Launch Report – June 24-25, 2006

This report records our first meeting at our new field, the Marriot farm near Battleboro, NC. The first thing that greeted us upon arrival was a very scary-looking stand of corn! (See picture below). The wind was quite calm, however, and the direction of that wind was out of the southeast, toward a huge expanse filled with cotton plants no more than 6 inches high. Excellent!

Turnout was excellent on Saturday, but the weather report on Sunday kept most flyers away. The rains came around 1:30 Sunday afternoon, and Paul Hoetjes and I got VERY wet packing up the equipment. First the big news – the winners of the two contests I announced for the inaugural launch at our new field. Contest 1 was the Family Contest: What family unit could make the most launches on one day? This was won by the Watson family: John, Caleb and Sabella Watson made 9 total flights on Saturday. [I had to do some cogitation to figure this one out, because 2 individual flyers made more flight, but none of their other family members also flew on the same day, so they didn’t fit the strict requirements.

Contest 2 was the largest installed motor impulse flown in a rocket recovered the same day. This was won by Jeff Goldstein, who flew his Little John on a Cesaroni J330 (765 N.s of total impulse according to CAR statistics) and recovered the rocket next to his tent. This flight also had the distinction of being the first high-power rocket flight at the Marriot farm site.

John Watson and Jeff Goldstein have won themselves free registration fees for one year. Congratulations! Another historic datum: Charles Perkins IV holds the distinction of having made the first ever rocket flight at the Battleboro site, his Python 4 on a C6-7.

Here’s the motor use summary:

That’s excellent, I think, for a new field and a 2-month layoff. Lots of families made the trip; Alex and Mark Fredrickson, the Wallace family – Gregg, Monica, and Dustin, Nicholas and John Hobson, and Gary Nance would have been there with his family, but his daughter got sick on the way to the field, and had to be driven back home. It was great to see all of the old friends that I made at Whitakers come to the new field and put up some serious flights.

Dave Morey had a fine Saturday, with a variety of successful flights ranging from the delicate and beautiful Tilus Boost Glider on a 1/2A motor, to the test of his bowling ball duration flight entry for this year’s LDRS in the panhandle of Texas. The parachute on this project (made by Liz Morey!) was absolutely beautiful, and brought the ball down very slow indeed. Dave also flew the Sinister 24 to great effect on some air-started combination of F’s and E’s.

Jim Varrone also had a stout entry for the biggest installed total impulse contest, his PML Modified Samuri flown on an Aerotech J350W, but the AT motor is just about a 100 N.s shy of the Cesaroni unit, so Jeff gets the win.

Only one rocket was lost in the trees, and it was recovered by Bird-Dog the next day. Thanks again John! Jeff, John will take good care of your Stretched Bull-Pup. John Hamill was one of several people who noticed the large number of projectile points and chips from point working workshops that could be found in the cultivated fields at the Marriot farm. When you visit Battleboro for future launches, be sure to keep your eyes open when walking on or near cultivated earth.

A team of aerospace and engineering students from NC State University visited us this weekend and made 3 fine flights on their first rocket, named Aurora. All flights went very well and we expect bigger things in the future.

Finally, we all want to wish a safe trip to all of our members who are making the trip to Amarillo for LDRS. Take lots of pictures.

Alan Whitmore, Prefect

Tripoli NC