October Skies Launch
October
19-20, 2002 Petaluma,
California
Left Coast Rocketry
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Thanks to Left Coast Rocketry for a great launch event. There were many
launches by many rocketeers. I have
pictures from a good sampling of them here.
Some are good while some are not so good. I know information about my flights, as well as a few
others. Feel free to take any of
these pictures you want for your own use and send
me any info or corrections on these. |
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One of Jim Green’s custom motors that he calls “Sparky” leaves an indelible mark in ones memory, as it adds contrast to the scenery! Here are three different views: One - Two- Three. Sparky (the motor) was very successful, however the flight ended with a rather abrupt stop. Jim’s good natured spirit allowed him to easily put up with the ribbing from the likes of me & several others after two of his other motor experiments had aft closure failures, and then this flight on Sunday had only one motor (of two) ignite which made it arc over low & slow. It seems it was low enough and or slow enough to avoid launch detection by the electronics package. You wouldn’t know it to listen to everybody giving Jim a hard time for his less than perfect flights. (They were EX guys!) His Dragon Fly was a good reminder that he’s a topnotch flyer. |
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This is the maiden flight of a new rocket I now call “Old Glory”(video), for obvious reasons. It is a modified Aerotech Mirage. |
This is one of three perfect flights by my scratch built “Purple Wasp”, running on it’s only motor option, a cluster of three 18mm Estes C6-7 motors. |
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These three pictures demonstrate a maneuver so difficult, that most won’t even attempt it! Don’t try this at home! First you reverse direction. Then head straight down, finally you turn back to vertical. |
I gave the crowd a demonstration on three-stage rocketry with my Estes Comanche 3. And the Clay Brothers showed how to do Clustered Staging! |
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Drag-race Round 1, An Estes Viking and my Niece’s Estes Freedom “Pinky”, both on C6-7 motors. The minimum diameter Viking is the clear winner off the rods by a nose cone. |
Drag-race Round 2, here the Viking ran a B6-6 against the C6-7 in the Freedom. The handicap was clearly too much for the Viking, as the Freedom enjoyed the advantage. |
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My Scratch built “Just 4-Fun” is a quad-24mm-cluster. Here it flies again on what turns out to be it’s retirement flight. The ‘chute hung on a shroud line and failed to inflate. The resulting hard landing kinked the airframe. |
Paul’s cone tailed rocket (with no fins) took a hard knock. And this work of art lost a fin and had an interesting flight, but no serious harm was done.. |
Gumby gives last minute instructions to his ground crew before the countdown commences. Then the cool witted Gumby takes off on a routine mission. And as always, Gumby Returns Safely! |
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This little gold Fat Boy is Jenny Maniscalco’s “Gold Member”. It really gets up fast, flies straight & hard, then just as it pushes the crowd to the peak of anticipation, it expels it's loaded parachute and after a moment of fury, settles gently under the sheet as it comes back down to earth. Ok, she really calls it “Bean 1.0”, here is the flight video. |
This little Clayola finally opened both ‘chutes after many single ‘chute recoveries. Still pictures:DSC00979 DSC00980 DSC00985 DSC00986 And flight video: MOV01080. This looks like a Clay video rocket?!? DSC01036 |
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Paul Maniscalco proves that pencils fly just as well as crayons. Still pictures:One, Two, Three, Four, Five. And here is the flight video. |
My “Estes Eliminator” Demonstrates what a great option the Aerotech E15 composit motor is for 24mm models. |
My “Jason Who?” has been jinxed since it’s maiden flight (attempt). This day was no different. It flew great, then separated, nose cone & ‘chute never to be seen again. Meanwhile the main airframe took an excellent core sample (especially for paper) with little damage after imitating a lawn dart. |
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Here are the many pictures that I do not remember details of. I’ll be happy to post information about yours if you E-mail me the number & details. |
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