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  #1  
Old 07-05-2021, 02:15 PM
erik442's Avatar
erik442 erik442 is offline
The Alpha Kid
 
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: central PA
Posts: 419
Default July 4, 2021 Launch

I've been trying to get to the field for weeks but the weather is always against me.
The holiday looked promising for a shakedown run of my newer models.
Breezes, although calm, were constantly changing direction.
Launching was tedious as I had to keep readjusting the pad to compensate.
I brought a truckload of models but managed to fly just nine.
Eager to try Aerotech's new 18 & 24mm composites, I used several with mixed results.
Recovery was easy. I managed to drop most of them within 30ft of the pad.
Only the Mars Project strayed towards the road, and my Renegade found a nice, open spot in the cornfield.
Thanks to my wife and brother-in-law for the photos.

Here's the lineup :

Star Wars Proton Torpedo
Nova Payloader
Enerjet 1330
Centuri Mars Project
Der Bigger Red Max
Maxi Alpha 3
Der Drei Maxxx
Renegade
Photon Probe
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  #2  
Old 07-05-2021, 02:21 PM
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erik442 erik442 is offline
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Location: central PA
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The maiden flight of my new Proton Torpedo was the first off the deck.
Everything you would expect from a starter kit model on A8-3 power.
Nice, straight boost with minimal altitude and textbook recovery.
Reminded me of the first time I ever flew my Challenger-1.
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  #3  
Old 07-05-2021, 02:31 PM
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erik442 erik442 is offline
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Location: central PA
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My freshly repaired Nova Payloader on C6 power was second in line.
A great flight but not such a great landing.
Hundreds of acres of farmland and I managed to drop it dead center on the asphalt entry lane.
Breaking the same fin I had just fixed. Odds?
Turns out my fin repair was solid. This time it cracked at the root joint.
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Old 07-05-2021, 02:57 PM
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erik442 erik442 is offline
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Location: central PA
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My new Enerjet model only has three fins so I dubbed it the 1330.
It's maiden flight was on a new Quest D20 18mm composite.
The first attempt resulted in a spent igniter but no liftoff.
The second try ignited the engine. It achieved an altitude of 40ft and then the ejection charge blew, changing the flight profile to horizontal.
Still under thrust, the tethered halves spun like a boomerang until it plowed into the lawn.
I've just invented the 'dual power prang'.
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Old 07-05-2021, 03:05 PM
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erik442 erik442 is offline
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Location: central PA
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The Centuri Mars Project clone fared a little better on the D20.
Great liftoff and respectable altitude.
These engines crack like a .22 when they ignite and produce a lot of flame.
It landed about 700ft east but stopped short of the busy road.
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  #6  
Old 07-05-2021, 03:17 PM
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erik442 erik442 is offline
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Best flight of the day was the Der Bigger Red Max.
Straight as an arrow on an E12, with perfect deployment and descent rate.
My wife took two steps and easily caught it before touchdown.
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  #7  
Old 07-05-2021, 03:34 PM
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BEC BEC is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by erik442
My new Enerjet model only has three fins so I dubbed it the 1330.
It's maiden flight was on a new Quest D20 18mm composite.
The first attempt resulted in a spent igniter but no liftoff.
The second try ignited the engine. It achieved an altitude of 40ft and then the ejection charge blew, changing the flight profile to horizontal.
Still under thrust, the tethered halves spun like a boomerang until it plowed into the lawn.
I've just invented the 'dual power prang'.

Check that motor - the case may have cracked. I had a C18 do that to me yesterday. It didn't light, then the second time it lit only momentarily then the ejection charge blew while it was still on the pad. When I got (most of) the motor out of the model, the case was split lengthwise. The forward closure is still stuck inside the model (a Citation Patriot).

I'll be fling a MESS report and sending info to Karl Baumann at Aerotech later today.
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  #8  
Old 07-05-2021, 03:35 PM
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erik442 erik442 is offline
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Location: central PA
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The Maxi Alpha 3 returns to service after that unfortunate mishap last season.
Determined to get at least one good flight before catoing it again, I set the black powder aside and went with E26 composite power.
Maximum fire, noise, and patriotic livery made it a perfect choice for Independence Day.
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  #9  
Old 07-05-2021, 03:48 PM
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erik442 erik442 is offline
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Location: central PA
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Another casualty from last season was my home brew Der Drei Maxxx.
The original is MIA and this is the new & improved version.
Hoping to get more than one flight from this one, I detuned it to B6 power.
Perfect cluster ignition and a high, straight flight.
It floated back and landed 15ft from the pad.
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  #10  
Old 07-05-2021, 04:00 PM
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erik442 erik442 is offline
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Location: central PA
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Impressed with the performance of the MA3, I decided to give my vintage Renegade a taste of modern propulsion.
It always flew great on an E9, and the Quest E26 didn't disappoint. A super flight!
A shift in the breeze set it in the cornfield about 150ft behind me. No damage and an easy retrieval.
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