2016 Launch Reports - Revision history

Danno at 19:17, 30 November 2021

2021-11-30T19:17:39Z

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	I made the drive down to Argonia Kansas for the second year in a row to attend AirFest. The weather was MUCH better than last year. It was windy, as always, but heat exhaustion was not an issue.		I made the drive down to Argonia Kansas for the second year in a row to attend AirFest. The weather was MUCH better than last year. It was windy, as always, but heat exhaustion was not an issue.

	===Buster, L1355===		===[[Buster]], L1355===

	My main goal was to test-fly Buster on an L motor, so I got that done straight away. Spoiler alert: everything worked great.		My main goal was to test-fly Buster on an L motor, so I got that done straight away. Spoiler alert: everything worked great.

	{\| class="wikitable"		{\| class="wikitable"
	\|+Rocketry Warehouse Terminator 5 “Buster” flight #1:		\|+Rocketry Warehouse Terminator 5 [[Buster\|“Buster”]] flight #1:
	\|-		\|-
	\|Launch date:\|\|Friday, September 2, 2016		\|Launch date:\|\|Friday, September 2, 2016
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	==Midwest Power 14, November 4-6 2016, Princeton IL==		==Midwest Power 14, November 4-6 2016, Princeton IL==

	===Buster, M1401===		===[[Buster]], M1401===

	Finally…the day had come to launch my level 3 certification flight, after almost a year's planning and many months of work. I am pleased to say that launch day went off without a hitch. I had a nervous moment when Buster came VERY close to the power lines south of the launch pads on its way back down, but at least that meant I had a short recovery walk! As you can see in the video below, the rocket crossed directly over the power lines about two and a half seconds before touching down. The descent rate was about 20 feet per second, so it was only about fifty feet up at that point.		Finally…the day had come to launch my level 3 certification flight, after almost a year's planning and many months of work. I am pleased to say that launch day went off without a hitch. I had a nervous moment when Buster came VERY close to the power lines south of the launch pads on its way back down, but at least that meant I had a short recovery walk! As you can see in the video below, the rocket crossed directly over the power lines about two and a half seconds before touching down. The descent rate was about 20 feet per second, so it was only about fifty feet up at that point.

	{\| class="wikitable"		{\| class="wikitable"
	\|+Rocketry Warehouse Terminator 5 “Buster” flight #2:		\|+Rocketry Warehouse Terminator 5 [[Buster\|“Buster”]] flight #2:
	\|-		\|-
	\|Launch date:\|\|Friday, November 4, 2016		\|Launch date:\|\|Friday, November 4, 2016

Danno at 19:45, 28 November 2021

2021-11-28T19:45:22Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:45, 28 November 2021
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	</gallery>		</gallery>

	[[Category:~~Launches~~]]		[[Category:Launch Reports]]

Danno at 19:43, 28 November 2021

2021-11-28T19:43:19Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:43, 28 November 2021
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	</gallery>		</gallery>

	[[Category:~~Launch Reports~~]]		[[Category:Launches]]

Danno at 17:41, 3 February 2021

2021-02-03T17:41:31Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:41, 3 February 2021
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	\|alignment=inline		\|alignment=inline
	}}		}}

	{{#evu:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1nOPWxYI10		{{#evu:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1nOPWxYI10
	\|alignment=inline		\|alignment=inline

Danno at 17:40, 3 February 2021

2021-02-03T17:40:11Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:40, 3 February 2021
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	File:Mwp2016-buster-chute-pack-2.jpg\|Packing Buster's parachute, the night before the launch.\|alt=A photo of Buster's main parachute folded on the hotel bed.		File:Mwp2016-buster-chute-pack-2.jpg\|Packing Buster's parachute, the night before the launch.\|alt=A photo of Buster's main parachute folded on the hotel bed.
	File:Mwp2016-buster-chute-pack-3.jpg\|Packing Buster's parachute, the night before the launch.\|alt=A photo of Buster's main parachute neatly packed in its deployment bag, on a table next to a laptop.		File:Mwp2016-buster-chute-pack-3.jpg\|Packing Buster's parachute, the night before the launch.\|alt=A photo of Buster's main parachute neatly packed in its deployment bag, on a table next to a laptop.
	File:Mwp2016-01-sunrise.jpg\|Sunrise at the ~~QCRS~~ field.\|alt=A photo of Buster's lower airframe and coupler on a prep table in a cornfield. The sunrise is exactly on the horizon in the background.		File:Mwp2016-01-sunrise.jpg\|Sunrise at the QCRC field.\|alt=A photo of Buster's lower airframe and coupler on a prep table in a cornfield. The sunrise is exactly on the horizon in the background.
	File:Mwp2016-02-sather.jpg\|My L3CC, Sather, helping get Buster on the pad.\|alt=A photo from the orange rocket's onboard camera; the rocket is on the launch pad at a 45 degree angle to the ground, with a man in a ball cap waving over his shoulder while holding the airframe.		File:Mwp2016-02-sather.jpg\|My L3CC, Sather, helping get Buster on the pad.\|alt=A photo from the orange rocket's onboard camera; the rocket is on the launch pad at a 45 degree angle to the ground, with a man in a ball cap waving over his shoulder while holding the airframe.
	File:Mwp2016-03-arming.jpg\|Arming Buster.\|alt=A photo from the orange rocket's onboard camera; Danno is using a small screwdriver to activate a switch in the middle of the rocket while two people watch.		File:Mwp2016-03-arming.jpg\|Arming Buster.\|alt=A photo from the orange rocket's onboard camera; Danno is using a small screwdriver to activate a switch in the middle of the rocket while two people watch.
	File:Mwp2016-04-liftoff-padcam-1.jpg\|Ignition!\|alt=A photo from the pad camera of an orange rocket with its motor igniting.		File:Mwp2016-04-liftoff-padcam-1.jpg\|Ignition!\|alt=A photo from the pad camera of an orange rocket with its motor igniting.
	File:Mwp2016-05-liftoff-padcam-2.jpg\|Liftoff!\|alt=A photo from the pad camera of an orange rocket just about to clear the launch rail.		File:Mwp2016-05-liftoff-padcam-2.jpg\|Liftoff!\|alt=A photo from the pad camera of an orange rocket just about to clear the launch rail.
	File:Mwp2016-08-liftoff-large-2-edited.jpg\|Photo taken my Sather's wife (I didn't get her name) of Buster's launch. I had this printed as a poster and it is hanging in my workshop.\|alt=A photo of an orange rocket lifting off from a cornfield, about 30 feet off the ground.		File:Mwp2016-08-liftoff-large-2-edited.jpg\|Photo taken by Sather's wife (I didn't get her name) of Buster's launch. I had this printed as a poster and it is hanging in my workshop.\|alt=A photo of an orange rocket lifting off from a cornfield, about 30 feet off the ground.
	File:Mwp2016-06-liftoff-wide.jpg\|View from my camera where I was standing.\|alt=A blurry still from a video camera of the rocket lifting off from a cornfield, about 150 feet off the ground.		File:Mwp2016-06-liftoff-wide.jpg\|View from my camera where I was standing.\|alt=A blurry still from a video camera of the rocket lifting off from a cornfield, about 150 feet off the ground.
	File:Mwp2016-09-shadow1.jpg\|On its way.\|alt=A photo from the orange rocket's onboard camera at about 1000 feet altitude; the perfectly straight shadow of the exhaust trail is seen to the left, and the parked cars of the launch attendees are seen to the right.		File:Mwp2016-09-shadow1.jpg\|On its way.\|alt=A photo from the orange rocket's onboard camera at about 1000 feet altitude; the perfectly straight shadow of the exhaust trail is seen to the left, and the parked cars of the launch attendees are seen to the right.
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	===Black Widow, K650===		===Black Widow, K650===

	Weather conditions ~~at launch time~~: Clear, wind ENE @ 3.5 mph, 54 F, 40% RH		{\| class="wikitable"
			\|+Rocketry Warehouse Dominator 3 “Black Widow” flight #5:
			\|-
			\|Launch date:\|\|Saturday, November 12, 2016
			\|-
			\|Weather conditions:\|\|[https://www.wunderground.com/history/daily/us/il/marion/KMWA/date/2016-11-12 Clear, wind ENE @ 3.5 mph, 54 F, 40% RH]
			\|-
			\|Motor:\|\|[http://www.pro38.com/products/pro54/motor/MotorData.php?prodid=1750K650-16A Cesaroni Pro54 1750K650-16A Smoky Sam]
			\|-
			\|Max altitude:\|\|5710 feet AGL (TeleGPS, GPS), 5857 (Raven, barometric)
			\|-
			\|Max velocity:\|\|759 ft/sec (517 mph, Mach 0.67) (Raven, accelerometer)
			\|-
			\|Max acceleration:\|\|12 G (Raven, accelerometer)
			\|}

	~~Black Widow~~ flight ~~#5:~~		Nominal flight, easy recovery. I've decided to stop using the Spherachutes drogue with this rocket because of the way it pulls the upper airframe back into close proximity of the lower airframe after apogee separation.

	~~Motor~~: ~~Cesaroni Pro54 1750K650~~-~~16A Smoky Sam~~		[http://danno.org/RocketBlogFiles/data/blackwidow-flight5-k650-2016-11-12.FIPa Flight data file] (viewable with the [https://www.featherweightaltimeters.com/interface-program.html Featherweight Interface Program])

	~~Altitude~~: ~~5710 feet AGL [~~GPS]~~, 5857 feet AGL~~ [~~barometric~~]		[http://danno.org/RocketBlogFiles/data/blackwidow-flight5-k650-2016-11-12.kml GPS track of flight] (viewable with [http://earth.google.com/intl/en/ Google Earth])

	~~Max velocity~~: ~~759 ft~~/~~sec (517 mph, Mach 0~~.~~67) [accelerometer]~~		{{#evu:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7GglcKKPGM
			\|alignment=inline
			}}

	~~Motor burn time~~: 2.~~67 sec~~		{{#evu:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1nOPWxYI10
			\|alignment=inline
			}}

	~~Peak acceleration~~: 11.~~7 G~~		<gallery mode="slideshow">
			File:Addieville2016-05-BlackWidowPadcam.jpg\|Black Widow liftoff (pad camera).\|alt=A photo from the pad camera showing a black rocket lifting off on a smoky motor.
	~~Descent rate: 83 ft/sec under Spherachutes Apex drogue~~ (~~small~~)~~, 20 ft/sec under 60” circular main~~		File:Addieville-2016-06-BlackWidowLiftoff.jpg\|Black Widow liftoff.\|alt=A photo from the spectator area showing a black rocket lifting off on a smoky motor.
			File:Addieville2016-07-BlackWidowOnboard1.jpg\|Aerial view of launch.\|alt=A photo from the black rocket's onboard camera showing the shadow of the exhaust trail at left and the parked cars of the attendees at right.
	~~Result~~: ~~Nominal flight, easy recovery~~. I'~~ve decided to stop using~~ the ~~Spherachutes drogue with this rocket because~~ of the ~~way it pulls~~ the ~~upper airframe back into close proximity~~ of the ~~lower airframe after apogee separation~~.		File:Addieville2016-08-BlackWidowOnboard2.jpg\|Aerial view of the Seering's farm.\|alt=A photo from the black rocket's onboard camera showing a cluster of farm buildings next to a pond.
			File:Addieville2016-10-BlackWidowOnboard4.jpg\|Aerial view of the Addieville area (looking south, away from town).\|alt=A photo from the black rocket's onboard camera showing farm fields, with some wooded areas in the distance.
	~~Flight data file (viewable with~~ the ~~Featherweight Interface Program)~~		</gallery>

	~~GPS track~~ of ~~flight~~ (~~viewable~~ with ~~Google Earth)~~

	~~(TODO: images, videos)~~

	[[Category:Launch Reports]]		[[Category:Launch Reports]]

Danno at 17:13, 3 February 2021

2021-02-03T17:13:01Z

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Danno at 03:27, 2 February 2021

2021-02-02T03:27:32Z

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Danno at 02:12, 2 February 2021

2021-02-02T02:12:20Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 21:12, 1 February 2021
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	\|Weather conditions:\|\|[https://www.wunderground.com/history/airport/KSGF/2016/5/21/DailyHistory.html Partly Cloudy, wind variable @ 5 mph, 70 F, 49% RH]		\|Weather conditions:\|\|[https://www.wunderground.com/history/airport/KSGF/2016/5/21/DailyHistory.html Partly Cloudy, wind variable @ 5 mph, 70 F, 49% RH]
	\|-		\|-
	\|Motor:\|\|[www.pro38.com/products/pro38/motor/MotorData.php?prodid=266H125-12A Cesaroni Pro38 266H125-12A Classic]		\|Motor:\|\|[http://www.pro38.com/products/pro38/motor/MotorData.php?prodid=266H125-12A Cesaroni Pro38 266H125-12A Classic]
	\|-		\|-
	\|Max altitude:\|\|Unknown, approx. 3000 ft. AGL (no altimeter on board)		\|Max altitude:\|\|Unknown, approx. 3000 ft. AGL (no altimeter on board)

Danno at 02:10, 2 February 2021

2021-02-02T02:10:21Z

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Danno at 01:27, 2 February 2021

2021-02-02T01:27:04Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 20:27, 1 February 2021
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	I had a couple of false starts with a bad igniter on the first attempt and a no-fire on the second attempt. Gary Cole, the RSO, handed me a "fat boy" igniter with an inch-long pyrogen slug on the end for my third attempt. Ursa Major ripped off the pad, hit its sim altitude almost exactly, and deployed the new parachutes beautifully. Successful test!		I had a couple of false starts with a bad igniter on the first attempt and a no-fire on the second attempt. Gary Cole, the RSO, handed me a "fat boy" igniter with an inch-long pyrogen slug on the end for my third attempt. Ursa Major ripped off the pad, hit its sim altitude almost exactly, and deployed the new parachutes beautifully. Successful test!

	Weather conditions ~~at launch time~~: Partly ~~cloudy~~, ~~winds~~ variable @ 5 mph, 70 F, 49% RH		{\| class="wikitable"
			\|+LOC Doorknob “Ursa Major” flight #2:
			\|-
			\|Launch date:\|\|Saturday, May 21, 2016
			\|-
			\|Weather conditions:\|\|[https://www.wunderground.com/history/airport/KSGF/2016/5/21/DailyHistory.html Partly Cloudy, wind variable @ 5 mph, 70 F, 49% RH]
			\|-
			\|Motor:\|\|[http://www.pro38.com/products/pro54/motor/MotorData.php?prodid=821J430-18A Cesaroni Pro54 821J430-18 White Thunder]
			\|-
			\|Max altitude:\|\|1030 feet AGL (Raven, barometric)
			\|-
			\|Max velocity:\|\|308 ft/sec (210 mph) (Raven, accelerometer)
			\|-
			\|Max acceleration:\|\|7.01 G (Raven, accelerometer)
			\|}

	~~Ursa Major flight #2:~~		The recovery system deployed as expected at 1000 foot apogee. Rocket was launched to the southeast and drifted back to the west under chute, landing less than a quarter mile south of the launch pad. It was retrieved via ATV by Steve Aubuchon. Later review of on-board video showed that there was a collision between the airframe and the nose cone as the parachute was deploying. The descent rate was 12.19 ft/sec (8.3 mph) under the main and pilot parachutes.

	~~Motor~~: ~~Cesaroni Pro54 821J430~~-~~18 White Thunder~~		[http://danno.org/RocketBlogFiles/data/ursamajor-flight2-j430-2016-05-21.FIPa Flight data file] (viewable with the [https://www.featherweightaltimeters.com/interface-program.html Featherweight Interface Program])

	~~Altitude~~: ~~1030 feet AGL~~		{{#evu:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LH3ciY9SmmA
			\|alignment=center
			}}

	~~Max velocity: 308 ft/sec (210 mph)~~		<gallery mode="slideshow">
			File:Walnut-grove.jpg\|The Walnut Grove field.\|alt=A photo of several cows standing around a pond in rolling green fields.
	~~Motor burn time~~: 1.~~9 sec~~		File:Ursa-major-flight-2-deployment.jpg\|Pilot chute deployment.\|alt=A photo from the rocket's onboard camera showing deployment of the red and white pilot parachute. A fragment of the ejection charge canister is visible.
			File:Ursa-major-flight-2-collision.jpg\|Apparent collision between the nose and airframe.\|alt=A photo from the rocket's onboard camera with the shoulder end of the nose cone touching the aft end of the airframe.
	~~Peak acceleration: 7~~.~~01G~~		File:Ursa-major-flight-2-parachute-test.jpg\|Successful deployment\|alt=A photo of a distant yellow rocket against a blue sky, descending under a black and orange main parachute and a red and white pilot parachute.
			</gallery>
	~~Descent rate~~: 12.~~19 ft/sec (8~~.~~3 mph) under main~~ and pilot parachute
	~~Result: Recovery system deployed as expected at 1000 foot apogee~~. ~~Rocket was launched to the southeast and drifted back to the west under chute, landing less than a quarter mile south~~ of the ~~launch pad~~. ~~It was retrieved via ATV by Steve Aubuchon~~. ~~Later review of on-board video showed that there was a~~ collision between the airframe ~~and~~ the nose cone as the ~~parachute was deploying~~.

	~~Flight data file (viewable with the Featherweight Interface Program)~~

	~~(TODO~~: ~~images~~, ~~videos)~~

	Later in the day, I began preparing Black Widow for its first flight, but made the mistake of not aligning the electronics sled in the coupler correctly, so the arming switch did not align with the access hole and the rocket could not be armed. As it was late in the day, I decided to wait and try again the following day. However, that turned out to be the first of several missteps with Black Widow that resulted in it not flying at all during the weekend - read on…		Later in the day, I began preparing Black Widow for its first flight, but made the mistake of not aligning the electronics sled in the coupler correctly, so the arming switch did not align with the access hole and the rocket could not be armed. As it was late in the day, I decided to wait and try again the following day. However, that turned out to be the first of several missteps with Black Widow that resulted in it not flying at all during the weekend - read on…