Launch! Schoolyard Soccer Field, September 7, 2019

Usually the first Saturday of the month is Launch Day for the Orlando ROCK. Rain from hurricane Dorian has the field too wet to allow cars on the field.

I wasn't going to the club launch today - Lowe's was supposed to install my new patio door but the delivery guys screwed up! No door install, no club launch? Off to the schoolyard for a maximum B6-4 launches.

Still a favorite for first off the pad - 
The Estes CURVILINEAR with an A8-3.
Altitude was an estimated 200' with 12" chute recovery.
Okay, launcher batteries are good, launch rod angle good, the camera works - moving on.

My old Hot Rod Rockets BELL BOTTOM was perfect with a 13mm A3-4t engine. This 22nd launch probably got to 300' with a loud pop from a strong ejection charge. The ribbed plastic streamer brought it back close.

The grass is very wet and so are my shoes - no mud but lots of morning dew. I always pack paper towels to dry off rockets when they touch down.




My Odd'l Rockets STEALTH was another A8-3 flight.
Everything looked great until a second after ejection when I realized the shock cord snapped - unusual for the elastic I use.
No damage and the nose cone with chute landed close.





I had prepped my Estes Saros clone for flight but couldn't pull the friction fit engine to see what it was. If it was a B6-4, it would fly too high for this small field. I didn't take the chance on losing it. When I got home I found out it was a B6-4.

Final flight of the morning, the Semroc CENTURION.
This is the one with interchangeable engine mounts, today it flew with a Estes B6-4 to 275'.
The Centuri style baffle worked like a charm - no wadding and no melts on the 12" parachute.







Keep the camera running - 
I caught this right before the nose cone and chute touched the ground. Gee, that's a beautiful parachute.

Only four launches this morning, but four recoveries with only a broken shock cord.