ROC March 2003 Launch

Lucerne Dry Lake Bed, California (RBP). After the great launch in February, some felt it was tempting the rocket gods to hope that conditions for the March launch would be as good, but they were. In fact, they were even better.

Dok Hanson pulling the Team Final Jeopardy (TFJ) trailer was among the first on the scene mid afternoon on Friday. He discovered that there was actually water in Lake Lucerne. Fortunately, not very much. It was confined to the ruts in the playa. To either side, the playa was firm enough to navigate so, with proper warning (that’s what cell phones are for) we were able to establish a usable access route to the range head.  I arrived half an hour later, followed, in turn, by Ron Canevari, Sr. (the remainder of the Canevari Clan showed up later in the evening), and Joe and Tyler Mullin.

The new TFJ hybrid pad was set up, followed in turn, by Joe Mullin’s hybrid pad.  Then we all headed into town for dinner. Many of the regulars couldn’t make this launch, so it was a thin crowd that spent the night on the playa. However, skies were clear, the last of the breeze died away by 10pm, and temperatures stayed above freezing all night (but not by much). 

Greg Lawson and then Rick O’Neil, pulling the club trailer, ambled in at dawn, and the range started to take shape.  As the sun rose, the chill in the air gave way to pleasant wind-free conditions.  Rick O’Neil ensconced himself as LCO, and the first rockets went up about 8:30am. 

The pace throughout the day was unhurried and there was never much of a line at the RSO table.  In all 77 rocketeers (with associated groupies and hangers-on) showed up to fly, but even though attendance was below last month, the number of rockets wasn’t. Upwards (sic) of 200 birds flew on 231 motors, most of which lit (take note, Dennis Dinga). Of these, 107 were AP, 121 BP and 3 were hybrids.  Had all motors fired, total impulse expended would have been 30892 N-s. This is half the value of the February launch. Folks appear to be holding back the horsepower until SpringFest rolls around.  There were no M flights; the largest motor launched was a L1150 by Chuck Platisa in a modified LOC ‘Bruiser’, which Rick O’Neil described as “Awesome!”. 

The smallest was a 1/4A3 in an Estes ‘Quark’ flown by Andrew Atwood, which electrified the crowd, coming in as a “lake stake”. 

The most popular motor this launch, by far, was the venerable C6.  A total of 56 were fired. This accounts for the high number of flights but low total impulse for the launch. 

Three participants tied for the lead with eight launches apiece: Paul Newman, Joseph Contrevas, and Mr. “Control” Freak, Bill Farr.  Paul flew four rockets on A10’s and C6’s, Joseph flew a ‘Big Bertha’ and ‘Mirage’, all on C6’s, while Bill put up birds on everything from a 1/2A6 to an I284. That’s a range of 1.1 to 586 N-s total impulse.  Bill’s son, Brian Farr, was also busy, flying four rockets on a B6, D12, F21, and F72. 

Right behind these front runners was Nicholas Eck who lofted 7 shots on B6’s and C6’s, and Mike Biggs and Matt Schneider, who each fired six rockets on big BP motors. 

The Trammel Clan, Steve, Morgan, Alyssa, and Jon, together sent up 9 birds. Wrote the senior Trammel, “Alyssa Trammell returned to rocketry after a brief hiatus intending to be a spectator only.  The first couple of launches convinced her that she needed to rejoin the ranks of flyers (that and a little purple Estes Rocket at RocketSilo caught her eye).  She bought, built, and successfully flew both an Estes ‘Freaky Flyer’ and Estes ‘Mini Meanie’, both on 1/2A motors.  Morgan Trammell caught the teenie rocket bug from his little sister and bought, built and flew an Estes ‘Quark’ on a 1/2A.  The surface of the lake bed was such that he actually lake staked the Quark with no damage.  He preceded the ‘Quark’ flight with a successful flight of his Estes ‘Bullpup’ on a C6. Jon Trammell succeeded in the maiden flight of his 4” scratch built ‘Deimos’ on an AT G40-4.  He wanted to build his 4” on the cheap so picked up some “mystery” tubing and a “no name” 4” nosecone from a vendor we had never seen before at LDRS.  Airframe and nosecone came to less than $20 bucks, fins and centering rings were made from 2 plies of door skin laminated with epoxy.  The goal of the maiden launch was a low and slow flight which he accomplished.  For added effect I used a coffee can full of starch packing peanuts to “manage” the recovery system in the rocket; nice effect at ejection.I managed a successful flight of my ‘Marginal’ rocket on an E9-8 from a homemade curtain rod launch tower.  It appeared that the rocket reached the 3,000 feet predicted by RocSim.  This is my improved version of the tower and appears to have all the bugs worked out so if anyone needs a 40” tower for 24mm and 29mm minimum diameter rockets just let me know prior to a launch.  I also flew a modified Estes ‘Comanche’ in a D to C to C configuration.  The flight looked good but the second stage shed all it’s fins (fiber glassed balsa) when the third stage lit.  Apparently the stage coupling was a little too snug and actually blew up (over pressurized) when the third stage lit.  I got to end the day with a fun launch of a ‘Snitch’ on a D staging to a C.” 

Kurt Gugisberg was back and having altogether too much fun with his red flying fly rod case, nee ‘Gloomis’.  Using a rare redline I218, ‘Gloomis’ “went to 3203 feet with perfect deployment at apogee with an Altacc”, commented Kurt. 

Greg Lyzenga, our man now famous in the annals of the Inland Empire (see article in Inland Valley Voice section of the LA Times for March 13th [requires free registration to see the article online - ed]), had two flights to report. “The first was my ‘WAC Corporal’ on an H128. The up part was nice, but not enough BP to get the parachute all the way out. Fortunately it came in flat with only minor damage. The second flight was my ‘Cro-Magnum’ downscale of the real ‘Magnum’ (which Rick O'Neil has proclaimed the greatest rocket of all time). Had a roaring good flight on an E18.” 

Early on in the launch I sent up my 2.5” sounding rocket, ‘Matthews Marauder’ that contained a temperature sensor. Like the February launch, I used a H180. I’m still refining the thermocouple mount; I get apparent temperature fluctuations as the rocket rotates the thermocouple in and out of the sunlight.  This flight registered pretty much the same pattern as last month, just 22 F warmer.  Surface temperature was 45 F warming to 53 F at about 700 feet AGL. From there the temperature dropped to 49 F at 1750 feet. A bigger booster is in the works so I can really loft the rig at SpringFest. 

The highest flight of the launch was David Gates’ ‘Shredder, a minimum diameter 38mm rocket that went aloft on a 6 grain Pro38 J360.  It was the only high altitude waiver flight of the day.  Commented Erik Gates, “[Shredder] simmed to 9598' and was recovered just 300 yards away!  That's how nice of a day it was!” 

The lowest flight (of all rockets that actually cleared their pads) had to have been Andrew Fuller’s X30.  It clawed it’s way to about 12 feet on an A8, and bounced back to the lake bed before the parachute deployed.  Rumor has it that the actual instant of apogee was captured on camera by someone at the flight line.  

Among the most interesting flight arose from a developing ROC tradition of “upgrading” ‘Snitches’. One of the perpetrators of this trend is David Gates who fielded a ‘Snitch’ powered by three F20’s air-starting a G60.  Besides the fact that the G60 never lit, the F20’s didn’t perform as anticipated. The ‘Snitch’ tumbled aloft in a confusion of smoke and flame, attaining an altitude of maybe 50 feet, before plopping back to the playa – unharmed.  David flew it again later (on the same G60 that wouldn’t air start) for, as his Dad noted, a “Smoking Flight!” 

Another fun flight was the return of Dennis Dinga and his ‘Cluster 7’, this time sporting six D12’s and an E9 using flashpan ignition.  That’s getting 123 N-s the hard way. The ignition was the most impressive part of the flight. Dennis’ modification of his earlier pan ignition system, while spectacular, was not as effective as the previous arrangement.  Most of the motors did not light and the ones that did didn’t have ejection charges. It made for a low and slow flight ending unceremoniously with a belly flop on the dry lake. 

Another flight of note was Wayne Mrazek’s ‘Orange’. Commented Wayne, “The hybrid was my 6 inch diameter 10 foot 22 pound airframe flying on a RATT Works K-240.  I just wanted to get Dok’s shiny new [hybrid] stuff dirty. It flew to 2576 feet.” 

Wayne also made the local paper.  An article in the March 10^th Victorville Daily Press on the issue of the dire effects of the Homeland Security Act (HSA) on hobby rocketry featured Wayne toting ‘Orange’ from the range.  Other members of the press also viewed the launch to get background on the same story.  Reporters from radio station KFI interviewed our own Poobah Grande, Greg Lawson, explaining the implications of the HSA for rocketry.  Excerpts were broadcast the next day. 

One of the interesting facets of rocketry that reporters got to see at this launch was the Team America Competition. Three teams made attempts to lift two raw eggs to exactly 1500 feet.  After their trial runs of last month, Amanda Wahlquist and the Bishop Amat High School team weighed in with ‘Pyrotechnic’s Dream’. This attempt used a F62-powered booster staging to an F40 sustainer carrying the eggs. Unfortunately, the F40 didn’t light, which was bad news for the Bishop team. It didn’t do the eggs any good either.   

Similar tragedy struck the Thousand Oaks High School team. Their scratch-built rocket christened ‘The Lance’, sported an F21 staging to a second F21, but the second F21 never fired. Final score: gravity, 1, eggs, 0.  

The team from Viewpoint High School fared better. They used a modified Aerotech kit named “J2+Z” powered by a G60 staging to another G60.  Everything worked and the rocket peaked at 1720 feet.  The parachute deployed and the eggs (with the rocket) touched down unscathed.  

There were other reasons to celebrate at this launch: Jim Hawk, Dennis Kielgass, and Peter Rothe all joined the ranks of Level 1 rocketeers; Jim with a PML ‘Amraam’ on a H128, Dennis with a PML ‘Callisto’ on a H242, and Peter on a scratch build bird aptly named ‘Optimism’ which flew successfully on a H123. 

The ranks of Level 2 fliers was increased by one: Eric Hanson sent up the same PML ‘Miranda’ that he certified Level 1 with last month, but this time he packed it with a J350. Reported Eric, “My two rocket buddies, Joe (More Thrust) Huber and Gary (Big Motors) Bitterman, encouraged me to go for my Level II certification at the March launch. I managed to get my Level I cert. in February with their support, and I hold their advice in very high esteem. They suggested that I use a AT J350 in my 3.5 lb. PML ‘Miranda’. I thought it would be cool to earn both my Level I and II with the same rocket.

“The Level II process began ,on the morning of March 8th., when Greg Lawson graciously proctored and graded my written test. I passed with flying colors so it was time to visit my friends at RocketMotion and pick up a motor. I phoned them in advance and asked if they would bring a AT J350 to the launch. They were incredibly helpful and my motor was there waiting for me.

“As I assembled my motor Joe and Gary kept smirking/smiling and me and saying ‘Your going to love this!’. A demented twinkle in their eyes. Our group of 9 family and friends marched out to the assigned pad. With a great deal of excitement and trepidation the igniter was installed and I loaded the rocket onto the launch rod. Joe and Gary kept telling me ‘You're going to love this!!’.

“5-4-3-2-1 and the button was pushed. ‘Wow! Color me gone!’. The rocket canted slightly coming off the pad and rifled into space. The acceleration was incredible. My son, Eric Jr., was jumping up and down slapping me on the back and congratulating me. It was a screaming fast flight right up to the waiver. A slightly large chute and a bit of drift resulted in a 1 mile run across the lake bed to recover my rocket. The support van showed up to give me a ride the final 100 feet. The rocket was undamaged! I got a ride back to the flight line where Greg Lawson inspected the ‘Miranda’ and signed off my final paperwork. I'm now a Level II!.... I love this!!!”  

Welcome to Level 2. On behalf of ROC let me extend my sincerest condolences to your bank account. 

In closing, our thanks go, first, to Chris Feenstra, Tom Emerson, et. al., who manned the RSO table, and second, to Greg Lawson and Rick O’Neil (the only two members of the ROC BOD who could make this launch) for their service at the registration desk and as LCO, respectively.  Rick stuck it out as LCO for the whole launch. However, some don’t think this is an exercise in martyrdom.  The belief is he gets an endorphin rush every time he sends up 12 rockets simultaneously from the front pads (see the link with his picture on the ROC web site and judge for yourself). We are also grateful to RocketMotion and RocketSilo2.0 who were on hand to dole out kits, parts, and yes, even motors, to an eager public. And finally, we have a special warm spot for the folks at Alpha Omega ("We're #1 in the #2 business!") who provided the porta-potties. 

See ya next month!