Pretty day 'roun' these parts, and I saw it comin'. I spent much of my free time over the past few days getting some finishing work in on some long neglected rockets, with hopes of spending an afternoon at quasi-legendary B6-4 Field here in The City Of Friendly Homes. The main rocket that I hoped to fly was my recently completed Semroc Centurion, which I finished decaling only this morning. (I had also hoped to get my Interceptor clone, fresh from its extensive resanding after painting difficulties, decaled for today, but that wasn't to be. ) But anyway, today after I took my son to work, I loaded up the van with an ambitious load of rockets and began gathering my support equipment. This was where I ran into my first problem. My launch controller was missing. It normally never leaves the van, but somehow it had, possibly when my wife went rock gathering last fall. I headed back into the house to find another one, only to discover that I didn't have another one.
I'd given them all away.
Yup, you can imagine how I felt. Somewhere out there, someone else was possibly spending the afternoon blasting off flight after flight using a controller that I donated to the cause, while I stood on the sidelines feeling stupid. And BOY, did I feel stupid. Bummed beyond all recognition, I went back into the house and resumed work on a scale project that I've been meaning to start on since 2001.
I had glued the motor mount into the Hawk Motor Test Vehicle and was settling down to watch the some of the Winston Cup race from Talladega when I realized that I did have another launcher. (Two if you count the Pow-R Pad.) Down in my work room on top of one of the cabinets sat a Big Foot pad that I won from Ebay last year. I pulled it down and dusted it off, but realized that I needed batteries for it. This sent me off to Lowe's and by the time I got home it was time to start dinner. I decided on a post-dinner launch and went to make dinner, sure that I'd still get a few flights in before dark.
After dinner I headed out for B6-4 Field, only to find that a Knothole team was in the middle of practice. This wasn't that big a deal, because I still had old faithful Moerscher where the eyeball nose cone of my original Star Snoop upscale still watches over things from high up in a tree. I drove the ten minutes to the field and found it deserted, and also found that the thick woods at the back of the field had been bulldozed and turned into more soccer fields. "Cool!", I thought as I looked at the Star Snoop tree, one that had been spared the axe, "That many fewer places to hang one up!" I pulled up next to the soccer field, opened the van doors and began setting up. Out came the box of rockets, my range box and motor boxes. Out came the Big Foot pad with all of the wires tucked carefully into the bottom of the battery compartment like they had been when it arrived. Four screws were all that were left between me and an evening of newly built first flights and seldom seen oldies.
I didn't have a screwdriver.
Nope. Last thing I did before I left the house was look at my multi-tool on the counter and decide that I didn't need it. Well, guess what. Turns out I did.
I checked the glove box, but I had removed the cheap one that I kept in there for emergencies. I found a calculator, some rubber fangs, and a flashlight, but no screwdriver. I put the rubber fangs in my mouth and started going through my pockets, hoping to find my knife. Nope, but I had a dime.
Turns out that's all I needed. I was able to use the dime to turn the screws enough to get them out far enough to unscrew with my fingers. With each screw I again started seeing flight after flight screaming off the pad in my mind. When the last screw dropped off, I took the wrapped up wire out and set it on the seat. I opened the batteries and was just about to put them in when I noticed the two bare wires. Bare wires where there should have been alligator clips. I screamed a curse at destiny and scared a flock of birds that had gathered to feast on the newly seeded grass of the baseball field. Apparently destiny had other plans for me today.
LAUNCH CANCELLED! I'll try again Tuesday. First one to ask for pictures gets my foot rammed so far up his butt that he can clip my toenails while he brushes his teeth.

__________________
Bill Eichelberger
NAR 79563

http://wallyum.blogspot.com/

I miss being SAM 0058

Build floor: Centuri Design Contest F-150 Hurricane 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

Ouch, dude.

Spent my afternoon priming and sanding and painting and priming and sanding and painting and...

Gonna launch some soon.

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NAR # 115523
Once upon a better day... SAM #0076
My site: http://rocketry.gonnerman.org

Man, it was TOTALLY worth it just to enable that to have been written. I hope you can find it within yourself to be grateful that your sacrifice resulted in some of the finest story telling ever. This should be in the Bill E Story Of The Week thread (that should exist)!

All the while of reading that I kept thinkin "Man, the planets were ALIGNED for him today" until I got towards the end... I then knew that if launches had happened there would be more words than what I could see below!

It hasn't been that long ago that I put a dedicated multi tool in my range box! So could you not have just wrapped the bare wires sorta tightly around the igniter ends, or just twisted the ends into the wires candy cane style?

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Daniel Runyon Net

Yeah, did I mention that I found the multi-tool on the floor on the driver's side of the van after I packed everything away? I instantly renamed it.
I thought about twisting the wires, but my enthusiasm was pretty much sapped by that time.

__________________
Bill Eichelberger
NAR 79563

http://wallyum.blogspot.com/

I miss being SAM 0058

Build floor: Centuri Design Contest F-150 Hurricane 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

You gave up too easy! To start with, the second I thought I didn't have a controller I would have went to Wal Mart and scooped up another starter set!

Strange how you can buy a rocket, pad, controller and a coupla engines for cheaper than you can buy JUST a pad or controller. We MUST be living in the bizarro world.



That's worthy of being a forum sig!

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Daniel Runyon Net

Okay, since no one asked to see pictures, I'll post some.

Finished Semroc Centurion. Start to finish in a couple of days, but could have been faster. This is a nice, quick build.

The Hawk Motor Test Vehicle ready for primer. I even went to the trouble to shape the fins. NARTREK, here I come again. (A few years after the fact, but I was busy.)

__________________
Bill Eichelberger
NAR 79563

http://wallyum.blogspot.com/

I miss being SAM 0058

Build floor: Centuri Design Contest F-150 Hurricane 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 rockets, GREAT story, lousey launch day.

I will never, ever again forget to bring a multi tool with me. Did it once, that's all it took .

My toothbrush doesn't have nail clippers on it, I'm happy to say.

__________________
John Thro, NAR #84553 SR
I was too old when I started! Now I'll *never* become a BAR!

Looks like a scratch for a B6-4 Field launch this week. It was pretty windy when I woke up today and B6-4 is not a field that has a ton of recovery room in breezy conditions. I painted instead, and finally started a project that I've been meaning to get to for review for at least a year, maybe more. The painting was going great until it came time to take the masking tape off. I was painting my SLS Lil Hustler and I'm doing one black fin and three fluorescent orange fins. The orange came out great, but the black peeled off like a sticker. I remasked and I'll try again tomorow if the rain holds off.
The other project was an oddball two-stager. Anyone ever hear of a rocket called the Tuber?

__________________
Bill Eichelberger
NAR 79563

http://wallyum.blogspot.com/

I miss being SAM 0058

Build floor: Centuri Design Contest F-150 Hurricane 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

Two tone body/fins gave me a ton of trouble... I had the same issue when I peeled the tape. I now have an extreme fear of finishing.



I just discovered those yesterday! Cool lookin rocket! I had no idea that Doug was "renowned".

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Daniel Runyon Net