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That has to be the most Challenger-like post mortem video I’ve ever seen in rocketry. Excellent Mike.Warren

Ain’t hi-res digital photography great for failure analysis?!Looks like you need bigger shear pins into a longer coupler??? That or a one-piece sustainer with all-out-the-top dual deployment (tethered main).Cool flight nonetheless! 8)Ken

How far into the flight did the Sustainer motor ignite and how long would it have gone for after the separation?It looked like to me that after it coasted a bit, it started falling flat and spinning. I think it…   Read more»

Update on the trip up. We are leaving out Sat am about 5:00 and heading straight there. Jeremiah may be with me as well, I’m taking some young eyes with me too. Cross your fingers…..GregGreg, Thank you again for doing…   Read more»

Bert sent me some high resolution pictures whiuch I was able to zoom in on and get some revealing information, Thanks Bert! It appears the boost section of the sustainer was aerodynamic for a while after it came apart from…   Read more»

Assuming N is the launch pad. My best estimate of landing zone would have been S/2 NW of 27 to the N/2 SW of 27. Or, using strike, I would say between 285 and 300*. I’m betting close to the…   Read more»

Jeremiah and I were parked on the northern end when it flew. We watched it fall till it went over the hill. From our angle, it looked like it went down just over the hill to the west of the…   Read more»

Jeremiah and I were parked on the northern end when it flew. We watched it fall till it went over the hill. From our angle, it looked like it went down just over the hill to the west of the…   Read more»

Vinyl contact paper works great for temporarily adding color to the airframe and fins on a 1st flight. (make sure it does not have a paper backing like what you get at the hobby stores).The airstarts were wonderful to watch!

i think Joe once said (this is an unofficial quote) “its ok if your rocket isn’t painted…. it has to earn its paint!”

Well I was finally was able download the data from PF MAWD and the altitude was 3412 AGL. Not bad considering it didn’t fly straight up the whole time. Someday I’ll play with the numbers and see if I can…   Read more»

I thought it was a great flight and that you’d planned the airstarts just that way.Warren

I concur, Ron, that was a cool project and looked great in flight! Good thing you hadn’t painted it yet – I’m thinking I shouldn’t paint any of my rockets before the maiden flight, just in case! Or will that…   Read more»

Ron, it was an awesome flight. I thought the entire flight was planned that way. It was really cool seeing each motor light in sequence one right after the other.Wow.Ken.

If it’s any help, I’d buy a few if you end up having to have them made.Warren

FWIW, Smalley would do a run for this use…. but it was going to be $350 to set up and then they’d do a bunch of them for nothing. The cost is all in the setup. One would cost as…   Read more»

The Skyripper rings come from Smalley.com. They are a custom run that Todd does. He doesn’t have them for 75mm as there isn’t a 75mm line yet. I know there are a few floating around in the club from the…   Read more»

John, the split rings used by Skyripper hybrids are somewhat less than half the exposure of the AMW rings – also a bit lighter and thinner. I don’t know where they get theirs but that would be where I’d look.Warren

Well, the good folks at Smalley were unable to help… the OD of the rings is too great.Now I must try to grind one down enough (but not too much). Hmmm….

Mike, I hung around for SPONGE BOB and it was worth the wait! Very, very nice. I’d say it was in the top 1-3 flights of the entire event? JS’s L3 with the M650 was very cool, too… you get…   Read more»