Comedy of errors yesterday, starting with the time I got to leave for the 1.5 hour drive to the launch. Just as I was about to start packing the car for the 1.5 hour trip, there came a knock at the door. My wife yells "It's the washer delivery guys!" We still had to clear a path to the laundry room. Got that done and got on the road. 20 minutes into the trip, I realized that I'd not brought my mucking boots, and that we'd had a fairish amount of rain in the previous couple of days.
So, it was about 12:15 when I arrived. I was shocked to find that the winds were fairly light, almost to the point of earning the title of breeze. First up would be my Estes Farside X, C6-0/B6-0/B6--6. It launched perfect, but the delay between the stages gave it a chance to tip each time it staged and by the B6-6 it was pointing away from the pad at a fairish angle. Both boosters landed within 100 feet of the pad, but the sustainer kept on keeping on. I saw the chute, but it was so far to the east that I lost it almost immediately. I walked into the beans, looking for any flash of bright red. Found a Solo cup. Then another. Never saw hide nor hair of the sustainer. After a half hour I gave up and hoped that someone else might run across it.

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__________________
Bill Eichelberger
NAR 79563

http://wallyum.blogspot.com/

I miss being SAM 0058

Build floor: Centuri Mini Dactyl 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

Second flight was supposed to be The Point, but I don't know that I'll ever be coordinated enough to both load and hook up that monster. I need to rig up a set of clips to extend the reach, but not on Saturday. Instead we got my FrankenRoc. It used to be a ThunderRoc, but a giant zipper back in 2005 really played hell with what had been a decent looking rocket. E9-4 flight that I took some attitude for, but I know what works. This did. The flight was arrow straight and arced over just before ejection. It drifted to the field across the creek, so with several miles already on my Fitbit, I decided to ford the creek. Found a spot where the jump was only about 4 feet and jumped 3.75 feet. Sunk up to my knees. Recovered a Screaming Mimi for an old flying buddy and found another spot to make my return. It was only 3 feet and again I jumped 3.5. Hit the mud on the other side and slid back into the creek up to my knees.

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__________________
Bill Eichelberger
NAR 79563

http://wallyum.blogspot.com/

I miss being SAM 0058

Build floor: Centuri Mini Dactyl 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

Third flight would be the Semroc Midget, in honor of noted Midget maven Doug Sams. A10-0T/A3-4T flight. LCO said it would scream. It was a perfectly normal flight. Landed 100 yards deep in the beans with the booster landing on the grass at the edge of the creek. Then the recovery team knocked it into the creek. Got the motor casing out, but not the adapter. Should be okay once it dries for several years.

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__________________
Bill Eichelberger
NAR 79563

http://wallyum.blogspot.com/

I miss being SAM 0058

Build floor: Centuri Mini Dactyl 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

Bummer on the Farside-X.
I never use over an A8-5 in the sustainer of any 3-stager for that reason.
If the 1/2A6-4 was still available I would use that. In my Comanche 3's I use 1/2A6-2s as they have streamer recovery and there is no chance to shred chute shroud lines.
One could use a 1/2A3-4T, but I have lousy luck staging 18mm to 13mm motors.

__________________
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 !

That was my first three stager, but I still have an MPC Microsonde and a Semroc Cyber III to fly. The A8-5 sounds like a pretty good idea. Especially in retrospect.

__________________
Bill Eichelberger
NAR 79563

http://wallyum.blogspot.com/

I miss being SAM 0058

Build floor: Centuri Mini Dactyl 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

Flight 4 was the first of two redemption shots on the day. The last time I flew the TLP Perseus was in this same beanfield on a D12. It was waiting on the pad for the previous flight to land when it suddenly took off on its own. The surprise on all of the faces on the flightline would have been funny if not for the fact that a) it was my rocket, and b) that it was obviously having trouble gaining altitude. As it was, it crashed hard into the beans after an arcing, 100 foot flight, pretty much destroying the front end of the rocket. A POWR-PRANG to make GH proud. With the rebuild finished, I loaded another D12-5 and tried again. This time there was no shortage of power, and the Perseus arced back over the flightline, wiggling a bit, but for the most part flying as expected. It landed on the other side of the creek again, but by this time I had a savior stationed there to keep me out of the waves.

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__________________
Bill Eichelberger
NAR 79563

http://wallyum.blogspot.com/

I miss being SAM 0058

Build floor: Centuri Mini Dactyl 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

Bill, here is what I use — lightweight and cheap. I cut them in half so I get twice as many to use, and just strip the insulation a bit and fasten your controller clips to the bare wires.

If you roast any a bit, no real worries. Amazon carries them in addition to ebay.

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__________________
Lee Reep
NAR 55948

Projects: Semroc Saturn 1B, Ken Foss Designs Mini Satellite Interceptor
In the Paint Shop: Nothing! Too cold!
Launch-Ready: Farside-X, Maxi Honest John, Super Scamp

Excellent! Thanks for the tip, Lee! I was plotting a possible launch up the street this week, but the on again off again rain appears to have my number. I could possibly do it Tuesday, Thursday or Saturday, so each of those is a rain chance. :-D

__________________
Bill Eichelberger
NAR 79563

http://wallyum.blogspot.com/

I miss being SAM 0058

Build floor: Centuri Mini Dactyl 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