LAUNCH! Orlando R.O.C.K Monthly, July 2, 2011

It was great to fly with the Orlando group again. Brian and Tom always run a well organized launch. All nine pads work flawlessly. We had 23 flyers today. Lots of families, lots of flights.



Flying with us today was Brent York. Brent started Rouge Aerospace.
When you have the chance, check out his designs on RocketReviews.com HERE
He's holding the original prototype for his tube finned HEX COURIER.

We had a Spot Landing Contest today sponsored by "Shoot for the Stars."
ALPHA kits (with the balsa fins) were available to be built on site and flown with A8-3 engines.
Here's Jose Morales tying up the parachute and shock cord.
Veronica had the closest flight at 17 inches from the target!




One of my favorite designers is Ken Cooper. He always brings a new design with stellar workmanship.
Ken is holding his TRIPOWER rocket. It flys with three D12s. Today, only one D ignited and it got hung up on the launcher. I know he'll be back to try it again.






This is my Dr. Zooch ARES 1 STICK flown today with an Estes B6-4. Big altitude and recovery under an 8" garbage bag parachute.

Here's the members of the Riley and Osborn Rocket Club. The whole family wore custom matching shirts made by Mom. That's Osborn and Riley in front.






Carl Campbell from DFR Technologies flew the DELTA II. This is the same one I built for him on the blog, see the build HERE.
This was the first flight for this build and I was a little nervous. With a C6-5 it had a great, straight boost. But, at recovery, the screw eye pulled out of the balsa adapter! We found everything and it's still in "just finished" condition. I checked the screw eye, it had been screwed in with epoxy. The threads on the screw eye had balsa glued to it.



My Centuri GROOVE TUBE clone flew twice, with A8-3 and B6-4 engines. Great flights with a "Hillbilly Hat" reefed parachute.

Also flown: (by me)
PIGASUS with a Estes B6-4 engine. Straight boost. This is a favorite with all the wives and kids.

The Stellar Dimensions XANADUNE with a Estes B6-4. I ended up friction fitting the engine when I couldn't find the engine lock ring. I stuffed small pieces of wadding into the square body sides around the engine to prevent blow-by of the ejection charge. To no avail, the engine blew out the back and just the nose cone separated. It fell tethered together by the shock cord and landed without damage.

My best flight of the day was the Semroc POINT with a 35 year old Estes C6-3. It worked just as it should. Rigid chute recovery.

ASP Micro WAC CORPORAL with TINY TIM BOOSTER. I had some trouble today trying to get ignition using recycled igniters. Our section president Brian Coyle offerred up a new MMX igniter and we had ignition. At ejection, the booster separated. The knot in the Kevlar wasn't big enough and it slipped through the clear tube hole. All repairable and will fly again.