Launch Date: September 26th, 2025, PART 2

This is a continuation of the Dove Valley launch report started in the last post.

Please note that it is going to be continuously updated over the next week or so.  I have very limited computer time and a lot of photos to process, and captions to write. I mainly want to get as much material as I can posted here as soon as possible, and polish things up later.  Please bear with me and check back often.

One more note:  All of the photos in this post are accompanied by flight descriptions in each rocketeer's own words.

Enjoy....

       Cory Antosh: The first is a Squirrelworks Dogfight Rocket boost glider, which
would normally boost two gliders, but today was used to boost only one
glider at a time as I attempted my NARTREK Silver Glider duration flight.
The program requires a glider flight of 30 seconds or longer. After a flight
on a B6-2 that lasted about 23 seconds, this flight on a C6-3 resulted in a
66 second glider flight. The glider was recovered without damage. Thanks to
Rich Wallner for timing the flight.

Ed: "Upon arrival at the field, my first order of business was to flight-prep the one glider model I packed along.  This was the Rascal, a fixed-motor rocket glider built from a 1973 design.  Sadly, it didn't survive the nose-dive that it took on its fourth hand-tossed trim test.   Powered flight scrubbed for the Rascal today."

Pictured: The busted Rascal lying amongst the dog-turds...er...the lawn-aeration soil plugs!

"In its stead, I quickly prepped my old tried-and true fleet flagship EAC Viper.
Excellent 19th flight on a B6-4 motor!"
 

Mike Goss's launch day arsenal.

Mike Goss'sShuttle Express (far right in above photo): "This is a Craigslist Rescue Bird that came with a lot of other rocketry items.  All parts were there, the shock cord and mount were replaced with Kevlar and elastic, the parachute was fine and re-used with an added snap-swivel.  The gliders were both rebuilt, both had new rudders, and added tail weight.  One used the original wing with a wire to hold up the elevators, the other had a new wing made with elevators that are on wires to hold their position.  The launch was good on the B6-2, ejection was at apogee with both gliders being released, the Styrofoam wing settled into a tight flat spin, but the balsa winged one circled nicely and landed just after the rocket landed."

Jim Gazur:  "I recently acquired a collection of Flight Systems Inc. motors in original 3-packs (thanks JB!), which prompted me to want to fly some of the individual FSI motors I had collected over the years.  The pinnacle of the FSI black powder offerings, of course, was the F100.  Never mind that it's barely an F with about half the advertised 100 Newton average thrust, it was the most rip-snorting motor a teenager couldn't afford back in the early 1970's.  Given the unknown storage history of a nearly half-century old motor, I built a disposable rocket I wouldn't mind losing.  It uses a hogged-out Estes booster-55 fin unit (thanks Lee!), and a collection of tubing to work down from the BT-55 to the F100's oddball diameter of approximately 27mm.  

"Not surprisingly, at ignition the F100 spit the propellant grain out the front in 4-5 fireballs, somehow appropriate for a motor based on a skyrocket motor meant to lift 1-pound shells.  The Cato shredded the body tube, but it will be an easy fix to graft on a new one."

Rich Wallner:  "Estes Big Bertha on a B6-4.  My 2nd oldest rocket (built in 2006), which hadn't flown since 2016.  Good flight!"

Greg Hauser: "First launch was the Estes Echostar. B6-0, B6-6. Good flight. Probably needed a C6-0 lower stage to get it to go a bit higher."

Dave Bauer, more commonly known as 'Daddyisabar' on the forums, launched a Quest X-15 on a B6-4 motor for a great flight.  No photo available.

Ed: "The next model out of my tote was the ESAM-58 that had suffered a serious CATO mishap on its last flight. The bird now flies sans the lower tube and fins."

" Oddly, the parachute detached from the model after bringing it down to about 30 feet from the turf. Post-flight analysis revealed the shroud lines were twisted and the snap swivel had opened up on its own.  Model and parachute escaped un-harmed.  Very strange..."

Ed: My third and final flight for the day was turned in by the Estes Interceptor. Near- perfect flight on a C6-5 motor.

Earlier in the launch session I had noted that Greg had brought along his beautifully built Interceptor-E.  I had to get a pic of the two birds side-by-side....

MORE TO COME...Check in often!