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CATO 12 Launch Report

March 21, 1999
Clarks Falls


After two consecutive rainouts (CATOs X and XI), we were all gung hoto burn some black powder and ammonium perchlorate in honor of the Vernal Equinox. The weather was not great: overcast, breazy, high in the low 50s, but it was good enough. The south wind blew several of ourbirds into the pond and the treeline. We had a local tree surgeon on site, and he was kept busy recovering rockets of all sizes from the trees (for a small fee).

This launch combined our high power "Certification Fest" with an "A" streamer duration (ASD) contest. Boy Scout Troup 38, of Westbrook was there in force to fly their Estes Nova Payloaders, for their Space Exploration Merit Badges.
For the first time, Radio CATO broadcast the launch from a low power FM transmitter. Nice job Lud and Ribsy!


(photo 1)Victor Mirabito's LOC V2 flying on an Aerotech J570W. This rocket carries a miniature TV transmitter, a radio controlled device for parachute deployment, and an altimeter backup for the chute. That's a lot of toys!

(photo2) Jay Calvert's successful Level 2 certification flight. "Shadow Technology" is a 10 foot tall scratchbuilt rocket, seen here under J350-10W power. Transolve P5 altimeter based two-stage chute deployment was used to pop a 36" drogue at apogee (1390 feet) and a 94" black X-form chute at 800 feet. The top half of this bird spent an hour in a tree,but was recovered by the tree surgeon. there's a nice rack of model rockets in the foreground, including Phillip Brown's Estes Mongoose 2-stager, Brian Eddy's Sidewinder missile, and George Boulas' recreation of "the Point", a Centuri classic.


Some flight stats and highlights:
ENGINE USAGE:
1/4A 0
1/2A 4
A 51
B 23
C 31
D 14
E 7
F 10
G 9
H 12
I 1
J 5
K 0
TOTAL 167
 Between the ASD contest and the Boy Scouts, we really burned a lot of A engines!

LEVEL 1 CERTIFICATIONS:
John DeLuca flying an H238T in his scratchbuilt Patriot - CONGRATS!
Scott Snelwar flying an H242T in his D-region Tomahawk - CONGRATS!

LEVEL 2 CERTIFICATIONS:
Paul Ludwig flying a J350W in his scratchbuilt CDC X-8 - CONGRATS!
Dave Sousa flying a J350W in his LOC Magnum - CONGRATS!
Jay Calvert flying a J350W in his scratchbuilt Shadow Technology - CONGRATS!
Jim Stuckman flying a J350W in his LOC Bruiser - OUCH!  better luck next time.

Thanks to Tripoli Prefect Paul Welling and NAR level 2 member Arnold Roquerre for certification duties.

RESULTS OF THE "A" STREAMER DURATION CONTEST:
Contestant Best Time Rocket Engine Prize
SENIORS
Jim Stuckman 1:04.33 Mini ASP Estes A3-4T 1st - Custom Rocket's Dynamic Carrier Kit, 
Donated by A2Z Hobbies
Chris Natale 0:32.60 E5I50 Estes A3-4T 2nd - NA
Jay Calvert 0:30.83 Estes Gnome Estes A10-3T 3rd - NA
John Parente 0:21.45 Estes X-Ray Estes A3-4T 4th - NA
Joe Roberts DQ Estes Sprint Estes A8-3 DQ
Dave Sousa DQ Zipper Estes A8-3 DQ
JUNIORS
Brian Stuckman 0:44.10 Spud Jr. (designed by Brian on RocSim 4.0) Estes A10-3T 1st - Estes #1443 Space Program Membership, Donated by A2Z Hobbies
Daniel Brown 0:21.45 Estes Wizard Estes A8-3 2nd - TBA*
Brian Eddy 0:20.14 Estes Gnome Estes 1/2A3-2T 3rd - Estes #0860 Stardart, Donated by A2Z Hobbies
Aaron Welling 0:18.50 Estes Alpha Estes A8-3 4th - NA
* There was a mix up here.  We thought Daniel was a senior member.  If Daniel contacts one of the contest directors, he will receive a 2nd place prize.

CATO 13 is scheduled for Saturday April 3 at the Clarks Falls site.


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