Subject: [LAUNCH REPORT] MTMA #4 - "Weekend at the Summit" Date: Mon, 27 Sep 1999 15:23:41 -0400 From: Mark Recktenwald Organization: http://web.raex.com/~markndeb/ Newsgroups: rec.models.rockets The Mantua Township Missile Agency (MTMA) assembled for the fourth time this past weekend; however, this launch was not held in Mantua. We launched in a grass parking area at the Summit County Fairgrounds. This mowed grass field is approximately 25 acres in size, with over 100 acres of former farmland (now "full yellow" in goldenrod) to the north. A local model airplane club flies in a grassy field just east of the parking area, and we kept a respectable distance from them. The change in venue led to a reassignment of planning and paperwork duties. Without Tod Hilty's usual diligent attention, and due to conflicts in our schedules, this launch was held in two parts, one on Saturday (modroc and LMR), and one on Sunday (modroc to HPR). Saturday's launch team consisted of Chuck Straka, Tod Hilty, and myself. Randy Miller and Stan Mikush were to run the launch on Sunday (I never made it out to the field and don't know who else was present). Due to kid's sports, Bruce Levison didn't make it Saturday and wasn't sure he'd make it on Sunday either. Hope to see you in October, Bruce. Some of my neighbors, friends, and relatives came to watch, as did some passers-by. Saturday's weather was perfect, sunny, not a cloud in the sky, 75° and nearly dead calm. A slight breeze out of the east came and went. Due to other commitments (kid's sports, etc.) we didn't get to the field until about 2:00 p.m., but we made the most of it for the next three hours. Some of the more-notable flights of the day included: Tod "the Magician" Hilty's Amazing Disappearing Big Bertha, lofted (or was that vaporized?) on an Aerotech D21-7T single-use motor. A Sidewinder drag race between Chuck, Tod, and myself (mine was ignition-challenged). My 35mm-camera-equipped scratch CR4 taking 25 exposures on an Aerotech SU F50-4T motivated flight (then landing on a narrow gravel road--Doh!). Tod's Phoenix on an Aerotech E28-4T reload (perfect motor for this baby). Chuck's "chuf-n-go" Aerotech Arreaux (putt-putt-putt-putt-whoosh) on an Aerotech F20-7W Econojet. Chuck's Cherokee 3 on a full-stack D12-0, C6-0, C6-7 for an "outta-sight" flight loosing both boosters but recovering the sustainer in the only tree landing of the day (less than 8 feet up). My Shadow "5" on a cluster of three C6-3s (another perfect motor combo). Tod's many flights of medium-sized rockets on D-motors. My CHAD-staged C6-0, C6-5 Sidewinder doing a power prang. Chuck's flights of the day were: Snitch on a C6-0 landing 15’ from the pad, Astron E-Roc for great altitude on a D12-7, Alpha 3 on a B6-4, America on a B6-4 caught by Chuck, Rastrocam on a C6-3 with camera inoperative but launched for the heck of it, Sidewinder on a C5-3 as part of the drag race, Arreaux on a noisy AT F20-7W Econojet, and Cherokee 3 (D12-C6-C6). Tod's flights of the day were: Custom Bullet on a D12-5, Big Bertha on an AT D21-7T, Sidewinder on a C5-3 as part of the drag race, Phoenix on an AT E28-4T which lost its chute and landed with only a few nicks, Black Brant on a D12-7 which lost its streamer but landed softly in the grass, his son's Star Destroyer on a "low-n-slow" D12-3 pass, and Custom Matra on a D12-5. The author's flights of the day were: Mini Marz Lander on an A3-4T, oldest son's scratch Bubba on a B6-6, youngest son's Mach-12 on a B4-4 that seemed to hover due to thermals under its 18 inch chute, SM-3 Seahawk on a D12-5 with the two section tangling and coming in as one, scratch CR4 on an AT F50-4T, Shadow 5 on three C6-3s, Sidewinder on a C5-3 that failed to launch with the others in the drag race, AMRAAM on a C6-5, oldest son's Hijax on a B6-6 that he prepped and forgot to add wadding (the extra shock cord added to this kit saved the chute), youngest son's scratch Fireball on a C6-5, and CHAD-staged Sidewinder (power prang). After a successful three hours of launching and chasing, we packed up the spouses and kids and picked up sub sandwiches for a "grub and suds" at my place. The homebrew flowed and the skies beckoned. The backyards in my neighborhood form a pretty big open area that is great for small modroc launches (and the occasional large modroc). Chuck prepped his Nano Rocketry Nano Saucer rocket for a launch on a Quest MicroMax motor. It did a great 30-foot "Snitch-like" flight. Now that the skies were primed and the neighborhood kids gathered, we spent the next hour prepping rockets for the kids to launch and recover. We had many repeated flights of Alpha 3, Yellow Jacket, Thunderhawk, Bubba, and Mini Marz Lander on 1/2A, A, and B motors. As the sun set and the neighborhood kids were called in, we toasted to a great day of launching and looked forward to our next gathering under October skies. -- Mark Recktenwald Stow, Ohio