If there is a launch between when I finish the rocket and the end of the year (basically, august or on), I will fly it, assuming the weather at all cooperates. As for loosing it - yeah, that's my biggest worry. Seeing something around a foot long by an inch diameter coming down from well over a mile will be a challenge.Should really be interesting. I'll be picking up a G80 this week for some balance checks on mine, as well as ordering a picoalt ($100 of nice electronics to loose if something goes wrong or I can't find it 🙄 )

I'm all for that. I already spent what the pot is in getting the MAWD and motor... plus the sundries a rocket requires. The thing that keeps killing me... is that we are all striving to go the highest... and that increases the risk of losing my first MAWD... ah, such is life, a gamble. 🙂 I definitely should have gone DD... but didn't... 🙄

Maybe, maybe not. DD potentially could help, esp if willing to bring her down fast, and pop a big charge with chalk at mains. I would encourage all who plan to fly try to do so at OF early. (assuming there is an OF!) Lot more traffic and even if you don't get it back that day, better chance of someone finding it during the w/e. In the meantime get some mileage out of the MAWD if possible 😉
JS

The nice thing is, if you fly it so as to bring it down like a rock - a streamer, a small chute with a big spill hole, etc., it WILL turn up. Someone will stumble across it - it might be the same day, the same weekend or the next launch, but it won't take long for the bird to come back to you PROVIDED you don't core sample it.

Warren

Then basically you gotta hope somone trips over it. 😆 Hoping Warren is right and my h1000 bird shows up, now that we are in suspension and need rain to get over it, kind of wishing it wasn't phenolic based. 😥
J

now that we are in suspension and need rain to get over it, kind of wishing it wasn't phenolic based. 😥
J

Phenolic is WONDERFULLY waterproof! I wet sand it all the time... I've seen phenolic rockets that sat in water for protracted periods of time do just fine... Of course the electronics, paint, etc. are a different issue. Rainfall, or water in general won't hurt the rocket a bit, though!

JW

Agreed. Since there's no stipulation that the bird must be intact after it lands, a fast drop down is okay, as long as it's legal. If it doesn't endanger anyone on the ground, i.e., no chute--you have to have some sort of recovery device to be legal, all you need is the altimeter. It is a single shot, after all. And for reasons after you see my rocket, it is truly a single shot. I don't know how Chris, or anyone else if they plan to, is going to cram a 5" or so motor, 1/2"-1" nosecone shoulder, an ebay, AND a chute in a 12" AF. You certainly don't have to answer, but is anyone going that short on their tubes? As far as the drag, short is the best, less drag. That would be ideal. Mine was going to be 16" tops, and that was okay, close enough... then I couldn't cram the chute in... thought about a streamer, but didn't feel that was safe... thought I'd change the chute harness to a lighter weight, that wasn't safe... had to add a little more length and another blasted, needless seam... my chute is 12" or so for a 10-12 oz. bird; it'll get the altimeter back without hurting anyone... and there's one thing that is key to altitude that no one has mentioned yet. Not the environmental conditions, not the min diameter tube, not the finish, not the fin type or shape, not the nose cone shape--which varies with speed, not the optimum weight... anyone else know what adds at least an extra 500 feet? 🙂 If you know, you don't have to answer that if you don't want to give it away. And it's not a turbulator... though if the speed is fast enough, that does help... in theory. I honestly have made a few mistakes and miscalculations on mine for this year--fin span 1" too long in my gut feeling, but it sims higher, and I pray for NO wind, but this is really going to be fun. Hey, so my bird has excessive drag with Alfred-E.-Newman-ear fins (that's the rocket's name now, BTW)! It's not like this is an altitude contest or anything... D'oh! I'm thinking about cutting it back down to the original design and re-working the recovery system. I mean, you can spends months on it, have one little problem, like a sheered fin, and all your work spirals into the prairie... and then there's what Ed did last year, made a beautiful rocket, launched late and took the award home. This is a blast...

You can bet I won't miss the December launch this year...

Warren

12"???

Wow - mine is a LOT less than that. Looking at between 8.5" and 10" for my design. (body tube length - 12" to 14" overall with nosecone)

12"???

Wow - mine is a LOT less than that. Looking at between 8.5" and 10" for my design. (body tube length - 12" to 14" overall with nosecone)

You will want to make absolute CERTAIN that your CG/CP is OK. That is a challenge on a bird this size. A 12" long rocket that has fairly heavy 5.25" motor will either need some sizeable fins, or a very healthy dose of noseweight... or of course, a combination of the two.

It has a healthy dose of noseweight 🙂

It needs it anyways for optimum mass.

The "Fire Ban" is affecting many. I work weekends and had taken
vacation for the Aug. 5 launch at North.

I will be comfortable in knowing that it is for the better good,
and the continuation of future launches.

Please keep in mind that some of the vendors that participate
in the launches for launch support are affected also. Visit their
sites.

Just think how great it will be when the first rocket is able to
leave the launch pad. How beautiful it will look and how
great it will feel.

I may not be able to be there for that. So I will thank the
people that participate in creating the NCR web site and the
contibutors to the forums. So I may keep up with things.

Happy Flying.

Let it rain, let it rain! Troy, you got your moccasins out, didn't ya? 😀

Its been raining out in the area here up north where I live. (about 20 to 25 min max from the North site) but I can tell you not quite enough. Im hoping we will get some of that beautiful wet stuff here in buckets soon. i would like to see Octoberfest go as planned (really wanna get my L3 done) Anyhow I have been doing every bit of rain dance and such hoping it will help.... COME ON RAIN!!!!!!!!!!!

It's gorgeous outside! - a nice steady rain now here in Longmont for 48 hours+. I'm loving it... reminds me of the East. Nothing like a upslope storm to kill a drought...and a burn ban. If this monsoon keeps up, the August launch may yet happen.

Warren

I just checked my WX station here at the house for totals-
Friday .05"
Sat .09"
Today .59" since midnight

I have some wet sanding to do today- maybe i should just go stand outside and do it eh??