ezgb59a
08-30-2008, 10:32 PM
I took my son and nephew to Argonia today. Takes about 40 minutes to drive there from our house. Wasn't for sure where it would be located - found out right off the blacktop - couldn't ask for more.
We had heard rumors of Discovery Channel being there, etc. - might have been don't know. Also, didn't realize the number of small rockets (Alphas, Big Berthas, etc - those that don't exceed 2,500 feet) that would be shot. Nice collection of smaller rockets and funnier than all get out when one of those big rockets rock and roll then the next rocket going up is something about the size of a pencil broken in 4 pieces.
We get there and get parked with a small walk to the launch pad. While walking over a rock is launched and didn't go like expected. Might have made it 500 feet, arced to the north, and feel to earth. However, just north of the launch site are weeds and I know water was around in those weeds and when that rocket hit it sounded like it buried itself in water.
I walked through the vendor’s area while watching rockets take off and a very regular basis. The smaller rockets filled the void and there were some nice looking rockets. Then a batch of larger rockets would go up - not the huge ones but those intermediate size. Then they had some of the larger rockets going up every now and then.
One rocket the "mc" indicated, this is a "now you see it and now you don't" rocket. He said - it will get out of here in a hurray. Tall slender rocket was on the pad ignition took place and by the time I looked up that rocket was gone. That was pretty awesome and I wouldn't have believed it unless I saw it.
Several launches were for certifications - 1, 2 and 3. Those folks all had good flights that I saw.
Then in one launch the had 4 of the same rockets - called it a drag race. Four guys (all friends) had built the same rocket. These were in the intermediate range and I which I knew what they were. Probably 2 to 3 foot tall, would guess 15 to 20 lbs each. They looked more like an old WWII 500 lb bomb. They did the count down and three shot to the heavens and then the 4th one finally took off - he must have had a different engine because that rocket caught the others and went higher. The 4 rockets kind of went different directions and everyone is watching - there was one shoot, then another came out, and a third. One rocket's shoot didn't deploy and it was coming back and at first it was cart wheeling and the closer it got to earth the more stable it got and probably 1500 feet up it smoothed out and it came right into where the people were located - very little wind. The mc started calling off the location for people to pay attention and that was before it righted itself to come in. Missed a canopy by 2 feet max and it hit with a thud. The mc was telling the kids to get back and out of the way. After a few minutes I walked over there and the owner looked to be trying to figure out why his shoot didn't deploy. The nose cone was buried into hard packed earth - and this was pretty hard packed dirt. I think it broke into 3 pieces and the other two didn't look to be all in good shape - total loss.
Got to see a lot of neat rockets. Didn't get to stay long as my son had an air soft war to attend. It got him fired up and he wants to make some rockets and take them there.
ez
We had heard rumors of Discovery Channel being there, etc. - might have been don't know. Also, didn't realize the number of small rockets (Alphas, Big Berthas, etc - those that don't exceed 2,500 feet) that would be shot. Nice collection of smaller rockets and funnier than all get out when one of those big rockets rock and roll then the next rocket going up is something about the size of a pencil broken in 4 pieces.
We get there and get parked with a small walk to the launch pad. While walking over a rock is launched and didn't go like expected. Might have made it 500 feet, arced to the north, and feel to earth. However, just north of the launch site are weeds and I know water was around in those weeds and when that rocket hit it sounded like it buried itself in water.
I walked through the vendor’s area while watching rockets take off and a very regular basis. The smaller rockets filled the void and there were some nice looking rockets. Then a batch of larger rockets would go up - not the huge ones but those intermediate size. Then they had some of the larger rockets going up every now and then.
One rocket the "mc" indicated, this is a "now you see it and now you don't" rocket. He said - it will get out of here in a hurray. Tall slender rocket was on the pad ignition took place and by the time I looked up that rocket was gone. That was pretty awesome and I wouldn't have believed it unless I saw it.
Several launches were for certifications - 1, 2 and 3. Those folks all had good flights that I saw.
Then in one launch the had 4 of the same rockets - called it a drag race. Four guys (all friends) had built the same rocket. These were in the intermediate range and I which I knew what they were. Probably 2 to 3 foot tall, would guess 15 to 20 lbs each. They looked more like an old WWII 500 lb bomb. They did the count down and three shot to the heavens and then the 4th one finally took off - he must have had a different engine because that rocket caught the others and went higher. The 4 rockets kind of went different directions and everyone is watching - there was one shoot, then another came out, and a third. One rocket's shoot didn't deploy and it was coming back and at first it was cart wheeling and the closer it got to earth the more stable it got and probably 1500 feet up it smoothed out and it came right into where the people were located - very little wind. The mc started calling off the location for people to pay attention and that was before it righted itself to come in. Missed a canopy by 2 feet max and it hit with a thud. The mc was telling the kids to get back and out of the way. After a few minutes I walked over there and the owner looked to be trying to figure out why his shoot didn't deploy. The nose cone was buried into hard packed earth - and this was pretty hard packed dirt. I think it broke into 3 pieces and the other two didn't look to be all in good shape - total loss.
Got to see a lot of neat rockets. Didn't get to stay long as my son had an air soft war to attend. It got him fired up and he wants to make some rockets and take them there.
ez