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  #1  
Old 08-18-2013, 10:17 PM
A Fish Named Wallyum A Fish Named Wallyum is offline
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Default Launch report: B6-4 Field, Ft. Thomas, KY

Consider this a pre-launch report report. Pics and individual flight write-ups will come later, (pics are downloading as I type,) but I thought I'd let everyone know that I was out fighting the good fight this afternoon. Shocked to find B6-4 Field empty at 4:00 today, so I put it to good use for the next 2.5 hours. In that time I made 17 flights, treed two, temporarily lost one and had four spectators stop to watch. As usual, I got to the field to find that I'd forgotten to install a launch lug on one bird, the Semroc Ruskie, and that another one I planned to fly wouldn't slip down to rod, the Quest Totally Tubular, which worked fine previously. The last four or five launches were "supervised" by a nine year old neighbor who got an Estes Crossfire/Amazon kit for Christmas, but his Mom wasn't sure if he could safely fly at the field behind their house. Well, I showed her that sometimes you can, unless you decide to stick a C6-5 in your own Estes Amazon. Yep. Lost that one. I also had an Estes Patriot Missile that JUST caught a limb about 40 feet up a tree on the very edge of the field. I'll keep an eye on that one for the next few days. I might get it back. First flight of the day was my Semroc Lil Hercules that I finished the Mylar on yesterday. Looked pretty sharp. It was an A8-3 flight, but it might as well have been a D12-7. I never saw a thing. I heard the shotgun ejection charge above me and to the left, and I walked the whole field, but found nothing. Later in the day when I was trying to find the Amazon I caught a flash from the country club tennis courts and found the Lil Hercules near the service line. It had lost a fin, but I was still glad to get it back. No sign of the Amazon.
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Bill Eichelberger
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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 08-18-2013, 10:34 PM
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Bill Bill is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by A Fish Named Wallyum
As usual, I got to the field to find that I'd forgotten to install a launch lug on one bird, the Semroc Ruskie



Rumor has it the Russians recently lost a Proton that way...


Bill
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  #3  
Old 08-18-2013, 10:41 PM
A Fish Named Wallyum A Fish Named Wallyum is offline
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Default The lineup....

1. Semroc Lil Hustler A8-3
2. Centuri Screaming Eagle A8-3
3. Quest Big Betty B6-4
4. Estes Star Snoop A8-3
(This was where I discovered that I had the setting wrong on the camera, so I reflew the last two to get launch shots.)
5. Quest Big Betty B6-4
6. Estes Star Snoop A8-3
7. Estes Amazon C6-5 (at B6-4 Field? I should have known better.)
8. Centuri Screaming Eagle A8-3
9. Estes Solar Probe B6-4
10. Estes Patriot B6-4
11. Semroc Micron A8-3
12. FSI Micro A8-3
13. Estes Astron Stinger A8-3
14. Retro Rocketry Blue Max 1/2A3-2T
15. FSI Viking III B6-4
16. Quest Big Betty B6-4
17. Estes Star Snoop A8-3
18. Estes Astron Constellation A8-3
Hmmm. I seem to have miscounted.
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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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  #4  
Old 08-18-2013, 10:42 PM
A Fish Named Wallyum A Fish Named Wallyum is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bill
Rumor has it the Russians recently lost a Proton that way...


Bill

To quote Jay "Well, there.....you....go."
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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 08-19-2013, 05:34 AM
A Fish Named Wallyum A Fish Named Wallyum is offline
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First up, in memory of Carl, was the recently completed (after 10 years) Semroc Lil Hercules on an A8-3.



As I said, an A8-3. Holy Fire and Forget!



I heard the shotgun ejection which sounded like it was occurring about ten feet above my head and to the left. I saw NU-THINK!! I listened for the sound of the Lil Herc falling to earth. Still NU-THINK!!! I walked around the whole left side of the field. You know the story. It was just gone.
Or not. I found it later on the tennis court all the way on the other side of the trees. It had to go twice as far post ejection as it got height-wise. Landed on the cement and broke a fin off, but it will be an easy fix.
Can't say I'll be flying it again, though.
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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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  #6  
Old 08-19-2013, 05:56 AM
A Fish Named Wallyum A Fish Named Wallyum is offline
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Next up was the Centuri Screaming Eagle that I've been meaning to fly forever. This one also flew on an A8-3. And for the first time this day, the camera malfunctioned due to an ID10T error, so no picture. (In fact, no pics of flights 2, 3 or 4.) Flight was as expected, surprisingly high for the A8, with a quick recovery due to the too small chute. The Screaming Eagle recovered hard with a definite bounce, but everything held together.

Flight #3 was the Quest Big Betty on a B6-4. Another majestic BT-60 bird on the namesake engine at B6-4 Field. Very cool if you like them low and slow. I do.



Fourth flight was the Estes Star Snoop on an A8-3. Windcocked heavily, but a nice soft recovery on the chute that was too small for the Screaming Eagle.



By now I'd figured out the problem with the camera, so I ran the Big Betty up again. Another B6-4, another perfect flight, but I didn't have a whole lot of perfection left.

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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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  #7  
Old 08-19-2013, 10:12 AM
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hcmbanjo hcmbanjo is offline
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Eighteen in one session?
I (only) flew six yesterday and thought I was doing pretty good.

I like the B6-4 field posts and pics.
I've got a B6-4 soccer field close by and tend to shy away from C6 engines for the same reason you do.
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  #8  
Old 08-19-2013, 01:38 PM
A Fish Named Wallyum A Fish Named Wallyum is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by hcmbanjo
Eighteen in one session?
I (only) flew six yesterday and thought I was doing pretty good.

I like the B6-4 field posts and pics.
I've got a B6-4 soccer field close by and tend to shy away from C6 engines for the same reason you do.


Nope, only 17. I gave credit for an extra Star Snoop flight that didn't actually happen. Math has always thrown me. I had a pretty good launch window, so I wasn't surprised when I passed ten flights, but when the nine year old entered the picture I got a second wind. He was really fired up, and I had really lost track of time at that point anyway.
Like I said, I should have known better with the C6 flight, but it was an expendable rocket and I flew Cs on the field in the old day. I also hung a lot of rockets in the trees in the old days, so maybe there's a correlation.
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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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  #9  
Old 08-19-2013, 01:50 PM
A Fish Named Wallyum A Fish Named Wallyum is offline
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The ill-fated Estes Amazon was next.



As I told Chris, I flew C6s on the field in the past and wanted to see if I could still do so on a calm day. Well, the answer is apparently NO. Decent liftoff shot, though.





You can already see it nosing to the left in the last picture. It actually drifted back my way for a good portion of the recovery, and once caught a really strong breeze back my way, but then the wind shifted in a big way. I followed it down through the trees to about the 30-40 foot level, but it never passed the last clearing it was heading for. I stand a decent chance of getting most of it back once the leaves fall.
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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 08-19-2013, 01:59 PM
A Fish Named Wallyum A Fish Named Wallyum is offline
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The Centuri Screaming Eagle made another photo op flight next. I had wanted a decent close up shot of it on the pad and as it worked out, it was the one shot I didn't get. A8-3 flight. Bigger chute this time. Still bounced.





This is the second or third time I brought the Estes Solar Probe to the field this year, so I figured I'd better fly it.



B6-4 flight that arched back over my head toward the school. I heard a thunk when the ejection charge fired, but there was no damage when I retrieved it. As it turned out, it was a good thing that it arched back over my head or it probably would have wound up in the trees at the north end of the field. It was a seriously long recovery drift, even with a chute that was more reef than chute.



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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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