LAUNCH! TTRA Tampa, May 21, 2011

To be honest - the low power pads at the TTRA launches could use some repair.

While waiting for the only two available LPR pads, the line was cut into and crowded by a dozen enthusiastic boy scouts.
I decided to come back later when two more LPR pads opened up.

The Odd'l Rockets WEDGIE flew well and stable with an Estes C6-3.
That's me connecting the clips on my GOBLIN clone with a C6-5 engine.
A long streamer brought it down into the line of cars. No damage to the cars or rocket.

Roger Smith (jonrocket.com and rocketreviews.com) had a great boost on his VERTICAL ASSAULT rocket with a CTI J330.
After his highest flight of 4,312 feet, deployment was a little late.

Roger, your zipper is down.

Brian Urban at the recovery of his scratch built PERSHING.

If you are ever at a Tampa TTRA launch, check out Brian's workmanship. Truly, some of the best craftsmanship I've seen in a long time.

Lonnie Buchanon always brings some vintage models to fly.
That's a Estes Citation PATRIOT ready to fly on a C6-5.
It is original right down to the tape strips holding the shroud lines on the parachute.
Sure the decals are a little yellow, but I wouldn't change a thing.
A classic design and true flier.

This is Carl Campbell of DFR Technologies with the Delta IV. This is a five engine cluster, (check out all the clips in the inset picture) four A10s surrounding a central C6-5.
It was fast off the pad with a little wiggle. It could have just been an outboard A10 igniting a fraction of a second late. Impressive flight and recovery.

Carl had a perfect flight with a Sheri's Hot Rockets Mercury Redstone.
His Semroc Saturn 1B didn't fare as well. You can check out the picture analysis HERE on TRF. Carl just shrugged his shoulders and is planning a rebuild!

Roger Smith took plenty of great launch pictures. there are posted HERE.
His camera is better suited for capturing distant launch shots than my point and shoot.

Also flown:
Dr. Zooch ATLAS AGENA with a 36 year old Centuri C6-5.
It performed like a new engine but with a lot more smoke in the 5 second delay. On recovery, the Atlas Agena seemed to hang too long in a thermal.