You need two TAPs and once again, I highly recommend you take your time and get some building and flight experience on a variety of L2 level rockets before trying for you L3. Art Hoag, James Russell, Conway Stevens, Alan McBride and John Wilke are all suitable TAP's for Colorado.

Warren

I'll bring two or three copies to the Ault meeting. The more TAPs on the team the merrier.

I'll be testing a slightly different configuration of my "High Powered Rocket GPS Post-Flight Recovery System" now that I have more room in the Avbay. I've had some requests (John Wilkes) and others to use it at MHM, but I need to insure survival and operation in my own birds under higher loading before I ask others to rely upon my ideas for their rockets safe retrieval.

I believe the meeting in Ault is on Jan 12th. Your original post said Jan 16th so I'm posting in case that wasn't a typo...

I believe the meeting in Ault is on Jan 12th. Your original post said Jan 16th so I'm posting in case that wasn't a typo...

Thanks, I made the correction. I work in Broomfield at Sun, if you ever want to get together.

Can anyone tell me when is the 1st date that we will be out at the North site? I don't know how to keep an M motor under the 12,000 foot waiver of the Atlas site. ( guess I could deploy a drogue on the way up 😯 )

Is there any other launches with high waivers in february in other states?

I believe the meeting in Ault is on Jan 12th. Your original post said Jan 16th so I'm posting in case that wasn't a typo...

Thanks, I made the correction. I work in Broomfield at Sun, if you ever want to get together.

Can anyone tell me when is the 1st date that we will be out at the North site? I don't know how to keep an M motor under the 12,000 foot waiver of the Atlas site. ( guess I could deploy a drogue on the way up 😯 )

Is there any other launches with high waivers in february in other states?

Mike

Build a Bigger, Fatter Rocket. Or add a 20 lb wieght in the nose!

Warren and Conway will tell you to just add more layers of glass.
😉
You dont have to go high to get L3, it just has to go and get back in one piece.

Scotte

ps

Im beginning to fing out that 12000 ft. is a pretty high waiver compared to what some others have.

scotte

NCR is lucky to have one of the top 10 launch sites in the US. Certainly there are 3 or 4, maybe 5 clubs with higher waivers than our Pawnee North Site - Kloudbusters in Kansas, the Amarillo boys, Arizona High Power, possibly a few other sites... some of them have 35K waivers, some 50K waivers and Arizona runs BALLS up at Black Rock dry lake with a 100K waiver and this new club, the Mavericks, are on the edge of gettiing windows to 350K or more at Black Rock.

NCR's 20K waiver is one of the best in the country and you couldn't ask for a better recovery area other than maybe Black Rock or Bonneville (being able to drive to your bird would be nice - but at least we get some exercise). There are a couple other clubs with 20K waivers, but not too many with more. In the past we've even had windows to 30K AGL. Perhaps we'll be able to get higher windows again. FCC rules are in transition, so we'll see how it all shakes out when it shakes out.

Warren

PS: Be aware of whether a waiver is rated AGL (Above Ground Level) or MSL (Mean Sea Level). It makes all the difference in the world out here in the west.

By the way, the 12th is this Saturday - the menu is barbecue beef and pork, beans and potato salad.

Warren

Mike, we're usually out at the North site at the April launch. Get your TAPs together before you start building the L3 rocket. They need to sign off on it as you go along. It's not like the other two certifications. There's more involved, and THEY are in charge. Keeping M's under 12k is no problem. The Atlas site is good up to J, and you have to set up a K launch with Joe Hinton for the Atlas site. Not that it can't be done, the club just needs to be notified. Are you going with another PR kit for your L3? If so, good choice. That G10 is nice, isn't it? 😉

A 20K waiver is a lot. It took me FOUR times to recover cleanly over 20K (though I am 4-for-4 since 😉

NCR is blessed to have many capable TAPs. It would be my honor to help out if necessary-- though it probably will not be an issue. We each have our specialties. All the TAPs are solid (except maybe that Iowa guy)...........

JW

Thanks for the comments and the encouragement

If "Keeping M's under 12K" is not a problem, then I won't rush out and buy another box of "fat" rocket parts. I have the equivalent of a Performance Rocketry Intimidator 5 coming in (Lord willing and the creek don't rise). I asked for some other airframe components that do not normally get shipped with it, along with a G10 54mm Avbay for another GPS package idea.

If any of the TAP's would like to review and critique my design package so far, before the meeting, its at:
http://www.telerover.com/rockets/L3/Slipstick_HP3_L3_Certification_Design.pdf 💡

I'll look at adding ballast (would sand be a good choice? lead shot? 10 Big Macs?) to the nose cone to see if I can get below 12K. I really don't want to wait until April, and I don't want to purposely add weight that I can't remove easily later.

What is the penalty for 'accidently exceeding the waiver. Will they take my pilot's license away? 😥

The Cesaroni M1400 is the mildest M motor I could drag up on RockSim. Any suggestions on an alternative for L3?

The first launch at the North site usually happens in April, that is what you should probably plan for if you want to do your L3 right away. You definitely have a great deal of knowledge that you can apply to your L3 design. You also might consider taking advantage of the coupe launches between now and April to get some L2 experience before attempting your L3. Don't feel like you have to rush it, play at your own pace and have fun. See you Saturday and good meeting you at the launch this last Saturday Mike.

I may be repeating this and I apologize if it was already said in this e-mail but I did not see anyone bring up the motor class limit at the Atlas site. NCR does not fly anything bigger then a K motor at the Atlas site. This is due to the close proximity to the highway and the sites geographical capabilities.

Save the M’s and the big rockets for the North site.

Art

I'll look at adding ballast (would sand be a good choice? lead shot? 10 Big Macs?) to the nose cone to see if I can get below 12K.

How about adding a functional payload like a camera? 😉

Doug

Well. well, well... I just happen to have an Intimidator 5 sitting out in the garage... as well as a G3 and extra 4' 3" airframe. Great choice, Mike. I took a PR Competitor 5 kit, had new fins made, and added a 3' section for the main and built it for my L3. Kits are always good to start a project. The rest is up to you to have fun with and learn. I had to add a little over a pound of fishing weights (Pb) in the nose of the Intimidator 5 to keep it stable for N shots. Its maiden flight will be with a Cesaroni M1400 in an AT 75/6400 case. Great start to your documentation, by the way.