We just got back from having a most successful rocket launch.
First up was the Mean Machine.
As is often the case, the breeze kicked up so we angled
the rod against the wind. First signs were good,
the rocket came off the pad as straight as an arrow.
As it turned out, the winds aloft were much weaker
then the winds at the ground, so after this launch
we gave the launch rod a more vertical orientation.
The next we launched the Mean Machine again.
The missile screamed to five hundred feet,
the parachute deployed, and the rocket
started to float toward the school
so i started to run to catch the rocket.
I..I can't..I...can! Im gonna, Im gonna!
I...did! I had caught the rocket!
(whew)The next the rocket up
was the Rascal ( a newly bought rocket).
5..4..3..2..1! Rocket soars to a thousand
feet. I caught the rocket again.
...And so on. Overall, we launched a whopping eight
times! The rockets launched were the Mean Machine,
Astron Outlaw, the Rascal, the Nasa Spaceship,and the Chrome Domes.
We held the flight de-briefing over some DQ ice cream!
Mark that as another succsessful friday night flight!
z-rocketman
watch for videos, coming soon!
thanks to camera man Joshua.
Friday, April 17, 2009
Houston, We are Go on the Rocket Re-fit...
Thanks to time, patience, and skill,
I have fixed three more rockets: the Nasa
Spaceship, The Astron Outlaw, and, my favorite rocket, the six-foot tall
the Mean Machine.
With the first two rockets I fixed, All I had to
do was replace a burnt parachute and find a engine
cap for both rockets.
But the Mean Machine was in two pieces,
Parachute burned, Three fins missing, broken engine mount infrastructure, and
cracked body tube couple. But in sevral days I had fixed the rockets.
We are going to launch today, and we will keep you posted!
z-rocketman
I have fixed three more rockets: the Nasa
Spaceship, The Astron Outlaw, and, my favorite rocket, the six-foot tall
the Mean Machine.
With the first two rockets I fixed, All I had to
do was replace a burnt parachute and find a engine
cap for both rockets.
But the Mean Machine was in two pieces,
Parachute burned, Three fins missing, broken engine mount infrastructure, and
cracked body tube couple. But in sevral days I had fixed the rockets.
We are going to launch today, and we will keep you posted!
z-rocketman
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Grounded!
My fleet, that is.
I have not been able to launch for a while now for several reasons. One is that the weather has not been suitable for launching.
Another isthe Old Man my Pop has not been up to launching with me.
Also, my rockets have not been in good condition. All three of my Astron Outlaws have one or more fins missing. My NASA Spaceship has warped fins, my Blue Ninja has been sat on a couple of times (perpetrator shall remain nameless), etc.
I have fixed the Chrome Dome, though. I repaired the burnt parachute (long story) and I resupported the fins.
I hope I can have a launch soon. I'll keep you posted!
- Z
I have not been able to launch for a while now for several reasons. One is that the weather has not been suitable for launching.
Another is
Also, my rockets have not been in good condition. All three of my Astron Outlaws have one or more fins missing. My NASA Spaceship has warped fins, my Blue Ninja has been sat on a couple of times (perpetrator shall remain nameless), etc.
I have fixed the Chrome Dome, though. I repaired the burnt parachute (long story) and I resupported the fins.
I hope I can have a launch soon. I'll keep you posted!
- Z
Monday, December 29, 2008
Fleet Re-fit
I have a lot of rockets that need fixing.
My new Chrome Dome got a burned parachute on its first day. My Blue Ninja is, um, missing some fins.
One of my Mean Machine rockets got sat on on the way back from the launch field. The other Mean Machine got bent at the base becau it landed too hard. It landed too hard because my Senior Flight Dynamics Officer (let's just call him 'Pop') cut the hole in the parachute too big.
Another one of my rockets has found a new home in the top of a 45-foot oak tree on the edge of the flight range. The pre-launch briefing went something like this:
Me: "Pop, you don't think the breeze has kicked up too much, do you?"
Senior Flight Dynamics Officer: "Naw. Lets just modify the trajectory a few degrees to cancel out the wind."
The in-flight discussion went something like this:
Senior Flight Dynamics Officer: "WOW!!! With a c6-7 that little rocket went WAY higher than I thought it would."
Me: "I told you it would, Pop! "
Senior FIDO: "Yeah, I know, but WOW!!!!"
Me: "Uh..... Pop? It looks like it is headed for those trees."
FIDO: "No way. It'll clear a good 20 yards this side of the treeline. If not more. We are golden. Trust me."
Me: "I don't know...."
Rocket snags itself in top of said oak tree.
FIDO: "Hmmpf. Guess I misjudged it a bit."
Oh, well. That is rocketry.
The end.
CLASSIFIED AD:
Model rocketeer looking for new Flight Dynamics Officer. Must be good listener and able to follow simple instructions. Must be familiar with route to and from the local DQ.
Just kidding, Pop.
My new Chrome Dome got a burned parachute on its first day. My Blue Ninja is, um, missing some fins.
One of my Mean Machine rockets got sat on on the way back from the launch field. The other Mean Machine got bent at the base becau it landed too hard. It landed too hard because my Senior Flight Dynamics Officer (let's just call him 'Pop') cut the hole in the parachute too big.
Another one of my rockets has found a new home in the top of a 45-foot oak tree on the edge of the flight range. The pre-launch briefing went something like this:
Me: "Pop, you don't think the breeze has kicked up too much, do you?"
Senior Flight Dynamics Officer: "Naw. Lets just modify the trajectory a few degrees to cancel out the wind."
The in-flight discussion went something like this:
Senior Flight Dynamics Officer: "WOW!!! With a c6-7 that little rocket went WAY higher than I thought it would."
Me: "I told you it would, Pop! "
Senior FIDO: "Yeah, I know, but WOW!!!!"
Me: "Uh..... Pop? It looks like it is headed for those trees."
FIDO: "No way. It'll clear a good 20 yards this side of the treeline. If not more. We are golden. Trust me."
Me: "I don't know...."
Rocket snags itself in top of said oak tree.
FIDO: "Hmmpf. Guess I misjudged it a bit."
Oh, well. That is rocketry.
The end.
CLASSIFIED AD:
Model rocketeer looking for new Flight Dynamics Officer. Must be good listener and able to follow simple instructions. Must be familiar with route to and from the local DQ.
Just kidding, Pop.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
A Word to the Wise
Not packing your parachute right can affect the aerodynamics of your rocket.z-rocketman
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Back to the Launch Pad!!!
Last Saturday I grabbed my new Chrome Dome, Outlaw, and Astro-Vision rockets, my launch equipment, and headed to the launch site with my Pop and my brother Joshua.
The sky was blue and crystal clear. My pop loves launching in clear skies because he can see the rockets better with his fading eyesight.
We used c6-7 engines, launching at a slight angle into the northerly breeze (5-10mph). The Chrome Dome was the first up, and it flew great, but unfortunately I forgot to put flame-proof wadding into the rocket before launch, which prevented full deployment of the parachute (which got scorched) so the rocket landed with a thud over on the baseball diamond.
We also had a problem with the deployment of the Outlaw parachute, though I did have wadding in the rocket this time. My new Outlaw hit the blacktop, and one of the fins broke. The Astro-Vision flew fine.
As is often the case, my Pop announced he was tired and so we packed up the rockets and headed for home after a short (3 launch) session.
z-rocketman
The sky was blue and crystal clear. My pop loves launching in clear skies because he can see the rockets better with his fading eyesight.
We used c6-7 engines, launching at a slight angle into the northerly breeze (5-10mph). The Chrome Dome was the first up, and it flew great, but unfortunately I forgot to put flame-proof wadding into the rocket before launch, which prevented full deployment of the parachute (which got scorched) so the rocket landed with a thud over on the baseball diamond.
We also had a problem with the deployment of the Outlaw parachute, though I did have wadding in the rocket this time. My new Outlaw hit the blacktop, and one of the fins broke. The Astro-Vision flew fine.
As is often the case, my Pop announced he was tired and so we packed up the rockets and headed for home after a short (3 launch) session.
z-rocketman
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Dearth and Birth
I have not launched any rockets for a couple weeks. Weather has not been good on launch days, or my Pop, the executive launch director, has been too busy or too tired. With good weather we should be able to launch again soon.
Today is my birthday. We celebrated yesterday at Outback Steakhouse. I had my favorite, chicken fingers and fries for the last time. It is the last time because that is on the kid's menu, and you can only order from the kids menu if you are under ten. I am now ten!
Today is my birthday. We celebrated yesterday at Outback Steakhouse. I had my favorite, chicken fingers and fries for the last time. It is the last time because that is on the kid's menu, and you can only order from the kids menu if you are under ten. I am now ten!
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