Last day of my mini-vacation found B6-4 Field awash in 80 degree temps and 2mph winds. I think I can fly in that. I took a whole box of never-before-flown rockets with me today and flew until the winds kicked up enough to make things a bit dicey. Didn't lose any for a change, but I had several near misses.
First on the pad was the Estes Patriarch RTF that I picked up on clearance from Meijer a few weeks back. B6-4 flight, but I'd feel comfy flying this one on a C6-5 if I had a perfectly calm day. Hey, it was $7.



The Patriarch headed left off the pad, which was perfect for conditions.





And it stayed left, which was also perfect. Since it was my wind check bird, that made me happy. Overall a nice, stable flight, but I can see that shock cord mount giving way fairly quickly. I put a sheet of Estes wadding in just above the motor, but that won't make a lot of difference. Maybe a flight or two.

__________________
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

Next up was the Estes Army Hawk that I've been working on for a couple of years. One of the fins dried crooked and bummed me out on the project, but I took it off and lined it up correctly, which unbummed me.



As you can see, I still need to unearth the decal.

Also a B6-4 flight, and it also headed to the left off the pad, topping out a bit higher than I had expected.



My favorite launch shot of the day. Ejection happened just as it tipped over and it recovered right in the middle of the field. So far I couldn't have asked for better

__________________
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 #3 was a Frankenstein creation that I cobbled together out of two badly used Estes Vindicators. One was just missing some fins, the other was a basket case. The body tube was bent and the nose cone was missing, so I carefully removed the fins I needed for the first one, then scavenged the motor mount. Other than that, it was garbage.



The finished product ain't pretty, but it has "patina". (Apparently "patina" means it was stored under the sand in the litter box.) Whatever the case, it flew.



B6-4 flight, and another good liftoff shot. Followed the flight path of the previous two birds, but recovered more to the south than those flights.



It was heading for the small trees at the south edge of the field, but never appeared to be in trouble. So far I had yet to cinch up, which suited me fine.

__________________
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 #4 was where things started getting interesting. The Estes Comet was from the same Ebay lot as the Vindicator and Sunbird, (which flew later.) The Comet was missing a fin, and appeared to have suffered from the "what color spray paint do we have laying around the garage" syndrome. Previously unflown, like all the others, I just replaced the missing fin, added some elastic to the shock cord, and left it alone.





My fourth straight B6-4 flight on the day, (I only had 6,) and the first one that didn't follow the light wind to the left. It went almost straight up, ejected as it stopped forward motion, and started drifting to the east across US 27. It cleared the trees, cleared the road, and obviously had no chance of hitting the roof, but it did slam into the side of a car in the parking lot. Not hard, no damage, but I was definitely cinched up. I walked over and quietly gathered things up, keeping an eye on the door of the office nearest the car. The door moved, but it was from the traffic passing on 27, not from someone coming out. I skulked back to the pad, fully expecting to be stopped by an irate car owner. Nope.

__________________
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 #5 was my token Semroc flight of the day, the recently completed Astrobee 350.



This one flew on an A8-3, the first flight out of a new Flight Pack.





Straight up, straight down. I almost caught it, but I zigged when I should have zagged. (It started swinging after I took the recovery pic.)

__________________
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 #6 was the third rocket from the Ebay lot, the Estes Sunbird. All it needed was a fin reattached.






The shock cord felt fine, not snapping when I pulled hard on it, so I added some elastic and figured it would hold. I figured wrong. A8-3 flight, and the highest of the day. Straight and very high, and obviously in trouble as soon as it ejected. The body started racing down backward on a corkscrew path, while the nose cone and streamer fell straight toward the infield. At the 50' mark they almost collided.



Hard hit on the infield near short, but no damage. I could fix this one, but I flew it and that's good enough. Too 4fnc to bother with.

__________________
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

Seventh flight of the day was a shortened Quest Brighthawk now known as the Half Brighthawk. B6-4 flight, leaving me with one.



Impressive flight from the start. Second highest flight behind the Sunbird, but every bit as dramatic.



Straight up despite the breeze, and immediately in trouble at ejection. It looked like it was tree bound, but cleared then and landed in the middle of the southbound turn lane of US 27. Four cars passed it before I could get out to it, but no one swerved to kill it. Nice people in Ft. Thomas. I've seen the opposite elsewhere.

__________________
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 #8 was a Sunward Star Watcher that I cobbled together out of spare parts from the Gravity Rider. (I had used two BT-56 cones in place of the cockpit cones.)



Should have been a B6-4 flight, but I was saving the last one for the pig of a Bullpup. I went with the A8-3 instead. As usual, I can throw it that high.





Shock cord tangled in the dowels, but recovery was still fine.

__________________
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

Last flight was the Estes Bullpup that I picked up in a previous Ebay lot. It had been to the field once before, but the motor mount pushed into the rocket body when I tried to install the motor.





Caught this one farting on the pad. The front finlets caused a wiggly flightpath, and I had another one heading for the YMCA pool. It crossed US 27 and appeared to be heading for a parking lot landing, but a final gust took it over a row of cars. It landed on one of the roofs and stuck the landing. This time I figured my luck would run out, but I was able to walk over, collect the rocket, and check the roof. The car wasn't damaged, but the paint was so oxidized that a case could have been made for any one of the scratches. I decided that this flight would end my day. I might find a launch window for Saturday or Sunday for the rest of the rockets in the box.

__________________
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

Nice pics, interesting rockets. Not knowing whats going to happen next once you hit the button is one reason the launch is so exhilarating. Did you finish your QCC Explorer?

__________________
Douglas