The Lone Gunman opened the B6-4 Field flying season tonight with a mostly successful hour of twilight flights.

First on the pad was an Estes Stinger clone I finished over the winter. Original nose cone and decals. Everything else was shop scraps. Flight was on an A8-3 because of the approaching duskiness.

__________________
Bill Eichelberger
NAR 79563

http://wallyum.blogspot.com/

I miss being SAM 0058

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

In paint: Canaroc - Starfighter Scorpion Centuri - Mini Dactyl 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

Second was another long finished clone, the Estes Echo on an A8-3. The Echo decal was one that I won in an Ebay lot a long time ago. It's supposed to be purple, but I was having fun with clear candy red over a silver base at the time and it got the full treatment.



Glamour shot



Ignition



Liftoff



Trouble. Streamer didn't deploy when the motor shot out of the back of the rocket. This is the last in a burst of the rocket nosing in.



No damage!

__________________
Bill Eichelberger
NAR 79563

http://wallyum.blogspot.com/

I miss being SAM 0058

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

In paint: Canaroc - Starfighter Scorpion Centuri - Mini Dactyl 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

Next was the Flight Dynamics Zepher 5 on a B6-4. (I know what you're thinking; FINALLY a B6-4 at B6-4 Field!) This is the first flight in full livery. Great flight and recovery, if not a bit swampy, out in left-center.



Glamour shot.



Ignition.



Liftoff.



Mucky recovery. Losing my light at this point.

__________________
Bill Eichelberger
NAR 79563

http://wallyum.blogspot.com/

I miss being SAM 0058

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

In paint: Canaroc - Starfighter Scorpion Centuri - Mini Dactyl 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

Next was our old buddy the Potatohead Tau Zero on an A8-3.



Glamour shot.



Ignition.



Liftoff.





Recovery in the outfield.

__________________
Bill Eichelberger
NAR 79563

http://wallyum.blogspot.com/

I miss being SAM 0058

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

In paint: Canaroc - Starfighter Scorpion Centuri - Mini Dactyl 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

Next up was the Semroc Micron on an A8-3.



Glamour shot with B6-4 Elementary in the background. GO ENGINES!



Ignition.



Liftoff.



Recovery. I didn't see nothin'. I just heard the pop and the rustle of the streamer, then looked in the completely opposite direction. This was one of the times when I'm glad I use flourescent orange.

__________________
Bill Eichelberger
NAR 79563

http://wallyum.blogspot.com/

I miss being SAM 0058

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

In paint: Canaroc - Starfighter Scorpion Centuri - Mini Dactyl 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

The next two rockets wound up as casualties. The Semroc Scout was the only rocket to fly and not come home with me. A8-3 flight, so I figured recovery would be a snap.



Glamour shot. Should have sprayed it with flourescent orange.



Ignition.



Liftoff and gonzo. Never saw nothin'. Never heard nothin'. If it doesn't rain today I'll return to the scene of the crime for a look around when I wake up.

__________________
Bill Eichelberger
NAR 79563

http://wallyum.blogspot.com/

I miss being SAM 0058

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

In paint: Canaroc - Starfighter Scorpion Centuri - Mini Dactyl 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

Final flight of the night was the Semroc Mark II on a B6-4.



Glamour shot.



Ignition.



My favorite of all the liftoff shots from tonight.



From where I stood, this looked like big-time trouble. It looked like it landed ON US 27, which would have been a death sentence because traffic was still heavy at this hour.



As you can see, I kinda lucked out. Hard landing snapped off a fin, but a pickup truck roared by just as I approached the spot and I was prepared for the worst.

__________________
Bill Eichelberger
NAR 79563

http://wallyum.blogspot.com/

I miss being SAM 0058

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

In paint: Canaroc - Starfighter Scorpion Centuri - Mini Dactyl 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

Just a couple more pics....

Got to the field, unloaded, and realized I didn't have a launch key. I didn't want to reload and head home for one, so I improvised.



It's an O-ring from my keychain. Not only did I lighten my keyload and use my superpowers to perfectly straighten this piece of metal, it worked flawlessly and I now have a functional emergency launch key in my box at all times.



Approaching darkness, to give you an idea of how little light I had to work with most of the night.

__________________
Bill Eichelberger
NAR 79563

http://wallyum.blogspot.com/

I miss being SAM 0058

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

In paint: Canaroc - Starfighter Scorpion Centuri - Mini Dactyl 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

Great shots, Bill! I notice that the Scout appeared to be heading left immediately upon leaving the launch rod. You might try heading in that direction when you search (go WAY left.......those Scouts can really get a lot of altitude out of an A engine). Good luck!

Joe

Woohoo!

__________________
Jay Goemmer
"Centuri Guy"/"Tau Zero"
YORF Member 28
Semroc SAM #0029
NAR 86131


"I think about organizing things all the time. Never seems to happen. I find something that piques my interest and I'm off on a quest. Or a Centuri. "

--Bill Eichelberger, 02/22/2022


“Centuri fret buzz in an updated form.”
Bill “Wallyum” Eichelberger re: Estes Flutter-By
03 Sept 2014