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Sunday December 6, 1998
Clarks Falls, CT
What a GREAT way to end the launch year! It was like spring in December. We started with some fog and low clouds (1000 foot ceiling), but by 11:00 the clouds had moved off and it was sunny, warm (60s), and nearly calmfor the rest of the day.
Well, we didn't have to cancel a single launch this year due to weather. Here's hoping for more of the same luck in 1999!
- (photo#1) Victor Mirabito and Arnold Roquerre with their LOC Graduator ready to go on their magnetic launcher. Magnets in the rocket hang onto the steel launch lugs until they hit the stop at the end of the non-ferric (copper pipe) launch rod. The rocket then flys up, free of the drag associated with the lugs.The other high-tech feature of this system is the remote control (wireless) launch controller, with warning buzzer. We decided to put this one a looong way from the crowd...
- (photo #2)Success! A very straight boost of the Graduator from the magnetic launcher, on a G80 Fast Light Lightning.
- (photo #3)There goes Dave Sousa's LOC IV on a G64W reload.
- (photo 4)Rich Van Allen's Standard ARM on an H242-6T reload
A nice full rack of model rockets in the infield.
red1 Estes Yellow Jacket (Mike Lundquist? Joe Roberts?)
red2 Estes Fat Boy (Steve Kossluk)
red3 too small to be an Astrocam...
red4 something red and tiny...
red5 Estes Space Shuttle (Joe Roberts)
blue1 Custom Torpedo (Chris Lundquist)
blue2 Scratchbuilt Silver Bullet tube rocket (Cody Calvert)
blue3 Estes Alian Space Probe (Joe Roberts? Paul Welling?)
blue4 V2 (Richard Daines)
blue5 Estes Silver Comet (Dave Lundquist? Joe Roberts?)
- (photo #5)Brian Eddy hooking up his Estes Gnome. On the left we have an Estes Sidewinder (Aaron Welling's), an Estes Yellow Jacket (Mike Lundquist's or Joe Roberts'), and a Custom Torpedo (Chris Lundquist's). On the right is Sean Hogan's Estes Tomcat glider, which logged 3 out of 4 crowd-pleasing flights on C6-3s. In the background we see Paul and Aaron Welling preparing to load the big orange Bruiser.
- (photo #6)Paul and Aaron Welling with Paul's LOC Bruiser.
- (photo #7)There goes Jim Stuckman's NCR Interceptor G on an F40W reload.
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(photo #8)The maiden launch of Jay Calvert's "The Great Pumpkin". This is the PML Ariel kit that Jay won at last month's "H" pumpkin loft duration contest (donated by The
Hobby Connection). The motor is an H97-6J reload. The payload
section was rigged to dump it's contents shortly after main chute deployment.
In this case, the payload consisted of a beeper, a secondary 36" chute,
and about 20 pieces of Halloween candy. The candies rained down from
1200 feet and were recovered by a hoard of children.
"The Great Pumpkin rises from the most sincere pumpkin patch (er..corn field) and brings toys and candy to the good boys and girls who believe in him..." - (photo #9)The Great Pumpkin touches down. Note the piston ejection system and the open payload system (the nose cone, beeper, and secondary chute are out of view at the top. The candy landed about 200 feet to the left.
- (photo #10)WHOSH! There goes Paul Welling's 13 pound Bruiser on a J570W! Apogee at 1600 feet.
- (photo #11)Jim Stuckman's NCR Patriot on a pre-release G70-5 Darkstar motor. Just like an F62, but a little better. In the background is Victor Mirabito's LOC V2, which is about to be flown by Victor and Arnold Roquerre on a J570W.
- (photo #12)Blast off! The victory weapon roars of the pad. Check out the 1/4 scale Patriot triplets in the midfield. From left to right: Dave Sousa's NCR Patriot (H242T), Chris Adam's Public Enemy Patriot (H123W), and Jay Calvert's Public Enemy Patriot (H238T) (and we're not even counting Jim Stuckman's - see above)
- (photo #13)Jay's Patriot clears the pad under H238-10T power. This flight was a failed airstart. I think the 0.75 second burn may have been too short to trigger the G-switch. Neither ignitor on the twin G55-10W outboards fired. The flight was relatively low (650 feet), and the ejection was late but safe. Later in the day, this rocket and timer flew again and performed flawlessly.This time the 2 G55 outboards were lit on the pad (producing a nice spin due to the vectored thrust) and an F62-6 Darkstar core engine was airstarted. Great flight to 1500 feet.
- (photo #14)Arnold and Victor's ill-fated PML Bullpup with video camera, heading up under J350W power. What goes up must come down...HARD. There's nothing quite like the feeling of watching a large rocket disappear from sight above you, only to HEAR it come whistling in ballistically a few moments later. Scary.
- (photo #15)Jay Calvert's Estes Mean Machine heads skyward powered by an E18-7W reload. Apogee at 1400 feet. Next to the MM is Jim Stuckman's pre-release Estes Big Daddy kit, which flew real well on an F24W reload.
- We had 33 registered flyers, down from 48 last launch. (-31%)
- We flew 114 different rockets, down from 124 last time. (-8%)
- We logged 154 flights, down from 167 at CATO VIII. (-8%)
- We burned 188 motors, up from 181. (+4%)
- Joe Roberts kicked his Alien Space Probe real hard with a D21-4T. Wow. Not to be outdone, Paul Welling kicked *his* Alien Space Probe with an E27-4T reload!
- Paul also flew his big red crayon rocket on an I161-6W, and the clear fins held up fine.He flew a Comanche 3 *and* a Comanche 3D (3-stages, all D12s).
- Bill Piedra's T3 project had 7 (!) D12s in the 1st stage, 3 in the 2nd stage, and 3 more D12s in the 3rd stage. It suffered serious problems when only a few of the booster engines ignited.
- Joe Robert's Estes CATO did exactly what it was suposed to do on a B6-0. His Ultimate 98 flew great on an H128W (you've got to love that rear deployment).
- Chris Natale's LOC EZI 65 flew great on an I161-10W, with altimeter-based dual deployment at 400 feet.
- Lud flew his new Iris on an H123W and his EZI 65 on an I357T! The Nike Smoke flew on an F62-6 Darkstar. Oh, almost forgot, flights 51, 52, and 53 for the Bullpup, all on C6-7s.
Some flight stats and highlights:
ENGINE USAGE:
| 1/4A | 1 |
| 1/2A | 3 |
| A | 19 |
| B | 17 |
| C | 45 |
| D | 41 |
| E | 7 |
| F | 23 |
| G | 14 |
| H | 10 |
| I | 5 |
| J | 3 |
| K | 0 |
| TOTAL | 188 |
- Hot Shots:
| Paul / Aaron Welling | 2037 NS | J570W, I161W, G64W, 3xG35W, 2xF39T, E27T, 4xD12, C5, 2xC6, 2xA10 |
| Victor Mirabito | 1043 NS | J570W |
| Arnold Roquerre | 957 NS | J350W, 2xG80FW, D21T |
| Jay / Cody Calvert | 849 NS | H238T, H97J, 2xG55W, G35W, F62DS, E18W, B6, 1/4A2 |
| Paul Ludwig | 714 NS | I357T, H123W, F62DS, 3xC6 |
| Dave Sousa | 693 NS | H242T, H123W, G64W, F40W |
| Chris Adams | 614 NS | 2xH123W, G80T |
| Rich Van Allen | 573 NS | H242T, H123W, F62DS |
| Richard Daines | 512 NS | F52T, 3xF40W, F22J, E30T, D15T, 3xD12, 2xC6 |
| Doug Gilmore | 496 NS | I161W, 2xF62DS |
| Chris Natale | 474 NS | I161W, F20W, E15W, 2xD12 |
| Jim / Brian Stuckman | 462 NS | G75J, G70DS, F40W, F24W, E18W, D12, 2xC6, B4, 7xA10 |
| Bill Piedra | 443 NS | G80FW, 19xD12 |
| John Brndiar | 440 NS | I357T, F25W |
| Joe Roberts | 393 NS | H128W, F40W, D21T, D12, 8xC6, 4xB6, 2xA8, 1/2A6 |
CATO X is scheduled for
Sunday Jan.24 at the Clarks Falls site.
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