Been a long, LONG time since I flew a Mach 10 upscale at B6-4 Field, and apparently I've forgotten quite a bit about the power of a D12-3. Baseball went on until after 8:00pm tonight, so I ran an errand to Lowe's for primer. When I got back to the field, everyone was clearing out, so I pulled in and waited. Quite a few parents chewing the fat after the game, but five minutes after I pulled in, everyone was gone with the exception of a father/son combination who wanted some extra fielding practice. The kid wasn't bad, but I could see the enthusiasm waning after ten minutes. Sure enough, I looked down to change the radio, and by the time I looked back up, they were heading for the car.
I took my abreviated launch gear down to short-center and set up. Very little wind/breeze, so I figured that trying to set up so the M10D would fly the field lengthwise would be the best bet. Well, anyone who has ever flown one of these knows that you can't always dictate the flight path, or at least I can't. This was an "uh-oh" flight from the moment it left the rod and headed for the airspace above US 27. I was trying to make a flight movie with my little Sanyo camera, and I'm pretty sure you can hear an "Oh, schlitz" just after I determined where it was heading and at what kind of a clip. WOW, the D moved the mail! In that moment I remember thinking "I used to fly this bird here a lot on a D12. WAS I CRAZY?!" It quickly wound up nose-down and heading for the road, but the ejection fired just in time for it to make a big right turn and head for the wires. Not sure what happened to the marker cone, but I think it might have wound up on top of the building. Never saw the flash of pink from the streamer.
Like I said, the glider pulled an immediate right and headed for the apartment building next to the office building. Back in the early 80's, I delivered a pizza to a bachelorette party in this building one Friday night. I think I had about seven pizzas, and my first thought when the apartment door opened was "This ain't gonna be enough." There wasn't a chick in the room who didn't outweigh me, and I had to run the gauntlet to get the pizzas to the table where they wanted them set up. As I neared the table I made a mental note of the location of the sliding door to the balcony, figuring that jumping might wind up being my last resort. Not sure if fingerprints show up on denim, but if they did, my jeans were a potential crime scene by the time I got to the table. This party had apparently started several hours earlier because these girls were cocktailed up and ready for the stripper, but I'd apparently been deemed "close enough". Just when I thought I was going to have to make use of the alternate exit, one of the ladies loudly announced that I was to be left alone. The bulk of the rest backed off long enough for me to get paid, then I started for the door again, hoping that my wide grin wouldn't be taken as an invitation or look too much like a deathmask. Well, I made it out alive with every pocket stuffed with singles. Harrowing, but they did tip well.
Anyway, the video, which I'll post as soon as it downloads, shows the glider under control, but with wires looming ahead. Sure enough, the right wing clipped a wire up near the glider body. From there it was just a rapid descent into the vegetation. I saw the glider hit the wire, and started cleaning up immediately because I knew the hit was way too hard to allow a second flight. I looked for the marker cone first with absolutely no luck. I parked and checked out the whole section of weed trees that lined the driveway. I checked down by US 27, looking up into the veggies with the sun still lighting things up. I was just about to give up when I pushed away a branch in an area where I'd already looked two or three times. There sat the M10D. Even from a distance I could see the splintered wing, but the camera was still attached and looked to be working. (It was.) I retrieved it and got out as quick as possible. (I'd been getting several stink-eyed looks while looking around the parking lot.) The video is uploading now, and according to Windows, it's close to 24 minutes long. I'll post the link as soon as it loads.

__________________
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

For your viewing pleasure. (HEY, I discovered editing!)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DG6iVy071Gw

__________________
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

That was cool.....looked like a pilots vantage point of "Oh Sh!t!! I've lost control!! The buildings......AAAAH! The wires!! *zzzzzzt*

Meh, shoulda used an E9

I had originally planned on a C11-3, but they haven't re-hit the stores. Hoping for some by the time HL has another 40% off coupon. I'll take the whole family out armed with coupons.

__________________
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

That was awesome!

Actually, I was envisioning awesomer. I had a real cinch up moment when I thought it was going to strafe US 27. Somehow I have a feeling that I may not have made it home to post the video had that happened.
As it was, I heard sirens about the time I got to the car. I half expected to see the FTPD surrounding the area as I was driving over to start SAR.
Also, I was within about 30 seconds of calling off SAR when I located the wreck. The only thing that kept me searching was wanting to know what the video was going to look like.

__________________
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

BANZAI!!!! BANZAI!!!!

Where are the aircraft carriers again?? There were supposed to be aircraft carriers...

Oh well-- I'll settle for destroying your electrical power grid!

Later! OL JR

__________________
The X-87B Cruise Basselope-- THE Ultimate Weapon in the arsenal of Homeland Security and only $52 million per round!

Forgot I had these. I'd post the movie that I shot from the ground, but it's useless after I realized where the rocket was heading.





Oh, yeah. Don't bother with the cheap masking tape. It left residue on the rocket and camera. Live and learn, baby.

__________________
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

She's breaking up!

She's breaking up!

Electrical tape works great for rocket cams and it won't peel the paint off.... Looks like you already peeled the paint off the Mach 10D.

__________________
I love sanding.