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Quote:
Disappointing launch report, 12-27-13

Your disappointment is our entertainment.
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