Launch! Schoolyard Soccer Field, July 21, 2013

I didn't go to the Tampa TTRA launch yesterday.
A full day of launching in the Florida Summer heat can be hard to get through.
Another reason for not making the 1 1/2 hour drive, the LPR launchers are in rough shape. There is only four LPR pads, sometimes only two lines are working.
I didn't feel like paying a launch fee and hoping to get a few in the air.
The field is huge and the people are great, just fix the equipment please!
I headed over to the schoolyard a little after 7:00 a.m Sunday morning.

Here's a new one - The FlisKits MMX SATURN V.
This thing is tiny and a challenge to build. It's only 4.75" tall from above the shroud to the escape tower tip. On the bottom is a card stock shroud for stability.
Very stable off the pad, probably got to 60 feet. Whoo-hoo!
The nose section did eject but a melted plastic streamer stayed inside.
Break-apart recovery was still fine, no damage when recovered.

A blog build is upcoming -    

I was hoping to fly the Quest plastic MMX Saturn for a comparison. I couldn't get it over the MMX launch rod, the plastic lug holes were too small! 

This one stays in my range box, loaded and ready to fly.
The Quest VIPER is actually pretty good for a starter kit.
The Quest A6-4 got it up to around 250'.
The spill hole in the chute brought it back close.






Over the last few days I made a CHEROKEE GOON.
1/4 oz. of clay was pressed into the nose cone. This much weight should be good for launching with B6-4s.
The first launch today was with an A8-3 to an estimated 300'.
Full parachute deploy and no damage on recovery.
Sorry, not much of a launch shot!

I've just refinished a beaten HONEST GOON.
This model has been through the wringer, plenty of air time and a test subject for many different clear coats.
Decals were lifted and everything sanded clean.
New decals were drawn up, less were applied this time. The fins got the appropriate black and white treatment.

Launched with a B6-4 it got to an estimated 325' with garbage bag parachute recovery. No damage.



Also flown:
Estes STINGRAY Mk-109 with an A10-3t in a 5/20 adapter.
Not much altitude, still a complete flight to 225'.