Launch Report: Spring WERLD, April 8-9, 2006

Notice the name change? Since the Tripoli BOD has modified the rules to allow the launch of commercial motors by flyers who are certified level 2 and 3 at EX launches, the program has been changed to the Tripoli RESEARCH program, although all the other rules remain essentially the same. So WERLD now stands for Whitakers Experimental and Research Launch Days.

The weather? Abominable. Turnout? Low. The amount of fun had by those who did attend? Prodigious! Let’s look at the motor use summary:

A little elaboration about the weather: The wind was extremely high all weekend, but the layout of the new field allows us to move the launch site around the field in response to the wind direction. Almost all of the rockets fell right in the same field, even though the altitudes on many flights were amazing. The availability of this field will stop over the summer, so take advantage of it now! Further notes about the weather – on Saturday, in addition to high winds, the clouds were low and rain was dripping and spitting all day. Around 2:30 it got so dark and menacing that we pulled the plug and fled. There was a GREAT party in Mike and Ed’s room Saturday night! Sunday was bright and sunny, the overnight rain had settled the dust, but the wind was still a major force.

I’ll give you the flights in alphabetical order by flyer.

On Saturday, Evan Daniel flew his Blue Moon on a 54mm J572 made by Alan Whitmore. This was the only rocket of the weekend that made it off of the field, but most of the parts were found by Stephen Daniel and Birddog on Sunday. Mike McBurnett had a fine flight with his Horizon 3 on an 38mm I300 (black smoky propellant). I’m fairly sure that Jerry Robbins flew his Cirrus Dart on a G64W from Aerotech, but I don’t have a card for that flight, it’s probably still in the box. Alan Whitmore had 2 flights on Saturday: The first was a test-of-concept flight for a future 2-stage launch and tried out a method of igniting a motor from the top, using a timer. The rocket was the venerable Astro-Mollusc and the motor was a 38mm I. Everything worked extremely well. The next flight was not so hot. Whitmore flew his Children Can Fall Into Bucket and Drown on a 4-grain 54mm catocene-catalyzed K931 that distorted and eventually broke the bucket. The ejection charge then failed to fire and the rocket came in ballistic, completing the destruction. Maybe macabre humor is not the best theme for naming rockets. That is one rocket design that will not be back.

On Sunday, Mike Harris was very busy. He flew his Ratt Fink twice, once on a tribrid arrangement (ABS + alcohol + nitrous oxide), that was trying to be a K350. This flight was very interesting, making the ABS to alcohol transition perfectly, but then running out of nitrous well before attaining “K-ness”. The second Ratt Fink flight used a McCreary basic PBAN formula in a 54mm K400 for a very fine flight. Mike then flew Ignorant of My Destiny on a J350 fashioned from another McCreary formula. Something went real bad wrong during the boost phase [forward bulkhead popped out] and parts started raining down all over the flight line. The rocket itself imbedded itself in the ground about 6 feet away from Dave Muesing’s car. Mike finished his day off with a fine flight of Periwinkle’s Pride on another hybrid flight billed as an H70. This one worked perfectly.

Dennis Hill flew his First Contact on a J350 sparky motor (54 mm I think) made by Ed and Mike . The main came out at apogee, but the rocket fell well within the field. John Hobson had 2 flights on the Aerotech G54W, one with his PML Endeavor and the other on his Binder Design Thug. Blaine and Ben Jeffreys came in late Saturday, camped out in the windy, rainy field overnight and flew one rocket on Sunday. Ben’s Bigger Rocket made it’s first flight on an I200 of an unrecorded propellant. Recovery was bizarre: The parachutes failed to deploy but the rocket slipped into the horizontal position and tumbled down very slowly, landing without a bit of damage.

Mark Lloyd brought his 12” diameter rocket back for a flight with a 6” diameter N6000. The propellant formula was the “Amarillo Blue” recipe, and the forward closure could not contain the pressure. A couple of good altimeters bit the dust, and widespread airframe damage. Ouch!

Mike McBurnett flew Ain’t Skeered to over 7000’ with a 54mm K907 made from the new fast white propellant that he has come up with. A very nice flight. Mike also made one of the motors for this weekend’s big collaborative project. Jerry Robbins and Doug Gamber loaded their new 2-stage rocket with an 3” M1200 (made by Ed Rowe) in the booster and a 3” K750 in the sustainer. This rocket weighed in at 65 lbs and the sustainer reported 9300 feet after it was recovered [in the field, even in the very high winds we had on Sunday]. This was a fabulous flight, the transition from boost to sustainer motor was seamless and straight up!

Ed Rowe also flew his big Standard Arm on a long 7600 N.s 3” M motor. Something happened to the deployment, and this venerable rocket came in ballistic. Double Ouch!

Ben Russell flew his new ring-finned rocket named Ring-Worm on a 115mm M1800 motor made from a 78/3 formula. The flight went very well with a little coning late in the boost and some erratic movement after motor burn-out, but the recovery phase was perfect.

Tim Watts flew his small Applewhite UFO on an H motor, no specifics here, but the up and down were safe and sound.

Alan Whitmore had two more flights on Sunday. The Generic Four Inch flew on a 5-grain 54mm K720 made from an uncatalyzed APCP formula. This flight reached into the over-7000’ area and was recovered easily (with the Walston!). Somewhat later Red Rudy flew on a 4-grain 3” L motor made from the CP5 formula. Unfortunately, the motor melted through at the forward bulkhead, burning up the fin section. The upper two sections were recovered intact, if a little scorched, so rebuild shouldn’t be too hard.

Alan Whitmore, Prefect, Tripoli East NC

R.I.P. Standard Arm
photo by Mike McBurnett