ROC June 99 Launch Coverage
Report by Jeffrey D. Gortatowsky
In some ways, ROCstock has been the Rodney Dangerfield of launches in the USA. We don't get no respect. Arguably the largest launch held on the west coast, and probably amongst the largest held anywhere in the country, ROCstock has not gotten the fame and fortune other launches like RATS, SMRFF, MRFF, and even NSL and LDRS - though not quite that big.
As is customary, your reporter of record began the day before (Thursday the 10th) - shopping and spending an evening on the town in Big Bear Lake with my wife. Very small price to pay for her complete support and encouragement of my hobbies!
Friday afternoon my wife and I made our pilgrimage to the playa in the afternoon and found the flightline already humming with activity. The brand new launch system, designed and built by Ron McGough and Greg Lawson was setup and already in operation. Through the next three days, in heat approaching 100 degrees F, and almost 700 flights, the new launch system would work and work perfectly with NO problems. The entire ROC membership and all flyers at ROCstock IX owe a big debt of thanks to Greg and Ron. Gentlemen, a fantastic job, indeed!
Setup next to Paul Sheffield and Hyam Sosnow, one could not ask for better neighbors! We were ready and launching had already commenced.
Friday, Hyam Sosnow was to suffer his only mishap of the launch with his 329 taking a core sample on 3 G125s. However Hyam would return on Saturday to redeem himself! John Coker must have decided the light crowds on Friday made for ideal flying as he launched his Dynacom Bull Pup on an L850! The flight was nominal with an Adept Alts20 doing the recovery honors. Your reporter of record launched his large Novus-D boost glider on a D12 only to have it auger in ending it's long and distinguished career. So I redeemed myself with a simple B6-0/C6-7 flight of my Deacon made from old MRN plans. But wait! There's more!
Hulan Matthies put on quite a Kosdon motors manufacturer's demo for us on Friday. Using his scratch built "Kriptor" as the airframe to handle a K1150, this excellent flight ended with an AltS1 handling recovery chores and recording an altitude of 4955 feet. During the high altitude waiver that same rocket on a demo K777 hit 6942 feet. Bound and determined to demo every Kosdon motor, Hulan used a Rocketdyne Aries and a Dirty Harry formula J295 to his an AltS1 recorded 4670 feet! Well done Hulan!
Kurt "Wheres my Shovel" Gugisberg had his Dynacom Python hit an Olsen recorded 5648 feet on a J415 on Friday. My neighbor for ROCstock IX Paul Sheffield had a nice flight with his THOY Phoenix on an I211. This is the same Phoenix Paul used to certify level 1 with. Also using an I, Kurt Gugisberg used an I161 in his PML Lunar Express Jr. for a good flight. Returning for another successful ROC appearance was Joel Simon's White Heat, a kit bash of a PML kit on a H180. Carl Delzell also made it on Friday and put up his scratch built Army Guy on a H123. Rick Kempiack's scratch built "Thud" has a nice flight on a G64, as did his scratch built AGM78 on a G64. Robert Cross' Eliminator had a great ride on a G125. Mike Woloshansky launched his astrocam-equipped scratch built rocket named "Energizer Bunny" on a long burning F10.
That night Wayne Mrazek launched his Tempest on an I211 for a memorable night flight. Donna Woloshansky launched her scratch built Night Flight on a G25.
Saturday dawned bright but with the promise of high temperatures in the afternoon. The weather did not disappoint but ROCstock IX flyers generated some heat of there own. Flyers brought out the big'uns. Bob Csallo flew his Level 3 project. An Aerotech M1939 powered his rocket, called Bob's Big Stick. Bob's level 3 project was successfully brought back down to Earth using two AltS2's for deployment at a recorded apogee of 8545 feet! Congratulations Bob!
Kurt Gugisberg brought out a perennial favorite of this reporter. The BDR. The Big Dumb Rocket. This was one of the first large and dangerous rocketships I was ever exposed to back at ROCstock V when I photographed the rocket laying about on an army style cot. As it has been in the past, the BDR was outfitted with a video recorder. This flight the BDR thrilled the crowd successfully showing off an M1315 and three airstarted J350s. For electronics the BDR sported both a BlackSky Research AltAcc, and an Olsen altimeter and timer.
Wayne Mrazek had one of the highlights of ROCstock IX certifying Level 3 with his "Christmas Bonus" rocket on a M845 Wayne brought it home using electronics from BlackSky and Adept. Here are some details on the rocket:
However the M in M1419 turned out to signify 'Mean' when Chuck Platish had his Level 3 project shred. We hope he'll be back to try again! Chuck however had some excellent company. Troy Monroe Stacy, using a L-850 in his Redemption, had some level 2 certification headaches as well.
Jeff Stai, the ROC webmaster, threw his 6 inch Public Enemy Fatboy into the air on a long burn K185 for nice flight. Gary Bitterman used the same motor in his LOC Magnum for a nice flight. Jeff used no electronics, while Gary used a Adept Alts2 and a Olsen E-Z timer.
Ron "Kiss my ASP" McGough brought out his 12-foot tall, 27 pound, 5.5" diameter "Big ASP" for a tremendous crowd pleasing flight on a K1100 airstarting 4 H220's. He used an Adept Alts25 and a BlackSky Timer 2b for electronics on that flight. Thanks Ron!
Kelly Smith brought out his 4x upscale of the tube stabilized Custom Rockets Serval for a fine flight on a K550. Adam Powell had a nice flight while demonstrating a Kosden K500 in his Dynacom Komet as Frank Kosdon looked on. Ah… but Mr. Bill's Booster Company suffered a minor setup back as the Pyro release mechanism failed turning Bill Seider's "Acid Test" into a bad 'trip'. Steve Beal made a squealing flight with a K1100 boosting his Public Enemy Performer to huge heights while a BlackSky AltAcc brought home the bacon. John Gunn woke up the dead with a K550 in his 7.5 inch diameter PML Pterodactyl. Barry Forrest may not have been laughing but he and Frank Kosdon were smiling ear to ear when his "No Laughing Matter" boosted and recovered fine on a Kosdon K350. Barry used a Missle Works RRC2 for dual recovery at 1000 feet with a Cambridge unit recording data.
John Van Norman kicked the crap out those Y2K bugs when his scratch built rocket, "Y2K" boosted on a K185 and recovered nicely under the guidance of an Olsen M1 altimeter. Joe Huber did mess around either as his scratch built 2.56 inch diameter Extreme Altitude lit the dirt on fire with a dual stage Alts25 recovered K550 flight! Joel Simon hauled out and dusted of his ex-level two project. A 15 pound, 7.5 inch diameter, rip snortin' PML Pterodactyl and watched it have a great flight on a K550. While Mike Solo stood in the heat, his LOC Magnum generated a bit of it's own vaulted into the air on a cluster consisting of one K185 and 2 H180's. LOC Magnums were as common as Generic E2X's at a Boy Scout launch as George Perez used a K185 along with a Olsen altimeter for a nice flight on his Magnum as well.
Hulan Matties took his rocketeering to an extreme when he used an AltS1 to successfully recover his scratch built 9 pound 98 Extreme on a K458. The rocket hit 9200+ feet! Hulan also brought along his Scotglass V2 and had a great flight with it on a K550. You know Brad Wong was on hand as he threw some "left over parts" together, called it "Mad Optimal 100" and tossed it into air on J800 for a decent flight! What a guy!
A scratch built rocket named "Deep Blue" got a bit too wild at ejection as Dennis "Wildman" Gerber's rocket suffered a separation on a K185. But Dave McCue had the right stuff as he certified level 2 with a nice J90 powered flight on his LOC Caliber. Gordon Hom did a tremendous job on his Cherokee J as it flew on a J350. Michael Hertzog was not quite as fortunate as the Level two certification flight of his scratch built "Supreme Scream" on a J180 was hampered by a tangled parachute. But Brian Albert had better luck with his level 2 rocket, a PML Miranda, recovering fine after a J415 induced flight. Brian did his level one and two at ROCstock IX! Greg Lawson, my good neighbor and camp watcher had a YAGGF. That Yet Another Great Gladiator Flight using a J275. Brian Jackson and Ken Finwall teamed up for a nice flight of their TCB In A Flash designed Thor on a J135.
Bob Keating's PML Sudden Rush was doing fine until it's dual deployment did not go as planned and it suddenly hit the onrushing playa. Ouch! But Calvin McAllister rushed right in and certified level two on a Missleworks RRC2 recovered, J180 powered, flight of his LOC EXI65. And Brad Wolff with YAMF. That's yet another LOC Magnum flight. His Magnum flew great with a J275 (yawn). 8) Steve Klause certified level 2 on an impressive J350 powered flight of his Scotglass Nike Smoke.
Making the trip from Las Vegas, and with Frank Kosdon looking on, Todd Timmons had a nice flight of his scratch built "Purple Haze" on a Kosdon J180. Terry McKieran turned a few heads with his upscale of an Estes Advanced Target Drone launching successfully on a J415 flight. Terry used an Olsen for dual stage deployment. Steve Headland launched his scratch built Wolfpack on a J570 powered flight and promptly hit the speed of cardboard and plywood re-kitting itself in the process. Carl Delzell's rocket called Rocket Rage also decided it liked itself better as a kit and returned to one on a J350. But Chuck Lahmeyer's scratch built Annihilator flew great on a J180. Mark Elliot used a Public Enemy Performer and simple J90 to certify level 2. Konrad Hambrick made the day trip from south of San Diego to put up his scratch built Vulcanette on a I161. Michael McBride made an attention getting flight with his PML Black Brant X on a J415. But the crowd really cheered when my other excellent neighbor of RS XI, Hyam Sosnow cracked the whip on a LOC King Viper powered by three J90s! Thanks Hyam!
Successfully certifying level one on Saturday were: Steve Klause, Domingo Duran, David Moore, Arthur Adler, John Alexander, Rick Kempiack, Steve Glass, John Jennings, Robert Cross, Claus Jensen, Don Pies, Brian Albert (who did level two the same day), Frances Bitterman (who did not have a green rocket?), Jorg Loscheider, Michael Dunphy, Bill Huber, and Tom Donahue. Congratulations to you all!
Sunday promised every bit as much action as Saturday, and it delivered. Ron McGough haul out his huge Estes Maniac upscale, Mega Maniac. This 7.5 inch diameter, 98 pound behemoth, is scratch built and a joy to behold. Ron launched it with a central M1419 surrounded by four (!) BlackSky Timer 2b airstarted J350's! Recover chores were done by a AltS2-50k and an AltS25. The thunderous flight did have a small anomaly when one of the two sections of the rocket had its chute tangle. But Ron builds them "playa tested tough ®" and the section suffered nothing more than scratches to paint.
Oh, were that the case for Adam Powell's enormous 95 pound, M1419 powered, Black Brant II. This was, without a doubt, the biggest Lake Stake ROC has ever witnessed. This reporter won't belabor the point as we are sure Adam will be back bigger and better than ever. If you are curious as to what it used to look like, see the insert on the front cover of the July 1999 HPR magazine.
With Frank Kodson looking on, Vince Catalano made an excellent flight of his L1860 powered, scratch built, "Hawk Pink". Vince used an Olsen altimeter for recovery. Vince also used an L952 coupled with a Adept AltS25 for an excellent flight of his scratch built Extreme M. Might we assume that name portends of things to come? Hulan Matthies also did the 'L' thing with his self-built "Kriptor" recovering fine after a bone crushing Kosdon L700 flight. Also joining in the 'L' club on Sunday was Dennis Gerber, using a L850 in his LOC Bruiser EXP III for a successful Adept enabled recovery.
Bob Csallo used a K550 and an Adept AltS2-50k to power and complete a successful flight of his PML eclipsed he named "Purple People Eater". Konrad Hambrick returned on Sunday to launch his scratch built "Nocturnal Missions" rocket on a K550 with an AltAcc, of course, doing the recovery duties. Wedge Oldham, who certified level 2 the day before, put that certfication to the test on Sunday with a nice K550 powered flight of his scratch built "Biohazard HSF".
One of highlights of Sunday was the LOC Magnum drag race. Mike Solo beat K550 powered Magnum's of Jeff Stai and Rick McGee off the pads and was declared the winner. All three were recovered successfully.
Your reporter of record, Jeff Gortatowsky, along with Greg Lawson, and Veni Van Norman drag raced Public Enemy Fatboys with H180's. I won. I won! I Won! John Van Norman, slave to Veni, once again cheated fate and launched his scratch built Y2K on a K550. Main deployment occurred at an Olsen M1 recorded altitude of over 7400 feet.
John Wahlquist launched his AltS25 equipped Stress Relief with a K185 for nice flight. All did not go completely badly for Adam Powell as he launched his Dynacom Komet on a Kosdon demo K500. Kurt Gugisberg and Mike Kilman had a tremendous drag race with Kurt's V2 K700 powered V2 off the pad at the very same instant Mike's LOC Warlok hit clear air on a K550. The race was declared a tie.
There were hundreds more flights made by young and old. Rockets of every size lept off 40 pads day and night for three straight days. When all was said and done, there was only two things to do.
1) Profusely thank Greg Lawson and Ron McGough for a tremendous launch system;
2) Thanks each and every flyer for coming out to fly with ROC and invite them
all back for ROC Stock X in November.
No Lake Stakes!
Fri Sat Sun Total
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1/2A 0 1 6 7
A 0 14 6 20
B 1 16 11 28
C 9 63 43 115
D 6 24 28 58
E 4 22 9 35
F 2 18 10 30
G 10 77 43 130
H 2 51 26 79
I 4 45 23 72
J 2 32 19 53
K 3 18 19 40
L 1 1 5 7
M 0 4 2 6
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Total 44 386 250 680
Copyright © 1998-1999 Rocketry Organization of California.