April 2023 Scheduled Launch
Time again for a CENJARS launch. The current forecast is calling for temps near 50ºF and, no surprise at all, significant winds.
Charlie will be officiating this launch because your section president, vice-president, secretary and several members are attending the MDRA Red Glare launch. Charlie can use all the assistance you can muster.
There will be many TARC teams at the field on Sunday. You may find that you'll get more enjoyment helping them than in flying your own rockets. YMMV. I have received contacts from many teams that are hoping to get their qualification flight information on Sunday which is just two days before the data must be submitted for consideration in the national TARC event. Many that have contacted me have not flown before which means they will certainly need pointers. You can do it.
Brian C. offered to administrate an egg-loft contest on Sunday. Bring your eggs, egg-lofting rockets and your camping stoves for the high velocity omelettes that are sure to occur.
Have fun; take pictures; lend a hand.
I'd like to share an email I received from the Staten Island Technical High School TARC team that flew at the April 2nd launch. Charlie deserves all of the applause for this one. Thank you, Charlie, for handling this launch while so many of us were attending Red Glare.
Uploaded files:
Sorry about the delay. I've been busy all week preparing a continuing professional education presentati0n to 1000 CPAs around the country about the collapse of two banks a few weeks ago that you might have heard of 🙂 so I was late in dealing with photos from August, but I posted two today of one of the participating school groups. More to follow. I need to get a faster transfer card to deal with burst photos in full format, but I should have that by next month.
Quote from Bestjetsfan on April 9, 2023, 11:15 pm… I posted two today of one of the participating school groups. More to follow. I need to get a faster transfer card to deal with burst photos in full format, but I should have that by next month.
Do you know what school they represented? Two had Rs on their coats.
I see somebody brought their own rail for launching. I wish I could have been there for the TARC teams. Too many things always seem to be scheduled at the same time.
I will follow-up with the groups that emailed me. They really shouldn't be waiting until the very last possible minute if they really want to compete in TARC. We had some surprisingly good weather this year for our winter launches; they should have been out to fly then.
Uploaded files:
That looks like Red Bank Catholic jackets, but I wasn't there.
An interesting launch rail.
Quote from Eric Becher on April 10, 2023, 8:56 amThat looks like Red Bank Catholic jackets, but I wasn't there.
An interesting launch rail.
I wouldn't trust it for anything too heavy due to its PVC, and tent spike and string anchoring system.
The launch rig is from the J P Stevens (my alma mater) crew. They were impressed with our rig.
Did any of you check out the rail setups at RG? Think we could get 2 more?
Charlie
We're getting quite a wish list lately, but aren't actually buying anything. I think we need to discuss our priorities and start making some moves. Off the top of my head, I recall the following:
- New launch controller(s)
- New, additional launch rack(s)
- New, additional launch rails
- Bulk packs of motors for demo/scout events (the Christmas sales never included these, so we didn't get any)
- How are we on make it/take it's?
As for funding, I'm sure we'd be a little short for all of this, but I'm not sure what's in the bank. Charlie, do you think we could qualify for a NAR grant for any of this?
Quote from Ckirlew on April 10, 2023, 8:44 pmDid any of you check out the rail setups at RG? Think we could get 2 more?
The launch rail setups used by MDRA are heavy and bulky welded steel construction. They don't breakdown easily and store well. However, they can handle HEAVY rockets. My ARCAS's pad weight was 28lbs and flew off of 1515 rail.
My pad was built around the Rockwell Jawstand, the same Jawstand used for the club's rail. I witnessed problems with the Jawstand at BARC launches. Its legs are way too short for stability even when spiked into the ground. The soil at BARC's launch site is well tilled soil making it soft. To properly secure the Jawstands there requires longer stakes which they never used. Tent spike just don't cut it. I've seen a few topple over there in the past damaging the rockets mounted on them. As a result, when I built mine, I replaced the legs with significantly longer legs for stability. I used heavier steel for the legs as well. I cutoff most of the Jawstand's "jaws" and fashioned a rail holder from U-channel and square aluminum to move the mass of rail and rocket as close to the center as possible. My design goals were:
- Rapid setup and teardown — I achieved this with the longer fold-out legs and the simple slide into place rail holder.
- Avoid thrust flashback — I achieved this with a heavy 11 gauge steel blast deflector angled at 45º. One of the things I dislike the most about the heavy welded pads used by MDRA.
- Working and setup height — With longer legs on my pad, the "business end" of the rocket is closer to standing working height. No kneeling in the dirt. As anyone who has been to Higgs Farm is aware, there's few things more disgusting than kneeling in manured mud after heavy rains to insert and connect the motor igniter. 😉
- Stops in the rail slots — Many HP pads have been built with a piece of metal upon which the nozzle of the rocket sits. This makes it particularly onerous to insert motor ignition such as e-matches at the pad. A stop in the rail slot allows the rocket's lower rail button to sit on the stop keeping the nozzle free for inserting the e-match. If the weight of the rocket can't be held up by it rail button, it shouldn't be flown.
FWIW, this discussion should be taken to another separate forum posting. Perhaps, under Rocket Rap?
I recently purchased a 3-foot length of 1010 rail. I purchased it so I can test whether the guides I'm gluing to the rockets actually fit the rail so I don't run into unexpected problems at the launch. I don't have anything yet that I can mount it to, but, I can bring the rail to any launch event if it's needed. Just let me know.
I also have one of those adapters that connect to a camera tripod and allow you to stick a launch rod into it. I have a tripod and can probably find a launch rod of some type, which gives us at least one extra do-hicky we can set up in a pinch. And hey, I have some of those incomplete Estes starter sets which must include some kinda launch pad.