Got several flights in tonight !
No wind for a change here in my Michigan backyard.

1) PDR Astron Trident clone: C6-5, great nominal flight

2&3) PDR SPEV; 2 flights, B6-4 maiden flight & C6-5 second flight; both good flights
4) Semroc Lil Ivan, A8-5 maiden flight; good low altitiude flight, needs longer streamer
5) Astron Ranger Clone, 3xB6-4 cluster maiden flight; great flight
6&7) Semroc Centuri Explorer clone; maiden flight on C11-3 and second flight on Aerotech RMS24 D15-4T; flight on C11-3 far too low (maybe 200' tops), flight on D15-4T much better
8) 24mm Estes Fat Boy; E9-6, first "E" flight for this bird, GREAT flight to around 1200' !

9) Final flight: 10th flight on my '72 Enerjet Aero-Dart clone....total destruction of rocket ....I learned the hard way that a RMS24 D9-4W is not nearly enough thrust for this bird
Rocket power-veered to horizontal almost immediately (at about 100') after launch and power-PRANGED into the cul-de-sac in front of my house....naturally the ejection charge went off a split second AFTER the splat on the cul-de-sac.
This rocket had flown several times successfully on D15-4T and E28 RMS 24 reloads; guess I need to make another Semroc order to build another. I would have been FAR less upset if any of the other rockets I launched would have crashed.

__________________
When in doubt, WHACK the GAS and DITCH the brake !!!

Yes, there is such a thing as NORMAL, if you have to ask what is "NORMAL" , you probably aren't !
Failure may not be an OPTION, but it is ALWAYS a POSSIBILITY.
ALL systems are GO for MAYHEM, CHAOS, TURMOIL, FIASCOS, and HAVOC !

How odd. Your pictures don't seem to have attached.
What's the deal with the PDR SPEV? I don't see it on their site. Are you beta-testing it for them?

__________________
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

Sorry to hear about the loss of the Aero-Dart clone; bad way to end an otherwise great flight session...

I had forgotten about the Centuri Explorer; had to jump over to Ninfinger to refresh my memory. Sounds like a D12 might put in a reasonably good flight to 375-400'??? The catalog image reminds me of the smaller Micron...

__________________
Craig McGraw

BARCLONE Rocketry -- http://barclone.rocketshoppe.com
BARCLONE Blogsite -- http://barclone.wordpress.com
BARCLONE Forum -- BARCLONE Forum

BARs helping BARs

SAM 0044
AMA 352635

It was a sort of rushed launch just before dusk...sorry no pics.

My mistake regarding the SPEV; it is a ROCKETPAD kit, not PDR.

Semroc estimates the flight altitiude of the Explorer to be 650' on an Estes D12....I think that is a very optimistic estimate as I'd bet it only got to about 700' on an Aerotech RMS24 D15-4T, and that is a full 20 n-sec hi-thrust D. The Estes D12 has far less thrust and only tests out to be about 16-17 n/sec.

__________________
When in doubt, WHACK the GAS and DITCH the brake !!!

Yes, there is such a thing as NORMAL, if you have to ask what is "NORMAL" , you probably aren't !
Failure may not be an OPTION, but it is ALWAYS a POSSIBILITY.
ALL systems are GO for MAYHEM, CHAOS, TURMOIL, FIASCOS, and HAVOC !

Sorry to hear that ..... I hope you had the balsa cone on and not the special resin one?

Question: Are the fins the same on the '72 EnerJet Aero-Dart as they are for the smaller diameter '71 Centuri KF-12 version?

.

__________________
Steve Naquin
TRA# 677 L2
NAR# 85518 L2
SAM# 0052

🚀 In Construction: Der Blue Maxx/Minie-Magg 5.5” & Vander-Burn MDRM Clone w/Stickershock23 Custom Decals
🚀 In Paint & Detail: USR Banshee
🚀 In Build Queue: Estes Doorknob w/Vander-Burn Rocketry Upgrade Kit [Sport Decor], Semroc Centurion-F, Semroc Egg Crate
🚀 In Repair: SLS Lil’ Hustler, SLS Aero-Dart 1969 Trim
🚀 Stay Tuned For Fall 2021 Launch Dates

I was using the balsa cone, not the resin "moldin' oldies" one that I use for display.
The fins for the '67-'71 AeroDart are the same as the fins for the '72 Enerjet one.
The fin-can and engine mount survived intact; I will probably cut it off and graft a new section of ST-20 and a new nose section onto the fin-can.

__________________
When in doubt, WHACK the GAS and DITCH the brake !!!

Yes, there is such a thing as NORMAL, if you have to ask what is "NORMAL" , you probably aren't !
Failure may not be an OPTION, but it is ALWAYS a POSSIBILITY.
ALL systems are GO for MAYHEM, CHAOS, TURMOIL, FIASCOS, and HAVOC !

ALWAYS check the lift off weight of the rocket and the recommended maximum lift off weight of the motor. Then, if it's windy, use a shorter delay time or a higher thrust motor to be safe. Long steel launch rods are also a good idea. 1/4" diameter x 6 feet long is good for all mid-power. A stable launch pad is also a good idea (in other words, no "Dancing Mantis" for heavy rockets or violent motors)

You mean my standard Porta-Pad with 36" 1/8" rod passing through the 3/16" lugs on my AeroDart was no good ???

__________________
When in doubt, WHACK the GAS and DITCH the brake !!!

Yes, there is such a thing as NORMAL, if you have to ask what is "NORMAL" , you probably aren't !
Failure may not be an OPTION, but it is ALWAYS a POSSIBILITY.
ALL systems are GO for MAYHEM, CHAOS, TURMOIL, FIASCOS, and HAVOC !