Launch Date: 27 May, 2019

Over the past week, Jim Gazur and I have been closely monitoring weather forecast models for the Front Range of Colorado.  The weather has been a bit unsettled lately, featuring a lot of wind and thunderstorm activity.  Memorial Day presented a brief window of opportunity around the noon hour, when winds would lull to 5 mph, so we decided to take advantage of the opportunity.

                Arriving at Founders Park in Castle Rock, I set up a wind indicator streamer and found the best location to set up that would afford optimal downfield recovery.  Sustained breezes were hovering at an estimated 7 mph with brief times of relative calm.  The sky was overcast with high cloud cover, making it difficult to follow smoke trails.

Wouldn’t you know it, as soon as launchers were set up the wind direction shifted nearly 180 degrees!  We moved to the other end of the field to compensate.

I launched my old Hornet at this location. 

 

Sure enough, by the time of launch, the wind had shifted again, this time blowing toward the short edge of the field.  The Hornet suffered from a non-ejecting parachute, and was blown over the parking lot for a nice hard meeting with the asphalt.  Broken fin…

For a second time, we packed up our gear and moved to the center of the field, resolving to fly low today.

The next bird up was my ‘old fleet’ Estes Delta II Astrocam booster on a B4-2 motor.  This was a much more successful flight with a nearby recovery.

By this time Jim had his first model of the day ready to go.  This was a down-scaled Enerjet 2250 clone powered by a cluster of three A8-3 motors.  Equipped with a Perfectflite Pnut altimeter, the bird reached an altitude of 162 feet with ejection just a couple feet below apogee!

 

With the prevailing wind, I wasn’t willing to risk flying any of my better models, so I stuck with some small 3FNC birds I had in the box.

 




Next up was my Generic E2X on a B6-4.  Nice high flight with a good recovery on dual crepe streamers.



 

Jim launched a small two stage bird on an A10-0T and ½A3-4T motor combination.  The model flew exceptionally well, and both sections were recovered successfully.

 

The final flight of the day went to my newly acquired Estes Viking.  I had modified it to retain the motor casing, and I stuck a streamer in for recovery. The model flew respectably high on an A8 motor, and recovered nicely.  As I had predicted, one of the fiber fins was bent from the landing. 

 

By this time, wind was picking up, the temperature was dropping, and we began getting some rain sprinkles. 

Opting not to push our luck, we ended the session.

Despite the less than ideal weather, it was definitely nice to get out for a good rocket-flying fix.

Back In The Day, Part 25 - Planning A Grand Model Rocket Contest

Once contact had been established with all of the NAR members in the Mountain Region in 1978, the next step in my duties as Regional Manager was to put together some kind of large event to pull everyone together and inspire a higher level of activity and possibly the formation of some NAR sections.

I determined the best way to do that was to hold a NAR sanctioned regional contest.

At the outset of this project, I was pretty much working on my own,  Let me tell you, organizing a large model rocket contest meet on a solo basis can be a daunting task.  It wasn't until well after six months of initial planning and preliminary work that the remaining members of Skywatchers Rocket Club got on board to help out.

One thing that really was of immense assistance was an article published a few years earlier in American Spacemodeling Magazine.  This was Bill Stine's wonderful write-up about NARWIN-1
held in Arizona in 1977. 
The article described in detail the planning and operation of this excellent, well-run contest.

 I virtually used it as the blueprint for the upcoming event, dubbed HOTROC-1 (Heart Of The ROCkies) Regional.

The initial work I tackled (and funded) was setting a contest date, establishing a roster of events, applying for sanction with the NAR, printing up entry forms and mailing them out, arranging hotel accommodations, reserving a club-house for evening activities, procuring trophies and ribbons, contacting model rocket manufactures to ask for prize kit donations, designing HOTROC-1 jacket patches, arranging for the manufacture of those patches, designing the range set-up, printing up materials for the contestant packets, sending out press releases to the local newspapers, and all the other myriad details.

In the process of applying for the contest sanction, I learned from the Contest Board that a Regional Meet could only be hosted by a NAR section, rather than an individual member, so HOTROC-1 was established as an Open Meet instead.

The range set-up I designed was a unique form of the Misfire Alley system.  Rather than having a separate battery for each launch alley, the range would be set up to run off of two 12v car batteries with eight launch alleys. The alleys were arranged in two semi-circles of four pad sites.  Each semi-circle would share one of the batteries.  This set-up was quite adequate for the contest's requirements, and proved to be very efficient.

This is a scan of part of the contestant's packet material explaining the range setup at HOTROC-1.

The date set for HOTROC-1 was August 23-24, 1980. The events scheduled to be flown at the contest were Class A Parachute Duration, Class B Boost/Glide, Class C Streamer duration, Class D Super-Roc Altitude, Class D Eggloft Altitude, and Plastic Model Conversion.
 
Once the remainder of the Skywatchers club was 'all in', the rest of the puzzle pieces were put into place: getting the club PA system and tracking equipment in ship-shape working order, providing for porta-potties, building pad number signs, preparing posts and ropes to mark off range perimeters and launch alleys, lining up a local hobby vendor to operate a range store, and many other field /operational accommodations.

This was bound to be big!!

This is a scan of an original HOTROC-1 announcement sent to all Mountain States Region NAR members.

Artwork by me!

Next post:  More on HOTROC-1

Ya Never Know Where You'll Find A Model Rocket Part.

Last night I was out doing some yard work at the BlastFromThePast home.  I have a very large ceramic planter on the front porch that is in need of repair, so I was removing the soil. 

In one trowel full of dirt from deep inside the planter I found this:

This interesting plastic object has a sticker on it that says: "Sharp edge. Be careful." 
In English, Spanish, and French, no less.

Doubtless, it is a safety cover for some sharp-edged gardening tool purchased long ago.

This artifact has been buried in the planter since at least 2007.

After scraping the dirt out from inside and giving the piece a good cleaning with a cotton swab and a little IPA, I pulled out my digital calipers.

.502" in diameter.

Fairly close to BT-5 size.

I smell a little side project coming up for the workbench....

Back In The Day, Part 24 - Managing The Mountains

Warning:  The following account contains a wee bit of ‘The Tootin’ Of Me Own Horn’.  It’s not really an attempt at self-aggrandizement, but the story related herein is of substantial relevance to the on-going history of Skywatchers/ROMAR.

Also, since I don’t even own a horn to toot, I am compelled to borrow the use of someone else’s…

By early1978, I was becoming increasingly concerned with the diminishing level of model rocketry activity along the Colorado Front Range.  Skywatchers model rocket club had dwindled down to just a handful of active members, the Pueblo Association of Rocketry (PAR) had folded a couple of years back, the Rapirhawks had disappeared, and there was no activity to speak of out of Denver.

I still maintained membership in the NAR, but there was absolutely no other Association presence in the vicinity.

Being an idealistic twenty-two year old man at the time, I wrote to NAR headquarters to inquire if there was anything that could be done about the situation, lamenting that it was a shame there was nothing going on in the place where the hobby of model rocketry virtually began.

Someone at HQ listened, and it wasn't long before I received a letter from a Mr.Tom Hoelle, the then-acting Director of Section Activities.  Mr. Hoelle asked if I would be interested in volunteering for the position of Mountain States Region Manager!

I gleefully accepted and soon received an official letter dated March 11, 1978 from Tom, appointing me to the post for a two year term.

The first thing I did as Region Manager was to write to NAR HQ to request a list of current Mountain States Region members, along with their contact info.

With this list in hand, I drafted an introductory letter and sent a signed copy to each member scattered throughout the region, encouraging them to write back and describe the state of affairs in their respective areas.  I also floated the idea of organizing a sanctioned regional contest meet.

The response was overwhelming!  My mailbox began filling up with letters from all over the region.  All of the responders indicated that they were the sole practitioners of the hobby in their locales. As suspected, there were no organized clubs anywhere in the region.  All of these rocketeers were  'lone wolves', flying on their own or with a friend or two.

Several members expressed their astonishment and delight at having been contacted by a 'real NAR official'!  And, yes, they would love to see a regional contest!

I still have every one of these letters ensconced in a large binder as part of my vast model rocketry library.

Ultimately, this outpouring of letter communication eventually led to a major revival of NAR activity in the Mountain States Region.  Within two years we saw the formation of three vibrant NAR sections, including a rebirth of ROMAR, and a series of highly successful annual regional meets.

These will be described in upcoming posts.

OK. I'm done tootin' the horn, now.....

From The Model Rocket Capitol Of The World.....

Even though the mailing envelope doesn't state that, here is a new 2019 Estes catalog I just received in the mail.  It' been many, many moons since I have received any packages from Penrose, so this was quite a thrill!

I am quite impressed with the new format and amount of information to be found in the catalog. There is a trend toward returning to the descriptive text about some of the models.

Reminds me of the old days.

Speaking of which, these two catalogs make a nice pair of half-a-century-wide bookends, wouldn't you agree?

BAR Fleet #120 - Viking

Source: Estes Industries

Kit #: 001949

Type:  Sport Model

Stages: Single

Engine Type: 18mm
Recovery:  Streamer

Length:  30cm

Diameter:  19mm
Weight Empty:  17.3g
Nose Cone:  Tangent Ogive
Fin Type: Swept
Number of Fins: 4
Color Scheme:  Yellow, Yellow-Green

 Date Completed:  9 May, 2019

 This model came to me already built back in the mid-1990s by a friend, Bob Antion.  The original kit employs fiber fins that can be attached in any number of configurations.  The kit instructions claim 48 combinations.  This particular model was built with four fins in rearward swept orientation.

The Viking required only a small amount of refurbishing work and modification to render it in flyable condition. 

 First, the original shock cord was of inadequate length, and I bit brittle from being in storage for twenty-plus years.  It was removed and replaced with a thirty inch length of 1/8” round fiber elastic cord, attached by a three-slot manila card stock mount.

 Because I am averse to taping engines into minimum diameter rockets, I retro-fitted an engine retainer made from .020 diameter music wire.

 All that was left was to spread some thin CA around the inside front of the body tube, apply a fleet number decal, and seal coat the entire rocket with Future ‘Gloss Sauce’.

Overall, this is a very attractive looking model, and a great addition to the fleet. 

I look forward to getting this one out to the launch pad!

Back In The Day, Part 23, More Skywatchers Photos 1975-1979

This is a continuation of the last post in this series.  Here are some more pics.....

Unidentified Skywatchers member hooks up a new Estes Stiletto, 1979



Unidentified member displays his EAC Viper.

This is my old Astron Spaceman model, built in early 1974.  It originally had a white paint job, but was later painted to resemble the 'Starlords' mascot.  Here, he appears to be assuming the attitude of "Quit fooling around, you guys, and let's get on with this!"

Dave Wright returns to the launch area after a long successful model recovery walk.  Photo date unknown.



Unidentified club member readies an Estes Gyroc for flight.  1976

My custom designed booster rocket, the 'Pinnacle', and a parasite glider, the Styrofoam winged 'Mini-Maggot 2', await ignition at a Skywatchers meet. 

Liftoff of an Estes D engine Sky Raider.  ("Hey, that's my old '57 Dodge Coronet in the picture!")

Skywatchers member Lester Coburn inspects his upscale MPC Theta Cajun before flight.  Date unknown.

Liftoff of the Theta Cajun.

My own A-20 Demon, ready for another flight on a 'Mighty D' engine.

A Mean Machine painted sky blue ready for launch.  Date unknown.

Glade Gordon;s Omega/Cineroc and Dave Wright's Odyssey ready to launch.  Date unknown.

Ignition of Glade Gordon's Renegade. Date unknown.

Back In The Day, Part 22 - The Skywatchers Club - 1975-1979

At the end of 1974, Skywatchers/ROMAR was no longer a section of the NAR, as a few of the early members had left, and the club no longer had the required ten NAR license carriers.

But that didn't mean the group was inactive.  Far from it. 

In reality, many local folks of all ages were attracted to the club and joined. At one point in 1975 Skywatchers enjoyed a 25+ member roster. 

The club continued to hold numerous contest meets over the four year period from 1975-79.  Since these weren't NAR sanctioned, some additional competition events were held that weren't found in the Pink Book - things like Eggloft Short Flight, Ping Pong Ball Spot Landing, Parasite Glider duration, and Mini/Maxi Scale (kind of similar to today's Classic Model event, except that we built up-scaled or down-scaled versions of then-existing kits).  Oh, and we started a new tradition in Colorado of holding Odd-ball (Odd-Roc) events at least once or twice a year.

Around this time we had a second local club to compete with - the Rapirhawks, led by Dr. Warren Layfield.

Besides contests, Skywatchers embarked on holding several demo launches throughout each year.  These were mostly sponsored by various local hobby stores, and were conducted in the parking lots of the associated shopping malls.  Other demos were held in conjunction with hobby shows and other similar events.  Once in a while, the club would enjoy a scheduled visit by local newspaper or TV reporters, so we would conduct special demos at the club launch site for the benefit of the professional media cameras.

By far, the most interesting demo put on by the club was conducted in the little rural town of Limon, Colorado.  The provided launch site was located smack-dab in the downtown area, and was flown out of a small vacant lot surrounded by buildings, tall trees, and telephone poles.  Quite interesting....

On yet another occasion, a demo being conducted at a large shopping mall in Colorado Springs was interrupted by the onset of a major Spring blizzard!  Needless to say, the club members running the demo were happy to pack up and hang out at the display tables - inside the mall!

Many of the club business meetings incorporated model-building workshops once the Roberts
Rules of Order stuff was out of the way.  In these workshops, everyone participated in building the same design or kit.  These projects ranged from Gnat boost/gliders to the Cherokee-D, and many others in between.  It was a great way to learn new building techniques and share ideas.

Despite the high level of activity over this five year period, the club gradually dwindled down to half a dozen regular members by 1978. Only three of the original ROMAR charter members remained: Glade & Lillian Gordon, and myself. Other folks came and went, but the club failed to sustain any growth. 

But, not to despair, things were about to change radically in late 1979.

But, that's a subject for another post.

In the meantime, below are some scans of photos I have from the 1975-1979 era of Skywatchers Rocket club.  Most of these photos were taken by me unless otherwise noted. Please forgive the quality of some of the images.  At the time I had a crappy little camera with a super slow shutter speed.  Any launch pictures are quite blurry.  Plus my photography skills at the time were on par with the crappiness of the camera!




Skywatchers member Glade Gordon prepares an upscale Estes Beta for flight on October 3, 1976.
 

A quick note:  By mid 1975, sport meets were no longer flown off the old Peak City racks.  Instead, the club began using a nice sturdy steel launch pad built by Glade Gordon.  This pad featured a central adjustable tower, a 1/8" rod, and a 3/16" rod.  The pad served the club well for many years.  Most of the photos of club rockets are seen on this launch pad.

 

Dave Wright's Maxi V-2 caught at ignition, July 24, 1977. 

 

My Minotaur B/G ready for flight.  This model was designed to fly on the 18mm AVI D engines.
"Uhh...yes, kid....please step away from the launch rack!"

 

An unidentified Skywatchers member preps a Red Max for flight.

 

Dave Wright's Centuri SST Shuttle awaits flight, Feb. 6, 1977

 

If you had just pranged a Mars Lander, how would you react?  Dave Wright demonstrates one way! Feb. 6, 1977

One of my early Rocket/glider birds, the "Zircon" poised for flight in 1976.

Glade Gordon's Maxi-Alpha on the pad awaiting ignition.  Sadly, a moment later, the model was badly damaged by a D engine CATO.  November 27, 1977

 

Even in 1977, a SPEV was a rare bird to be seen at a rocket launch. Feb. 6, 1977

 

Glade Gordon loads up an Estes Renegade on the pad, Jan. 2, 1978.

 

My ol' Big Bertha on the pad in 1976.  The model was a little shorter than normal due to a previous flight mishap.

 

A very small turnout for a competition meet in 1978.  Skywatchers members pose for a photo with Pikes Peak in the background. Left to right: Dave Frederickson (?), Lillian Gordon, Glade Gordon, Ed Mitton, Dave Wright.

 

An Unexpected Model Rocket Windfall

This past Saturday, my wife and I traveled to Colorado Springs to visit some long-time friends there.
After dinner, the gentleman, whose name is Bob, disappeared down the stairs leading to the basement and emerged a few moments later carrying some model rockets, some un-built kits, and a box.
Setting the items down on the table in front of me, he declared, "These are all yours if you want them."

Bob explained that he had bought all of this stuff back in the mid 1990s with the intention of getting into model rocketry and involving his two young daughters .

As it turned out, the kids didn't develop much of an interest - a handful of rockets ended up being built, but none were ever flown. Bob ended up dropping the project himself, soon after.

The rockets and materials have been stored in his basement ever since, never seeing the light of day.  Bob explained that he would probably never use them, so he offered to give them to me, knowing that I am deeply immersed in the hobby, and would make good use of the items.

I thanked him profusely, and accepted the gift, promising I would send him launch photos of any flights of these birds.

Yesterday, I unpacked the boxes and took inventory of all my new rockets and accessories.

First, the built rockets:

Identification of the large model was unknown to me.  Bob couldn't even remember the manufacturer or kit name.  After a little research on the interweb, I learned that this model is the Quest Big Rage, an easy builder's kit utilizing a plastic Nike-Smoke nose cone and fin can, and pre-colored body tubes.

The other two rockets were much easier to identify: an Estes Viking, and a Quark.

The un-built kits in this stash consists of these:

A Quest Icarus, and an Estes Big Daddy.  The latter is perfect for me, since it is a D engine rocket highly suited to the small fields from which I generally launch.  As for the Icarus (and the Big Rage above), I might just have to grab up some of the new quest D's...

Next is the 'mystery box' full of stuff...

 

The first thing I found when I opened the box was this...

 

 

So, the box is identified as the Super Shot starter set from Estes that included two rockets - the Super Shot and Twister, both E2X birds.  The models were missing from this set. 

Inside, I found a complete Porta-Pad II launcher, an Electron Beam controller, and a two piece launch rod, all of which had never been used.

 

 

Other items in the box include instruction sheets for the Super Shot rocket, and the launch controller,

a Rocketeer's Guide booklet, a package of A8-3 engines, a small packet of recovery wadding,

a bag containing a couple of launch lugs, and the plastic tube coupler left over from the Super Shot rocket kit.

 

 

The biggest surprise of all that I found in the box were these:

 

 

 

A whole slew of engines!

 

All of these unopened packs date back to the mid 1990s.  Note that several of them carry the 'COBRA' labeling.  These engines were all produced around the time that Estes began using the new 'starters' and plugs.

 

Bob informed me that the engines have been stored all of these years in his cool, dry basement where there have been no temperature or humidity changes.

 

That's good enough for me!  I fully intend to use them.

 

Now, it's time to really get busy in the BlastFromThePast shop....

 

Cheers!