Back In The Day, Part 50 - The Old Fleet Rascal Rocket/Glider

Having just finished up a BAR-era build of the Rascal R/G, I dug out my binder of Old Fleet data sheets to dig up whatever I could about my early Rascal, built in 1974.

The model was fleet number 14, built in my fledgling days as a model rocketeer.

Documented flight records indicate that the model was flown nine times!  Not bad for a delicate glider.

The bird's first flight took place on June 15, 1974.  The occasion was an invitational meet sponsored by Dr. Warren Layfield and his then-active club, the Rapihawks.  Hornet, or 1/2A, rocket/glider duration could possibly have been a competition event held at that meet.  A Skywatchers Cosmic Steppingstone newsletter article covering the meet described the flight: "...a Rascal R/G that lived up to its name."

Must not have gone well...

The next seven flights were launched at various Skywatchers sport meets throughout 1974 - 1977.  All flights were powered by 1/2A3-2T motors and are described as meeting with a wide range of success.

Things like erratic boosts, glide times of 15 seconds or less, etc.  The model's eighth flight is recorded as having a straight-up boost on a 1/2A3 motor, catching a thermal that kept it hanging motionless for about 15 seconds, and turning in a minute-plus total duration.  Very likely, this was an ejected-motor casing flight.

The Rascal's ninth and final flight took place on June 20, 1977 at a Skywatchers club sport meet.  I recall that, by this time, I had resorted to allowing the motor to eject from the bird and let it fly as a fixed-pod boost/glider.  For this launched I shoved in an A3-2T motor:

"The model boosted in a wide spiral, with engine ejection occurring at approximately 200 feet altitude. The glider made a beautiful transition and immediately caught a thermal. It was still gaining altitude when the timing team lost sight of it well after three minutes!  The model was not recovered."

Sadly, I don't have a picture of the ol' Rascal, but I do recall that it was built to the published plans.  The glider was probably unfinished balsa with a couple of light spritzes of fluorescent orange spray paint on the wings and horizontal stab. Maybe a fleet number "14" was written on it somewhere.....