Launch! Schoolyard October 4, 2013

I'm back home and was anxious to fly a few. Off to the schoolyard for clear skies and no wind.

The FlisKits INTERLOPER was first up with a MicroMaxx engine. MMX launches are great to check your controller batteries and any winds.

The cloned Centuri SATELLITE 62SL was launched with an Estes 1/2A3-4t.
This model is based on the later kits that had 4" long antenna legs. The earlier Centuri kits had 8" long legs.
After a previous unstable flight, I had recently pulled the engine block and a new one was glued in higher up. With the engine sitting closer to the nose the CG would be raised, right?
It flew off vertical in a wide "S" pattern landing 100 yards away. No damage - not stable and retired.
If you make one of these, use the longer 8" long legs.

I had trouble getting these two in the air. Sure, the engines were made in the mid 1970s, but ignition was never a problem before. After trying standard Estes igniters, I ended up using bare nichrome MMX igniters.

The carded down scales flew great with 13mm 1/2A3-5t MPC Minijet engines.
Earlier flights with MMX engines were dissapointing. With the 1/2A engines the altitudes were probably close to 350'!
The GOBLIN nose cone separated and came down close to the body.
No damage to the RED MAX which used simple nose blow recovery.
To insure stability, some clay weight was shoved in the nose cones.



Boost of the Quest RAPTOR with an Estes B6-4 was good to an estimated 300'. Recovery - not as good.

I had powdered the parachute, Quest chutes can stick sometimes.
At ejection it was falling too fast. It looked like three of the six shroud lines had pulled loose, the chute wasn't fully opened.
The Raptor landed pretty hard.













The square red pad pieces were both broken off, the smaller fins cracked at the root edges.

You can see the buckle in the main tube in the picture on the left, above the red ring.
The "Super Shroud" card stock nozzle showed no damage!
While I really like the design, this one has been repaired too many times to mess with. Retired.