#1
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All Semroc launch, B6-4 Field, 10-3-20
I found the field shockingly empty on such a beautiful Saturday, so I took a bunch of Semroc birds that I prepped a couple of weeks back and had myself a launch. I managed seven flights before a girls softball team showed up to practice. At first it looked like it was going to be a no flight day as nothing would fly despite a new 9-volt in my Quest launcher. Then I remembered that I had an Altoids tin full of old Estes igniters in my rocket box. Fired things right up. I guess the new ones are okay if you have a big launch system like a club has, but really lousy for anything like the launchers we used as kids. Estes might want to consider doing something about this instead of releasing plastic space men.
First flight was kind of a surprise. It was my recently completed ThunderChief on an A8-3. (All the flights on the day were A8-3 flights.) It was the only one to fly with a new style "starter". I was pressing the button in frustration when it suddenly ignited. It windcocked slightly toward the trees, but was never in any trouble. For the first time ever I flew a Thunder rocket without losing a fin on landing.
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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 - Gee'Hod, Shrike, SST Shuttle In paint: Canaroc Starfighter Scorpion Estes F-22 Air Superiority Fighter, Solar Sailer II Semroc Cyber III Ready to fly: Estes - Multi-Roc, Solar Sailer II Semroc - Earmark, Snake Jumper |
#2
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Flight #2 was supposed to be my long suffering Semroc Astro-1, but it failed to "start". I actually started packing up and had even rolled the wires around the launcher before I had my Epiphany. The second flight then became the Recruiter. The Recruiter flight was odd. A very quick up and down on the same flight path as the ThunderChief before deploying the parawad 20 feet from the ground. No damage, but it sure looked ugly.
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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 - Gee'Hod, Shrike, SST Shuttle In paint: Canaroc Starfighter Scorpion Estes F-22 Air Superiority Fighter, Solar Sailer II Semroc Cyber III Ready to fly: Estes - Multi-Roc, Solar Sailer II Semroc - Earmark, Snake Jumper |
#3
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Flight #3 would be the Astro-1 after an igniter change. Flight was perfect, windcocking toward the outfield before popping the chute for a soft landing behind shortstop. This was the first flight for this one since 2005. I think it's #8 because #7 is still downstairs unopened, but don't quote me.
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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 - Gee'Hod, Shrike, SST Shuttle In paint: Canaroc Starfighter Scorpion Estes F-22 Air Superiority Fighter, Solar Sailer II Semroc Cyber III Ready to fly: Estes - Multi-Roc, Solar Sailer II Semroc - Earmark, Snake Jumper |
#4
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Flight #4 would be the Astron. This was a rocket that Carl included with an order, kind of like the Estes program that I never got to experience. This is a great bird for this field, small, but not tiny, with streamer recovery so it drops fairly quickly after ejection. It left the pad and windcocked toward the corner of the outfield that most of the flights headed toward, then came back toward the pad after flirting with the two trees along Woodfill Avenue before sticking the landing. Literally. Highest flight of the day.
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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 - Gee'Hod, Shrike, SST Shuttle In paint: Canaroc Starfighter Scorpion Estes F-22 Air Superiority Fighter, Solar Sailer II Semroc Cyber III Ready to fly: Estes - Multi-Roc, Solar Sailer II Semroc - Earmark, Snake Jumper |
#5
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The softball girls started arriving after the Astron flight. At first it was just a Dad and two girls practicing fast pitch, so I kept things set up since I was flying from left center field. Fifth flight of the day was the Vector V. Left the pad headed for deepest center field and everything looked great. At ejection there was a flurry of activity aloft, and when the dog barf settled the Vector V came out of the cloud clearly tangled in the shock cord and Kevlar. The whole hot mess landed hard in short center field, and when I got to the tangled pile I found one of the fins had broken off in the melee. I walked the whole outfield looking for the bright red fin, but found nothing.
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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 - Gee'Hod, Shrike, SST Shuttle In paint: Canaroc Starfighter Scorpion Estes F-22 Air Superiority Fighter, Solar Sailer II Semroc Cyber III Ready to fly: Estes - Multi-Roc, Solar Sailer II Semroc - Earmark, Snake Jumper |
#6
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Flight #6 would be the Astrobee 350. This is the soul of a 4fnc bird and another that's a great pick for this field. It left the rod on an odd flight path, almost dead straight leaning straight away from the pad. The big, swinging recovery occurred at third base and was the only rocket to reach the infield on the day with the Dad and two girls watching.
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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 - Gee'Hod, Shrike, SST Shuttle In paint: Canaroc Starfighter Scorpion Estes F-22 Air Superiority Fighter, Solar Sailer II Semroc Cyber III Ready to fly: Estes - Multi-Roc, Solar Sailer II Semroc - Earmark, Snake Jumper |
#7
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Final flight of the day would be the Tau Zero. I knew it was going to be the last flight because some of the other softball girls had arrived and squealed when it took off. This one also followed the standard flight path on the day and headed for deepest center field. It's a streamer bird, thus perfect for conditions, and landed on the hillside far from trouble.
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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 - Gee'Hod, Shrike, SST Shuttle In paint: Canaroc Starfighter Scorpion Estes F-22 Air Superiority Fighter, Solar Sailer II Semroc Cyber III Ready to fly: Estes - Multi-Roc, Solar Sailer II Semroc - Earmark, Snake Jumper |
#8
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Looks like a nice day out. Autumn Saturdays are the best.
Concerning those new Estes igniters, I've made the following observations this year. 1. My Quest launcher with a fresh 9 volt won't light them either. 2. My 12 volt system melts the wire off at the clip attachment points. 3. If I cut the brown paper binder and separate the wire leads I have a better than 95% success rate with 12 volts. All my good flights this summer have been with snipped new style igniters. Can't explain why, but it works. Great looking Thunderchief! |
#9
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Nice report. Thanks, Bill!
The 9V and the current “starters” are a bad combination for sure. The little 9V battery just can’t muster much current. As you learned, if you hold the button down long enough it will eventually get hot enough to light the motor if the bridge wire is tight against the propellant..... For a handheld controller the good ol’ Electron Beam (or a Solar Controller) with four good AAs in it (Duracells or such) is much more reliable with the soon-to-be-reformulated Estes “starters”. I suspect all of this is no surprise to you, however.... Interesting Erik’s bit about separating the leads. Maybe that helps get the bridge wire consistently tight agains the fuel?
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Bernard Cawley NAR 89040 L1 - Life Member SAM 0061 AMA 42160 KG7AIE |
#10
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Glad you had a successful day!
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Steve |
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