Fly 'em if ya got 'em! And I got 'em. After a largely flightless summer and no NARAM locally, I've been jonesin' for flight time. Seems like when I have the time to fly, conditions blow or the field is full. Then again, when I've had other plans, I've driven out of the subdivision to find the field dead empty.
Yesterday the two worlds collided.
I tried to lead off with the Estes X-16 that I picked up in an Ebay lot of built rockets. I gave it two tries, changed the battery, tried again, and pulled it to find the "starter" fried. Hmm? Took the chute from it to load in the next rocket, then realized that the next rocket already had a chute
So, the Estes US ARMY RTF rocket went first. Not 100% sure where this originated, but I suspect it was part of an unsuccessful attempt to interest our nephews in the hobby.







A8-3 flight. Straight up and straight down, which says a lot about the lack of winds on Sunday. August usually seems to work out that way, only hotter.

THEN came the X-16.



Another A8-3 flight. Another one straight up and straight down, in fact, landing in the same spot as the US ARMY rocket. The only difference was that I FORGOT TO PUT THE CHUTE BACK IN! DOH!! Free fall! Broke off one of the new fins at the root. Not a problem, but it was finished for the day.

__________________
Bill Eichelberger
NAR 79563

http://wallyum.blogspot.com/

I miss being SAM 0058

Build floor: Centuri Mini Dactyl Estes - Low Boom SST Semroc - Marauder, Shrike, SST Shuttle

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

Ready to fly: Estes - Solar Sailer II Semroc - Earmark, Groonie Der V 1/2

Flight #3 was the Estes Vector Force, my favorite design out of the most recent crop of Estes originals. I really, REALLY like the way this turned out.



I wasn't ready to trust the non-wind conditions just yet, so it went with an A8-3 for the first flight, low and slow, which was great for the launch pic.



Recovery, not so much. Once again, I might be able to throw one that high.

__________________
Bill Eichelberger
NAR 79563

http://wallyum.blogspot.com/

I miss being SAM 0058

Build floor: Centuri Mini Dactyl Estes - Low Boom SST Semroc - Marauder, Shrike, SST Shuttle

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

Ready to fly: Estes - Solar Sailer II Semroc - Earmark, Groonie Der V 1/2

Flight #4 was a 1.3x Estes Rogue upscale, BT-50 based and making use of one of my old Sky Writer cones.



This one also flew on an A8-3, but unlike the Vector Force, it was the perfect motor for this one on this field.



Decent altitude, dead straight flight path, then recovered between first and second in short right field. No man's land, but still a line drive in the scorebook.

Flight #5 was my favorite of the reissues, the Estes Chuter Two.



Close in size to the Rogue, it performed similarly on the A8-3. A nice, straight flight path, tipped over just at apogee, ejection, then the THUNK of an impending Estes dent.







I'm hatin' me some shotgun ejection charges at this point.

__________________
Bill Eichelberger
NAR 79563

http://wallyum.blogspot.com/

I miss being SAM 0058

Build floor: Centuri Mini Dactyl Estes - Low Boom SST Semroc - Marauder, Shrike, SST Shuttle

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

Ready to fly: Estes - Solar Sailer II Semroc - Earmark, Groonie Der V 1/2

Flight #6 was one that I bet hasn't been seen on these boards in a long time, if ever. I bought the THOY Macron a few months back and only finished painting it Saturday night. It was ready for decals, but the opportunity to fly was too good to pass up.



This one also flew on an A8-3 from the same pack as the Chuter Two.



Best launch shot of the day. Everything was going well until the ejection charge fired. It sounded like an M80 and snapped the sewing elastic shock cord. The body tumbled to the infield and was recovered without damage. The nose cone and chute landed almost on home plate. No other damage, but still......

Flight #7 was an Estes 220 Swift, the classic "fire and forget" rocket.



Even on a 1/4A, there's no catching the launch shot on these.



By the time I looked up from the camera, things were already happening. Heard the woosh, then the pop, then heard the motor casing bounce. I thought I heard something bouncing down through the branches of the trees on the hill, but when I hiked up to check, I found nothing, so I forgot about it.
Never even got the decals on it. Heavy sigh......

__________________
Bill Eichelberger
NAR 79563

http://wallyum.blogspot.com/

I miss being SAM 0058

Build floor: Centuri Mini Dactyl Estes - Low Boom SST Semroc - Marauder, Shrike, SST Shuttle

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

Ready to fly: Estes - Solar Sailer II Semroc - Earmark, Groonie Der V 1/2

Flight #8 was the Estes Cosmic Explorer, the first B6-4 flight of the day.



Just as you'd expect it to be on a calm day, straight up flight with a gentle drift across the field on recovery. Still didn't clear the fence into 1/2A6-2 Field.





Flight #9 was another B6-4 flight from the Estes Flutter-By. I'd flown it here on this combination in the past, so I was expecting an easy flight and recovery. I got neither.



Instead of leaving the pad straight up like everything else had on the day, the Flutter-By whipped back over my head toward the school and to my right. I turned and thought I picked it up, but then saw nothing but sky and never heard an ejection charge. I walked the school grounds and looked in the road up that way, but saw no sign of it.

__________________
Bill Eichelberger
NAR 79563

http://wallyum.blogspot.com/

I miss being SAM 0058

Build floor: Centuri Mini Dactyl Estes - Low Boom SST Semroc - Marauder, Shrike, SST Shuttle

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

Ready to fly: Estes - Solar Sailer II Semroc - Earmark, Groonie Der V 1/2

Flight #10 was the Estes Reflector on a B6-4. I almost went with an A8-3, but I figured that the Flutter-By flight had to be a freak error.



The Reflector is a good looking bird, and will look even better if I ever find the decals.



Another pretty good launch shot. The Reflector left the pad heading to the left, but still kept to a straight flight path. Landed in the same spot as the Cosmic Explorer. Great engine for this field.

The last two flights were repeats of earlier flights. The Vector Force was flown on a B6-4 and looked great leaving the pad, recovering near where the Reflector did after an impressive flight.



With the US ARMY on a B6-4, I clearly pushed my luck. Caught it leaving the pad, but never saw anything after that. I heard the ejection charge over by the hill, but saw nothing. I walked the whole field after the flight, but came up empty.



Bummer way to end the day, but it was a good one anyway despite the carnage.

__________________
Bill Eichelberger
NAR 79563

http://wallyum.blogspot.com/

I miss being SAM 0058

Build floor: Centuri Mini Dactyl Estes - Low Boom SST Semroc - Marauder, Shrike, SST Shuttle

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

Ready to fly: Estes - Solar Sailer II Semroc - Earmark, Groonie Der V 1/2

I believe your "U.S. Army" rocket was from a RTF starter set. It is basically an E2X Banshee with different decor. That set also included a "U.S. Navy" rocket that is a MK-109 Stingray with different decor.

__________________
'Til next time,

Mike Toelle

NAR 31692 L1

SAM 0373

Yeah, the Estes Military set. I flew the NAVY bird last year, but couldn't find the ARMY one. It turned up on an ill-used shelf, which I consider something of a miracle. If it turns up after this flight, we might have to start ringing the pope.
I'd never have connected this with the Banshee or the NAVY rocket with the Stingray. I had a Stingray, but it got treed at a park up in Akron and we told the kids who were watching that they could have it if they climbed up and got it down. Three or four of them started climbing. Right about then a park ranger showed up and told us that we weren't allowed to launch there. He'd spent about 30 minutes watching us, but the kids were on an outing from a group home and were having a good time watching us fly, so he let us finish. He actually thanked us for treating them as well as we did.

__________________
Bill Eichelberger
NAR 79563

http://wallyum.blogspot.com/

I miss being SAM 0058

Build floor: Centuri Mini Dactyl Estes - Low Boom SST Semroc - Marauder, Shrike, SST Shuttle

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

Ready to fly: Estes - Solar Sailer II Semroc - Earmark, Groonie Der V 1/2

Bill,

Love your B6-4 field flights as always. Sorry you lost a few. When we fly at our huge field in Maine, we still lose the small rockets. Can't figure out why, except that they move so fast!
Thanks for the show.

__________________
If it flies, I can crash it!