Jay's in the air... again

[Tau Zero]

Success! I test-flew my Sirius Interrogator tonight, although the A8-3 first flight was a little nerve-wracking. The two B6-4 flights were much more satisfying. I saved some B and C motors so my wife and girls could see it fly next week. :cool:

I forgot to wrap masking tape around the motor on the Tau Zero's maiden flight, so the body tube core-sampled about 3/4" of slightly moist sand (in the alfalfa field) after spitting the motor. The Prometheus, on the other hand, spanked the sky rather soundly on just an A8-3. :D (Craig, I think you'll like its performance!)

The best part is I got to fly on the site where my mom and dad's old farm was before they sold it 17 years ago... and where I flew the majority of my rockets growing up. :D :cool:

Gotta go finish writing some "Interrogator" reviews! :eek:


Cheers,

--Jay
"Centuri Guy"


"*Spank* the sky!" (tm)

[CPMcGraw]

Success! I test-flew my Sirius Interrogator tonight...forgot to wrap masking tape around the motor on the Tau Zero's maiden flight, so the body tube core-sampled about 3/4" of slightly moist sand (in the alfalfa field) after spitting the motor. The Prometheus, on the other hand, spanked the sky rather soundly on just an A8-3. :D (Craig, I think you'll like its performance!)

Hope the Tau Zero wasn't too badly damaged...

I'm looking at the parts for the Prometheus (they arrived this morning) and it actually seems bigger than the RockSim images make it appear. That A8-3 should have reached about 250'. I'm really looking forward to flying mine now. :D

[A Fish Named Wallyum]

Number of helpful or informative pictures posted by AFCW in the past 3 hours: 2
Number of helpful or informative pictures posted by CG in the past 3 hours, even if they were just to show how the finished rockets turned out: NONE!!!!!! :eek: :(

[A Fish Named Wallyum]

6/2/2006

Dear Bill Eichelberger,

Thank you for ordering from the Semroc store. This is to confirm that we have received the following order.

Order Number : SA-3585
Order Total : $22.45
Payment Type : PayPal

Please note that you can track your Order Status by logging on to your 'Account'.

If you have any questions regarding your order, please contact us via email at sales@semroc.com.

Regards

Semroc Astronautics Corporation

You wouldn't post pics, so I went out and got one of my own to photograph. ;) :cool:

[Tau Zero]

You wouldn't post pics,I *told* you I had to finish writing that "Interrogator" review, which I just submitted to EMRR. TRF gets its dose sometime in the next day or two.

so I went out and got one of my own to photograph. ;) :cool:I don't know your password, so I can't see what you ordered! :eek: ;) :D :rolleyes:

[A Fish Named Wallyum]

Tau Zero parts. (Plus assorted rings and engine blocks.) :cool:

[JRThro]

Tau Zero parts. (Plus assorted rings and engine blocks.) :cool:
I'm holding out for the official kit release from Semroc.
;)

[PaulK]

Success! I test-flew my Sirius Interrogator tonight, although the A8-3 first flight was a little nerve-wracking. The two B6-4 flights were much more satisfying. I saved some B and C motors so my wife and girls could see it fly next week ...

How dare you tease us Jay, without pictures! Siriusly. :mad: :D

-Paul

[A Fish Named Wallyum]

I'm holding out for the official kit release from Semroc.
;)

Yeah, but you won't paint it anyway. :rolleyes: ;)

[Tau Zero]

Hope the Tau Zero wasn't too badly damaged...Nope! The sand was *very* soft (since it gets watered every two days). I'll just have to rustle up some masking tape for my range box. :rolleyes: :o :D


I'm looking at the parts for the Prometheus (they arrived this morning) and it actually seems bigger than the RockSim images make it appear.My RockSim file says it's 18.65" long, in contrast to the Tau Zero, which is only 15" long.


That A8-3 should have reached about 250'. I'm really looking forward to flying mine now. :D That would be about right. I was *really* surprised at how it ripped off the pad into the sky. I didn't think it might possibly be a high-performance design, just that it looked cool and different from other rockets. :D ;)

As requested, here are some of the pictures of these two "birds." :cool:

[Tau Zero]

How dare you tease us Jay, without pictures! Siriusly. :mad:(heavy sigh) Dave warned me about the terrible, awful puns involving his company's name. :( (Big evil grin) I put a few in my EMRR review, too. :eek: ;) :D :cool:

Okay, Paul (and the rest of you), here you go. They're not terribly impressive, because I learned how difficult it is to prep the rocket, push the launch button, track the rocket, take pictures, and recover the rocket is for just one person. :rolleyes: (I need an "exhausted" emoticon here.)

[Tau Zero]

Tau Zero parts. (Plus assorted rings and engine blocks.) :cool:(mock exasperation) I *told* you I had a box of stuff waiting for me to send it to you. :mad: ;) :D

With TZ parts, among other things. :eek:


Cheers,

--Jay

[CPMcGraw]

...The sand was *very* soft (since it gets watered every two days). I'll just have to rustle up some masking tape for my range box. :rolleyes: :o :D

Very clean "core sample" in that shot, Jay. The body tube doesn't look damaged at all.

My RockSim file says it's 18.65" long, in contrast to the Tau Zero, which is only 15" long.

What I meant to say was, the Prometheus "looks taller in person than it does on the screen"...

I now have the upper section all glued up and stacked into the lower section, and the fins have been cut, edge-sanded, and root-edge prepped. The proportions of the model just seem to "work"...

...I was *really* surprised at how it ripped off the pad into the sky. I didn't think it might possibly be a high-performance design, just that it looked cool and different from other rockets. :D ;)

It's a good design, Jay. And using RockSim simply made it easier to "get it right" before building it. Watch out when you use "B" and "C" motors, though. The Dv numbers are a bit high (B4-4 and B6-6 are right at 30 FPS, and the C6-7 is 24 FPS), so you might want to use reefed shroud lines...

[Tweener]

Wow Jay! Great job on those! Looking at those pics makes me want to get moving on the "Crazy Diamond". I suppose that if you conceive it, you should build it. (Except for Craig, of course - he'd need 10 hands, 8 days a week and 36 hours to the day. :D )

[A Fish Named Wallyum]

(mock exasperation) I *told* you I had a box of stuff waiting for me to send it to you. :mad: ;) :D

With TZ parts, among other things. :eek:


Cheers,

--Jay

:o Oh.
I didn't listen in school either. Or I did, then forgot. :rolleyes:

[Bob H]

Yeah, but you won't paint it anyway. :rolleyes: ;)

Come on, give him a break.. I understand that he actually "primered" one once.

[Tau Zero]

Wow Jay! Great job on those! [SNIP] I suppose that if you conceive it, you should build it. Or if you're like me, *AND* fly it, as well! :eek: :o ;) :D

That reminds me of the old Rogue Aerospace motto: "Dream, build, fly, repeat." :cool:


(Except for Craig, of course - he'd need 10 hands, 8 days a week and 36 hours to the day.) Maybe 10 days a week, 48 hours a day, and a teeming swarm of assistants, no doubt. :rolleyes: ;) :D


Cheers,

--Jay

[Tau Zero]

What I meant to say was, the Prometheus "looks taller in person than it does on the screen"...Funny. Bill said the same thing about me when we met at NARCON. :p ;) :D


The proportions of the model just seem to "work"...And I've discovered that's the unconscious part of the designing process. It's when my brain finally said, "Okay, *that's* cool. --Quit tweaking it now and leave it alone!" :eek: :rolleyes: :cool:


It's a good design, Jay. And using RockSim simply made it easier to "get it right" before building it. Watch out when you use "B" and "C" motors, though. The Dv numbers are a bit high (B4-4 and B6-6 are right at 30 FPS, and the C6-7 is 24 FPS), so you might want to use reefed shroud lines...That's an excellent suggestion. My RockSim numbers are slightly different from yours, since I only have the motor sticking out 1/4", instead of the default 1/2":


Motor / Alt. / Dv

A8-3 -- 223 ft. -- 5.9 fps
B6-4 -- 559 ft. -- 29.41 fps*
B6-6 -- 568 ft. -- 33.15 fps*
C6-5 -- 1237 ft. -- 43.28 fps*
C6-7 -- 1261 ft. -- 21.73 fps


But yeah, I'll need to do the "reefing" bit, for sure. I guess I'd have to recommend these motors: A8-3, B4-4 or B6-4, and C6-7. And maybe switch to a streamer for that "C" ... if you want your rocket back, that is. :rolleyes:


Cheers,

--Jay

[A Fish Named Wallyum]

But yeah, I'll need to do the "reefing" bit, for sure.
--Jay

Aw, man. I don't do the reefing bit anymore. It made me eat fruit pies and Ho-Ho's and act stupid. (Insert Tommy Chong smilie here.)

[CPMcGraw]

Except for Craig, of course... Maybe 10 days a week, 48 hours a day, and a teeming swarm of assistants, no doubt. :rolleyes: ;) :D

(Mouth begins to speak, opens; finger points in air as if to emphasize an important utterance, stops; a loud, sharp silence suddenly fills the room for all to hear...) :o :eek:

Eeep...

You mean, a week doesn't have ten days? :confused:

I only have the motor sticking out 1/4", instead of the default 1/2"...

That's all I ever allow on any design. Just enough to grab with fingers or a pair of pliers after the flight...

And maybe switch to a streamer for that "C" ... if you want your rocket back, that is.

You could also cut back to a 10" parachute; the descent rate only increases to 13.125 FPS, which isn't too bad. RockSim recommended a 2.375" x 23.75" streamer for this design when using the C6-7 (the size of the streamer changes with the motor used...).

Update on my Prometheus model: I now have the motor mount and fins installed, only requiring the launch lug to be added. It'll be primer-ready by this time tomorrow.

[Tau Zero]

You could also cut back to a 10" parachute; the descent rate only increases to 13.125 FPS, which isn't too bad.(makes agreeable noise) Yeah, that would be good. :cool:

Update on my Prometheus model: I now have the motor mount and fins installed, only requiring the launch lug to be added. It'll be primer-ready by this time tomorrow.Craig, you may be the first person to actually *build* one of my designs. Unless, of course, Bill managed to get his Tau Zero slapped together already. :p

And okay, I *have* to ask this question (which Bill will appreciate, I think): Are you going to use the original "Admiralty" color scheme? :eek: :rolleyes: ;) :D


Cheers,

--Jay

[CPMcGraw]

(makes agreeable noise) Yeah, that would be good.

Craig, you may be the first person to actually *build* one of my designs. Unless, of course, Bill managed to get his Tau Zero slapped together already.

And okay, I *have* to ask this question (which Bill will appreciate, I think): Are you going to use the original "Admiralty" color scheme?


Cheers,

--Jay

If by "Admiralty Colors" you mean silver, gray, black, and some shade of orange, maybe; it looks good in the RockSim 3D image. I may not match it 100%, but it should be close. And I still have that "Edda" font name decal image to apply...

Addendum: Model is now complete, construction-wise. It's sitting in the primer-queue, waiting its turn. There's only...30? 40? 50? ahead of it... :o

I'll try to move it ahead of some and get it finished sooner. I really want to see this one fly...

Speaking of slapping Bill...:eek:

Bill, Where's that Warlord design you were working on?:rolleyes:

[CPMcGraw]

Model update: Prometheus has been Kilz'd and is now curing for a week. The longer cure time allows all of the solids to come together and the solvent to completely evaporate. Sands much easier, too...

[A Fish Named Wallyum]

Speaking of slapping Bill...:eek:

Bill, Where's that Warlord design you were working on?:rolleyes:

Which part?
It crashed during the final flight for the EMRR Challenge and wound up in three or four pieces. Kinda took away my enthusiasm for the project. :mad:

[JRThro]

Yeah, but you won't paint it anyway. :rolleyes: ;)
I might, Bill, I might...

Actually, over the past couple of weeks I built AND painted two rockets for my two Cub Scouts, for the pack's annual Rocket Shoot this past Saturday.

AND sanded the balsa fins, AND sealed them with CA in one case and wood glue in the other.

If I could find my camera, I'd even have proof!

In lieu of that, here's the thread from TRF with RockSim images:
http://www.rocketryforum.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=27014

The fins on the Demon Rider are 1/4" smaller in width and length than shown in the picture, so the points on the inside trailing edge don't actually touch the body tube. I couldn't get the fin template to fit on the 4" wide balsa I was using, so I just made the fins a little smaller.

Both rockets flew great on both Saturday and Sunday, btw, with the exception of the Bat Wing's ejecting its motor on the first flight, barely popping the nose cone, and crumpling the first 1" or so of the body tube when it hit the ground. Using one of those old flimsy Quest motor hooks and having the nose cone a bit too tight just didn't make for a successful flight.

[JRThro]

Come on, give him a break.. I understand that he actually "primered" one once.
And partially sanded it, too!

Btw, Scott has told me he won't let me beta test his next kit unless I actually finish the Odyssey, so... given time, I'll finish it.

Btw, I can think of 4 rockets, off hand, that I've actually painted. There could be 1 or 2 more, but I wouldn't put money on it.

(Quest Intruder, Estes Star Wars Death Star, scratch Bat Wing, and scratch Demon Rider.)

[Tau Zero]

Model update: Prometheus has been Kilz'd and is now curing for a week. :D

(That's all I have to say about that.)

--Jay

[Tau Zero]

BTW, Scott has told me he won't let me beta test his next kit unless I actually finish the Odyssey, He told *me* he liked my fillets. :eek: :rolleyes: ;) --I mean, the ones on my Sirius Interrogator.

so... given time, I'll finish it.I have to confess, at first I wasn't sure I could build, fly, and review the 18mm Interrogator for Dave inside the 2-3 week timeframe he needed me to "Git-R-Done!" (TM) But after tossing and turning one night, I told him I'd do it, and I managed to pull it off... Barely inside of 3 weeks, that is.

Maybe he'll give me an entire month next time. :confused: :o :p


Cheers,

--Jay

[Tau Zero]

If by "Admiralty Colors" you mean silver, gray, black, and some shade of orange, maybe; it looks good in the RockSim 3D image. I may not match it 100%, but it should be close.If you prefer, you *might* want to substitute Light Gray for the Silver. I'm not really happy with the fact that metallic paints highlight my construction and finishing mistakes instead of covering them. :mad: :o

And I still have that "Edda" font name decal image to apply... :cool:


Cheers,

--Jay

[A Fish Named Wallyum]

Given a couple of hours tomorrow afternoon, (this afternoon to all of you who DON'T work nights,) I should have the Tau Zero flight ready with the alternate "Silverback" paint scheme.
Which will clear the decks for my next project, a greatly anticipated Pimp Daddy U.S.S. Atlantis. I might even paint it red like Rich Longshore did back in 1977. :cool: ;) :eek: :rolleyes:

[JRThro]

Given a couple of hours tomorrow afternoon, (this afternoon to all of you who DON'T work nights,) I should have the Tau Zero flight ready with the alternate "Silverback" paint scheme.
Which will clear the decks for my next project, a greatly anticipated Pimp Daddy U.S.S. Atlantis. I might even paint it red like Rich Longshore did back in 1977. :cool: ;) :eek: :rolleyes:
And how is the "Silverback" paint scheme different from Jay's?

How is ol' Rich Longshore these days?
:rolleyes: :eek:

[A Fish Named Wallyum]

And how is the "Silverback" paint scheme different from Jay's?

How is ol' Rich Longshore these days?
:rolleyes: :eek:


I just worked some black into it. Black nose cone, white main body tube, orange fins and a grey ring fin. :cool: I guess it really should have some silver in there.
Rich is doing well. He works just down the road from me, but on a different shift. We generally see each other every few years because our wives graduated together. ;)

[Tau Zero]

I just worked some black into it. Black nose cone, white main body tube, orange fins and a grey ring fin. :cool: I guess it really should have some silver in there.

Here's some pics from over on the "Tau Zero" thread:

http://forums.rocketshoppe.com/showpost.php?p=8432&postcount=82


Cheers,

--Jay

[A Fish Named Wallyum]

Just the grey left on the ring fin. Finishing this up got me inspired to re-start my Tuber, the Doug Sams rocket that Squirrel Works did a while back. Seeing that gave me an idea for a decal for yours, Jay. The Tau Zero name with your signature superimposed over it like they did for Dougs. :cool:
And if you won't send me a signature, I'll forge one. ;)

[Tau Zero]

Just the grey left on the ring fin. Finishing this up got me inspired to re-start my Tuber, the Doug Sams rocket that Squirrel Works did a while back. Seeing that gave me an idea for a decal for yours, Jay. The Tau Zero name with your signature superimposed over it like they did for Dougs.Hmm, I'd have to see that. Got a link, or any pics? :D Oops, I just found this one:

http://www.squirrel-works.com/catalog/tuber/tuber.html


(unconvinced, slightly self-conscious tone) So wouldn't that drive down the relative value of any Tau Zeroes that I'd sign (not that anyone would actually ask me to :rolleyes: ) using, say, a black Sharpie? :p (C'mon, guys, this is freakin' me out a little.)


And if you won't send me a signature, I'll forge one.*Bill!* I thought the DNA sample was enough! :eek: :rolleyes: ;) :D


Cheers,

--Jay

"Five bucks. Five bucks for an autograph..."

[A Fish Named Wallyum]

*Bill!* I thought the DNA sample was enough! :eek: :rolleyes: ;) :D


Speaking of which, my mailman was NONE too happy about that. It made a mess of the envelope. :eek:

[Tau Zero]

Speaking of which, my mailman was NONE too happy about that. It made a mess of the envelope. :eek:Well, yeah. But I figured the black on red "Biohazard" logo on the plastic covering would make a cool parachute. (shrug)


--Jay

[JRThro]

Well, yeah. But I figured the black on red "Biohazard" logo on the plastic covering would make a cool parachute. (shrug)


--Jay
That *would* be a cool logo on a parachute! Or a rocket, for that matter.

I was just about to cut a parachute from a Target shopping bag, which seems awfully boring now.

[A Fish Named Wallyum]

Given a couple of hours tomorrow afternoon, (this afternoon to all of you who DON'T work nights,) I should have the Tau Zero flight ready with the alternate "Silverback" paint scheme.
Which will clear the decks for my next project, a greatly anticipated Pimp Daddy U.S.S. Atlantis. I might even paint it red like Rich Longshore did back in 1977. :cool: ;) :eek: :rolleyes:


I did finish the Tau Zero over the weekend, and I started on the USS Atlantis that arrived on Saturday. Two problems.
#1 Jay, how did you mount the launch lug? Does it have a standoff or is it mounted on one of the inner fins?
#2 The USS Atlantis kit has some of the worst looking decals that I've ever seen. They look like a cleanup of the original scan that was started and given up on. The colors are off and everything has a blue ghost that surrounds it, which leads me to believe that the paper moved during the print process. I'm going to e-mail Pimp Daddy to see if I got a bum set or if they're all like this. I'll try to scan them tomorrow and let y'all see for yourselves.

[JRThro]

I did finish the Tau Zero over the weekend, and I started on the USS Atlantis that arrived on Saturday. Two problems.
#1 Jay, how did you mount the launch lug? Does it have a standoff or is it mounted on one of the inner fins?
#2 The USS Atlantis kit has some of the worst looking decals that I've ever seen. They look like a cleanup of the original scan that was started and given up on. The colors are off and everything has a blue ghost that surrounds it, which leads me to believe that the paper moved during the print process. I'm going to e-mail Pimp Daddy to see if I got a bum set or if they're all like this. I'll try to scan them tomorrow and let y'all see for yourselves.
The "ghosting" around things could also be an artifact from the .jpg file that they probably printed the decals from. Since JPEG compression is lossy, if a file is saved with too much compression, there can be ghosting or blurring around what should be nice crisp lines, etc.

EDIT: I've attached a jpg file showing two copies of some simple shapes. The first copy was saved with not much compression and shows very little ghosting. The second copy was saved with too much compression and shows too much ghosting to be acceptable for a decal.

[Tau Zero]

I did finish the Tau Zero over the weekend,
Jay, how did you mount the launch lug?I'm answering this question on the "Tau Zero" thread under "Projects":

http://forums.rocketshoppe.com/showpost.php?p=8665&postcount=85


Cheers,

--Jay

[Tau Zero]

I was *really* surprised at how [the Prometheus] ripped off the pad into the sky. I didn't think it might possibly be a high-performance design, just that it looked cool and different from other rockets.For those of you who are thinking about building a Prometheus (i.e., Craig), I'd recommend that you use 3 feet of elastic shock cord, in addition to your Kevlar (TM) thread. That way, you should be able to avoid "whiplash" damage, as you can see from the closeups below. :rolleyes: (I only used 2 feet of elastic. :o )

You can see the silver smudge on the black fin, as well as the black smudge on the silver payload section. :eek:


Good luck, and cheers,

[CPMcGraw]

For those of you who are thinking about building a Prometheus (i.e., Craig), I'd recommend that you use 3 feet of elastic shock cord, in addition to your Kevlar (TM) thread. That way, you should be able to avoid "whiplash" damage, as you can see from the closeups below. :rolleyes: (I only used 2 feet of elastic. :o )

You can see the silver smudge on the black fin, as well as the black smudge on the silver payload section. :eek:


Good luck, and cheers,

That's a respectable "whiplash", Jay. I might have to re-think some of the other models I've finished to this stage, and maybe change out some of those...

[barone]

For those of you who are thinking about building a Prometheus (i.e., Craig), I'd recommend that you use 3 feet of elastic shock cord, in addition to your Kevlar (TM) thread. That way, you should be able to avoid "whiplash" damage, as you can see from the closeups below. :rolleyes: (I only used 2 feet of elastic. :o )

You can see the silver smudge on the black fin, as well as the black smudge on the silver payload section. :eek:


Good luck, and cheers,

I always thought that a good rule of thumb for shock cord length was about 3 times the length of the rocket. How would that work with the Prometheus?

Don
NAR 53455

[A Fish Named Wallyum]

I always thought that a good rule of thumb for shock cord length was about 3 times the length of the rocket. How would that work with the Prometheus?

Don
NAR 53455


I've been using three feet of Kevlar and three feet of elastic lately. That said, my Q Modeling Rogue uses no elastic at all, just a nice piece of heavy duty Kevlar, and I've yet to have a problem.

[Tau Zero]

I always thought that a good rule of thumb for shock cord length was about 3 times the length of the rocket. How would that work with the Prometheus?Don,

Thanks for the reminder. I was trying to use "stock" Semroc lengths (except for trimming the Kevlar so it doesn't "protrude,"), hence, the 24" long elastic cord. :o

The Prometheus is just over 18" long, so with a 36" shock cord (outside of the body tube), we'll see on Saturday if "twice as long" helps minimize the "whiplash" tendencies. :D :p


It's always good to have another rocketeer around to remind you about "the little stuff!" Thanks!


Cheers,

[CPMcGraw]

(This is a separate report from the full flight day activities.)

As part of my afternoon flight session, I managed to get the Prometheus up on an A8-3. As with the Tau Zero, this was an arrow-straight flight, with no noticeable rotation or extreme weather-cocking. The flight to apogee was smooth and the model seemed to reach a reasonable altitude. Parachute deployment was quiet and gentle, which is what RockSim predicted for this motor.

As with the TZ, I didn't feel like chasing the model by myself, so I limited the flight to the A8-3. It seemed to get higher than the TZ, probably due to the reduced overall drag. Prometheus is a traditional design, generally clean to the slipstream. It will be interesting to see what this model does on a different motor, either a "B" or the 13mm A3.

This is a great design, and flies so nicely that it will get flown again in future sessions.

[Tau Zero]

As with the TZ, I didn't feel like chasing the model by myself, so I limited the flight to the A8-3. It seemed to get higher than the TZ, probably due to the reduced overall drag. Prometheus is a traditional design, generally clean to the slipstream.
[snip]
This is a great design, and flies so nicely that it will get flown again in future sessions.Cool! And thanks!

(chuckling) Got pics? ;) :D


Cheers,

[CPMcGraw]

Cool! And thanks!

(chuckling) Got pics? ;) :D


Cheers,

Not this time, and it wouldn't have been much to look at given my current status with cameras anyway. If I can get one of my local buddies to go with me next session, I'll get some. No promises as to flight shots, but I'll see what I can do. I wanted them, too...

[Tau Zero]

No promises as to flight shots, but I'll see what I can do.I just wanted to see your Prometheus' paint job, so a static shot would be fine.


Cheers,

[CPMcGraw]

I just wanted to see your Prometheus' paint job, so a static shot would be fine.

It's sanded primer right now, but now that it's flown, I need to get serious about which color scheme I want to go with. White overall with green NC, maybe a green decal stripe just below the NC, and one black fin is one combination I'm thinking about.

[Tau Zero]

I forgot to wrap masking tape around the motor on the Tau Zero's maiden flight, so the body tube core-sampled about 3/4" of slightly moist sand (in the alfalfa field) after spitting the motor. [SNIP]

The best part is I got to fly on the site where my mom and dad's old farm was before they sold it 17 years ago... and where I flew the majority of my rockets growing up. :D :cool:This morning in church I talked to the guy who owns my "old home place" (which is a giant hayfield this year), and he said, "I know what you're doing out there (i.e., flying rockets), so it's okay with me. Come out any time." :eek: :cool:

Too bad he hadn't said that two and a half weeks ago. I missed a couple of *beautiful* flying days this fall. :(

OTOH, I managed to finish the paint job and try out some preliminary decals on Tau Zero Prototype II. :D Looks like I need a clearcoat, a calm day, and I'm (*finally!*) good to go!


Cheers,