LAUNCH REPORT 1999-002 Date: May 3 Time: 6:00 pm Place: My backyard, Stow, OH Weather: Sunny, 60-65 Degrees F Winds: Southeast 5-15 mph I have been waiting through some windy/rainy days to launch the Shadow 5 on a D and two Cs. I had also seen a couple calm days go by while playing catch with my youngest son in the backyard ("C'mon, that's enough, let's do some rockets" didn't fly with him). I hoped to do a quick prep after work and do a quick launch after dinner before we left for an apointment. After dinner there wasn't much time left and the winds looked like they were picking up so we scrubbed. Date: May 4 Time: 12:30 pm Place: My backyard, Stow, OH Weather: Sunny, 65-70 Degrees F Winds: Southeast ~5 mph I watched the flags hang on my way into work and noticed the winds were still calm at lunch time so I went home to try the Shadow 5 again (it's only about a 10 minute drive). I finished building a modified "Plumber's Delight" launch pad (PD3L - described below) on Sunday (05/02) and lugged the parts out to the backyard. I adapted my 3/16" rod to the 1/4"-20 threaded rod connector with masking tape and used a torpedo level (Christmas present from oldest son) to check plumb. I was using my five-lead launch controller with a single 6-volt lantern battery as the second had been ruined by the short described in the previous launch report (1999-001). Shadow 5 1 D12-5, 2 C6-5 Pushed the button--nothing happened. The relay inside the launch controller was making a slightly quieter click than usual and the continuity light was not turning off when the launch relay button was depressed. There not being much time to troublshoot, I had to scrub the launch *again*. I later determined that the DPST relay was stuck in the normally-closed position. A good flick on the side freed it. Ate lunch with wife. Went back to work. Date: May 4 Time: 7:30 pm Place: My backyard, Stow, OH Weather: Sunny, 65-70 Degrees F Winds: South ~5 mph The winds had picked up during the afternoon and it looked like an evening launch was out. Around 7:15 the neighbor and I noticed the winds had died down so I got out the PD3L, the five-lead launch controller and the single 6-volt lantern battery. The Shadow 5 has now been prepped for over 24 hours and I'm *jacked*! Shadow 5 1 D12-5, 2 C6-5 Pushed the button--nothing happened. The continuity light connected to the normally-closed lead on the relay is going out when the button is pushed. It looks like the single 6-volt lantern battery just doesn't have what it takes to fire 3 Estes ignitors. Not wanting to scrub again, I disconnect the leads from the 2 C6-5s and let everyone know this was gonna be a low flight. Shadow 5 D12-5 Altitude ~100' AGL I pushed the button and immediately realized I was using a D12-5 and not a D12-3. Not only that, but I had two unfired C6-5s going along for a ride. Thank goodness for those short Estes delays! The Shadow 5 stopped, fell slightly to the side and started down. Just before achieving a straight down orientation the ejection charge blew. The parachute opened fully just before the tail hit. The chute didn't have enough time to fully load the shock cord but the landing was in grass, about 20 southwest of the launch pad. We left it lay right there while we cleaned up. It looks like a motorcycle or garden tractor battery is going to be the next purchase. Details on my modified "Plumber's Delight" launch pad - "PD3L" (Plumber's Delight, 3 legs, large) - I used 1-1/2" PVC in lieu of 1" for a "beefier" pad. - I used a double-wye fitting instead of a cross. - I only made three legs, and connected them to the "bottom" and two "wyes" of the fitting (leaving the "top" open) for a tripod effect. - I made the legs about 31" long. With the street 45s and end caps, the assembled pad sits about 2' off the ground. - I filled the legs with a weak sand mortar (3 parts sand, 1 part cement). - I built the three-eye-bolt tilt head. - I used 1/4"x6' stainless steel for the launch rod, threaded the bottom half inch with a 1/4"-20 die and used a 1/4"-20 threaded rod connector to attach to the tilt head. - I made a sheet-metal blast deflector out of a piece of 6" diameter galvanized flue material. This was bent into an inverted "V" with the ends sweeping to horizontal, and painted with several coats of automotive exhaust header paint, then cured in the oven at 400 degrees F for 1-1/2 hours.