LAUNCH! Schoolyard 11/30/10

Two MicroMaxx downscales, one prototype and a new downscale flew this morning.

There was no breeze, but it was overcast and a very light mist of rain was falling. Good thing I clear coated the carded models.

Here's the newest downscale, plans will be released for free! Follow this blog and I'll let you know when it's available to print out and build.

It's the classic Estes PATRIOT built around a BT-20 body tube. It stands 11 5/8" tall. First flight was with a 1/2A3-2t. Stable with full streamer recovery.

This is the smaller 13mm UP! CUP. It flew pretty high (considering the drag) on an A10-3t. It just takes an extra moment to connect up the igniter leads.

Third up was the MicroMaxx CLOUD HOPPER. Flight was vertical with a slight tail wag on boost. It looks like I'll have to touch up the whiskers, nose and mouth with a fine point Sharpie pen.

Finally the SKY WRITER MMX downscale flew for the 15th time! I've been trying to include it at every schoolyard launch.

In all four launches I used re-cycled MicroMaxx bare nichrome igniters with my six volt controller. A 12 volt controller would probably burn thru these igniters.

You might be asking - Why bother to fly the small stuff?

Large, adequate flying fields are hard to come by. These schoolyard launches are on a soccer field. The small sessions keep me active between flying larger rockets at our Orlando R.O.C.K. and Bunnell N.E.F.A.R. group launches.