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KCAR Launch Report: March Sport & TARC Launch

Launch date and time: March 20, 2004
Launch location: Tickwood Ranch near Drexel, Missouri
Launch wind and weather: Cool and Windy

A day at the range

This was the first day of Spring and the winds were clocked at 12-18mph. Gusts were up to 36mph according to the NOAA and the temperature was 58-degrees under a partly cloudy sky turning clear.

The Raytown team works on the pad
The Raytown team works on the pad.
Photo by Tim Burger
Bob was the first to arrive at the site with the Wingate launcher and pad. Tim and I were next to show with the club’s equipment. The rest showed up later and we welcomed new fliers Jon & Ben from Leavenworth and Tony from Grandview plus the Raytown team for TARC.

The winds were pretty strong but if the timing was right a rocketeer could launch his project safely with out losing it to the wind gods. I tried my level one with a Sumo on an H128-M but did not certify due to long delay and the shredding of chute lines. The Raytown team also had a struggle with the wind with the loss of their project, but they will rebuild and I will repair to come back stronger than before.

The rest of the club fought the winds but faired well with the exception of a few long walks and Jon having to go for a wade in the pond to recover his Guardian. Any day in the pond with a rocket is better than a day with out a rocket.

One interesting fact despite winds was the post gold launch of my Sagitta using the G. Harry Stine drop streamer method. This method of altitude determination uses an 1-inch wide 12-inch long polyethylene streamer with a penny (3-gram weight) taped to one end. This “standard marker streamer” drops at a constant rate of 18-feet per second and is fairly accurate. I predicted from Mark Sullivan’s website calculator that it would reach 320-feet in altitude. The streamer dropped 16.6 seconds at 18-feet per second with a result of 298.8-feet. (not bad for a pretty close result)

36 flights were put in for the day and the club is getting ready for the next launch with the KCAR Spring Contest at Case Farm.

And now for the statistics: There were 2 staged flights (4 16 ), 3 clustered flights (12 16 34 ), and 1 that were(was) both clustered & staged (16 ).
Flight Log
Flight
#		 Flier Rocket Motor(s) Comments
1 Bob Wingate X-ray modified A8-3 Chute half deployed
2 Lance Fischer Patriot 1/2A3-4
3 George Scheil Deep Space Probe C5-3
4 Raytown Team TARC D12-0 to D12-5 Test flight, lost rocket Return to top
5 George Scheil Wacky Wiggler B6-4 Worked all separations
6 Lance Fischer Sparrow A10-4T
7 Tim Burger Quest Astre A8-3
8 Jon Cohen Big Bertha B6-4 Nice flight, first to fly with club
9 Lance Fischer Star Dart B6-4
10 Jon Cohen Guardian B6-4 Went for swim to recover
11 Bob Wingate Small Wonder A10-3T
12 Mark Bazinet Tres 3 x B6-6 One motor didn't light Return to top
13 George Scheil Deep Space Probe C6-3
14 George Scheil Zenith II B6-4
15 Jon Cohen Big Daddy D12-5
16 Dave Bucher NCR Bright G35-7 to 2 x D12-0 Separation Return to top
17 Ian Jessee Red A8-3
18 Jon Cohen Python B6-4
19 Alan Shaffmaster Fat Boy C6-3 CATO
20 Dave Bucher Patriot C11-5
21 Christian Bruggeman Sumo H128-10 Level 1 cert. attempt: late deploy stripped parachute
22 Tony Buffa Warthog G35-4 High flight but long walk
23 Alan Shaffmaster Screaming Mimi E15-4 Late late deployment
24 Tim Burger Maxi Alpha D12-5
25 Dave Bucher Skydart B6-2 High speed glide
26 Christian Bruggeman Sagitta B6-4 298.9' Stine drop streamer method
27 Alan Shaffmaster V-2 E15-4
28 Ian Jessee U.S.A. C6-3 Drag race
29 Ian Jessee USSR B6-2
30 Dave Bucher N1 Boilerplate F23-4
31 Bob Wingate Airspike E9-4
32 Ian Jessee Trident C6-3
33 Alan Shaffmaster Mustang E16-4
34 Dave Bucher Big Bertha 4 x C11-3 One CATO but great flight anyway Return to top
35 Christian Bruggeman Code Red A8-3
36 Dave Bucher Skydart C6-3

The Raytown Team prepares a test launch
The Raytown Team America team prepares for a test launch
Photo by Tim Burger
Flights by Rocketeers
Flights Rocketeer(s)
6
 Dave Bucher
4
 Jon Cohen
Ian Jessee
George Scheil
Alan Shaffmaster
3
 Christian Bruggeman
Lance Fischer
Bob Wingate
2
 Tim Burger
1
 Mark Bazinet
Tony Buffa
Raytown Team
George’s “Deep Space Probe” just after launch.
George’s “Deep Space Probe” just after launch.
Photo by Tim Burger
Rockets Making Multiple Flights:
Flights Rocket Rocketeer
2 Skydart Dave Bucher
Deep Space Probe George Scheil
Totals by motor:
Motor Number
Flown		 Impulse
(Newtons)
1/2A3 1 1.09
Total 1/2A’s: 1 1.09
A10 2 4.00
A8 4 9.28
Total A’s: 6 13.28
B6 12 51.96
Total B’s: 12 51.96
C11 5 44.00
C5 1 9.10
C6 5 44.10
Total C’s: 11 97.20
D12 6 101.04
Total D’s: 6 101.04
E15 2 79.52
E16 1 37.67
E9 1 27.87
Total E’s: 4 145.06
F23 1 52.85
Total F’s: 1 52.85
G35 2 201.64
Total G’s: 2 201.64
H128 1 179.00
Total H’s: 1 179.00
Total: 44 843.12 (J)
Mark & Christian
Mark & Christian
Photo by Tim Burger
Mark, Christian, Dave, & Alan.
(Left to right)Mark, Christian, Dave B, & Alan with Christian’s Sumo getting ready for a cert. attempt.
Photo by Tim Burger

Submitted by Christian Bruggeman NAR82573
NAR 505 Secretary/Treasurer

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Page created on April 30, 2004.
Last updated on March 31, 2006.