04-14-2020, 04:48 PM
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BP Mafia
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Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Ft. Thomas, KY
Posts: 8,617
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Next up was the ill-fated Centuri Vulcan. Before the flight I had been looking the brittle old girl over and wondering if she was actually flightworthy. For some reason my gluing method had given it the look of a schwantz with Peyronie's Disease, as it had a pronounced droop just before the nose cone. Didn't care. I was proud of it anyway, even in its then current battered state. I'd pulled the C6-3 that I had initially planned to fly it on and substituted a B6-2, which ensured that everything would happen almost at eye level. I'm not terribly proficient with the cell phone as a movie camera anyway, doubly so when I'm pushing the launch button with my right hand and filming with my left. I generally wind up with pictures of my crotch because I forget the camera is rolling, so in this occasion I was concentrating really hard at keeping the camera level. I saw it leave the pad and was thinking "Okay, now track the flight with the camera," when the flight reappeared on the camera. I looked out to see the motor tube hit the ground trailing tracking smoke, then the body of the rocket following. On fire. I kept the camera rolling until there was little left but ashes. Maybe 25 feet? With a two point landing about five feet apart? Luckily it had rained earlier in the week and I was able to casually tap the dying flames out. In the end, it appeared that the glue joints had given way, which allowed the tinder-dry body to slide down into the path of the flame. The motor tube looks untouched. The body is now fertilizing center field. As soon as I can get a stout enough sheet of paper I'll rebuild her. Be afraid. Be very afraid.
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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
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