Single Shot Sweepstakes 2006

[Anonymous]

For my part, I’m not going to try to max out altitude for the SSS. Really. I think if the sims *were* right, i.e. 7,500′, then you would never find the rocket. I am building something with fins that are too big, with a body tube that is too long, etc. My rocket is 22.125″ long, 29mm, conical cone, fin span of 1.25″, root chord of 2.0″, weight of 214g. I simulate to 6,331′ at 5,500′ MSL at 85 deg F. I think if it gets to 6,300′ then it will be next to impossible to find.

On a related note, I have built a rocket for the G55 for a TRA altitude attempt. I’m not willing to be quite so open with that project, at least not until the last G55 is burned or the certification expires 😮 I believe I can crack 8,000′ for that blast. Stay tuned.

On yet another related note, I am going to try to fly pretty much as high as possible on the SSSS (J350 blast). I am hoping for 13,500′ there.

Finally, I’m AGU (all geeked up) to report that Tripoli has accepted my L record of 23,404′. I heard from them last week.

JW

[Anonymous]

Is anyone flying their SSS at the June launch? I will *not*… I am flying the RATT M and that will be a handful. July for me…

[denverdoc]

Bruce,
Agreed. Once in awhile I look around for TRA competition activities. Nada. Rainbow valley which maybe not so coincidentally is a hybrid HPR/NAR section seems so inclined on occasion and can fly biggums while sposoring the NARAM this year is another. LDRS an obvious venue if you like bowling balls…

I think competition is good stuff. There are basically 2 species IME, geeksters who’d be as happy besting a B alt record by a few meters, and “pyros” who’d just as soon use quikcrete one part molds and fly O sparky’s to 2000.’

This club provides both. Some day I’d like to see NCR host NAR events, or T-C do the same. In the meantime, this is sweet.
JS

[Bruce R. Schaefer]

Started adding color to the covering mix on my rocket yesterday… and a bug with large wings bonzied right into the fresh paint. 👿 Isn’t that the way life goes? Anyway, I will probably have it ready to fly at the June launch, just in case the weather’s right. It won’t have the finish I wanted, but the right conditions might override that. Dunno. Impulse decision (pun intended). 😆 If the weather isn’t what I want, then I’ll take it home and keep finishing it. My only altitude contest experience was way back at NARAM-11 in 1969. Interesting story though. It was a peewee payload (1 oz. lead weight, and a B or C motor, don’t remember which) predicted altitude. I did all the calculations by hand. No software at the time. I came up with 212 feet (or meters, don’t remember that either, probably feet with the weight, anyway…). Launched the rocket a couple of times. It was dead on–visual altitude trig determination at the time. No altimeters. Operator dependent. Packed it up with the other four of my contest rockets and headed to Colorado Springs. I was 16 at the time. Well, my egg launch scrambled–never did during practice flights, plus it cocked into the wind. Okay, fine. One down. Four to go. Peewee payload. My Dad, the multi-patented engineer, said I should adjust my calculations for the altitude in Colorado Springs. I did… and was WAY OFF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My altitude in Illinois was consistently 212 feet. In Colorado Springs 213 feet. I would’ve have been within a foot and had the national record. My Dad and I had a good laugh for years after that. Moral? Don’t second-guess yourself and make last-miunte changes. Do what is proven. Could’ve worked the other way though. There are so MANY variables in play… plus altitude determination depended on operators–people, not computers. All the rest of my flights were good but not good enough for a national trophy, except for one. The Sparrow Boost Glide. My flight was 2 and a half minutes or so, longer than the international record at the time. My Dad approached G. Harry Stine about doing the paperwork for the international record, but Stine said there wasn’t time. So we left and headed home to Illinois. I won’t name names, but it’s a matter of record… guess who got the international record? Another flyer less than 30-60 seconds flight time than mine. Who ended up with the international record that year? Okay, I’ll name names. On record. Stine’s daughter. And, that was my introduction to organizational politics, a very valuable lesson. That’s why I really value NCR. None of that.

[Bruce R. Schaefer]

What John Wilkes did this weekend at Hartsell with a G55 was absolutely incredible. The only thing true in this post thread is that NCR has tremendous talent. Uh, um… John, you’re entered in the 2006 SSS? Gulp. 🙄 Well, I attended my first club meeting in January, and except for one, you won all the contests. Now I know why. This old NAR guy is gonna shut until he can put up. My heartfelt congratulations. Your skills are remarkable and second to none. Period.

[Anonymous]

Bruce, thanks for your kind words– I worked hard on some birds all winter and now that summer is here, I’m reaping some of the rewards. The L boost was nice, but the G was very sweet– in my opinion, it was a MUCH harder record to knock off. The L record is still “low hanging fruit”, and there are many fellows in this club alone who can take that record again. I believe it may well fall this year. Last year at BALLS there were 3 rockets on the same rack going for that record. All three rockets — mine included — had damage that DQ’d them from a record.

The G shot yesterday had decent conditions, though it was a bit cooler and windier than I wanted. It came w/in about 15 feet of the projected altitude. It was a fine boost.

The F shot had a really bizarre twist– the Apogee Components nosecone split (!!!) from near the tip to down by the shoulder…. and there was quite a bit of air getting sucked up by that. I don’t think I could have gotten the TRA record, but I’m sure it cost me perhaps 500′. I have one more F32 left, and they are certified for one more year. I’ll try again.

This coming Saturday I may try my J570 bird again. That rocket broke the TRA record last year, but not by the prerequisite 2% 😯 If conditions are right this year, that can also be had. I cleaned the rocket up a lot.

Beyond that? I might try a K attempt at Oktoberfest, though I may be out antelope hunting instead.

JW

[denverdoc]

JW,
Great flight, and praise the lords I still have 2 g55’s and didn’t succumb to the temptaion to give one up. 🙂 Glad to see you at Hartsel. It was a fine w/e, wish I could have been there for both days.
J

[Warren B. MusselmanModerator]

I had planned on being there, but a bad case of laryngitis kept me home. Couldn’t talk and for a chatty bastard like me, that’s intolerable in a social situation – moreover, I didn’t want it to get worse.

I totally respect what John has done with his altitude birds – I aspire to do 1/2 as well as he has… on the other hand, that 3000′ of additional altitude at the launch site definitely added at least 500′ and maybe as much as 800′ to his altitude, despite the cold temperature, maybe even more.

My skirt is up John, my feet are wet, and I’ve got birds ready or almost ready to go after ALL of those records… I’ve got a G55, I’ve got a J570, I’ve got an L330…now if only I could find an F32…

By the way, found a GREAT site today… http://rocketmaterials.org/

Warren Musselman

[Anonymous]

There is no doubt — absolutely NO doubt whatsoever — that the Hartsel venue helped me out on my F and G shots. That was one of the reasons I flew from there. I have flown there maybe a dozen times or so, it is a wonderful venue. I am a TCO member.

There are many things that help a flyer achieve altitude… diameter of the bird, motor selection (duh!), mass, etc. The environmental factors cannot be overlooked, though. Launch site elevation and temps are very major factors. It seems foolish to me to not take advantage of things like an 8800′ MSL launch site that is not so very far away. The bad news? It was in the high 40’s at noon on Saturday, and it was a nice day. You won’t get those 100 degree days like we do up north.

In the good ol’ days, we had outrageous windows at Hartsel. Something like 26K?? AGL. That was perhaps 8-9 years ago. Now it is more restrictive, but worth the drive. Wonderful folks, great site, etc. Check it out sometime!

JW

[Warren B. MusselmanModerator]

I plan on it… if it weren’t for the laryngitis, I would definitely have been there Sat. AM at the very least. Now if only we could prevail on Gary Rosenfeld to start making some of those cool 24mm SU motors again. At one point, someone (I think Gary) made an SU H124 or something like that in a 24mm case.

Warren

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