Fall WELD, October 10 – 12, 2003
I’ll be brief. The weather turned this event to a one-day launch and attendance was way down. Only 7 flights were made all weekend.
On Friday, Alan Whitmore flew the Astro*Mollusc on a 4-grain 38mm I motor formulated from the Black Iron Oxide-catalyzed propellant ‘ghetto blaster’. Less than 1000 feet of altitude, but a long walk and a long search through the cotton under a wet and lowering sky.
On Saturday, Mark Brown stayed under the clouds with 2 flying saucer flights, one on a single use 38mm H motor in a slow-burn red-flame formula, that was shortened by a forward seal failure, and another “flight” with the smaller saucer on a micro hybrid motor that did not actually leave the launch rod. Good entertainment value however, Mark put on the only show on a day that featured a cloud cover that was not a lot higher than that of the average high school gymnasium.
The weather on Sunday was superb! Calm winds and beautiful blue skies dotted with scattered clouds. Dave Muesing was on hand with a new rocket, the Proto VIII, which he flew on a 6-grain 54mm motor that was probably a mid-K, made from his hottest propellant: a potassium nitrate/magnesium/epoxy mixture that really rocked! Those of us who remembered the somewhat lazy launch of the Proto VII last month were surprised and delighted at the raw power of this motor. Nice job Dave!
Jim Livingston flew his big Nine-O-Mite with a 4-grain 76mm full L made from the dead-reliable CP3 formula for a perfect flight and perfect recovery. He reports 2800 feet in a 49 lb. rocket.
Alan Whitmore flew the Confusing Fall Warbler on a 4-grain 54mm large J or small K that was cast in a new formula containing a food-industry catalyst called E118P. The flame was pinkish-purple, the burn was fast, and the 10 lb. rocket topped out at 5882 feet. The main parachute did not make it all the way out of the body tube, so I have to glue a fin back in place. The CFW will be back in November.
The climax to the whole weekend was a fabulous sparky motor made by Ed Rowe. Ed worked around a foot injury to bring his Standard Arm down from Toano and fly it on a 54mm K motor filled with titanium sponge and swarf. The burn was very loud and flashy and the recovery was perfect.