Launch Report October 9-10, 2004: Fall WELD

The WELD events are Whitakers Experimental Launch Days, 2-day events at which the small but dynamic group of Experimental motor makers gathers at Whitakers to fly the very biggest and most ambitious of their projects. Some of these projects take years to bring to fruition and test the motor design, rocket construction, and recovery abilities of the flyers to the absolute maximum.

The weather at most WELD events is terrible, featuring high winds, hurricane flooding, thunderstorms, rain, rain and torrential rain. This year was entirely different. Saturday started with some fog, but that cleared away to clear, blue skies, about 70 degrees, and DEAD CALM winds! The flying continued right up until 6:00 PM, as all those in attendance realized that we would not see weather this good for many months. Sunday was almost as good: a light wind out of the North tended to push anything that popped a parachute too early over into the cotton, but the skies were blue, the flies were gone, and the temperature was mild. A wonderful, memorable weekend.

Here is the motor use summary:

One interesting feature of this month’s activities was the large number of collaborative projects featuring rocket prep by one flyer and motor prep by another. By my count, 9 of the 25 flights this weekend were collaborative flights. And this is only the narrowest definition of a “collaborative project”, most rockets larger than about 25 pounds need several ‘helpers’ to get them assembled, carried to the pads, set up, and recovered. At one point or another, everybody was helping someone else get something done, the cooperative atmosphere was very gratifying. I would like to thank Larry Mayberry, Jim Livingston, Bill Boykin, Mike McBurnett, Ben Russell, Bill Shamblin, Steve Pierce and his friend Philip (sorry I didn’t get your last name) and Ken Stroud for their help in various aspects of my flights this weekend.

I shall summarize the flights for both days sorted alphabetically, by flyer.

Saturday:

David Cox flew his Magnum on a 5-grain 54mm K800 made from a propellant called “Pinkie” for a fine flight and his Barracuda on a 3-grain 29mm G90 motor fueled with something called “Mediocre Red”. The flame color may have been mediocre, but the power was not, it sounded more like a 38mm H than a 29mm G.

Sterling Edmunds flew his Minie Magg on a J305 (54mm?) made by Mike McBurnett. Everything was perfect for this flight except the tricky deployment of drogue and main from the same compartment that is necessary for a short stubby rocket like this. The main came out early, but because of the lack of wind, this was not a problem.

Doug Gamber flew his Cirrus Dart on a 6-grain 38mm full I motor that had been built during a Thunderflame class a few years ago. Neck-snapping speed, followed by the complete disappearance of the rocket, but that’s why we use the Walston. Successful recovery.

Mike Harris was very busy on Saturday. He flew Ignorant of My Destiny on a 4-grain K700 made from a propellant called PBAN Red BMIO, and Periwinkle’s Pride made 2 rides on some fine 38mm loads. All were recovered perfectly, if memory serves.

Not since 2002 has anyone at Whitakers been brave enough to fly one of Alan Whitmore’s Ferric Fudge motors, but this month Dennis Hill stepped up to the plate and flew his Ten Forward on a 2-grain 54mm J motor made from the real stuff. Motor and rocket held together and were recovered safely. Dennis and Joe Hill then assembled one of those loads that your mama warned you not to fly, mixtures of dubious provenance that Whitmore accumulates on the back of his workbench and assembles into motors when the moon is full, a 6-grain 38mm full I. This one flew in the second flight of the Ten Forward, and the flight was a complete success.

Saturday’s main event was the flight of Jim Livingston’s Viper on a 4-grain 115mm N motor made by Alan Whitmore. This flight had been planned for one of the EX days scheduled for LDRS 23 in Geneseo, New York, in July, but was postponed. The Viper is 13 feet long, and weighs 98 lbs fully loaded. The N2345 was Whitmore’s first N motor and was cast from a mild Mitchell class propellant from the late ‘90’s. The flight was perfect until the main parachute hung up and failed to deploy, but the combination of a big drogue ‘chute and a landing in a soft peanut field resulted in a perfect recovery of an undamaged rocket. The altimeters reported something in the vicinity of 6200 feet for altitude.

Mike McBurnett managed to fly two rockets of his own on Saturday. His Patriot flew on a J400 (size?) and was recovered perfectly, and his Excel flew on a 6-grain 38mm I motor made by Alan Whitmore. Mike made motors for 5 other flyers, but he managed to squeeze in one flight for one of my motors. It was that kind of weekend!

Ed Rowe launched the Maniac on an L850 made by Mike McBurnett from the slow red propellant that powered several motors on Saturday. Launch was slow and stately, but the Maniac recorded 3800 feet for the flight.

Ben Russell flew a new rocket, the Maxie Alpha, on an M2600, for Saturday’s only major Ooops! moment. The short fat rocket was on a perfectly splendid boost when the fins ripped off in the classic MaxQ airframe failure. All the expensive pieces were recovered intact, so “it could have been worse”.

Bill Shamblin flew another one of Mike McBurnett’s motors, a 4-grain 54mm K, in his Black Brant. I recall a small recovery problem, but no real damage.

Alan Whitmore flew his GFI on a 4-grain 54mm K647 made from the basic Aluminum 5 formula (to 5400 feet) and the Spork on an extremely aggressive 5-grain 76mm M2414 made up with the burn rate catalyst Catocene. This 50 pound rocket made it to 5900 feet.

Sunday: Eight flyers made one flight each.

Sterling Edmunds flew one of Mark Lloyd’s motors, a 76mm M1600, in his level 3 rocket, Sterling 98mm. The flight was perfect in both the up and down phases, a great motor and a perfect recovery!

Mike Harris brought Periwinkle’s Pride back for another ride on one of Terry McCreary’s basic recipes.

Paul Hoetjes flew another Mike McBurnett motor (a J265) in his Horizon 54. This project was another of the many mile-high projects recorded this weekend, with a reported altitude of 5280 feet from the Transolve P5.

Mike McBurnett launched his IQSY Tomahawk on a 54mm K550 to an altitude of 4813 feet. The propellant was not recorded.

Dave Muesing was here on Sunday and he had prepared a very advanced “sugar motor” to fly in his rocket called the Moose. This motor simmed out to a small L, and the performance was very impressive. Official Notice: High power EX rocketry is not the exclusive property of APCP propellants.

Gerald Robbins flew his slender Shock Value on a J552 made by Mike McBurnett.

Ed Rowe delivered Sunday’s big event: a flight of his level 3 rocket, EXP 3532, on a 5-grain 115mm N3000 he cast from the standard 75:5 formula with some red iron oxide. This launch was the ‘600 pound gorilla’ for the whole weekend, the sound was devastating, the speed was awesome, and the altitude was certainly the highest achieved by any rocket this weekend. Unfortunately, the main parachute came out at apogee, and as of Tuesday night, this rocket has not been recovered. John Hamill is on the case, so we can expect some good news fairly soon.

Alan Whitmore put up his new Red Rudy on Sunday on a 3-grain 76mm L motor made from the David Cox formula called “French Flag”. This rocket got out of town so fast that no-one got a look at the flame, but the recovery was successful from an altitude of 5000 feet.

The WELD launches are my favorite weekends in every year, this event only solidified that feeling: Great weather, good friends, some spectacular rocket flights, and a very high success rate made me feel that I was part of a very special event. Extra thanks to all those who helped with equipment set-up and tear-down.

Alan Whitmore, Prefect, Tripoli East NC