Fall99

The first launch of our Fall 99 season took place on Sunday, August 29th. Conditions were very good; skies were clear and winds were less than 5 mph. Unfortunately, the temperature was 101 degrees at launch time, and since virtually no rain had fallen in August, a county-wide burn ban was in effect. The burn ban caused us to fly conservatively; no clusters or multi-stage rockets were allowed. In spite of the killer heat and flight restrictions, 13 flights were launched by 6 fliers during the 1.5 hour waiver.

Mark Carlson launched the first flight of Skye Dance XVII, a LOC Onyx on an Econo-Jet G35. The flight showed that upper level winds were very light and larger rockets could be launched safely. Next, Mark flew his modified Rocket R&D Arcas on on Aerotech J350. The flight deployed right at apogee and landed less than 1/4 mile downwind of the pad. Mark also flew his modified LOC Mini Mag on an I211, and his glassed Estes Sidewinder on an F24. All flights were perfect and recovered safely.

Benton Reed returned to Skye Dance after an absence of 9 months, bringing his Launch Pad Harpoon and his collection of "Johns". After replacing a faulty ignitor, Benton had a perfect launch and recovery of his Harpoon on a G80. Next, Benton pulled out his scratch built 3 inch diameter Honest John and launched it on an I357. The rocket boosted fast and straight, but the shock cord broke at apogee resulting in minor damage to the fin unit. Tubular nylon is VERY strong, but is NOT heat resistant. Undaunted by this minor setback, Benton next launched his veteran 4 inch Honest John on an Aerotech J180. The rocket boosted beautifully on top of the long burn Blue Thunder flame, and right at apogee the altimeter controlled recovery system deployed it's streamer. The rocket descended fast and controlled, and right on schedule at 250 feet the main parachute deployed and the rocket landed softly. A perfect flight!

Tom Montemayor put up 3 flights, the first being his Bad Attitude on an Aerotech J460. The rocket boosted perfectly on the 54mm Blue Thunder reload, and right at apogee the Adept altimeter deployed a streamer. At 250 feet the Rocketman main successfully deployed and the 8 foot tall, all fiberglass rocket touched down less than 15 feet from the pad. Peak altitude was 2077 feet. Tom also flew Spectra on a Kosdon J450 to just over 2700 feet (and a 14G liftoff!) and his original Spectra on an Aerotech I112 (now an H112). All flights recovered safely and undamaged.

Ed Jacoby flew his beautiful PML Amraam 4 on an I284 for a perfect flight, and Jeff Cook flew his modified Rocket R&D Aerobee Hi on an I211 for a perfect flight using two step barometric recovery. Jim Long made the long drive from Bryan to fly his scratch built orange rocket "Ornge" on an Aerotech H97, but the rocket did not deploy and lawn darted about 150 yards upwind. There was no damage to the ground, but the rocket was significantly shortened.

Skye Dance XVIII blasted into the clear blue skies above Kimbro, Texas Sunday afternoon, September 19th. Conditions were perfect: clear skies and utterly calm winds. Due to the extreme fire danger caused by 2 months with no rain, rockets were restricted to single motor, single stage flights. During the 3 hour waiver, 6 fliers put up 14 flights, burning a total of 6800 newtons.

Jeff Cook put up the first flight of the launch, flying his modified Rocket R&D Aerobee on an I211. The flight was perfect with a streamer deploying at apogee and the main deploying at 250 feet. Altimeter data indicated a max altitude of 1700 feet. Jeff also flew his scratch built "Slacker II" on a G104 for a perfect flight and recovery.

Mike Strang returned to Skye Dance after an UNexcused absence from the previous launch. Mike left his Level 2 bird at home (BOO!) and instead brought his PML Callisto. Mike flew his Callisto 3 times, first on an H123, then on an H128, and finally with a G64. All 3 flights were perfect and the rocket was recovered undamaged.

Tom Kindel flew his Public Enemy "Performer" on an Aerotech G80. The delay was just a little too long, but the shock cord held and the main chute successfully deployed resulting in a safe landing.

So much for the successful (boring) flights. Now for the EXCITING flights.

Tom Montemayor put up 3 flights with three different rockets, and suffered only minor damage to one rocket. First, Tom flew his scratch built "Psychedelic Persuasion" on an H73 for a successful flight and recovery. Next, Tom loaded a J800 into his Hawk Mountain "Bad Attitude". Tom used an altimeter to deploy a streamer at apogee backed up by the motor charge, but for this flight the Aerotech "Medium" delay turned out to be 5 seconds instead of the advertised 10. The rocket was still travelling 255 feet/second when the motor charge fired and deployed the streamer. The extreme deceleration caused by throwing out the streamer at over 150 mph caused the nose cone to fly off, dragging the main chute out with it. The sturdy fiberglass rocket suffered no damage and landed safely less than 50 yards from the pad. The altimeter indicated a max altitude of 3420 feet, considerably lower than expected due to the early ejection. Finally, Tom flew Spectra for it's 50th flight on a Kosdon J450. Spectra uses an Adept recording altimeter to deploy a streamer at apogee (backed up by a timer), and the main chute at 250 feet. For this flight, the streamer deployed right at apogee, but the main did not deploy and the rocket landed under streamer only, suffering minor damage to one fin. Investigation revealed that the altimeter compartment had been contaminated by ejection gas, causing the altimeter to malfunction and not fire the main charge. Adept altimeters are extremely sensitive to (conductive) ejection gas residue and must be completely isolated from any gas residue.

Skye Dance XIX took to the skies the weekend of October 9th and 10th, 1999. Conditions were ideal both days; temperatures in the 80s and winds 5 mph or less. The range was open approximately 5 hours, during which 6 fliers put up 23 flights burning just over 19,800 newton seconds. The average motor flown was just under 900 newton seconds, a middle J. The highlight of the launch (to me) was that ALL 23 high power flights performed perfectly. There were no recovery failures, stripped chutes, lawn darts, separations, spit nozzles.....nothing. A perfect launch!

The frequent flier award goes to Mark Carlson, who also burned the most propellant. Mark put up 7 flights, burning just over 5200 newtons. As usual, Mark's most popular rocket is his 25 pound Rocket R&D Skyraider. Powered by a K550, the behemoth reached a max altitude of 1450 feet. Deployment was just past apogee, where the 16 foot main chute deployed with a line-over, slightly reducing it's surface area. In spite of the minor malfunction, the big rocket landed softly and safely just over 50 yards from the pad. Mark also flew his Arcas on a J135 to 3536 feet (max velocity 398 feet/second), his PML Eclipse on an Ellis Mountain J330 to 3100 feet, and his Arcas (again) on a J350 to 2481 feet (max velocity 402 feet/second). Mark's smaller flights included his PML Patriot on an H123 and his LOC IV (twice), both times on H128s.

Steve Baughman brought his newly completed XRV Mk VI, completed just days before the launch and still unpainted. After aerodynamic forces destroyed his Mk V at LDRS, Steve switched to Hawk Mountain fiberglass for the Mk VI airframe material. The rocket was also lengthened to accomodate the new 3 inch M motors, and featured a new custom electronics package containing two redundant computer systems. It looks like Steve is getting ready for Level 3! Steve flew twice, both times on 3 inch Aerotech K560s. Both flights were perfect with the 20 pound rocket reaching just over 4900 feet on the full K motor.

Jeff Cook celebrated his 50th birthday in grand style, putting up 5 flights and burning 4420 newtons. Jeff flew his modified Aerobee Hi four times, all on J motors. The highest flight was with an Aerotech J415, which boosted the rocket well out of sight. We sighted it during the descent, and when recovered the altimeter indicated a max altitude of 5161 feet. Jeff also flew the Aerobee on a J135 to 4337 feet and twice on a J275 to 3203 feet. Jeff also flew his trusty Slacker II on a G40 (yawn). Happy Birthday Jeff!

Tom Montemayor put up 5 flights, starting off with his Hawk Mountain Bad Attitude. Tom used an Aerotech J800 Blue Thunder to boost the all fiberglass rocket, sending it upward at 8.8 Gs to a max altitude of 3714 feet. Max velocity was 536 feet/second. Next Tom flew Spectra on a Kosdon J450 to a max altitude of 2785 feet. Max velocity was 510 feet/second with an acceleration of 10 Gs. Tom also flew Spectra on an Aerotech J90 long burn motor, reaching virtually the same altitude as the Kosdon (2790 feet) but taking a lot longer to get there. Max velocity was 334 feet/second at a max loading of 5 Gs. Tom also flew his original Spectra on an I161, Psychedelic Persuasion on an H73 and his 4 inch V2 on an H128.

Two other fliers showed up for Sunday flying, Jim Long and Ed Jacoby. Jim flew his scratch built orange rocket, "Orange" on an I284 to 3100 feet and a smaller version of the same rocket, also orange, on an H180 to a predicted altitude of 2900 feet. Ed Jacoby flew his scratch built "unnamed" rocket on an Aerotech J350. The rocket roared into the air and disappeared from sight, mainly because the smoke cloud drifted over us. We heard the ejection charge fire and visually recovered the rocket high in the sky with a perfect deployment. The rocket landed perfectly just over 100 yards away.

The Dallas Area Rocket Society (DARS, www.dars.org) sponsored "Shoot for the Stars" the weekend of October 23rd and 24th at their Windom launch site in Northeast Texas. Conditions were pretty breezy on the 23rd (winds 15 - 20 mph) and absolutely perfect on the 24th (winds less than 5 mph). Several Tripoli Austin members made the 5 hour drive from Austin to take advantage of the perfect weather and field conditions.

Tom Montemayor had a great day, putting up 4 flights and burning almost 9000 newtons. Tom started off by flying his scratch built Dynacom "Unshredable" on an Aerotech 98mm L952. The rocket weighed just under 30 pounds at liftoff and reached a peak altitude of 9929 feet. Max velocity was 870 feet/second and the fiberglass rocket experienced a max loading of 7.6 Gs. The flight was perfect and using two step barometric recovery the big rocket landed softly and safely just under one mile away. Tom also flew his Hawk Mountain Bad Attitude on an Aerotech K550 (5499 feet, 682 feet/second), his Bruiser on a J415 (2361 feet, 422 feet/second), and his scratch built Spectra on a long burn J90 (3132 feet, 383 feet/second). All flights were perfect and were recovered undamaged. Except for the Bruiser, all flights used two step barometric recovery.

Steve Baughman also had a great weekend, flying his XRV Mk VI three times, all using Aerotech L motors, and burning over 12,000 newtons. Steve flew once on Saturday, choosing the 75mm middle L, the L850. Sunday, Steve again flew the L850 and then loaded the 75mm full L, the L1120. The rocket roared into the air and achieved a peak altitude of just over 10,200 feet. Steve's custom electronics used two step barometric recovery to bring the rocket home safely, landing just over 1/2 mile from the pad.

Ed Jacoby arrived Saturday afternoon but didn't fly the first day due to the wind. Sunday, Ed launched his custom scratch built rocket "Big Red" on an Aerotech J350 to a predicted altitude of 3100 feet. The rocket carried no electronics and using motor ejection deployed it's main chute right at apogee. Next, Ed pulled out his trusty Hawk Mountain "Bad Attitude" and launched it with an Aerotech K550. The rocket boosted fast and straight with absolutely no roll, and right at apogee the onboard altimeter deployed a drogue chute. The main chute deployed at 500 feet and the beautiful (unpainted) rocket landed softly and safely. Great flight!

Jim and Rita Long had an interesting weekend with Jim producing one of the more spectacular catos of the launch. Saturday, Jim flew his Lawn Dart rocket on an H180 to check the winds aloft. The flight indicated strong winds aloft (and at the surface) so Jim decided to wait till Sunday to resume flying. Sunday, Jim flew the Lawn Dart again, this time modified to a 4 motor cluster. The rocket boosted on two G125s, and at about 100 feet two G40s fired. The flight was completely successful though the rocket developed a high spin rate. Next, Rita flew her custom built "Star" rocket on an H128. The rocket resembles the Star Trek insignia, with the motor at the top and 4 long sweeping fins angling down and out. The unusual rocket flew perfectly and deployed it's chute right at apogee. Finally, Jim loaded an Ellis Mountain L330 into his scratch built custom rocket. At ignition, the motor went BOOM and blew parts of the rocket, propellant slugs and motor hardware into a circular debris field about 10 yards in diameter. Ouch! The lower section of the rocket was completely destroyed, but since Jim builds modular designs, the undamaged upper section was mated with a spare lower section and the rocket is again ready to fly.

There were two memorable flights by non-Tripoli Austin members that are included in the photo gallery. Mark Sims flew his scratch built carbon rocket on a Kosdon M3200. The rocket weighed only 8 pounds empty and had previously flown successfully using Ellis Mountain M1000 and Aerotech M1315 motors. Computer simulations indicated the rocket would hit mach 2.2 at just over 2 seconds after liftoff and would reach a max altitude of over 21,000 feet. Unfortunately, it was not to be. After an awesome liftoff, at just over 1.5 seconds into the boost, the rocket shreded. Parts came raining down, but since it was a "heads up" flight all eyes were on the rocket and there was no damage to people or spectators. It was a spectacular flight, proving that not even carbon can withstand the stress of a mach 2+ flight. Unfortunately, both onboard altimeters were lost so we have no indication of the rocket's speed at the moment of failure.

Finally, there was poor Harold Peoples. Harold attempted his Level 3 certification at LDRS, and proved that a stock Hawk Mountain "Bad Attitude" cannot withstand an Aerotech M1315. The rocket shreded spectacularly. So, for Shoot for the Stars, Harold had a super-modified, incredibly strong and well built Bad Attitude. There was no doubt that the rocket would withstand the boost. Alas, it was not to be. At ignition, just as the rocket began to lift off, we all heard the dreaded KA-BOOM! The bottom part of the rocket disentegrated, and several flaming propellant slugs were left on the pad. The rocket was thrown 50 feet in the air by the force of the cato, trailing fire from the propellant slugs that remained in what was left of the motor. The rocket crashed tail first into the flaming pad debris and was consumed. Harold was not overly discouraged by the destruction of his rocket, or by his failure to successfully bribe a member of the TAP (me) to sign him off anyway. We look forward to Harold's next attempt...he's certainly do for a little good luck.

The day before Skye Dance XX, The Weather Channel forecast for the next day was "Clear, light and variable winds". My kind of forecast for a rocket launch! Unfortunately, I've seen this forecast before and then the next day had my car blown off the road due to gale force winds (an Eden launch). This time, however, the forecast was perfect. Skye Dance XX took to the skies on Sunday, November 14th under perfectly clear skies, calm winds, and temperatures around 80 degrees. A perfect day for flying! Five fliers attended the combination launch, picnic, club meeting, social gathering and star party, and managed to launch 11 flights.

Tom Montemayor put up 4 flights, a couple of which were very interesting. Tom started the launch with his Mountainside Hobbies 4 inch V2 flying on an Aerotech H238. The rocket boosted fast and straight, but the "S" (short) delay turned out to be a "VVVVS" (very, very, very, very short) delay and the motor ejected soon after burnout. Since the V2 is a heavy rocket and wasn't going very fast at burnout, the chute deployed normally and the rocket landed very close with no damage, not even a zipper. Next, Tom pulled out his trusty Spectra and loaded a Kosdon J450. This was flight number 54 for Spectra, and the 12th flight of a Kosdon J450 in this rocket. After a normal looking liftoff, the rocket yawed significantly and started making some very unusual sounds. Spitting and sputtering, Spectra arced over at an altitude much lower than normal for this motor, and deployed it's drogue right at apogee. The motor continued to spit and sput and blow smoke rings on the way down, and finally the main deployed at 200 feet and the rocket landed safely. Examination revealed a warp core breech.....a one square inch hole in the side of the case just above the nozzle, that allowed high pressure (and temperature) gasses to escape horizontally. This quickly burned a hole in the side of the rocket, causing it to yaw, and the loss of pressure in the case caused the remaining propellant to burn slowly and inefficiently, sputtering all the way. The damage to Spectra was minor, the hole will be patched with fiberglass, and the rocket will fly again soon.

Tom then showed off his newest purchase, a Kosdon 38mm 900 ns motor. This awesome 38mm motor is almost 24 inches long, and uses the Kosdon J850 (formerly the J1000) Fast reload. Putting out all 900 newtons in 1.1 seconds, the eardrum shattering motor was loaded into Tom's 9 pound Hawk Mountain Bad Attitude. The short burn time results in a fairly low altitude flight for a heavy rocket, but it sure gets there quick. The onboard altitmeter indicated an altitude of 99 feet as it's first data point, only .1 second after liftoff. The Bad Attitude reached a peak altitude of 2232 feet, and the barometric recovery brought the rocket back safe and nearby. Finally, Tom launched his original Spectra on an Aerotech H112 for a perfect flight and recovery.

Ed "Obi Wan" Jacoby put up 2 flights, and as usual they were totally boring. This means they were totally successful. We LIKE boring flights. First, Ed flew his LOC Vulcanite on an Aerotech H73 Black Jack. This was the same rocket and motor that Ed used to certify Level One long ago, and it again produced a perfect flight. Next, Ed pulled out his scratch built "Big Red", and chose a 38mm J350 for power. Since nothing on the rocket is red, we decided that Ed was drinking a Big Red when he built the rocket. The J350 provided a very fast boost, and right at apogee the motor charge deployed the main chute for a great flight.

Jeff Cook attempted to pioneer a new recovery technique, which unfortunately, still needs a little work. Jeff used a rectangular parafoil kite as the primary recovery device is his Slacker II rocket. Jeff flew Slacker twice, both on G40s, and though the parafoil ejected both times, it did not deploy. It did act as a very good streamer and the rocket recovered both times undamaged. This will be neat when it works, as the shroud lines can be rigged to bring the rocket down in a graceful spiral. Jeff also flew his Aerobee Hi on an Aerotech J180, a 4 second burn 54mm Blue Thunder reload. The rocket reached a max altitude of 3173 feet where the Adept altimeter deployed a streamer. The main deployed at 250 feet and the beautiful rocket recovered safely.

Mike Strang brought out his brand new, just finished, beautifully built Hawk Mountain Bad Attitude. Just about everybody in Tripoli Austin has a Bad Attitude (huh?); Tom Montemayor, Ed Jacoby, Terry Parks, and Steve Baughman is using Hawk Mountain airframe tubing and nose cone. It's just a great kit. Mike built his using two step barometric recovery, and for his first flight chose an Aerotech J415 to boost the 13 pound rocket. The flight was perfect...the drogue deployed right at apogee and the main at around 500 feet. Max altitude was reported to be 2560 feet. Next flight will be a K550!

Tom Kindel waited until he had inhaled a little perchlorate exhaust, then felt ready to take the Tripoli level 2 written exam. Tom clearly studied too hard as he got a perfect score of 100% on the test. To celebrate, Tom then flew his Public Enemy 3" Performer on an Aerotech G80. The flight was perfect and the rocket landed very close to the pad. Tom had his level 2 rocket with him but it was not ready to fly.

The last launch of the century took place New Years Eve, 1999. Conditions were perfect with clear skies, temperatures in the mid 70s and an utterly calm wind. Seven fliers put up 19 flights during the 3 hour waiver, and after sunset the Tripoli Austin rocket scientists put up a magnificent fireworks display to welcome the new century.

Tom Montemayor flew 4 rockets, starting with Psychedelic Persuasion. The rocket is a scratch built 3 inch diameter rocket using a 38mm motor mount. Boosting on an Aerotech H73, the brightly colored rocket reached 3000 feet and landed less than 50 yards from the pad for a perfect flight. Next, Tom flew Spectra, a 4 inch scratch built rocket on a Kosdon J450. The rocket boosted very fast and straight, and two step barometric recovery brought it back very close to the pads. The Adept altimeter indicated a max altitude of 2887 feet, a max velocity of 559 feet/second, and a max loading of 17.3 Gs. Next, Tom flew his Hawk Mountain Bad Attitude on a Kosdon J850, a 900ns motor with a 1.1 second burn time. The heavy rocket roared into the air pulling 12.8 Gs and reached a max altitude of 2250 feet. Max velocity was 412 feet/second. The Adept altimeter deployed the drogue right at apogee, and the main charge fired as planned at 250 feet. Unfortunately, a piece of the parachute wedged itself between the piston and the airframe wall, jamming the piston and preventing the main from deploying. The rocket landed under drogue only, suffering minor damage to a fin. Finally, Tom put up his original Spectra rocket on a Kosdon I300. The flight deployed right at apogee for a perfect flight.

Terry Parks certified to Tripoli Level 2 using a Hawk Mountain Bad Attitude. After scoring a perfect 100% on his written exam, we expected an equal level of perfection from his flight. We were not disappointed as the Bad Attitude boosted using an Aerotech J350. The AltAcc deployed a drogue right at apogee and the main deployed right on schedule at 400 feet for a textbook perfect flight. Terry also flew his Hawk Mountain Raptor on a G75 for a very high, fast flight.

Mike Strang flew his first K motor, an Aerotech K550, in his Hawk Mountain Bad Attitude. The rocket left the pad in a big hurry under the boost of the "Mighty K", and using an Olsen altimeter for onboard intelligence, deployed perfectly at apogee and at 400 feet. A most impressive flight!

Mark Carlson put up 4 flights for the day, starting off with his PML Patriot powered by an H128. The flight was perfect, reaching a max altitude of about 1500 feet and deploying right at apogee. Next, Mark flew his LOC Onyx on an Aerotech G35 Econojet, a perfect motor choice for the Onyx. The rocket boosted straight and deployed at apogee for a perfect flight. Mark's third flight was with his PML Eclipse powered by an Ellis Mountain J330. The motor provided plenty of power for the 8 pound Eclipse, sending it up to just over 3100 feet where the Transsolve altimeter deployed a drogue. The main deployed right on schedule and the rocket landed very close. Finally, Mark flew his Rocket R&D Phoenix on an I211. It sure is hard to line up all 8 fins on a Phoenix, and the rocket did it's characteristic slow roll on the way up. Deployment was at apogee for a perfect flight.

Steve Rogers had an interesting day, putting up 4 flights and taking home 2 intact. Steve started with a scratch built rocket called the Checker Out, powered by a 38mm H123. Shortly after clearing the rod, the motor suffered a catastrophic blow-by, resulting in thrust coming out the forward closure. The rocket stopped dead in the sky with fire coming out both ends and eventually tumbled to earth. The rocket was toasted, but the parachute survived. Next, Steve flew a scratch built V2 on an F62 for a perfect flight. Steve's next rocket was "Mr. Twister", powered by an I211 with an onboard altimeter and two step barometric recovery. The flight was perfect, with a drogue deploying at apogee and the main deploying at 250 feet. A great flight! Finally, Steve launched a scratch built rocket with a classic motor, an H220 Silver Streak. The cato prone motor lived up to it's name, put out a spectacular display of sparks before catoing and destroying the rocket. It was a beautiful sight against the twilight sky (before it catoed).

Jim Long had the first flight of the launch with a scratch built rocket named Waste. Using an Estes body tube and powered by a G55, the minimum diameter rocket was predicted to reach mach 1. Instead, it exceeded the speed of cardboard and shreded about 2 seconds into the flight. Since a shred was likely, the rocket was angled downrange away from other fliers, so the remains of the rocket landed safely downrange. Jim also flew Yeller, a scratch built rocket powered by a 38mm I154. The Black Jack motor provided plenty of smoke and power for Yeller, and the rocket deployed high in the air. Unfortunately, the nose cone separated from the rest of the rocket and fell separately, while the rest of the rocket recovered under parachute.

Jeff Cook flew his scratch built Slacker II twice, first on a G40 and then on a G80. Both flights were perfect, deploying at apogee and recovering nearby. Jeff is replacing the glassed plywood fins on his Aerobee Hi with G10 fins, and unfortunately the rocket was not ready to fly at this launch.