After a building session last week, we had students from the Princeton Elementary School join us. Lots of Estes Gnomes flew with 1/2A3-4t engines.
Roger Smith was there with his camera. He's put together a great video highlighting the class and their first launches HERE.
With wind gusts up to 20 mph, many heeded Brian's advice to switch out parachutes for streamers. There may have been only one rocket lost.
From left to right:
Greg's Big Daddy with a D12-5, Tom's Patriot with a C6-5, Chris with a older Custom and a C6-5 and Jim's tube rocket loaded with an E9-4. Jim's Tube rocket landed in a tree, but was recovered.
My first in the air was the Odd'l Rockets UP! CUP with a C6-3.
Did I mention the wind gusts up to 20 mph? The Up! Cup flew straight up even with the wind.
Next to the cup is one of the 20 (or so) Gnomes that flew throughout the day.
Lot's of excited students and rocket Moms cheered on their kids.
Here's my favorite model of the day -
Tom Dennon built a beautiful carded Aries Stick launched with a D12-5.
Boost was perfect. At ejection, the lower section parachute didn't eject. While the upper half floated in, the lower half nosed in and buckled at impact.
Tom took it in stride and talked about a rebuild.
My 260 BOOSTER did a very tight loop under a C6-5 boost then went vertical again!
I though I'd find clear fins cracked off at the launcher but the picture shows the landing.
All four fins were still attached at the root edge. One fin was cracked off down the middle!
A TRF forum member commented the extra weight of the C6-5 may have caused the unstable flight. When this plan was printed in 1965, the most powerful available engine was a (lighter) "B"!
After a long day of flying our annual section meeting was held.
Bracha Smith was welcomed as section treasurer.
Even after starting to pack up the launch equipment, three more flyers showed up!
My also flowns:
Odd'l Rockets PIPELINE with a B6-4. Fast spin at boost with a reefed parachute recovery.
FlisKits HONEST JOHN with a MMX engine. I lost sight at launch but saw it falling at the horizon.
Quest STRIKER AGM with a B6-4. I had it prepped with a C engine but with the wind put in a B. Not much altitude, this is really a C engine rocket. At ejection you could hear the nose cone sanp back and hit the body tube. That, and another fin broken off the plastic tailcone.
FlisKits ATHENA Saucer with a A10-3t. Very stable and landed on the wire antenna.
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