ROCstock XI - Special Events!

First off, how about a Magnum event? Guess who's K550 lit first, for a change?

(the photographer's, of course!)

Participants (left to right): Rick Magee on a K550, Jeff Stai on a K550, Kevin Lane on a K550, unknown, Bob Bodnar on a K700. Not shown is Rick O'Neil on a K550 on Pad 39A, which did not launch only because of a setup problem with the pad (Rick swears this!)...

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Then we had an "M" event - how about FIVE M's off the pad at the same time...?

Kelly Smith brought his beautiful half-scale Patriot, which flew on an M1419 and four J350s!

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Kurt "Mr. Video" Gugisberg prepares the on-board video camera for his "Big Purple", which flew on an M1315.

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Hey Kurt - how many guys does it take to put a rocket on a rail...?

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Kurt turns on his electronics.

I really really do NOT want to know what John Van Norman is trying to photograph...

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Troy Monroe Stacey helps John Coker with the cone of his "OTRAG", a very interesting beast... (js)

Yes, that's right: four, count 'em four 75mm K560s - ready to go!

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As John preps his OTRAG, I can't help but notice how gynecological the process is...

More info on OTRAG may be found at: http://www.jcsw.com/john/rocketry/otrag.html

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Also participating in the "M Event" were John Thompson, flying a scratch-built Phoenix on an M1419; and Vince Catalano, flying his "Extreme M" on an M1419.

LIFTOFF! The smoke trail to the right is actually from two rockets - John Coker's OTRAG and Kurt Gugisberg's Big Purple left in a dead heat, with John Thompson's Phoenix in hot pursuit. (js)

All five make it off the pad successfully, in a glorious spectacle... (js)

Kids - that's a whole lotta M SMOKE!!! (js)