This launch was about a week ago, but I haven't gotten around to posting about it yet. I had this rocket that kind of got me started building large rockets. It was a kit, called "Initiator." I bought it because I wanted to learn how a rocket of its size was constructed properly. This rocket was my only kit so far (besides tiny ones). I like to come up with my own creations!
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Anyway, since I didn't build this from scratch or from my own head, I never felt compelled to fly it until just a few days ago.
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The motor I used was a G40-13W (a G motor). I'm not sure, but I think this motor is really old. I found it in an isolated corner of an obscure hobby shop, all alone, priced at 5 dollars. So I didn't exactly have high expectations for this motor, but boy was I wrong...
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Rocketry readers, isn't it correct that G40's don't burn for 3 seconds? And don't have a 13 second time delay? Well, this one did:
And...goodbye. Good buy. But gone forever.
By the way, that was my sister's camera you can hear in the background, "click click click click click!"
6 comments:
Well $5 for a G is pretty cheap! I am shocked that you lost the rocket :(
But onward and upward I suppose. I always use smaller chutes than called for - beefing up the fins if needed, so that the rocket falls faster. And recently, being on the other side of your motor size curve (I got my level 1 cert in 2000 at 18) started to move into smaller motors again. I kinda got sick of the cost and hassle of high power and moved back to smaller motors. For example, a rocket that size I like to put on Es and Fs! Low and slow flight!
Anyway great work, and keep documenting your flights.
Will do!
I hope to find a way to earn money building rockets to compensate for the heavy cost! It would probably be difficult, though.
Have you considered building another high-power rocket in the near future? I read your blog now, and would love to read about it. You have to admitt, the flight of a high-power rocket is way cooler than the flight of a model rocket! :)
I know nothing about rockets, but that video looked really cool.
Man! That thing went High!
Sorry you lost it:(
BTW: Your site is awesome!
-cj
If you go all the way back in my archives to the first post you can see some of my bigger high power kits.
I find high power far simpler to build, because I have big hands and am not so great at arts and crafts type work.
I like long thin high power rocketry that go really fast, with high thrust motors.
My fav. was a 38mm x 72 inch kit I made with an Acme fin Can. I put it up G125 motors before I was 18... then when I certed level 1... I put it up on an I357! Boy did that thing move! But sadly I lost it on that flight. It could have gone on everything up to a J570. The best part is that it was pretty darn heavy... 5 lbs perhaps? So the idea of that amount of mass going several hundred mph... great.
I should add the only reason why I stopped high power is because I cant afford it as well anymore, and also because of the new regulations with the BATF. It is impossible for an urban type like me to store motors legally anymore. Sad, I can still buy and store up to 80 lbs of black powder!
But my high power work is on hold, not dead.
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