Launch, Orlando R.O.C.K., July 5, 2014

It's Florida, hot and humid. Why do we do this to ourselves every Summer?
There weren't as many flyers as in June. Rain was forecast and it's the Holiday weekend so a smaller turnout was expected.
Today was meant to be the shakedown for the Little Green Man. I arrived late, around 11:00 a.m.


The LITTLE GREEN MAN was first flown with an Estes B6-4. Stable, full deploy with no damage on recovery. Height? Maybe 325 feet.

Lonnie B. had plenty of new models and engines bought from a hobbyist getting out of rocketry. These looked to be well built models.

On the right is the top of a Mercury Redstone styled A.C.M.E. Spitfire.
Lonnie prepped it with a D12 engine and it fire balled.
The model was still smoldering on the inside and the BT-50 interior tube pretty torn up.
Lonnie's Skywriter flew higher than expected with a C6-5. It might be lost in a tree.



Here's Kirby and John.
John launched his Estes Tazer with a C6-5. Great altitude but too much drift over the main road and into the trees.
Kirby went out with his extension pole to help get it down.
By the time he got to the road, John found his rocket, on the ground and clear of the trees.





It took two igniters to get the MMX Fliskits M.A.C.M.E. in the air.
I thought it would only go 15 feet but was surprised when the apogee was closer to 35'.

The streamer blew out and it was recovered in the grass with no damage.





I really wanted a C6-5 flight on the Little Green Man today.
I left an igniter lead over a foot and the entire flight was on the launcher.
This picture was taken after ejection. Altitude 2".
I haven't had a stuck flight in years.




My last two flights - first was the CHEROKEE GOON with a Quest B6-4.
Great altitude to probably 350', no damage on recovery.
Finally got the LITTLE GREEN MAN up on a Estes C6-5!
Stable with a slow turn during boost. The slow turn is probably from the three upturned feet.
Altitude is an estimated 600'. A spill hole cut in the parachute kept it close.

Only four flights today. Arriving late and ignition problems with the MMX MACME, slowed me up. But, two more good test flights for L.G.M. is progress!