Just stopped by B6-4 Field on the way home from running errands. It's not dry by any measure, but it's dry enough. We're supposed to have a cornfield launch at the South Charleston field, and I have enough biguns that need flight time to make that trip worthwhile, but even if that turns out to be too muddy, I'm pretty sure B6-4 Field will be flyable. (With continued sunshine and lack of precipitation between now and Saturday, that is.) Baron von Rohde, have you heard anything about the sky bustin' plans up north this weekend?

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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 Semroc Cyber III

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

I know it's on the calendar but nobody has posted anything yet. My guess, and it's only a guess, is the field is borderline frozen swamp at this time so it's iffy. Unfortunately, family commitments will keep me from attending this weekend if it happens. Next opportunity for me is the weekend of 3/22-23, weather permitting.

Mike

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Mike Rohde
NAR 89414
SAM 0114
NARtrek Silver

2015 motors - 1469 n/s (200 flights)
2016 motors - 1238 n/s (175 flights)
2017 motors - 1/2A-4, A-26, B-52, C-47, D-6, E-7, F-3 = 1238 n/s (138 flights)
2018 motors - 1128 n/s (104 flights)
2019 motors - 2241 n/s (189 flights)
2020 motors(thru 7/25/20) - 1/8A-1, 1/2A-3, A-14, B-23, C-27, D-11, E-6, F-2 = 876 n/s (81 flights)

The possibility of a cold, sloppy mess has me wondering about the three hours of driving time. I really, REALLY want to fly that Mega Max, but I'm leaning toward a couple of hours at B6-4 Field and four minutes of driving at the moment. Got a LOT of stuff ready for that kind of action.

__________________
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 Semroc Cyber III

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

B6-4 Field was a cold, sloppy mess, but I persevered anyway. I managed nine flights, but after delay after delay I got to the field and realized that I'd left #1 camera on the chair in the kitchen. I didn't want to go back home and waste precious daylight, SUNSHINE EVEN, so I made do with emergency #3 camera that I keep in the car. That's pretty much a Close & Play camera. I got some movies, but those were of iffy quality. I either forget that I'm filming or press the shutter button, which stops the video process. Old dog, new tricks. I'll stick with my regulars from now on, but the house was a bit hectic today due to a new furnace being installed.
First flight was the MPC G.T.S. 1 on an A8-3. This rocket is fairly piggish, so I figured the A8-3 might be a bit on the light side, and rightly so. Slow flight off the pad, topping out at about 150 feet. I could have thrown it that high. It DID scare off the geese who were pooing up the new HHS Ladybirds softball field.



Second flight for the G.T.S. 1 was the last of the day on a B6-4. HUGE difference. It left the pad with authority and pretty much topped out B6-4 Field. Recovery looked dicey for a moment, but in the end it was a nice, soft landing on the infield mud amid the goose poo.
These rockets are something of an oddity. Fairly pricey if you pay the asking price, and quite a bit smaller than you'd be led to believe. Materials are decent for ARTF and they look nice. This one was $5.99 + $1.99 postage, which I'd consider about right. My brother in law flew two of the Kiss rockets at NARAM this year. The larger one was pretty impressive. The smaller one was a joke.

__________________
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 Semroc Cyber III

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

Second flight was the Estes Astro-Sat LSX, brought along only as a wind mule and only because I thought it had been a while since it had flown. I was wrong. It was in October. But it performed well as a wind mule, windcocking hard left into the breeze. Parachute didn't unfurl, likely because it had been furled since October. Figures that I had an audience for this one.



Next up was a Baby Bertha on an A8-3. The first Baby Bertha I've ever flown as a Baby Bertha. This was the rocket that I bought for Sam to build as his first solo build. He lost interest about halfway through. It had a three inch piece of Kevlar and some heavy-duty sewing elastic for the shock cord. Definitely an old build. Over time the original fins got chewed up in storage, so I replaced them with a set from one of the other cannibalized BB kits I had laying around.



Despite the small motor, this one ripped off the pad nicely, also turning to the left in the breeze. Topped out at a respectable altitude, and popped the chute just as it tipped over. Why couldn't I have an audience when they work like this?

Next up was the REAL pig of the day, the Estes Star Wars Darth Vader Tie Fighter on a B4-2. The B4 was plenty of motor, but the housing cracked under thrust, the probe shifted, and the whole mess started skywriting.



Sorry to have wasted precious daylight on this one. I'll sew it back up and try it with a C6-3 just to see it get some altitude.

__________________
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 Semroc Cyber III

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

I've recently dug out a lot of my old oddball kits to build and unclog the pipeline, several of them being MRC birds. The Wildfire was one that I bought a few weeks back because the price was right. Nice and tall, it's still a fairly fragile feeling bird with the thinnest tubing I've ever felt on a kit. The parts fit together fairly well, and it's not bad looking, so I decided to give it a go today. Just before the first flight I ran some tape around the tube connector, which really went a long way toward eliminating that shaky feeling it had. The rocket is 29" tall, so I was kind of worried about the A8-3, but the flight was high and straight with very little of the weathercocking I'd seen in the other kits.



Fill & Finish should be interesting on this and the XR-20. They both have the paper thin Bt-50 tubing that I can see folding up even under my lightest touch.

The MPC Lambda Payloader was the next one off. This one was surprisingly small when finished, and I overdid it on Kevlar, so I flew it as a nose-blow recovery bird. Of all the MPC kits I have seen, this one is far and away the best looking. It has a somewhat odd setup as far as the reducer. It has a hole in it that would likely allow ejection gunk into the payload section. I plugged the hole with one of the fiber circles that I've been hoarding since last year and it seems to have held up. The flight was excellent, probably the best of the day, high and straight with a nice soft recovery on the outfield grass.



I'll remove some Kevlar before the next flight, then wrap the tube end of the reducer with some masking tape. It seemed a little wobbly. I like the patina on the original plastic parts, so I need to figure out a paint scheme that lets me keep them like they are.

__________________
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 Semroc Cyber III

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

Dangit Bill! That Blondie song will be rattling around in my head all night!

I'm gonna getcha, I'll getcha, I'll getcha getcha getcha getcha







.

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I love sanding.

I *SO* rock.

__________________
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 Semroc Cyber III

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

Flight #7 was an Estes Wizard on an A8-3. This Wizard was found recently in the basement, fully finished and needing only a streamer for launch and a decal for aesthetics. I figure this is one of the Wizards I built back in 2001-02, kind of like the Baby Bertha. Vintage, baby, but this one has the shock cord glued in with the Estes paper mount.
The flight was interesting in that it flew like a proverbial scalded dog! HOLY CARP!!!!! Topped out the field and then some, ON AN A8!!!!! All I could think of while watching this flight was "Did I really fly one of these from the front yard on a C and almost get it back?" Yep. Another foot left and it recovered in the driveway.



This one landed WAY across the field by US 27. Missing a fin, and no amount of searching could come up with it. It didn't help that someone had crashed a plastic sled on the hill in the EXACT SAME purple as the Wizard. Hillbillys.

Next up was the Quest QEZ Boost Glider on an A8-3. Everything went okay until ejection when the glider came down flat and backwards. I bought it pre-clayed, so I'll remove the clay and just put some on the inside of one of the winds to induce a circular flight path.



Last flight of the day was the MPC G.T.S. 1 that I already mentioned in post #4. On the day I wound up with nine flights, five of which were great, two okay, one bad and one disastrous. NONE TREED! I'll take a day like that anytime.

__________________
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 Semroc Cyber III

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

Just like in the movie. I hope you asked for mission points for that.


Bill

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It is well past time to Drill, Baby, Drill!

If your June, July, August and September was like this, you might just hate summer too...

Please unload your question before you ask it unless you have a concealed harry permit.

: countdown begin cr dup . 1- ?dup 0= until cr ." Launch!" cr ;

Give a man a rocket and he will fly for a day; teach him to build and he will spend the rest of his days sanding...