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#1
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ADD Launch, Fabulous B6-4 Field, Ft. Thomas, KY - 11/18/12
This was the launch that almost didn't happen. I was ready to fly around 1:30. Went up to the field thinking that my pad and rod were in the car. They aren't. Drove home. Can't find pad, so I pull my Estes Big Foot pad out and head back to field. Big foot pad isn't completely together, so I need my trusty Quest launcher, which should be in the car. It isn't.
At this point I gave up and went to Krogers to get dinner. Went home. Put together a lasagna, finishing at 3:30. By this time I realize that I still have some daylight to work with, so I head back up to the field. Big Foot pad - check. Quest launch controller - check. Stash of B6-4 engines - check. Holy crap, I'm actually going to be able to fly. First flight was the Estes Laser Lance that I just finished. Perfect flight, imperfect recovery. I forgot to block off the hole in the transition, and/or to securely glue the nose cone onto the payload section. Nose cone was found down on the lower ballfield. All is good, but it will be the only flight of the day for the Lance. Second flight was planned to be the Estes Stratocruiser. I was so proud of myself for remembering the launch lug that I forgot the screw eye. This would have been easily remedied at the field with CA, but mine had dried up. (Heavy sigh.)
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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 |
#2
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Flight #2 was the Semroc Vega. LONG time since this one had flown.
Flight and recovery were perfect, but only by ten feet at the most. It skirted the edge of the trees and landed on the hill with very little room for error. I was seriously cinched up when I shot this one. I thought it was a goner. That hilltop is mighty narrow. This was a lot closer than it looks.
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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 |
#3
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Yeah but that's a great lift off shot of the Vega. Looks like the challenges were worth it.
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John YORF #003 SAM #004 |
#4
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Flight #3 was the Semroc Astron that came free with an order earlier in the year.
The only A8-3 flight of the day, everything looked great until recovery when no chute came out. I thought it might have stripped it, but couldn't see anything fluttering down. Turns out I had wedged the shock rord between the nose cone shoulder and the inner body tube when I packed the chute. The weak link then became the glue seal holding the engine mount in place. Unintended rear recovery. Dig it. Next flight was Der Red Max, the new one, not my vintage clone. Great flight, but the chute never unfurled. WTF? It was 59 degrees out today!
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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 |
#5
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Flight #5 was the PDR Space Station Aquarius, a good looking, draggy clone that I hadn't flown since the VOA days.
This one broke the string of recovery problems. Perfect up and down, and it would have gotten a second flight if the light hadn't gone on me. For flight #6 we were back to the recovery issue thing. Part of the problem with this one was the old $.10 Ebay chute I used. They work fine in warm weather, but get a little stiff when it gets nippy. I didn't think today was nippy.
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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 |
#6
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Flight #7 was Der Red Max again. I wanted to see that red chute work, so I gave it another shot. This time everything worked as planned.
As you can see, the chute didn't let me down. Perfect flight and recovery. Flight #8 was my vintage Estes Greyhawk. This one dates back to Arlington, Texas in 1994. It's just undergone some damage repair and it's still in primer. Flight was great, but recovery became a parawad event. Hard hit, but no damage.
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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 |
#7
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By this time I was losing my light in a big way, so I grabbed the Semroc Vega and made it the last flight of the day. As I hoped, it was perfect.
Several birds made the trip to the field with me, but didn't fly for one reason or another. The Estes X-15, recalled as a safety hazard a few years back, was all ready to go on a C6-5, but I didn't have the goofy engine lock with me, nor do I know where to look for it. The Excelsior Nike Goon was packed and ready, but was missing the launch lug. Once again, heavy sigh.
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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 Last edited by A Fish Named Wallyum : 11-18-2012 at 10:09 PM. |
#8
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Quote:
Thanks. I got a couple of decent shots today. I changed some things around with the camera at the suggestion of someone who knows what they're doing. Still some room for improvement, but I think the sun earlier in the afternoon might also have made a difference.
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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 |
#9
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Quote:
Interesting how the body is trying to glide. Bill
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It is well past time to Drill, Baby, Drill! If your June, July, August and September was like this, you might just hate summer too... Please unload your question before you ask it unless you have a concealed harry permit. : countdown begin cr dup . 1- ?dup 0= until cr ." Launch!" cr ; Give a man a rocket and he will fly for a day; teach him to build and he will spend the rest of his days sanding... |
#10
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Great Pics as always!...You know I have purchased Three Vegas but never built any...one went to a Kid that lost His Big Betty...One was a Prize in a Middle school Raffle...and One was Ground into bits by an Unfaithful (now ex) wife
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