Bayboro Feb09 Report

Bayboro Launch Report: February 28 – March 1, 2009

The weather forecasts were just awful for both days, and had I not made some rather ill-considered promises about NEVER canceling a rocket launch, I would have been at home this weekend, puttering away in my basement or writing my articles for Extreme Rocketry.

But, I promised, and I was up before dawn on Saturday, driving through the rain towards Bayboro. As I crossed the river at New Bern, the rain slackened to a drizzle and the wind died down a little. When I got the the field at 10:00, there were already two TARC teams on site, prepping rockets. We set up some equipment and managed to get off 13 flights before the rain picked up again around 2:00 and the wind became simply unbearable.

A small motor use summary:

Size	No.
½ A	1
A	1
B	1
C	3
D	1
E	1
F	4
G	1
Total	13

Our usual 2 TARC teams were there, working hard on acquiring baseline information. Team Harrell was back with the repaired Egg Carton making 2 flights on the Aerotech F52T. They are getting consistent flight data now, but are a little low and a little short, the rocket will have to be lightened somehow. The David Hash/Ben Izatt/Greg Izatt team, with the rocket called The Ever-Fragrant Perfume of Divinity v2.5, is getting dialed in at the right time: Saturday’s flight was to 722’ and lasted 43.4 seconds. That is extremely good news because fixing one will help with the other, in the right direction..

In addition, we had a new TARC team, this one from Fike High School in Wilson, NC, making their first flight. They have some details to work on but I have great hopes that we will see them back at a launch in the near future.

Speaking of launches in the near future, remember that we are flying at Bayboro again in 2 weeks, this time with the Research Launch on Saturday and the sport launch on Sunday.

It was great to see the entire Lovelace family join us on Saturday and set up a tent for prepping rockets out of the rain. Tanner, Janell, and Bram Lovelace were there with their friend Jennifer Morgan. Kevin Murray was back and made a couple of very nice flights with his Initiator after we got the ignitor problems worked out. Can’t somebody come up with a more reliable way to ignite small motors than a "Copperhead"?

This months favorite rocket name was a new rocket built by Natalie Harrell, called the Calvinator after the Calvin and Hobbes cartoon series. There is a great story behind the name, but I’ll let Natalie tell that one.

David Hash the elder was there and Paul Hoetjes returned the launch equipment to the trailer and they both stayed to help with packing the trailer, many thanks to you both!

Saturday night was wet and cold and rainy and I found out that my favorite sea-food restaurant in New Bern has closed permanently. Bummer!

Sunday was like Saturday except colder and windier. Nobody showed up and by noon I was pulling the trailer back to Lionel’s.

Alan Whitmore

Prefect, Tripoli East NC

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