PROJECT X - SECOND FLIGHT - B - SEPARATION

Ok Airfest 27 did not happen, so I will do some modifications for the next high altitude flight of this rocket. It seems that I have to add more FFFFg in the drogue charge and use a longer plastic tube that contains some air to make those charge go off and burn the black powder completely.

Update 06/11/2023 - Checked the whole rocket today, all is in great shape. Will check the casing and motor another day.

Update 06/24/2023 - Checked the motor and packing, so far all good, will do an other examination when two weeks out of the trip to Kansas.

Update 06/27/2023 - All good with doctors appointment. Started making hotel reservations, Memphis is already bookend and OK'd. Waiting for accommodation around the Rocket pasture, like wellington.

Update 07/01/2023 - Completed my registration today and paid $55. At the same time I completed my high altitude application/request.

Update 07/02/2023 - Bob Brown approved my flight, All good to go.

Update 07/03/2023 - Just ordered a back up RTX unit from Missile works. Should be in around a week.

Update 07/16/2023 - Jim is in C13 infection quarantine(?) So the RTX will follow later. Today I checked the rocket again and collected a few things for the trip, Also made the booster charge - 2.0 grams.

Update 07/28/2023 - Checked out both RTX rocket units, all working and connecting.

Update 08/15/2023 - Got the cargo box down with the help of Florence. Put some stuff in the cargo box to see what actually fits in there. Also put more stuff for the road under the cargo space in the truck of the car. Made a little nota for a reminder where everything is hidden in the car.

Update 08/24/2023 - Stratologgers tested and all are GO, also did the Z-ties on the booster shock cord. Replaced the quick-link on the shock cord with a more heavier duty that will catch the kevlar cord AND the swivel on the motor together, so a double security. Made the Z-ties for the main chute. Main chute loaded in nose cone. Charges installed. RTX goes in nose cone. Not much space in booster. Most of the rocket is already prepped, just need keep charging all the batteries.

Update 08/26/2023 - Today I installed the cargo box on top of the car and filled it up already with rocket stuff. will go check the list on Monday and also fully prep the rocket.

Update 08/27/2023 - More packing today, have everything in the cargo box today. Motor is in car behind the drivers seat.

Update 08/29/2023 - Changed the last minute the drogue charge into a new one, this is a tube which is longer and contains a bit of an air pocket. Had a dream last night what Jason said and what Tim experienced the last time. At that altitude you need an air pocket, air is very thin at 27.000 feet

Update 09/02/2023 - LAUNCH DAY - Windy day on the field, Got up at around 6:50 AM, shower, eat McDonald and then to the field. Setting op tent, Tent frame was already setup on Friday August 31, after we arrived in Wellington we swinged by the field to get a spot, Most good spots were already taken. Got everything setup, tent cover, table, chairs, and got the rocket and tool boxes out of the Cargo box. Started prepping the rocket, streamer went in smooth, GPS got signal after one minute and installed in the nose cone. Main chute bay closed up and connected. Booster charge installed, motor in booster and streamer and z-ties. Phone Nexus 5 and Gopro camera in AvBay, all on and working. Was concerned about the high temperatures above 100 F the phone will shut down anyway. Gopro working great. Rocket was real heavy and took it to the RSO, They told me to go to the RSO on the 60's pads to approve and check the rocket. There they told me that Florence could not come to the pad since she was not a NAR member. So I went back to drop her of at our tent location. So back to the 60's pads with rocket in car, did just fit in there. A last check at the RSO pads a little wait there and then to the pads. There was a squad car that gave us the directions to go to the pads. The guy helped me to put the rocket on the 10/10 rail. Activated the stratologgers (2) and connected the ignitor. All went well there so far. Back to the field RSO yellow tent to gave my flight card. Launch followed in a few minutes after. Took a few seconds before the motor ignited. Rocket went straight up, got a little swing after that and continued it's straight flight up. It disappeared into the sky. All I know is that the gps was working fine and got some coordinated that it landed. So went into the field and could only find the nose cone and upper stage section with the Avbay attached but in damaged condition, All secure screws were gone, sled with Nexus 5 phone inside and damaged, also the Gopro camera was still good. Also could find a section of the booster, it seemed that the booster section were separated. The rod in the AvBay were broken, like they were cut with cutters (???). Went back to the tent and examined all the pieces I found, but could not figured out what happened (?). The rods were broken off like they were cut off and that puzzled me! Stratologgers were working fine and I could download the data in the hotel, but no video from broken phone and just a field video of the Gopro camera. That's all I could recover. After examining all the pieces I went for another walk into the field trying to find the streamer and the fin-can and casing. Passed Tim on the way to my search area and he told me he saw the streamer coming down but not the fin-can (?), so he gave me some hints where to go to. I went there and looked some more with one of the guys on a squad but no luck. After some relaxing time, I told Florence to pack up and go and eat something. So I organized everything in the cargo box and took the tent, grass carpet and table down We lowered the tent frame (windy) for next day Before going to the hotel, I decided to give it another try to search North in the soybean fields, After I while I did see a person walking tin the field with some red stuff and decided to drive closer so him, and indeed he found the streamer and the lower bulk head of the AvBay was still attached with the other half of the broken rods. This all keeps on puzzling me how that could happen ? The shock cord was broken up also, so that means that an enormous force had to separate all this. We drove to the hotel to download the data and pictures. End of story. The Fin-can and casing should be on the field not far were I found the other pieces, possibly berried deep into the soft soil.

Update 09/03/2023 - Went back to the field just for a half day. Setup the tent again, and left Florence at the tent while I went searching for the booster and casing. Went to the RSO field (60's) tent and asked around, and they told me that they found the booster somewhere in the field, it was also announced that afternoon, but I guess we left too early. They gave me the coordinates were is was located. So I drove in that direction on the dirt road and without using the coordinates I could see the purple booster sticking out in the dirt. Went out and examined the situation. Took a hammer and tried to dig out the booster, but the soil was really hard and compact so that was useless. Drove back to the RSO field tent and they told me they had shovels in one of the tool containers. Great, picked up a digging shovel end drove back to the location. It tool a while to dig the booster out, wiggles it a few times till it came loose a bit, more digging and yes it started to move better and after a few wiggles I got it out. The top of the casing closure was bent, I hope to get those closures out clean, without hurting the casing too much. Back to the tent with Florence. Hammered the dirt out a bit and unscrewed the bottom closure and slided the casing out. Great so far so good. I need better tools to get the top closures out, so I left it as it was and loaded everything in the cargo box. Glad that I recovered the booster fin-can and casing. Gave me hope to repair the rocket and fly it on Airfest 30 next year again, but it will be all 4" diameter body tubes, and more solid build. I have a bunch of video of the recovery and driving around and walking around on the field.

Update 09/08/2023 - The coordinates where the booster was located: 37.162234,-97.730078

Update 09/12/2023 - Jason contacted me regarding the phone, He will try to get some data out, again the phone connects but nothing else shows up, only the icon that the phone is alive.

Update 09/14/2023 - Got the top closures out, made a custom mode saw blade that fits into the drill hole and started cutting away as much as I could of the top closures. And it worked. Now the next thing to do is to retread the top section and try to re use the casing.

Update 09/16/2023 - Went to Jason after the SRA Launch and gave him my damaged phone, and the same evening he could pull out the data and the video's !! Video's do not show anything, the Mach forces must have reseated the phone away from the window, so there is nothing substantial to show, just the audio.

Update 09/17/2023-�https://www.insanerocketry.com/main/displayevent/8537926638759266602/

Update 09/22/2023 - Jason gave me a pretty good explanation on what happened with my flight, I have to agree 100 % with that information.

<<I'm pretty sure I know what happened to your rocket. Tremendous Gs and the power of wind were contributors in the plastic transition coupler folding, once it started, it was gone. But there was another critical element, and that is heat. If you have an estimate from OpenRocket (I don't trust the actual rocket data as it was catastrophic) for how fast it was going 1 second into flight, that would be helpful, but my guess is it was over Mach 1. The heat softened the plastic surface making it fold easier, but not so much as to compromise it's ability to spring back to original shape once stress was removed. Due to that, on the new transition coupler, I recommend glassing the outer exposed surface since it is subjected to the wind and heat. It would also be worthwhile to use a high temperature spray paint. Make sure to test radio transmissions through the new coupler. >>

Update 09/25/2023 -

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Update 09/30/2023 - Dam, dam, Can't believe that the pictures of the launch did not upload !!!! Just found out that the actual launch images were missing. So I just uploaded them. Dam !!!

Update 03/15/2024 - Just saw a video of Rocket fails and my rocket from Airfest 29 is in there. At mark 8 minutes you can see it launch !! -�https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BhuEKu8ReHQ -