Souther Thunder 2009
I have been other wise side-tracked from rocketry, as another activity has pretty much captivated my time. If anyone has ever had the opportunity to participate as a band booster volunteer, you would know where I am coming from when I say that I have little time for anything else. Nonetheless, I managed to make a meager 2-hour showing at Sothern Thunder 2009 on Fathers Day the 21st of June. I had originally planned to attend all three days of the Southern Thunder 2009, my first launch since having certifief Tripoli Level III at Southern Thunder 2008, one of the days was to include the Research launch on Friday. Instead, I cancelled all plans due to other pressing matters, but managed to make a short trip to Manchester, TN for an early afternoon flight. It was Fathers day, so my daughter felt it her civic duty to accompany me to the launch, so that she could wait on me hand and foot…she is awesome!!
What can I say, it was HOT!! Probably one of the hottest (weather wise) of any Southern Thunder event I have attended. But this did not keep anyone at home, not when you have the clear blue to fly in. I managed to prep one rocket, and rocket I called the Black Dahlia. The rocket is modified and fortified Public Enemy 4″ Extreme Performer. The motor was a 38mm load that I purchsed and prepped at ST2008, but never got fly; a Loki J320 Red. I had a slight concern of flying a motor that had been pre-loaded into its repective hardware for the last year, but as it turned out, the motor worked as designed. The rocket was prepped for dual deploy, and I was using an HA45 from Perfect Flight as the recovery event device (its just an altimeter). Like I stated, the J320 worked flawlessly, lofting the Black Dahlia to what seemed like 1,500 to 2,000 feet, before arcing over and oblitterating itself in the woods, a mere 50 to 60 feet behind the flight line of parked cars…The rocket never seperated at apogee, and the main could hardly deploy at the set altitude of 1,000 feet due to a coupler and main chute that were fit to tight. I was still amazed at the drogue not deploying, as I utilized motor back up, but in either event, I used to little charge from the dual event altimeter.
Conclusion; I will need to revisit recovery 101 before I attempt anymore flights. In looking back, I have had only 3 successfull flights out of 9 since 2005, that have recovered as intended…not a good track record. Of the failed 6 attempts, one ended in a massive cato on the pad, and therefore never flew…
Below is a pic of the last flight of the Black Dahlia, an image that I did not think would even come out…the flame is actually better in this photo than it was in person, go figure, it is usually the other way around with Reds.
Black Dahlia at ST2009