Cycline3 Rocketry
S.
Rose Rocketry
S.
Rose NAR 80388 - L1
Click here for Cycline3 Rocketry Model Kits
The Beginning. Model Rockets are just one of the coolest things on earth. I started flying when I was a wee youngin' (courtesy of my father) and I built and flew at least a dozen models. I started with an Estes Alpha III Starter Kit for Christmas. I didn't know what to think of it at the time; I was just really really excited! Models after that included the Sprint, Honest John, Saturn V, Wizard, Yankee, and the Maverick. I built a few from scratch as well. I kept flying up until high school when some friends of mine and I flew the Sprint (achieves 1600' altitude Estes claims) from the top of Fort Hill Mountain (an interstate rock face) across I-64, Rt. 60, and the Kanawha River! We recovered the Sprint in perfect condition on the bank of the other side of the river. I'd say it was 1600' or more across... anyway what can you do but do it again? So we did... perfect same as the first. Anyway, that is where my rocketing career went into hybernation...
Wal-Mart ...almost
10 years later... Strolling late one night with
Angela and Kari, staring down some mean looking
guinea pig food at Wal-Mart, I must say I had no
clue what was about to happen. Toys are beside
pets and we somehow meandered our way over that
way. I stood looking and went, "hey, they've got
model rockets here!" I was standing there kinda
goofy looking and smiling getting some strange
looks from my cohorts in toyland. "And....?" " Well,
I'm going to buy one..." And it has begun again...
my lust for that burnt tang of propellant has been
renewed.
Launch
Report 22.june.97
The weather was fantastic, almost no wind (that we could tell :) more later...) sunny, bright blue, about 7:00PM.
This is my range box I made out of an old wooden case. It is just the perfect size to hold the launcher and supplies, as well as, the launcher control itself. The puny plastic thing that came with my Scorpion Starter Kit just sucked. Made in Mexico or somewhere. HA! I made mine in America using the metal case from a power supply from an IBM workstation that was manufactured in the US. Neat, huh? Anyway, Its powered by four D size batteries and has a flip style switch to activate the unit and an armed LED to let you know it is on. The giant red button is for actual ignition. Duh^2.
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The Lauch Area. The Mountaineer R/C Field in Tornado, West Virginia. This is my Scorpion Rocket. I hated the stickers so I painted it black. It came in the Starter Kit and was actually the second rocket I built, but was the first to fly today. I launched it with an A8-3 and it flew straight up; seemingly slow, I just stared up and watched it peek at a couple hundred feet. It drifted down about 15 feet from the launch pad. |
| This is the rocket that caught my eye in Wal Mart. It's an Estes Bull Pup 12D. I painted it primer grey instead of gloss white. I just thought that would make it look more authentic, even though it isn't. :) |  |
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5-4-3-Launcher Activated-2-1-IGNITION! Second flight was the 12D with a B6-4. It attained several hundred feet flying cock-eyed and landed 100 feet from the pad. I had to wade through waist high grass to recover it. The rocket was fine, my legs were all scratched up. Go figure. Isn't the day just perfect though... look at that sky. |
Okay, here is the wind part. Angela and I were excited and having fun. Kay, now, I put a C6-5 engine in the Scorpion. That's the biggest engine you can get for this size rocket. The estimated height for this combo is 1200 to 1300 feet. Well, I feel comfortable in saying that, yes it goes way up there. We lost sight of it for a bit. Anyway, there was no wind on the ground, but at 1000 feet there must have been. The rocket just started drifting and drifting and drifting. I ran all the way down the field after it and about a minute later it actually touched down. The R/C field is about 2-3 football fields in size so I thought there would be no problem with the rockets getting away. At the far end, where I now was, there is a row of trees and brush and then on over is the railroad tracks. From watching the rocket's descent it appeared to land on the tracks, Whew! A relief! I figured there was no rush to pack up and drive around to look for it immediately so I aimed the laucher into the "apparent" wind and launched the Bull Pup on another B6-4. It flew beautifully and landed close to the base. I'm a happy camper. Flight Five. Bull Pup with C6-5. Bigger rocket, aimed into the "wind", no problem. Whoosh and away it went....
| The Bull Pup was high in the sky and started drifting too! AARGH! We started running after it and this is a picture of the lovely WV sky and its descent. Luckily it landed about 50 feet short of the trees and was unscathed! Whew! Time to call it a day! |  |
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My Co-Naut' Covert, Angela on our attempt to recover the Scorpion. |
| My luck failed. This is the new home and forever resting place to my two flight Scorpion Rocket. Oh well! Until next time! |  |
