LAUNCH REPORT 1999-011

Date:    August 22, 1999
Time:    9:30 am - 3:30 pm
Place:   Former sod farm, Mantua Township, Portage County, Ohio
Weather: Sunny, 75 Degrees F
Winds:   Variable (E, NE, N) calm-10 mph

Excerpted from Tod A. Hilty's post to rec.models.rockets with edits by MRR

Subject: [LAUNCH REPORT] MTMA #3! Time for Tubby Bye-Bye!... or, Po Hits Max Q!
Date: Tue, 24 Aug 1999 00:29:47 GMT
From: blankreg@nospam.ever.net (Hilty Information Systems)
Organization: APK Net
Newsgroups: rec.models.rockets

The Mantua Township Missile Agency again assembled at the aging remains
of the Mantua Sod Farm for our first annual "Po Memorial Launch".

The weather was _beautiful_! Temps were in the middle 70's, blue sky,
with cumulus clouds. It was dead calm when I arrived on the field at
8:15AM, but the wind started up around 9:30, lightly, from the N, NE.
We did enjoy several, almost dead calm, periods throughout the day,
along with several fairly "hairy" gusts, so the launcher angles were
varying constantly.

The MTMA launch team consisted of Mark Recktenwald, Chuck Straka,
Randy Miller, Stan Mikush, and myself. It was great to see Randy, and
Stan again, as they were unable to attend the MTMA #2 launch. Notably
absent was Bruce Levison (aw man!... no teflon!). Hope you can make
the September launch Bruce!

The MTMA "Po Memorial Launch" was a success, although we were
apparently unable to lose the little Teletubby!

Mark Recktenwald:
(see Tod Hilty's version for narrative, particulars below)

Glider Launcher (RMR DESCON 4 entry)
A8-3
Aimed NE into wind, straight boost.
Altitude ~200' AGL
Parachutes didn't eject. Gliders nose-dived. All landed within 50' of the launch pad.

Bubba (oldest son's scratch rocket)
C6-5
Aimed NE into wind, straight boost.
Altitude ~600' AGL
Landed in the "Field of Thorns [tm]".

Estes Hijax (oldest son's)
Praying Mantis in clear payload bay.
B4-4
Aimed North into wind, straight boost.
Altitude ~350' AGL
All insects survived!

Estes Sidewinder
Drag race with Tod Hilty. Our sons fired on Tod's count.
C5-3
Aimed slightly North into wind. Straight, quick boost.
Altitude ~400' AGL
Landed about 250' SSW in the "Field of Thorns [tm]". Both pieces within 20'.

Estes Shadow "5"
After an outboard motor jammed pre-flight at MTMA #2, and the subsequent damage to
the MMT on removal, one outboard MMT was replaced, all were sanded clean on their
inside surfaces, and engine hooks were installed on the previously friction-fit
outboard MMTs.
D12-7 and four C6-7
Aimed slightly East into wind, straight boost.
Altitude ~1,200' AGL
This 4' tall, 2.6" diameter rocket nearly disappeared!
The 24" parachute brought it down slow and the breeze carried it about 500' east
where I caught it.

CR4 (without camera)
Tele-Tubby Po (2oz. 2" x 5" plastic figurine on 12" Estes parachute) packed in
body tube along with main chutes.
NCR F62-6 Dark Star
Aimed vertical, vertical boost
Altitude ~700' AGL
Perfect separation (2-piece recovery, 3 counting Po) and deployment.
All parts landed within 30' of the launch pad with me catching the empty upper
payload bay not 10' from the pad.

Saturn V (1:154 scale)
D12-3
Aimed NE into wind, vertical boost
Altitude ~500' AGL
Parachute ejected but failed to fill.
Landed on its side on the range about 100' East of the launch pad and broke a fin.

Estes Maniac
D12-7
Aimed NE into wind, straight boost
Altitude ~1,100' AGL
Landed ~75' due South of the pad in the "Field of Thorns [tm]".

Stan Mikush:
(see Tod Hilty's version)

Randy Miller:
(see Tod Hilty's version)

Chuck Straka:
Chuck's 1.6x Mars Lander on an AT G80 was a sight to see! My video tape of the
launch and descent came out better than any other launch I filmed that day.
(see Tod Hilty's version for more)

Tod Hilty:
(see Tod Hilty's version)

Tod's friends and Cub Scouts
(see Tod Hilty's version)