LAUNCH REPORT 1999-007

Date:    June 25, 1999
Time:    8:30 pm
Place:   My backyard, Stow, OH
Weather: Sunny, 80 Degrees F
Winds:   Calm

With no winds at all, we couldn't pass up the opportunity to burn some black powder.

My boys, several neighborhood kids and their parents were present.

Helio*Copter
B4-4
Straight boost
Altitude ~250' AGL
Both pieces landed within 50' of the launch pad.

BailOut!
C6-5
Straight boost
Altitude ~400' AGL
The three marines could decide who would bail out first. All perished in a terrible
prang about 40' east of the launch pad. This was at least our third attempt at
re-kitting this model--we almost succeeded.

The fins on the Shadow "5" have been recently re-glued. One of them was so loose that
it had to be removed. Epoxy fillets were added. The other two got thin CA wicked into
the cracks and seem pretty tight. I told the kids to let me catch it to save the fins
from taking a beating on landing.

Shadow "5"
D12-3
Straight boost
Altitude ~200' AGL
Landed ~100' SSE of the launch pad just past my reach but the fins held.

We liked it so much, we loaded it right back up. This one has a baffle, so reloading
is pretty quick. By the time it was ready, the sun was down and the sky was starting
to darken a bit.

Shadow "5"
D12-3
Straight boost, what a sight in the dusk!
Altitude ~200' AGL
I caught it ~100' S of the launch pad.

Another successful evening in the back yard.