Just wondering.

When I first built rockets in '69, the last rocket that I built and flew was the Centuri V2. It was my best looking rocket ever. What with the swell camo job I put on it and I had learned by trial and error how to get a rocket together with a bit of competence.

In those days, I felt it was a waste of money not to buy the highest buzz motor that was in stock, so of course it's first and last flight was on a C7-7. It went up about 50 feet, took a left and disappeared behind the trees. Found it a couple of years later; still pretty much intact, but swollen and soggy.

First incarnation as a BAR and my favorite rocket, a Geo Sat LV had quite a few flights but finally drifted into the river. Never to be seen again.

Most recently, it was my '69 Centuri Javelin. I wanted it to get some wear and tear before I retired it and it flew every time I went launching. Sent it up on a B motor, great flight, saw the 'chute deploy, lost track of it and that was that. I think that's the one I feel the worst about. Go figure.

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Retro-grouch

Definitely my first successful Mach 10. It wound up flying onto the roof of B6-4 School about ten years ago on a windy day I call Black Sunday for all the carnage on the day. I've never had one that balanced as well as that one.

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Bill Eichelberger
NAR 79563

http://wallyum.blogspot.com/

I miss being SAM 0058

Build floor: Estes - Low Boom SST Semroc - Marauder, Shrike, SST Shuttle

In paint: Canaroc Starfighter Scorpion Centuri Mini Dactyl Estes F-22 Air Superiority Fighter, Multi-Roc, Solar Sailer II, Xarconian Cruiser Semroc Cyber III

Ready to fly: Estes - Solar Sailer II Semroc - Earmark

My original K-41 Mercury Redstone Capsule in a tree back in 1980 and my #1284 Space Shuttle ET/SRBs in another tree the same week.

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When in doubt, WHACK the GAS and DITCH the brake !!!

Yes, there is such a thing as NORMAL, if you have to ask what is "NORMAL" , you probably aren't !
Failure may not be an OPTION, but it is ALWAYS a POSSIBILITY.
ALL systems are GO for MAYHEM, CHAOS, TURMOIL, FIASCOS, and HAVOC !

Mine was an original all chrome Citation Quasar. I have a picture from the Milwaukee Journal of myself and another club member (the club I belonged to in the early 70's) doing a dragrace of our Quasars down at Warnimont Park on the lakefront around 1972 or 1973. Shortly after that I lost it to a rocket eating tree.

Scott

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Scott D. Hansen
Ye Olde Rocket Shoppe - Your One Stop BAR Shoppe!
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Ye Olde Rocket Forum
WOOSH NAR Section #558

The third or fourth rocket I built, an Astron Drifter. 1965? It was several years before I built one that flew that straight. No pitch, no yaw, no roll. After several excellent flights I decided to go for broke. Never had a problem with field size at the Tyndall AFB flight line. I built a 30" dry cleaning bag chute with 8 shrouds. Last seen RISING and heading south over the Gulf of Mexico. (sob)

Mike

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Clear skies and fair winds,
Mike

NAR 31689

Well let's see this picture!

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Bill Eichelberger
NAR 79563

http://wallyum.blogspot.com/

I miss being SAM 0058

Build floor: Estes - Low Boom SST Semroc - Marauder, Shrike, SST Shuttle

In paint: Canaroc Starfighter Scorpion Centuri Mini Dactyl Estes F-22 Air Superiority Fighter, Multi-Roc, Solar Sailer II, Xarconian Cruiser Semroc Cyber III

Ready to fly: Estes - Solar Sailer II Semroc - Earmark

My son Charlie dubbed this scratch-built puppy "Der Smokersfoot II" (A malady most foul) after a line in some idiotic TV drama we saw. I flew this thing several dozen times on F50, G40 and G80 motors, as well as on homemade black powder motors. Always flew arrow straight, right up to its last flight in July or August of 2009 when it was eaten by a cornfield in Frisco.

The attached pic is from March of 2006. That's Dangerous Doug Sams on the left, Charlie on the right and yours truly in the middle with the rocket.

I shall rebuild.

Attached Thumbnails

 

I thought the guy on the left was familiar

My two most disappointing losses include my first scratch-built Midget back in 2002, when we lost track of it flying on a 3-motor stack. I recovered the boosters, but the sustainer was never found.



The other was much more recently when I lost my Tubena (inspired by the Athena) on its maiden flight. Major bummer! Here it is on its only liftoff. Doug .



.

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YORF member #11

We lived out in the country when I was growing up so our only link to rocketry was mail order. We sent cash and it took a long time. My first catalog order was a Scout and a pack of A8-3's.

My second Estes catalog order was a Screamer and a pack of A3-4T's.
I built the Screamer and had to launch it. It was windy and snowing but I couldn't wait.

Saw it arc over top of the house. I was crushed...hey I was only 12.

Oh, tough call.

I suppose my LOC Hi-Tech H45, which drifted over a neighborhood next to the LIARS flying field and was never seen again.

I certified in 1990 on that rocket, and a few years later launched it on a H45. Ten seconds of whoosh!

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NAR #27085 - Oregon Rocketry - SAM