A Sad Day In Model Rocketry Blog-dom.

 The past few weeks, I have been running ragged with having family staying at our home, coupled with preparation and rehearsal for a music gig with a newly formed band.

It has been about three weeks since I have had the time to sit down at the computer and peruse my favorite blogs and websites.

Imagine my surprise when I clicked into Chris Michielssen's excellent "Model Rocket Building" blog to find the words: 

"The Blog Is Done !"

The post is dated June 30, 2023.

Yep, after 13 years and hundreds of posted model rocket build threads, Chris is knocking it on the head.

My first encounter with Chris's blog was when I became a BAR in 2016. I had just purchased an Estes Lynx kit and was poking around on the web to find more information about it. The first link I encountered was a Lynx build tutorial on a site named "Model Rocket Building".

The series of posts was well-illustrated, comprehensive, and full of nifty tips and general rocket construction techniques.

My Lynx build turned out way better than I'm sure it would have had I not found that series.

Clicking on the home page link, I found a list of similar threads covering many, many other rocket builds spanning all eras and most of the various manufacturers' kits.

What an astounding body of work!

From that day forward, I was hooked.  The superb blog became part of my daily web-surfing regimen.

I can also say that Chris's blog is the primary source of inspiration for my starting up the BlastFromThePast blog !

Being in the blog-writing arena, I marvel at Chris's ability to produce a quality post every single day.  

And for thirteen years, to boot!

That level of dedication and commitment is world class.

Heck, I'm doing very well if I can manage to eke out a blog post once a week!

Anyway, if any of you readers have never had the pleasure of visiting "Model Rocket Building", I strongly urge that you do so. By absorbing Chris's incredible amount of model rocketry building tips, techniques, 'things-to-be-aware-of, and manufacturers' kit history, you can't help to become a better model builder and flier.

The link can be found above on the right side under the "Other Cool Places" list.

Chris states that he does not know how long Google will keep the blog site active.  Personally, I'm not sure if that's a worry. I've encountered some other rocketry blogs using Google's BlogSpot that haven't seen a new post as far back as 2018, and they are still up.

This is good, because I still intend to click into Chris's blog on a daily basis.  There remain vast amounts of older posts and build threads that I have yet to view.

Rocket on....

Another 'Found' Rocket Part.

 I'm always on the lookout for any item that can possibly be used for model rocket construction.

This past Independence Day weekend, I acquired a long cardboard tube that was part of the packaging for some glow-tube necklaces.

This tube is roughly BT- 20 diameter.

When I got it down to the Basement La-BOR-atory, I found that it is slightly smaller than BT-20.  In fact, it fits perfectly inside a dummy yellow tube that comes with some Estes kits for motor spacing.

Short sections of this tubing could possibly be used for building up stage couplers and payload section bulkheads.

It could easily be fitted with a 13mm motor mount for putting together a small-field 'garbage' rocket.

Or it could turn out to be just the right size for a future scale model project.

The possibilities are limitless. 

I just might hold onto this one...

Cheers!

A Near-Miraculous Rocket Recovery !!

During the July 10th launch session at Founders Park in Castle Rock, I flew my scratch-built Astron Alpha.

Powered by a B6-4 motor, the bird flew to a very respectable altitude, popped its ten-inch square para-sheet, and immediately began drifting away, courtesy of a brisk wind aloft.

It didn't take long for the model to clear the flying field boundaries and head directly into a residential area due east.

I lost sight of it during the descent, but Mike Perreault followed it as it passed over some high power transmission lines before disappearing from sight.

Mike and I set out on the search, leaving our significant others and my grandson to stay with the launch gear in our absence.  Since the model had landed somewhere in the middle of a residential neighborhood, I didn't entertain any thoughts of successfully finding it.  

But, it was worth a try.

Following some landmarks that Mike had noted when he last saw the bird, we crossed the street and searched there first.

Next we backtracked and circled around the corner of the first row of houses. This led us to a large greenway / power line easement that was grown over with waist-high grasses and weeds. Oh, Joy!

I had noted that the estimated drift path of the Alpha had passed over the third house in from the street, so we resumed our search in the field behind that particular house. Carefully scanning the vegetation as we passed through the field revealed no presence of a red parachute and attached white model rocket.

I was encouraged by the fact that there was no Alpha hanging from those tall power lines!

Our trek led us to an access pathway between two houses in the neighborhood beyond the field.

Emerging onto the street, we still saw no sign of the Alpha. 

It wasn't until we reached a point where the street curved that, lo and behold, there was the model lying  in the road near the curb!

Mike and I were completely astounded that the model had landed in the open like that, avoiding so many house rooftops, fenced yards, and rocket-eating trees!

Here is a satellite view of the area, courtesy of Google Maps. The red line is the model's drift path, and the blue arrows represent the path that Mike and I followed during search and recovery.

The Alpha did sustain quite a bit of 'road rash' from bouncing onto an asphalt surface, but I'll certainly take that over losing the model entirely.

A little paint touch-up, and it's all good!

Fleet #114 now proudly resides back in its spot in the rocket collection cabinet.

Cheers!!

Launch Date: July10th, 2023

 This post is very much after-the-fact. I had family staying at our home with the associated whirlwind of activity.  At the same time, I had a music gig with a newly formed band for which I only had three weeks of prep and rehearsal time.

So, very little time has been spent at the computer.  Better late than never, I guess.

A hastily planned launch at Founders Park was put together for the benefit of my five-year-old grandson who was visiting for the week.

Mike Perreault, our neighbor from across the street, also was invited to participate.

Arriving at the park at 10 a.m., we found one corner of the field occupied by youth soccer practice, but we had plenty of open space for our operation.

A sustained 5mph wind was blowing out of the west, more than what had showed up on the local weather models. Also it was blowing across the shorter dimension of the field, limiting downrange recovery area.

The first models off the pad consisted of a simultaneous launch of Mike's newly-built High Flier and my EAC Viper. 

Both birds flew very well and were recovered successfully.

This is a pic of my young grand-kiddo after running out on recovery and bringing in the Viper.  

It turns out that he pushed the launch button for one of Mike's birds and all of my own flights. He was also a very enthusiastic one-kid recovery crew.

Mike Perreault's Flights....

Mike kindly sent a written synopsis of all his flights, so rather than duplicate his efforts, I took the liberty to cut and paste them here.  Take it away, Mike...

"So … last week we got out to put some rockets into the air.   For me, it was my 3rd time flying, and a time to try a few things and learn a bit more.

I brought 3 rockets back for their third go round; Purple Haze, Patriot M-104 and the Bull Pup 12D.   I also had two new rockets making their debut, a Mini Honest John and the Hi-Flier.

Every time we fly, I take away a lot of knowledge, from what worked and what didn’t, and from the wealth of knowledge that the other flyers freely share.

This trip I was experimenting with spill holes in the recovery chutes.   I am using the standard Estes chutes, in 12” and one 15”.  I cut spill holes in a couple of the 12” and the 15”, each about the size of the center logo.   Was looking to see the impact on decent rate and the oscillation of the rocket in decent.

The wind was blowing a little more than the forecast lead us to believe, so we were going to try and fly low.

My first shot was the Bull Pup.  I tried it on an A8-3.  I know this was not a recommended engine, but we all agreed it was worth a try.  

 The Bull Pup ripped towards the sky from the launch site, gracefully arched over at, roughly 50’, and belly flopped in the grass.   After a moment, it successfully deployed its recovery chute.    A safe landing … and a motor combo that we will not repeat.   

I repacked it (same wadding ), popped in a B4-4 and sent it towards the clouds.   A perfect deploy and great landing, involving a very short walk.   This one had a chute with a spill hole, and I really did not see much difference in the return.   It was hard to gauge the effect on oscillation, as the breeze was a bit stiffer than the previous days of flying.

Next I flew Purple Haze, on a B4-4.   A perfect deploy and recovery. 

Next up in the queue was the Mini Honest John.  This would be the maiden flight.  This rocket is also the first that I finished airbrushing with the Createx Acrylic Paint.   I loaded this with an A10-3T and sent it skyward.   A perfect flight, with a perfect recovery.

Next up was the Hi-Flier, on a B4-4.   This would be my first flight with a streamer recovery.   It flew straight and deployed perfectly, landing about 50 feet from the pad.   I did notice that the streamer (fastened with packing tape) had slid on the shock cord (120 Kevlar), so a place to develop a better attachment method.   Stay tuned, as there is another streamer recovery rocket, under development, on the bench.

Last to the pad was my Patriot missile.   Have to say, my favorite.  Loaded it up with a B4-4 and sent it flying.  A great flight, with a perfect recovery.

Before we wrapped up, I promised Ed’s grand-son (our recovery team technician) a chance to launch one from my pad.   We picked the Mini Honest John.  Oliver called a perfect launch, and sent it high into the sky.   At apogee, I heard the pop of the ejection, and watched it lawn dart into the soft turf.   My first lawn dart.   And happy the turf was soft.

Not wanting to end on that note, I repacked the chute, stuffed another A10-3T into the engine bay and sent it off for a perfect flight and recovery.   A great end to the day.

So … will learn more about the spill hole impact on the next outing.  Should also have at least one new rocket, sporting some Candy Lemon paint ready to fly.  May be adapting it down from 24mm to 18mm to fit the field. 

Cheers"

Ed's Flights...

My second launch of the day went to an Astron Alpha on a B6-4.  Perfect boost, but the motor choice was a little too much for the wind conditions.  The model drifted out of the park and led to a merry chase and recovery.  More on that in a future post.

The next bird to leave my launch pad was an ESAM-58.  This time there would be no long recovery journey - the big model flew on a B6-4 - low and slow.  Perfect flight.

My final flight for the day was the Griffin-2, a custom designed bird.  This one also turned in a perfect flight on a B6-4 motor.

I had also brought along a Crossfire ISX to fly, but I only had B and C motors left in the range box.  Not wanting to go on another chase to the next county, I opted out on that one.

With this done, we packed up and left the field to the soccer folks...

Deltie Airshow Gliders Finished

 I finally managed to sit down the past couple of evenings and take some permanent markers to the three Deltie gliders of this build.

Since this is an 'Air Show' model, I decided to render them in red, white and blue.

The bottom sides of the delta wings are solid blue to provide greater visibility during gliding flight.

On a whim, I also painted on some cockpit canopy windows, and applied a silver Sharpie finish to the nose of each glider.

All that remains is to tote them out to a nearby park and do some glide trimming operations.

Also on the build docket is finishing up the booster vehicle for these babies.

This should be quite a fun bird to fly under power.

Stay tuned.....

Launch Date: June 9th, 2023

 Friday, June 9, the Colorado Front Range was blessed with some very fine weather, prompting a rocket-flying jaunt to Founders Park in Castle Rock.

On hand to poke some holes in the sky were Mike Goss, Mike Perreault, David Frey and family: wife Anne, and two sons: Xander and Maximus.  Of course, Yours Truly Blogger was present, as well. 

Collectively, well over 30 flights were logged in a two and a half hour session (I lost count).  The prevailing wind was very minimal, perhaps averaging 2mph with occasional gusts of no more than 7mph. 

Rather than continue to engage in excessive blog-blabber, here are the pics:

Mike Perreault's 220 Swift ready for flight.

Liftoff on an A motor. The tiny bird was lost among the many
similarly colored dandelions dotting the field. 

Mike Perreault's nicely built Patriot

Liftoff!

The model later turned in a second successful flight.

My EAC Viper flagship ready for flight.

Flying on a B6-4, the model turned in a great flight, landing on the nearby street.  No damage!

Quiz for you blog readers:  name all these rockets!!
This is Mike Goss's arsenal of models all prepped for the day's launch.

Mike's first launch of the session was made by a Semroc Rawhide.

Great flight on a 1/2A motor!

Mike Goss's Duck Dodgers Cadet Cruiser from MPC.

The model was well photographed...

...and liftoff!

Mike Perreault's nicely constructed Bullpup set to fly.

This is the first of two successful launches of the bird.

Those pesky aliens are exploring again!
Mike Goss's Alien Explorer set for take-off.

Nice flight on B4-4 power.

My Quest Icarus with an 808 video camera strapped to the
payload section ready for flight on a C6-5.

Since both Mikes had birds ready to go on adjacent pads, we decided it might be cool to do a near-simultaneous launch to try and catch their liftoffs on the Icarus's flight video.

The Icarus leaves the pad first, closely followed by Mike Goss's Crossfire ISX.  Unfortunately, Mike Perrault's Purple Haze experienced an ignition failure.
The experiment was all for naught, however, when it was discovered that the video camera had failed to operate.  No video on this one!

A pre-flight photo of Mr. Goss's Crossfire ISX set for launch on an A8-3,

Mike Perreault is shown here launching his Purple Haze,
an Estes Patriot with an alternate paint scheme.
Mike flew the bird several times this day on B and C motors.

Mike Goss was soon back in action with a highly unusual model -
a halloween candy bowl obtained from the local dollar store!

Will she fly ???

You bet !!  On a D12-0, no less. 

By this time, the Frey family had their first model on the pad and ready to go. 
This is Anne Frey's "Gary", an Estes Baby Bertha, powered by an A8-3 motor.
Anne is new to the hobby, and enjoyed a successful launch and recovery of the bird!

The weather was good enough to allow me to make the call on flying the Big Daddy I had brought along. This is me apparently trying to talk the large model into NOT lawn-darting!

A D12-3 motor sends the big bird off on a perfect flight and recovery!

Mike Goss's Sequoia ready to fly on an A3-4T motor.

Off for a perfect flight!

Here, Max Frey is seen launching his Alpha III on an A8-3 motor.
The model turned in a perfect flight!

An Estes Lynx, courtesy of Mike Goss...

...takes to the skies for a perfect flight.  The model landed square in one of the soccer nets that dotted the field. SCORE!!

Mike Perreault's newly built Estes Orange Bullet on the pad.

A perfect launch and flight!

Not so much the landing.  The model took a hard hit on some asphalt
outside the park perimeter.  Ouch!

Mike Goss quickly had another model on the launcher, this time a scale Nike Smoke.

Off to a great flight on a B4-4!

David Frey was up next with a 3D printed model, a WAC Corporal.

The bird turned in a great run on a B4-4 motor, but suffered
a loss of the motor retainer.

My next flight went to a Citation Patriot loaded with a C6-5 motor.

Great launch and recovery.

Mike Goss's Quest Big Betty ready for take-off.

A perfect flight on B6-4 power.

David Frey was soon back in the action with an Estes Hi Flier XL
which he renamed 'Skylicker'

Launched by a young neighborhood visitor known only as "Mike", the Skylicker roared off the pad for the day's most spectacular flight.
Motor used? An E20-4 ! 
It's quite probable that this is the highest total impulse motor
yet to be flown at Founders Park.
In David's words, "The motor report definitely got everyone's attention!"
Sadly, the model drifted down and landed in the very top of a forty-foot Rocket Eating Tree located at the south end of the park, not to be retrieved.

Next up, Mike Goss ignited a B6-4 motor attached to a very nice-looking model,
the Estes Gray Hawk.

Perfect launch and recovery on a nylon 'chute.

A nice liftoff shot of Mike Perreault's Purple Haze,
sent aloft on its third flight of the day.

Mike Goss launched the second 220 Swift flight of the day.  Flying on 1/4A power, the model was 'swiftly' lost. During the search for the downed model, Mike Perreault found his own Swift model launched earlier.

My next model to fly was a Nike X.

An excellent B6-4 propelled launch.

The launch of a Cosmic Explorer marked Mike Goss's final flight of the day. 
Mike managed to fly thirteen different birds this session, thanks to having
everything pre-prepped the day before.

Liftoff for a perfect flight mission!

My final flight of the day went to the Griffin-2, a re-build of a
custom design dating back to 1975.

Liftoff of the Griifin-2 for the start of a perfect flight and recovery.

Mike Perreault ended the day's flying with another great flight of his Bullpup model. I didn't happen to get any pics of this one.

And 'little' Mike - our mysterious young visitor - he suddenly turned about and walked off the field without a word after learning a lot about model rockets and launching several of our models.

Perhaps we might see him again in the future....

For my part, I had a very rare day marked by seven flights without a single 'chute' failure, no losses, and  return of all models in perfect un-damaged condition.

Cheers !