Well, considering that I'd flown every year since 2001, I was determined to get flights in this weekend, one way or another. Tonight after dinner I met my sister and her family at B6-4 Field for an hour or so of flying.

My niece and nephew are five and seven, and I'd been talking about flying for them for a couple of summers, but this was the first time I'd been motivated to fly in a while. Not sure what to expect, Joel initially wanted to stand aside with his hands on his ears, but when he found out he could press the button he forgot all about his aversion to loud noises.
Joel's first pick was the Custom Serval, the tube finned rocket that predated the Razor in the Custom lineup, on a B6-4.

The flight was somewhat low, but perfect for this field. I got a little cocky after seeing this, and it would cost me later.
Jillian chose the Holverson Wicked Winnie, largely because it was pink(ish). With two of its cheesy foam brethren watching on from the trees behind us, the Winnie turned in a textbook B6-4 flight and recovery. B6-4 Field was made for cheesy foam.

Joel chose the D.O.M. Argus for the next flight. This was where my cockiness cost me. The perfect B6-4 flights by the Serval and Wicked Winnie made me think that the Argus would do as well on the same motor. Well, the Argus, one of the Estes Design of the Month contest winners, is quite a bit lighter and more streamlined than the other two birds. I knew it was in trouble as soon as it arced to the north. It wasn't a big arc, but enough that recovery was going to take it over the trees, the phone lines, or US 27. It caught the lines.

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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

I decided to go small after losing the Argus. The next two flights were mini-engine flights with the Edmonds Tinee. I accidentally grabbed a 1/2A3-4t for the first flight, and the glider was only about five feet off the ground when the ejection charge fired. Second flight was with the 1/2A3-2t that I meant to grab the first time, and except for turning back toward the hill behind us and shortening the glide time, the flight was a lot better.
Next was the Super Star Snoop on a B6-4. This rocket will be flying for ten years later this year, and it's really starting to show it, but it was the usual rock solid flight.

Joel was up next and being a big Star Wars fan, he picked the Death Star that I'd prepped at home so that they wouldn't know what to expect. I told them they'd REALLY be surprised at what happened when the chute came out. Well, the top-heavy Death Star rainbowed off the pad and plowed into the face of the hill directly behind us, under power. The ejection charge fired after the whole mess had stopped moving, and Joel turned to me and said "Is that what it was supposed to do?" in a voice that dripped disappointment. Funniest part had to be watching me walk up the hill in flip-flops to retrieve the carcass. It's REALLY going to take a lot to get this bird flying again. I might be in the market for another one. Call BR-549 if you have one for sale.

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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

The really sad thing is that I understood this...

Gloom, despair, and agony on me!

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Up next:
Under construction:
Under repair:
In finishing: Centuri Sabre clone
In primer:
In paint:
Ready for decals:

Bill Cooke
NAR #31312
TRA #19705
SAM #0001
Huntsville, AL

My rocket blog
My rocket fleet

I ended up buying another one on Ebay tonight. Buy It Now for $7. It was less to buy it than to ship it.

__________________
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

deep, dark depression. Excessive misery. (absolutely the ONLY reason I watched that program was for that skit, the "pfft, you wuz gone" song, and ... well, and that cute blonde girl)

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Roy
nar12605

"I searched the world over and thought I found true love...."

There were several blondes - buxom blondes, I might add

The show was CBS' response to NBC's Laugh-In. It ran many, many more years, albeit much of that time in syndication rather than on CBS.

Who remembers ABC's response to Laugh-In and Hee Haw? Turn-On aired in February, 1969, and was literally cancelled in the middle of the first episode TV infamy.

Doug

.

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YORF member #11

But there was only one Cathy. She was the cute, bubbly one who ended the show. The other blondes (and other women, except for Lulu and Minnie) were there to be sultry.

I missed the ABC show, not least because reception of the then Atlanta ABC affiliate was difficult in Athens (took real concentration for me to watch Addams Family and Batman). I just heard that no one understood it, not that anyone was offended by it.

Never knew that it was done by the producers of Laugh-In.

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Roy
nar12605

I missed Batman, too, and Rat Patrol, Bewitched, etc. The ABC affiliate in Louisville was on UHF, and, up until 1968, our TV was VHF-only. But it did have channel 1 on the dial

Doug

.

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YORF member #11

Oh no !
Hee-Haw references....Ugh !

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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, and HAVOC !

Yea, I know, but like I said, there *were* a couple of redeeming qualities about it.



Gloom, Despair, and Agony on Me

Where oh where are you tonight

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Roy
nar12605