MAGAZINE MAGAZINE

Volume 8 Issue 3

News and Review

A through M Impulse

Giant Scale

Bell X-2 Starbuster

Pulling Out All the Stops,

FourCarbYen to 120,000 Feet

7X Upscale X-Ray Rocket

http://www.aerotech-rocketry.com

Volume 8 Issue 2

Photo by Neil McGilvrayJay Holcombe’s Pumkin with his crew and it does get cold at Black Rock

The Offical Magazine Of The TripOli rOckeTry assOciaTiOn

BOard Of direcTOrs

sTu BarreTT - presidenT BOB BrOwn - V. presidenT

daVid wilkins - secreTary

Bruce lee - Treasurer Terry Mccreary

deBra kOlOMs dick eMery TOM rOuse

gerald Meux Jr.

5 ediTOrial

6 rOckeTry news

By Dick Stafford and Rocketry OnLine

8 a ThrOugh M iMpulse

By Bob Yanecek Photos by Tim Quigg, Kent Newman, Marty Weiser, Jim Jopson, Rick Clapp, Neil McGilvray Rocket Soup over the years

15 gianT scale Bell x-2 sTarBusTer

By Dave Schaefer Photos by Gerald Meux, Tony Huet, Robert Turner, Pete Williams, Neil McGilvray, Arke Tokheim, CAD by Mike Oser Booster Glider in large scale

26 Balls 22 By Neil McGilvray Photos by Neil McGilvray Black Rock in all its glory

50 pulling OuT all The sTOps, fOurcarByen TO 120,000 feeT

By Jim Jarvis One man’s quest of 120,000 feet

53 7x upscale x-ray rOckeT

By Todd Vest Old kit bigger and better

56 agM in gerMany

By Frank De Brouwer Photos by Frank De Brouwer, Nico Buis

RocketflyinginGermany

� www.rocketsmagazine.com

Editorial By Bob Utley and Neil McGilvray

www.rocketsmagazine.com

rockets magazine is produced by Liberty Launch systems LLc. rockets magazine is the officiaL tripoLi magazine. copyright © 2006, 2014 aLL rights reserved. no part of this pubLication may be reproduced or copied in any form or by any means, graphic, eLectronic or mechanicaL, incLuding photogopying, taping, recording without prior written permission of rockets magazine or Liberty Launch systems LLc.

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Liberty Launch systems LLc. 11554 suLLnick way

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The Cover

rob grygar arming his

uLtimate endeavour on an n-1540photo by neiL mcgiLvray

robert utLey

neiL mcgiLvray

dan kirkLin

kathy giLLiand

bruce fette

neiL mcgiLvray

robert utLey

dave oLson

JiLL weber

mike ritter

frank de brouwer

neiL mcgiLvray

todd vest

nico buis

tony huet

neiL mcgiLvray

kent newman

arke tokheim

marty weiser

cad by mike osek

Pho

to b

y Ts

olo

T. T

solo

editor

executive editor

associate editors

photography

vern hoag

iLLustrator

web site editor

speciaL thanks

contributing writers

Jim Jarvis

dave schaefer

bob yanecek

contributing photos

rick cLapp

Jim Jopson

gerLad meux

tim Quigg

robert turner

pete wiLLiams

���

With LDRS-33 coming up, the 2014 rocketry season is in full swing around the country. Many travel plans have been laid and the final tweaking to those long dreamed about projects is underway. The thanks of the rocketry community have to go out the dedicated volunteers that take on an LDRS each year. Without the tireless and often underappreciated efforts the organizing committees put in each and every LDRS, this annual rite of passage would die on the vine. With each new season, there are varying degrees of change in the air as the big events adapt to changing logistics and economics of flying rockets. While the name Large and Dangerous Rocket Ships invokes a much different image from the reality of what the launch actually is, the event is still the cornerstone of many rocketeers’ flying season. Field size, waivers, the economy, etc. have made the launch what it is. Every LDRS can’t be a massive waiver and seemingly unlimited recovery area. Even when that exists, as with last year’s event, the participation is often limited due to the location, accommodations and general logistics. Modern LDRS events are adaptive to changing conditions and seem to be more aligned with the comradely aspect of the event first and then the rocket launching. It has often been said, “It is all the people,” when it comes to rocketry. People get you initially inspired. People mentor you; people help you with getting your rockets on the pad and also help with recovery. People listen to your stories and share their own experiences. Since rocketry has such a limited numbers of participants, we are often launching in front of our friends and contemporaries. Everyone wants to see fellow fliers succeed, but don’t mind seeing the occasional CATO or other rocket related mishap. It keeps the flight line on their toes and reinforces the potential that you could be that guy with the next push of the button. Every launch has special meaning for the rocket owner and his/her team. An LDRS event is often the catalyst for moving up in the hobby and challenging your own abilities. Whether it is a dad and his kids learning and flying for the first time, or a seasoned hard core, Black Rock veteran, the feeling just before the launch is always the same. The prelaunch questions buzz

around in your head like bees collecting honey. The complexity changes, as does the risk should there be a failure, but nothing leaves the ground without human intervention, which lends some credibility to the theory that we are a people club with a rocket problem. Change is always brewing within the leadership ranks of the organization. Each year about this time there is also a changing of the guard within the Board of Directors. New volunteers stand up to be counted. Many do not get elected in their first attempt, but those who are dedicated to the common cause of giving back to the hobby that has given so much to them, often return to find they did get what they wished for. Once seated on the BOD, the new member will learn about a whole new set of challenges and see the hobby from a totally different perspective. There will be a new set of mentors and a new set of rules for the fledgling BOD member to embrace. As high power rocketry has learned and matured over the past 50 years, most would agree that changes made have been good for the organization and for the hobby. As with the mentoring that occurs at the club level, making the new flier feel included, the operational and procedural changes have allowed for more inclusiveness. Nothing stays static for long; change is inevitable in technology, in flying venues, in processes that we operate under, and our ability to safely fly rockets for another 50 years. Embrace change in your rocketry life as it will give you a deep appreciation of days gone by when you can say to your fellow rocketeers, “I remember when…….”

BuyRocketMotors.comannounces a modern and transparent way to purchase High Power Rocket Motors.

BuyRocketMotors.com provides an experience not widely seen among High Power Rocketry motor vendors. This includes a real time inventory, order confirmation, same or next day shipping, pack-age tracking numbers, real time shipping quotes, and voluntary pre-orders (as opposed to involuntary back ordering). BuyRocketMotors.com was born out of a desire to bring trans-parency and reliability in procuring high power rocket motors. We tar-get and stock specific motors that serve the needs of most High Power Rocket fliers instead of attempting to stock every possible motor in a manufacturers catalog. This approach allows for a consistent variety of well stocked Level 1, Level 2, and very soon Level 3 motors. We remove the anxiety of online motor sales and eliminate the prospect of attending a launch without a motor to fly, whether due to the lack of an on-site vendor or their lack of inventory. Whether you’re certifying or just want a motor to fly, give BuyRocketMotors.com a shot.

Website: BuyRocketMotors.com

rockEtry NEws

Loki ResearchA new performance page is turning at Loki Research.

Loki Research is pleased to announce single use Linen Phenolic nozzles with graphite throat inserts. They were developed for the new 54/4000 reloads and 54/2800 Loki Red reloads that are soon to be certified. In addition to superior thermal insulation over solid graphite, they allow for an extra 1.075” of propellant. They are completely customizable, allowing for tailoring of motor chamber pressure with any desired throat size and allow for an increased exit diameter beyond what is capable with standard graphite nozzles. They will be available with throat diameters as specified by the customer and, depending on the throat size, they come with a graphite insert. These nozzles provide an optimal exit half-angle and throat length-to-diameter ratio for improved efficiency. The new single use nozzles are available for $35. The next new development are the 54mm Extended forward bulkhead ($65) and the 76mm Standard forward bulkhead ($75). Threads were added in anticipation of future developments, primarily for attaching electronics bays for head-end ignition or forward motor retention. The other major improvement is the addition of an o-ring to the liner shoulder that acts as a seal disk, a must-have for larger high performance, high L:D ratio motors. Don’t hesitate to contact us to discuss the detailed specs of these exciting products.

Website: www.LokiResearch.com� www.rocketsmagazine.com

ByDickStaffordand

Marsa Systemsintroduces the Marsa54L

The next generation of the Marsa4/54 series of altimeters has been introduced. Introduced at LDRS28, the new design incorporates improvements based on feedback and user experience over the last five years. This model includes new features, functional improvements and has been able to achieve a significant cost reduction over the first generation. Some of the most significant Marsa54L features are:• 5 programmable channels (4 on-board outputs + 1 signal level output)

Blastcap Rocketry/Gary T. Designs

The PAINKILLER 3 is a 3”, all fiberglass kit that I designed and is for sale under the name “Gary T Designs” It is also the first in a line of kits that I’ll be designing and selling under the same name. The kits are designed to be all around fun fliers that can also become the workhorses of your fleet.Here’s what the PAINKILLER 3 comes with: 5:1 Black Ogive Filament wound NC W/Aluminum Tip G12 NC Coupler W/Bulk Plate G12 3” Upper BT - 16” G12 3” Booster BT - 30” G12 Coupler - 7” G10 Av-Bay Bulk Plates (2) Inner (2) Outer G10 Centering Rings (2) (3) 3/32” Black G10 Fins G12 54mm MM - 13” Vinyl DecalThe kit features include: All G12 3” Fiberglass Design Dual Deploy Ready Just Over 5 Feet Tall Approx. Built Weight 6 lbs. Perfect for L1 or L2 Kit Design by Gary Tortora Price $119.00

Website: http://www.blastcaprocketry.com/ �rockets magazine v8 i3

• High intensity external LED output driver for airframe optical signaling

• 4 User programmable presets for your common programming configurations

• 50g (standard) and 100g (optional) accelerometer

• Total LiPo battery safe with improved Power Watchdog feature

• Flight data statistics viewable immediately on the UI – no computer connection required

• All programming features can be done on the altimeters UI, no computer or connection required Research motor fliers will appreciate the motor thrust curve tool in the Marsa Connect PC software package. The tool cal-culates and plots the motor thrust curve, total impulse and rocket Cd at motor burnout from the rocket flight data and rocket design parameters. The Marsa54L is available now at a MSRP of $179.

Website: www.marsa4.com

After successfully flying my Dual-75 rocket on a 4-G-75 7% M-1200 at BALLS 16 in 2007, I came upon the idea of flying the alphabet from A through M-impulse in sequence over the course of the 2008 season. All rockets were to be fiberglass, minimum diameter, and tower launched. Basic dimensions and pad weight would be recorded for each flight with altitude simulated for 18-mm and 24-mm, then measured via on-board avionics for 29mm and up. In keeping with one of the idiosyncrasies of the hobby, I would record diameter in millimeters, length in inches, weight in grams for light rockets and pounds for heavier rockets, along with opting to use motors instead of engines for propulsion. Seven different launch sites were utilized in my quest, which began in March of 2008 at the Blue Mountain Rocketeers (http://www.bmr615.org) ‘Spring Fling’ launch. I decided to go with an 18mm airframe for A-C impulse and quickly learned (remembered) how small 18-mm is when packing a parachute.

With a pad weight of 89 grams, the A-8-3 motor pushed the rocket to a simulated 90’ yet still managed to get the chute out and open before touchdown. If I were to do this again, I would opt for a 13-mm airframe to tag the A-rung. I selected a B-6-4 next and after several igniter issues; I was saved by Mark Lyons with his custom super small igniters. I finally got the motor lit and the rocket boosted to a simulated 309’.

The final push for the 18mm airframe was via a C-6-7, resulting in a good flight to a simulated altitude of 878’ putting me up to a total of 1,277 feet for the first 3 rungs of my project. For the 18mm airframe, I used 3 lengths of angle iron in a coffee can of concrete for a launch tower. I next pulled out my 24-mm rocket and loaded up a D-12-7. For 24-mm, 29-mm, and 38-mm, I went with ½” EMT electrical conduit for tower rails and concrete in a coffee can for a base. I greased the EMT when casting the concrete so the rails are removable for transport. The pad weight of 147 grams was a tad heavy (should have used a 5 sec delay) resulting in a late, high speed deployment of the parachute and tangled recovery. As I walked out to recover the rocket I stumbled across the motor which had spit out and disqualified the attempt. I loaded another D-12-7 (there was not a 5 sec delays in my range box) and succeeded with a good boost and successful high speed deployment. I had to wait 3 weeks before attempting the E-rung at the Spokane Area Rocket Club’s April launch (http://sparc.rocketclub.

A through M Impulse

By Bob Yanecek

� www.rocketsmagazine.com

Photo BY Tim Quigg, Kent Newman, Marty Weiser, Jim Jopson, Rick Clapp, and Neil McGilvray

18mm rocket ready for flightbelow: 18mm rocket in the tower

org). I loaded up an E-9-8 and opted to stick with a parachute instead of a streamer. The rocket managed to hang itself in a tree which took all day to retrieve thus eliminating my plans of additional rungs that day. So while I used to say “Streamers are for Sissies”, I now know that “Streamers can be SMART”. Another 3 weeks passed before I could attempt the F-rung at the Washington Aerospace Club’s Mansfield Ranch launch site (http://www.washingtonaerospace.org) in early May. This represented my first reloadable motor (F-12-5) and the 5 second delay was woefully short for the 173 gram pad weight rocket. The deployment occurred at high speed but the chute hung together and recovery was nominal.This concluded my 24-mm efforts and had me up to a simulated 7,401 feet on my ladder. Next up was 29-mm where I planned to incorporate an avionics bay and electronic deployment along with measured vs. simulated altitude. I had two different 29-mm airframes with Perfectflite MAWD’s located just behind the nosecone and relying on dual deployment with just one break of the airframe at the fin can/airframe joint. Theory was that the apogee charge would separate the airframe but not pull out the main which was supposed to get pushed out when the main charge fired.

In addition to an altimeter, I also included a Walston tracking transmitter. Multiple design flaws quickly had me regretting the fact that I built two of these 29-mm airframes. With the avionics bay just behind the N/C, the rocket was way over stable. With the Walston sitting beside the 9-VDC battery, a significant radial offset CG was caused and the rocket experienced extreme coning during ascent. Everything held together, the main stayed in at apogee and was ejected when the main charge fired as designed. However, the nylon chute also melted closed resulting in a high speed landing (79 ft. /sec) which broke the airframe just behind the avionics bay thus disqualifying the attempt. Luckily, I had my motor eject GTV along with me which I loaded up with a G-25-10 resulting in a good flight with nominal recovery. Since I already had a second (poorly designed) 29mm rocket with avionics behind the N/C, I decided to go ahead and attempt the H-rung via an H-180. Again, boost was extremely squirrelly but the chute stayed in at apogee and again the chute melted closed when the main charge pushed it out. Luckily the rocket landed soft (still fast at 103 ft. /sec) and undamaged so I decided to count the rung (nice when you can adjust the rules because you’re only competing with yourself). The total flight time was 72 seconds. Future versions of the 29-mm airframe will move the avionics bay back to just in front of the motor in an effort to bring the CG back closer to the CP. Fire in the Sky (FITS) had me back at Mansfield, this time at their Sportsman Club launch site to continue climbing my ladder. I was now up to 17,895 feet and flying 38-mm airframes with a

�rockets magazine v8 i3

Bob with his 29mm rocket

mid airframe avionics bay and standard dual deployment using the forward end of the motor as coupler. I selected an I-284 for the I-rung. Pad weight was 3.3 pounds and boost was nominal. The recovery was drogue-less at apogee then a 36” parachute for main deployment. The apogee was at 21 seconds into the flight and then at 91 seconds the main came out prematurely. The total flight time was 317 seconds and post flight inspection revealed signs that the fin can had impacted the upper airframe, which I suspect knocked the main parachute out. It was time to eliminate friction fit joints. The J-rung provided me my first opportunity to fly a research motor. I went with a DAWG Pack 6-G-38 4% J-356 and three strips of shear tape

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to hold the N/C on resulting in a good flight to 8,650 feet. I should note that at this point I also began incorporating shear tape at the aft joint to prevent drag separation at motor burnout. While I had a 54-mm rocket under construction, it wasn’t ready to fly by the next launch opportunity (at the June Mansfield launch) so I opted to go straight to a 75-mm and an AMW K-365. Given the larger diameter, I went with three #2-56 nylon screws as shear pins for the nosecone. Since I was using the forward portion of the motor as coupler, I continued with shear tape to prevent drag separation of the fin can. I have an adjustable tower that packs quite compactly and can accommodate both 75-mm and 98-mm airframes with ease. The pad weight was 12.4 pounds and the flight was nominal to 9,202 feet with 248 seconds time of flight. The descent under drogue was 58 ft/sec and a comfortable 17 ft/sec under main.

Add another six weeks and I was back at Mansfield to attempt the L-rung of my project. Since this was another research event, I selected a DAWG pack 3-G-75 66% L-905. Due to an errant piece of duct tape on my tower which managed to catch the aft thrust ring, the rocket kicked as it exited the tower resulting in a substantial downrange trajectory. The recovery was nominal, though post flight inspection revealed the motor case had burned through between the first two grains of the motor. Fortunately the burn through occurred late enough that there was just a small black burn mark on the inside of the fin can extension, which was a very close call.

38mm assembly layout

Bob with his 75mm K in the tower

75mm post flight burn mark

75mm L motor case damage

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Late September found me at Black Rock and AHPRA’s annual BALLS launch.(http://www.ahpra.org/b2k.htm). Since I had succeeded with a 4-G-75 7% M-1200 last year, I decided to skip the 5 grain configuration and jump to a DAWG pack 6-G-75 50% M-1950. The rocket weighed 22.4 pounds on the tower and while the motor performed nominally, the rocket was not up to that kind of push. A little over 2 seconds into the boost and at approximately 1500 ft. /sec, the fins began to flutter followed immediately by a shred. The post flight inspection revealed all 3 fins stripped and the airframe buckled just behind the avionics bay.

Of course the ROCKETS Magazine guys videoed the ugly sequence. While embarrassing to have it on the BALLS DVD, I found the hundreds of slow motion re-plays to be quite informative, most notably; the nice gentle wiggle that immediately preceded disaster. The nose cone, avionics bay, fin can extension, and motor hardware were recovered undamaged. The same cannot be said for my ego. So much for my one year alphabet ladder concept. I spent the winter studying fin design and construction techniques with plans to re-attempt the M-rung in 2009. I lengthened the root slightly along with reducing the semi-span, slotted the fin can, (matching ‘teeth’ on the fins), and did my best to

75mm shred in the four photos

75mm MOD II slotted tube 75mm MOD II fin can75mm MOD II tab fin

copy John Coker’s fin can jig http://www.jcrocket.com/tttjig.shtml. I also added a few layers of Carbon Fiber. September of 2009 had me back at Black Rock for BALLS 18 and another attempt. This time around I went with a 6-G-75 42% M-1110. Once again the motor performed as designed but at 6.3 seconds and 2000 ft/sec, the fins began to flutter and another shred soon followed. The nosecone sheared off but the upper airframe flat spun down resulting in no damage, (other than another serious hit to my ego). Another series of slow motion replays and more studying of fin shape and construction led me to the realization that I needed some significant cross section profile to the fin in order to combat the fin flutter. I knew that additional lengthening of the root and shortening of the semi-span was in order, but I liked the look of my fins so I left the basic dimensions of the MOD-III version the same. I did however significantly increase the use of Carbon Fiber going with 8 layers of varying sized Carbon Fiber and a sanding veil layer of fiberglass. This provided a noticeable profile to the fin and a significant increase in

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stiffness. In June of 2010, I visited the Big Sky Rocketry Associations Twin Bridges launch site. http://www.bigskyrocketry.org/. After 2 shreds, I was just hoping to tag the M-rung of my Alphabet Ladder project, so opted for a ‘safe’ 4-G-75 4% M-870. Unfortunately I didn’t pay proper attention to the nozzle when I assembled the motor (the throat was too long, hand drilled and not straight). The result was a skywriting spectacle to a max altitude of 270’. Thankfully, the rocket stayed in the air throughout the burn and belly flopped with no damage (other than once again trashing my ego, once again). [IMAGE 75mm attempt-3] Since the rocket was basically unscathed, all I had to do was wait 2 months then travel down to Brothers, Oregon for Oregon Rocketry’s August Heat launch. http://www.oregonrocketry.com/. I replaced the nozzle and flew the 4G75 4% M-870 for a nominal

75mm MOD II fin jig

75mm Balls 18 shredinsert: a liftoff shot of the rocket

75mm flight attempt number 3

75mm MOD III carbon cloth for the fin canbelow: 75mm MOD III fin can

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flight. Finally, I could claim the M-rung, 2 ½ years after thinking it would take just one season. It only took one avionics bay but 2 body tubes, 2 nose cones and 3 fin cans. In September of 2010, I returned to BALLS and successfully flew the 6-G-75 M-1110 configuration to 27,000 feet and a max velocity of 2100 ft/sec, both personal bests. Again, the ROCKETS Magazine guys got great video which showed the beginning of that pre-shred wiggle, but the fins held together through motor burnout. The 20 seconds of smoke that continued after motor burnout showed signs of significant coning, so I suspect I just barely survived a third shred. By January of 2011, I had begun building a 4” rocket for an N-rung attempt. This rocket was basically a scaled up version of the 3” with the exception of increasing the Carbon Fiber layers from 8 to 11 per side of each fin, along with stretching some to the tip and extending others over the fin fillets to further increase the thickness of the fin at the center of the root tapering towards the leading, trailing, and tip edges. I built the rocket in 3 basic stages; nosecone, avionics bay/airframe, and fin can. While each stage went ‘normally’ slow, the multiple months delay between stages really added to the overall build time.

In August, I returned to Twin Bridges and redeemed myself …… well, sort of. While my flight boosted straight this time, winds aloft were on the high side. I hadn’t hiked a mile when ‘voila’; I had tone on my Walston! What I didn’t know was that the 5 crow miles between me and the rocket required 11 miles to traverse. Those Montana folks have a beautiful launch site, but it sure isn’t flat. In September of 2011, I once again repeated the 6-G-75 push in my 3” airframe at BALLS 20. At the time, I thought the flight was perfect, but the BALLS DVD revealed the beginning of a slight wiggle just before motor burnout but no sign of the severe post burnout coning from 2010. No more strong pushes

planned for the MOD-III fin can and I have resigned to myself that if I want to push past MACH 2, I’m going to have to alter my fin shape to a longer root and shorter semi-span which I will incorporate into the MOD-IV version. The 4” rocket finally got into paint mode in August of 2012 and was ready for a shakedown flight at BALLS in September. With a 3-G-98 49% M-920, the pad weight was 31.8 pounds and the rocket flew successfully to 18,000 feet and 1400 fps. It was an unexpected treat to see that flight as the teaser loop on the BALLS 21 DVD. I also had a nominal flight with my 3” rocket on the 5-G-75 19% M-963 that I had skipped back in 2008.

98mm Carbon fibler layout jpg

98mm carbon fiber stack

At the OROC’s NXRS launch in June of 2013, I flew the rocket on a 4-G-98 95% M-1266 to 23,000 feet and 1600 fps. I figured I was ready to attempt the N-rung of my project at BALLS 22. I was the second flight of the event after Jim Jarvis flew to a mere 36,000 ……. METERS! I was fortunate to camp next to Jim and his early morning pre-flight preparation was meticulous and noteworthy. All I knew was that I didn’t want to be the first misfire, CATO, shred, or lake stake of the event and I was rewarded with a nominal flight to 27,000 feet and max velocity of 1800 fps, successfully tagging the N-rung. While I may get up to O sometime in the future, this marks the “N’d” of my Alphabet Ladder Project. All in all this was a great project that kept me busy and engaged at all levels of the hobby. I managed to tally a total of 111,263 feet in what I called ‘qualifying flights’. If I count just the M flights between successfully tagging the M-rung and attempting the N-rung, I add another 143,000 feet’ putting the entire Ladder Project well over 250,000 feet. Over the course of my 5 year project, I visited 7 launch sites, utilized 14 launch dates, tallied 19 flights, learned a lot, and had tons of fun. Fun is GOOD! Special thanks to the ROCKETS Magazine guys. They are unobtrusive on the range, interested in people’s projects, and competent at what they are doing. While I find the videos of my flights often embarrassing, I gained infinitely more information than I ever would from a nominal boost.

1� www.rocketsmagazine.com

98mm launch at BALLS 22

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During LDRS 30 in 2011, Ken Overton talked me into going to BALLS 21 in 2012. It really didn’t take much persuasion, as I had always wanted to attend a BALLS launch. Making the 1700-mile trip from Texas was going to take some planning, and if I was going to travel that far, I wanted to build something worthy of Black Rock. After the first flight of my Me-163 rocket glider at LDRS 30, I was looking to build something bigger. When your passion is building scale rocket-powered airplanes, your choices are limited. As I researched my next project I became intrigued with the remarkable, yet tragic history of the Bell X-2 Starbuster. I have the utmost admiration for the remarkable dedication and bravery demonstrated by the pilots and crews who worked on the Starbuster. Of the four pilots who flew the X-2, two were killed during the program. I hope this project helps preserve the memory of their efforts and sacrifice. The Bell X-2 program began in late 1945, prior to anyone exceeding the speed of sound. The goals were very ambitious, including exceeding mach 3 and attaining an altitude in excess of 100,000 feet. Powered flights didn’t begin until a decade later, due in large part to lengthy delays with the Curtiss-Wright XLR-25, a 15,000-lb.-thrust rocket engine. Like the X-1, the X-2 was dropped from a bomber, in this case a B-50. The X-2 pilots were Jean Ziegler (Bell test pilot), Col. Frank Everest, Capt. Iven Kincheloe, and Col. Milburn Apt. The first X-2 was lost in an explosion over Lake Ontario before it was able to conduct its first powered flight. Jean Ziegler was killed, and the X-2 fell into Lake Ontario and was not recovered. Col. Everest made thirteen flights in the second X-2. His final X-2 flight, on July 23, 1956, earned him the title Fastest Man Alive, achieving a speed of mach 2.87 at 68,000 feet. On Sept. 7, 1956 Iven Kincheloe reached an altitude of 126,200 feet. This earned Kincheloe the title First of the Spacemen. The second X-2 was lost in a crash on Sept. 27, 1956, during a flight that set an unofficial world speed record at mach 3.196. The plane experienced “inertia coupling,” resulting in a loss of control of the aircraft. Milburn Apt was killed in the accident. The two aircraft built completed a total of twenty flights, seven glide and thirteen powered, between June 27, 1952 and September 27, 1956. No originals of the X-2 survive today. The first challenge building this model was the somewhat limited documentation on the X-2, since only two were built, and they have been gone for half a century. In addition, the aircraft was frequently repainted and was otherwise modified after each of the powered flights, so there are many differences in the old photos of the aircraft.

Giant Scale Bell X-2 StarbusterBy Dave Schaefer

Photos by Gerald Meux,Tony Huet, Robert Turner, Pete Williams, Neil McGilvray and Arve TokheimCAD images by Mike Oser.

test fit of rocket on pad

The Project begins:

In October 2011, I enlisted the aid of my good friend and aeronautical expert Mike Oser with the design and engineering support for this project. Mike and I spent some time discussing the issues and particulars of the X-2. Mike modeled the outline of Starbuster in CAD. Then we discussed and debated the construction techniques that would be employed on the X-2. Designing a model airplane that’s over eight feet long, utilizing a sizable rocket motor, is no easy task. The model must be strong enough to withstand the acceleration of the rocket motor plus the aerodynamic loads and be light enough to glide back for a landing. The ideal situation is to have the center of gravity forward for the boost and have it move aft for the approach and landing. Having the heavy rocket motor in the back has the opposite effect; the C/G will move forward as the propellant is consumed. The only options to resolve this issue are to use a moving or releasable ballast system or to simply work within the C/G envelope of the airplane and accept the fact the C/G will be near the aft limit at launch and close to the forward limit for the landing. Our calculations determined that I would have a 2.5-inch C/G envelope to work with. Based on our projected weight, I could burn off 1400 grams of propellant and stay within limits, so that was our strategy. Mike drew the plans as construction progressed on the X-2.

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Construction Begins:

In February 2012 I started construction. It took a lot of lumber to build this thing. The first part of the X-2 to be built was the fuselage. Standard model-airplane construction techniques were utilized, with a few exceptions. The fuselage framework was built using plywood bulkheads, and the keels were spruce stringers. Construction was by the half-shell method. If you have ever assembled a round fuselage stick-and-tissue model airplane, you are familiar with this technique. While this worked, it was difficult if not impossible to find a perfectly flat surface eight feet long. To my wife’s disapproval, I used our kitchen table to build the right half of the fuselage. When I was done, she demanded that I vacate that table, so I moved the project to our dining room table, and that’s where the X-2 stayed for a while. I’m sure that’s not exactly what she had in mind. I took the right half of the fuselage to work, so I could use the six-foot flat tables in the lab to complete the basic assembly. Building the left half onto the right, I carefully jigged the fuselage to ensure it was straight. A long 75 mm motor mount tube was installed, as well as four short 24 mm tubes in the front for nose weight. I then installed the plywood mount for the retracting nose-wheel assembly.

CAD drawings of the X-2

Right side of the X-2 starting to sheet the frame

The framework was sheeted with ⅛-inch balsa, except for the top, which used two layers of ⅟₁₆-inch. The nose cone was designed to be removable, and Ken turned it from aluminum on a lathe. This makes the X-2 look like it’s doing mach 3 sitting on the ground. Mike carefully chose the airfoil for the wing. It needed to have low drag, yet provide plenty of lift, without tip stalling. We used a foam core with large spruce spars. Mike helped me sheet the wings with ⅟₁₆-inch balsa. The balsa leading edges, trailing edges, and tips were epoxied into place and shaped. The tail uses foam cores with carbon-fiber tow and tape for additional strength. These cores are sheeted with ⅟₁₆-inch balsa. The entire tail assembly sits on a plywood and spruce base that is designed to be removable from the fuselage for transport. Work and family obligations slowed my work on the X-2. By mid-August 2012, it was obvious that I would not have the Starbuster done in time for BALLS 21, so I focused my attention to completing my half-scale minimum-diameter M-powered Hyperion. This was my first trip out to Black Rock, and what a great experience! Even though I didn’t get to take the X-2, I had a blast. I did fly the Hyperion to 18,000 feet, with a great recovery, and I got to fly the Me-163 Komet again. This trip also gave me some insight into planning for BALLS 22. In October 2012, I completed a simple small-profile X-2. This was built to flight test characteristics and control set-up. The wing stab and thrust line were all set up zero-zero, just like the large X-2. First I flew the small X-2 with an electric motor in the pusher configuration. I made a number of flights with this model. The little Starbuster flew very well. I did find that at low speed I lost some elevator effectiveness. Mixing a little of both ailerons with the elevator gave me great pitch authority at any speed. As you would expect with the little X-2 set up zero-zero, it took a little up elevator for it to fly level. I realized that, due to the highly swept wing, I could replace the up elevator trim with the ailerons. This has a nice side effect of creating washout at the tips. I noticed that no matter how deeply I stalled the little X-2, it would not drop a tip. I used this on the large model. The ailerons are level for launch and move up ¼ inch for glide trim. After a few flights, I installed a device from Eagletree called the Guardian. The Guardian provides 2D and 3D flight stabilization in R/C models. I used this only in the roll axis, as this device does not support the dual elevator set-up that I am using on both models. The small X-2 gave me a chance to set up and test the Guardian in all flight modes as well. Once I was satisfied with the tests, I removed the electric power system and installed a 24 mm motor tube. I made three rocket-powered flights using Estes E-9s. The first was in the manual mode; the second was using the 3D mode on the Guardian. This adds to the stability of the model by correcting for any un-commanded attitude deviations. On the last rocket powered flight, after motor burnout, I rolled the little X-2 inverted and engaged the Guardian in the 2D mode. I let go of the sticks and watched as the Guardian rolled the model upright and into level flight. In this mode, the model will roll to a level attitude when the sticks on the transmitter are released. This would be useful if I got disoriented or lost sight of the model.

I found the little profile X-2 to be an invaluable tool. It demonstrated that all of Mike’s calculations were correct and proved that the Guardian could be used in this application. With this information I was feeling more comfortable about flying the big X-2. I resumed work on the big X-2 in February 2013. I was very concerned about a hinge failure during the boost phase of the flight. All of the flight controls on the X-2 had a balsa-and-plywood sandwich at the trailing edge of the fixed surface and on the leading edge of the controls. The plywood was used in the center for strength. For additional strength, wood dowels were inserted into the foam cores at the aileron and elevator hinge line. The entire airframe is covered in 2½ oz. fiberglass cloth and resin. I wanted to mount a camera in the cockpit of the X-2, to get a pilot’s view video during the flight, so I needed to make a clear canopy that would not distort the image. Ken provided the solution. We formed the canopy from ⅟₁₆-inch Plexiglas

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The completed belly start of the belly

over a wood form that was baked in Ken’s wife’s oven at 300 degrees. I’m glad that we did this at Ken’s house, as I’m sure my wife would not have been so understanding (I’m not sure Ken’s wife actually knew about this work with her oven). The X-2 did not have gear doors; instead it had a cover that was ejected from the aircraft as the nose gear was extended. My model does the same thing. I used blue foam sheeted with ⅛-inch balsa to make the hatch. I sanded this to match the bottom of the X-2 and completed it by adding a half-cone sanded to shape from a balsa block. The nose hatch was friction-fitted into place. The somewhat forceful extension of the pneumatic nose gear impacting on the bottom of the hatch ejected it nicely. If I ended up losing this hatch, it wouldn’t be too hard to make another one. The full-sized Bell X-2 used a conventional nose gear, but it had a main belly skid with outriggers on the wings. This configuration went through a number of changes during the program. My model uses pneumatic retracts with a conventional nose gear and skids on the wings, as I did not have time to design and install a belly skid. A telemetry module with airspeed was installed, so I would get speed information in real time during the flight. I purchased two HobbyKing HD wing cameras, which I placed in the cockpit. The first camera looked forward, and the second one looked to the right and aft. I am very pleased with the quality of the video I got from these inexpensive little cameras. I really did not want to risk burying $800 worth of GoPro’s into the playa.

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You would think that twenty-one months would be plenty of time to design and build a project like this. Yet BALLS was rapidly approaching, and I was working at a frantic pace to get it done in time. The heat of the Texas summer slowed my progress, but not the epoxy cure time, as it got quite hot in my garage during the day, limiting my outside work time to just mornings. Ken designed the magnificent launch pad and made accommodations to it for the X-2. We fitted the X-2 to the pad on September 3 in my front yard, just two weeks prior to leaving for Black Rock. The big X-2 pointing skyward in front of my house did attract a little attention in the neighborhood. During those last two weeks, I installed the servos and flight controls, hooked up the linkages, and painted all of the markings. On September 12, I was having programming issues on the Guardian. When I tried to program it, hooked up to my Spektrum AR9110 PowerSafe receiver in the big X-2, it would do some really weird things. It took Ken and me three days to resolve this issue. I was ready to rip the thing out of the X-2, but Ken insisted we work out the problem, and I’m glad he did. We had to program the Guardian with one of my non-PowerSafe receivers, and then reinstall it in the X-2. Only then would it work properly. Choosing the right rocket motor for the X-2 was not a simple task. I needed a motor that would get the X-2 cleanly off the pad but not accelerate it to destruction. I also wanted to get it high enough to have time to trim it out, but not so high that I’d lose sight of it. Complicating the issue was that I had a very narrow C/G range to work in. A larger motor needed more nose weight; all of this added to the challenges of sorting through the simulation data. I have found that dual thrust or regressive motors work best for rocket gliders.

I purchased four motors for the X-2: CTI L-640, CTI K-510, CTI K-445, and, at Paul Holmes’s suggestion, a Gorilla K-470. Just a few weeks prior to the launch I decided to use the Gorilla K-470. This motor starts off with 235 pounds of thrust and burns for 5.3 seconds. It weighs 5.13 pounds loaded with 3.1 pounds of propellant. I assembled the rocket motor and installed it into the X-2, so that I could do a final weight and balance. It took five pounds of nose weight to move the C/G forward enough to get close to the aft limit. Ken turned solid steel into four 24 mm cylinders that were inserted into the tubes mounted in the nose.

Nose end with wheel slot

Camera’s installed for pilots view of flight

BALLS 22:

With no time left, on September 16 I loaded the X-2 into my motorhome. The Tripoli North Texas contingent, consisting of myself, Ken, Robert Turner, Tony Huet, and Michael Smart, started the long trip to BALLS. My wife seemed pleased that the X-2 was going to fly, or maybe she was just happy to see the top of the dining room table again; I’m not really sure which. Our group arrived at Black Rock on the afternoon of September 18 and spent the rest of the day setting up camp and enjoying the scenery. The sheer expanse of this place is breathtaking. AHPRA had the flight line roped off. This left me with a huge area of undisturbed playa to use as a landing zone for the X-2. On the next day everyone was busy preparing their projects for the event. The weather was fantastic. While I had meticulously tested individual parts and components, this was the first chance I had to fully assemble the X-2 with everything hooked up. While it did take some time, it went together with no major issues. During my final testing and checkout, I discovered that I had the ailerons hooked up backwards. I had spent so much effort troubleshooting the Guardian and

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The TNT team before the flight

making sure it was working correctly that I had neglected one of the most basic things. This was easily resolved, and all the rest of the control and system checks went well. Later that day we took some photos of the X-2. It looked right at home sitting on the playa. Friday, September 20, started out as a magnificent day with calm wind and clear skies. The first rocket we flew was Ken’s impressive 17-foot-tall N-to-M two-stage with an active stabilization system. During the process of relocating the pad for the flight of the X-2, the weather drastically changed. In less than five minutes, the wind went from almost calm to blowing more than fifty miles per hour. Michael, Tony, and I left the pad where it was and ran back to camp to secure everything. At camp Robert was desperately working, trying to keep everything from blowing away. The X-2 was extremely vulnerable in this storm, and due to its size, disassembling it in the wind was not an option. Fortunately, Tony had set up a tent for storage, and the X-2 just barely fit inside. It pays to travel with a Scoutmaster. We named his tent The Hangar. We added more stakes and tie-downs, hoping that this would prevent the tent from blowing away. Then it got so bad that we needed to retreat into the motor home and just wait out the storm. While the wind rocked the RV, I was imagining that after the storm I would find parts and pieces of the X-2 flung across the playa several miles away. The sand storm lasted several hours. When it was finally safe to go outside, I was delighted it see that our tent was still there. Many other people were not so lucky. I looked inside to see that the sides of the hangar were flapping against the model in the wind. I didn’t know if this was damaging the finish or not, but I was thrilled to see the X-2 was still in one piece.

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On the pad, final checks

http://www.ldrs33.com

Time to fly!

Saturday, September 21, started out windy and overcast with some rain, and it didn’t look like anything was going to fly that day. Around 10:00 A.M., the rain stopped and the wind settled down to around 10 mph. The overcast sky had a few breaks in it, and it looked more than high enough to fly the X-2. After a brief consultation with my team, the decision was unanimous: time to fly. However, the location of our pad, combined with the south wind, meant that I would be launching over the crowd, and this was unacceptable. I talked about this issue with Mark Clark, who suggested we move the pad to the west side of the flight line. Due to its size, moving the launch pad was no easy task. Mark had a marvelous solution to this little problem. We walked over to the USC team, and he enlisted the help of twenty-five students to move the pad several hundred yards to the west. Ken took charge of this team, as I went back to do the final prep on the X-2. When we removed the Starbuster from the hanger, it was covered in a layer of playa dust but otherwise was in great shape (nothing ever leaves the playa without a coat of dust). With the rest of my team assembled, at 10:15 we met Ken at the west side of the range. Everyone coming to BALLS drove in from the west side. There were tire tracks everywhere; so much for clean, undisturbed LZ. Once at the pad, I started the final checklist. Quite a few people gathered while I was getting ready. Everyone at the pad was just great. There was a lot of interest; everyone was very courteous so I was able to focus on what I was doing without interruption. There was always someone ready to jump in to help when we needed it. By 10:45 A.M. we had the X-2 on the pad, ready to go. By this time the wind had picked back up to 15 to 18 mph. While this was not ideal, it was acceptable. Finally after almost two years of work, the X-2 was almost ready to launch. As one might imagine, seeing the big Starbuster on the pad pointed towards the sky increased my heart rate a little bit—more like it sent it racing.

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Launch of the X-2

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The area was cleared, and Ken handled the task of installing the igniter into the motor so I could clear my mind and concentrate on the task at hand. The slightest mistake flying the X-2 would result in its obliteration. At 10:56, the countdown was started. When the button was pushed, the motor roared to life. The high initial thrust of the K470 accelerated the X-2 cleanly off the pad. The model accelerated rapidly and, like any other rocket, the X-2 turned slightly into the wind after it left the rail. But as long as it was generally pointed up, I wasn’t concerned and kept my control inputs to a minimum. The Starbuster then boosted straight and true. At motor burnout I was relieved that it had held together. With quite a bit of momentum, the X-2 continued to coast skyward. It was getting a little difficult to see the white model against the overcast sky, so I rolled it into a turn and activated the glide trim. The X-2 settled into a very stable glide. Mike’s calculations were spot on: the model handled very nicely and required no trim changes. After the first lap around the field, I lowered the landing gear early as I was concerned that the changing weather conditions would make it difficult for the nose gear to pop the gear hatch loose. Even with the gear down, the X-2 has a long flat glide. I found that I had to maneuver a bit to lose altitude to set up for landing. The model handled well in the wind, and I was just getting comfortable with it when it was time to land. The landing went very well. With the X-2 safely on the ground, I was ecstatic; it had survived the flight, and now I could breathe again.

I only had two minor issues with the flight. First, when the nose gear hit a tire rut during the rollout, the down lock failed, and the nose gear folded back. Fortunately, this only scraped the paint on the bottom. Second, while the thrust of the motor had no ill effects, the sizable tracking grain on the K-470 did char the tail somewhat. However, this is easy repaired. After many congratulatory handshakes, we were offered a ride back to camp, which we gladly accepted. The team loaded up the X-2 and headed back to camp. We could see some nasty weather headed our way. Just as we got the X-2 back into the hangar, it started pouring rain with high winds. This sent us scrambling back into the RV. Once the group was safely inside, we had a post-flight celebration as our shelter rocked in the punishing wind. We were excited to watch the videos

downloaded from both on-board cameras. The video looked great. I could tell exactly where the X-2 was when I dropped the gear. I mentioned that this would give me an idea where to look for the nose gear hatch, and everyone started laughing. Everyone agreed that with the formidable wind outside it was probably not even in Nevada any more. Several hours later, the wind and rain stopped for a while. Robert agreed to accompany me on my quest. After a short search, I found the nose gear hatch sitting in a rut about sixty yards from the pad. The X-2 had performed as designed, and I was thrilled. I could not have done this without the incredible support from Ken, Mike, and my team from Tripoli North Texas at BALLS. I want to thank all of them for their tremendous assistance and encouragement. My buddies at the North Dallas R/C club also contributed their expertise to this project, even though they thought it was an insane idea. The AHPRA folks were great to work with, and I sure do appreciate their efforts helping us get the X-2 in the air. I want to thank James Donald, Lou Goldring, Tony Huet, Craig Kimczak, Air Krupnik, Gary Lawhon, Gerald Meux, Robert Turner, and Pete Williams for taking the time to share their photos and videos of the X-2. Building something like this is a very rewarding experience, especially when it’s shared with friends, and that is what this hobby is all about. The X-2 is currently on display at R/C Hobbies in Richardson, Texas . . until its next flight—BALLS 23.

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gliding to the landing spot

boosting and flyingIt has cleared the rail

1/5 Scale X-2 Model facts and specifications.

Design work started on November 2011.Construction started in March 2012.

First flight on September 21, 2013Telemetry recorded 181 mph TAS. 1142 ft. AGL.

Length: ....................................................................................................................................... 97 inchesWingspan .................................................................................................................................. 85 inchesWeight without rocket motor and ballast ........................................................................35.8 poundsLaunch weight .....................................................................................................................46.0 poundsPower plant ................................................................................................Gorilla Rocket Motor K470

Primary Structure Balsa, Plywood spruce and foam.

Additional materials Fiberglass and Carbon fiber

Built and flown by ........................................................................................................... Dave SchaeferChief design engineer ............................................................................................................Mike OserNosecone, landing gear, launch pad, Nose art, & Tech support .................................Ken OvertonFoam wing and Tail cores ......................................Charles Schafer, Woody Woods and Ed NogarPaint techniques and stencils ...........................................................................................Terry FarmerCanopy form ......................................................................................................................... Doug SamsPit crew ............................................. Ken Overton, Tony Huet, Michael Smart and Robert Turner

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Dave Schaefer with the X-2 after the flight

Months and in some cases years of planning go into the annual Balls launch held on the Black Rock Desert. Balls 22 was no exception, as teams from as far away as Australia, New Zealand, England, and Norway met with the lower Forty-eight’s best fliers at the designated GPS coordinates to take part in this rocketry rite of passage. Three days of launching the highest-flying, fastest-moving amateur rockets typically brings out the best of the best. The extreme location and the extreme projects can work either in perfect harmony or in total discord. The only way to determine if the years of work and sleepless nights will pay off in a successful flight and recovery is to push the launch button. Balls 22 covered the full spectrum of rocketry’s premier research event, from stratospheric success stories to launch-tower madness and mayhem. Dozens of M- and N-powered screamers were the warm-up acts for P- and Q-powered earth-shakers. The rocketeers at Balls 22 held nothing back in the legendary Black Rock Desert. The three day event requires the full commitment of the rocketeers. The Black Rock Desert has two things working for it and working against it. It boasts the highest waiver in the country, and it also claims the largest recovery area. These two realities can be both a blessing and a curse. Your planning and preparation will determine which side of the fence you’ll be sitting on by the end of the launch. Ken Finwall from Pismo Beach, California, launched his blue and black 6-inchdiameter, 8-foot-tall, 29-pound FTNWO 6 powered by an Aerotech M-1500. The rocket was recovered with two Alts 53 altimeters and turned in a good flight. Ken also launched his comically conceived and aptly named Urine Trouble. The 5.5inch-diameter, 6–foot-tall rocket was to boost on a J-693 fast-burning motor. The motor burned a little too fast, resulting in a Cato. Ken put his H-133-powered spool into the air, for a fun flight. Black Rock high-altitude flier Jim Jarvis was back on the Playa for another white-knuckle two-stage flight. Jim had his finely tuned The FourCarbYen ready to go early on Friday morning. The rocket is a near-minimum-diameter two-stager, which flies on an N-5800 booster to an N-1100 sustainer. This year’s flight exceeded expectations and topped out at about 120,000 feet. Scott Hertel up from Gilbert, Arizona, cracked off his red, 5.5inch, 18-foot-tall two-stage rocket. The booster was powered by a Contrail M-2800, and the sustainer motor was a research M-1580. The boost went as planned, but there was some question as to the results on the sustainer, very high in the sky. There appeared to be some sort of anomaly, possibly a Cato.

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By Neil McGilvrayPhotos by Neil McGilvray

Friday Fliers Meeting

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Jim Jarvis’s FourCarbYen rocket on an N-5800 to an N-1100

Hydra on an N-3400 to two K-1100’sScott Hertel’s No Name on an M-2800 to an M-1580

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Marc Steven’s Blue Balls on an L-900 Jim Hendricksen’s Space Cowboy 98 on an N-1000below: Tom Binford and Jim Hendricksen

Bill Good’s 2Orange on an N-3301 to an N-1000

The California team of Randy Helmonds, Gina Clark, Jeremy Clark, Robert Zylstra, and Mike Parke flew Hydra. The yellow and gold rocket was 7.5 inches in diameter, 142 inches tall, and was powered by a Zylstra N-3400 and two K-1100 motors. The electronics package was two Raven altimeters and two G-Wiz altimeters. The rocket performed well and was recovered after a nice boost. Marc Stevens on the Playa from Green Bay, Wisconsin, cracked off his minimum-diameter Blue Balls on a Sconnie L Motor. The 10-pound 10-ounce rocket was 2.27 inches in diameter and 86 inches tall. It was recovered at 900 feet with a PerfectFlite MAWD altimeter. Dennis Watkins from Huntington, Indiana, flew his black and red 3-inch minimum-diameter, 78-inch- tall, 20-pound rocket on a research M-2200. The rocket screamed off the pad and was recovered with a Raven altimeter. Jim Jopson of Newman Lake, Washington, launched his Silver Streak with a Dawg Pack J-500 power. The all-aluminum rocket was 2.25 inches in diameter, 68 inches-inch-tall, and weighed in at 9 pounds 1.2 ounces. The PerfectFlite altimeter didn’t have a chance to recover the rocket, which suffered what appeared to be a combination shred and Cato. Sometimes you experience the best of both worlds. Steve Jensen out of Longmont, Colorado, tried to say good-bye to Adios My Friends. The orange and red minimum-diameter 2.5-inch rocket was 74 inches tall and weighed 8.75 pounds. It was powered by a K-650 and was recovered at about 650 feet with a Raven altimeter. Paul Harnisch up from Phoenix, Arizona, went for his Level One attempt with Patriot in Black. The 2.6-inch-diameter, 35 inches tall 3.3- pound rocket was powered by an H-143 and secured Paul a Balls 22 Level One certification.

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Crazy Jim Hendricksen from Savannah, Georgia, didn’t get a nickname like that without pushing the envelope. Jim had great success flying a rocket he called Space Cowboy, on normal fields in the East and Midwest. For Balls 22, Jim wanted to show the West Coast boys how it was done. He loaded up the 98mm-diameter rocket with a Binford N-1000. The 83–inch-tall, 41.5-pound speed machine was going to recover at 1,000 feet with the help of three Missile Works RRC3 altimeters, if he could have only have snuck by that pesky Cato. Bob Yanecek traveled down from Deer Park, Washington, to fly his Alphabet Ladder Project. The orange, blue, and yellow 4–inch-diameter, 90–inch-tall 41.2-pound rocket was powered by a Dawg Pack N-1558 motor. The fast mover was loaded with recovery electronics, including an ARTS and a PerfectFlite altimeter, which brought the project back safe and sound 4.6 miles north-northeast of the launch site. Gerald “Skippy” Meux, currently out of Las Vegas, Nevada, tested his construction capabilities with Death from Above. The black 6–inch-diameter, 12-foot-tall, 120-pound rocket was powered by a Cesaroni O-25000. The rocket contained two altimeters, a tracker, and a GPS. Skippy would need all of that and more. The rocket was blasted off the pad with the 0.8-second-burn time sledgehammer motor and was recovered to fly again. B i l l Good made the long drive out from Cincinnati to launch his 4-inch-diameter, 13-foot-tall, 110-pound two-stage Orange. The rocket was boosted by an N-3301 and staged to an N-1000. The rocket rose off the pad and staged perfectly. Joe Danjo from Agoura Hills, California, launched a rocket he called Monster. The all black 4-inch-diameter, 7-foot-tall, 21-pound fast-mover was powered by an Aerotech M-1315 and was recovered with dual PerfectFlite Mini altimeters after turning in a good flight. Brandy Bruce travelled up from Mesa, Arizona, to launch his G-76-powered Mustango. The black and white, 1.9-inch-diameter, 44-inch-tall, 2-pound rocket had a Jolly Logic altimeter on board which aided in bringing back the rocket in good shape. Jim Deveau made the trip out to the playa from San Diego. Jim was launching his 7.5-inch-diameter Nike Smoke. The all-white classic rocket was boosted by eight H-268 motors

Brandy Bruce’s Mustango on a G-76

and a central M-1545. The on-board altimeters included a G-Wiz and a PerfectFlite. The launch went as planned, and the rocket was recovered intact. Making the long trek in from Perth, Western Australia, Dave Couzens was determined to launch his two-stage B2K12 plus 1. The rocket consisted of a 4-inch booster and a 3-inch sustainer. The booster was powered by an N-5800, and the sustainer contained an M-1450. The 75-pound red and white rocket flew well, with the sustainer motor lit on cue, sending the upper stage for a high ride above the Playa. Larry Haymes from Longmont, Colorado, kicked off Phat Killer Phour. The white, 4-inch-diameter, 6-foot-tall, 12-pound rocket was flown on a CTI K-454 for a good boost and recovery. Californian Robert Denair launched his red 2.5-inch-diameter, 42-inch-tall DX3 propelled by a research K-550. The rocket recovery was controlled by a PerfectFlite StratoLogger. Black Rock veteran Brent Rowe from Aberdeen, Washington, launched his beautiful white and red White Sands V-2. The rocket was 12 inches in diameter, 7-foot-tall, and weighed in at 150 pounds. The powerplant in this beast was an O-6000. The recovery was controlled by two MARSA altimeters. The boost was beautiful, and the recovery appeared to be going as planned; however, the parachute was stripped, causing a harder than desired impact with the Playa. Former TRA President Ken Good from Monroeville, Pennsylvania, was on the Playa to launch his well-worn KG-30 Hermes. The silver and white rocket was 4 inches in diameter, 122-inch-tall, and weighed in at 30 pounds. The rocket would fly this year on a NASSA L-motor. The flight went perfectly, and the rocket was under canopy at 1,400 feet with the help of dual PerfectFlite MAWD altimeters. Another long-distance traveler, Guillermo Descalzo, made his way out to the Playa from Alejandro Korn, Argentina. Guillermo flew his Tra Acema for a Level One certification attempt. The deep blue, 3-inch-diameter, 68-inch-tall, 8-pound rocket was launched with an Aerotech I-245. The flight went well, but a stripped parachute nullified his Level One attempt. Guillermo tried and succeeded with his Level One certification later in the day, with the same rocket and motor combination. Ray Kinsel from La Vernia, Texas, launched his no-name rocket on a research P motor. The silver and red high-flyer was minimum-diameter at 6 inches and was 15 feet tall. The considerable weight of the P-5623 motor brought the project weight at liftoff to 195 pounds. The rocket tore off the pad and turned in a great flight. Long-distance traveler and high-distance flier Nic Lottering from Albury, Australia, claimed the N-5800 altitude prize by verifiably flying his 4–inch minimum-diameter Mad Max to 53,223 feet. The rocket was made from all composite materials, which they say couldn’t be done. The N-5800 powered the red 50-pound rocket off the pad and out of sight in a matter of seconds. The recovery was handled by two Raven altimeters, and the tracking and documentation were performed by a 70cm BRB GPS, a Barnes 900 high-power GPS telemetry (Australian designed and manufactured), a GoPro Hero2 with WiFi Bacpac, all powered by 3000mAh 2S LiPo batteries. Mad Max was recovered intact, though missing some paint and displaying the battle scars proudly.

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Gerald Meux Jr.’s Death from Above on an O-2500

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Dave Couzen’s B2K12 on an N-5800 to an M-1450below: the second stage on impact

Brent Rowe’s White Sands V-2 on an O-6000

Ken Good’s KG-30 Hermes on an L-1400below: Ken Good and Robin Meredith

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Ray Kinsel’s A602 on a P-5623below: Ray after the flight

Nic Lottering’s Mad Max on an N-5800 Ron Rickwald’s Black Rock High on an N-4343

Nic listed himself as a professional rum drinker, and he had to enlist some rank amateurs to assist with the project and celebrate the success. They included New Jersey native Mike Passaretti and fellow Australians Blake Nikolic, Andrew Hamilton, David Couzens, and Peter Lam. Nic recalled that the rocket went together with minimum issues: “But it was a very tight fit, but nothing a hammer couldn’t fix.” Nic reported all the final numbers as: “Altitude as per Big Red Bee 70cm GPS data was 16,809 meters, MSL or approximately 51,228 feet AGL. The maximum velocity was 2,281 mph at 10,680 feet MSL (Mach 3.11 altitude corrected). The good flight conditions on the Friday led to a textbook flight and recovery.” Gary Rosenfield from Washington, Utah, took the low road out on the Playa and had a relaxing flight with his Blue Arrow. The blue and yellow 1.9-inch-diameter, 42-inch-tall, 20-ounce rocket was powered by what else but an Aerotech G-125 and was recovered with the help of an Estes altimeter. Ron Rickwald from San Diego punched off his Black Rock High. The black and white rocket was 6 inches in diameter, 13 feet tall, and weighed in at 62 pounds. The motor formulation was an East Coast blend called Redneck Tek, and the motor specced out at an N-4343. Rick had two MARSA altimeters and a BRB GPS onboard. The rocket performed as expected with a great flight and recovery. Randy Helmonds and his friends from New Zealand busted off a rocket they called Fire & Brimstone. The minimum-diameter 54 mm, 96-inch-tall rocket weighed 12 pounds at liftoff and was powered by an L-935. The boost was looking good until the untimely shred occurred. To add insult to injury, the booster section clipped a truck on the Playa, causing some slight damage. Rob Diehl from Clovis, California, launched his Kestrel on an L-640. The rocket weighed 6 pounds 8 ounces and turned in a good flight and recovery with a Raven altimeter. Marc Avenneville out of Portland, Oregon, sent his Naked Lady for a ride on an I-300. The rocket was 3 inches in diameter, 63 inches tall, and weighed a slight 4 pounds. Michael McGuire from San Antonio did a jig with Celtic Uprising. This was another ultra-high-powered minimum-diameter project at 4.6 inches in diameter and 145 inches tall. The green and silver rocket weighed 92.5 pounds on the pad, most of it being the research P-4000 motor. Michael planned on tracking every aspect of the flight with an Adept 50K, two Marshall Trackers; a PerfectFlite StratoLogger, and a BRB GPS, right up until an untimely Cato took over the operation. Randy Appelbaum made the long trip from Brooklyn to fly his Little Appel. The all black rocket was 3 inches in diameter, 11 feet tall, and weighed 40 pounds. Randy’s rocket was powered by an N-1700 that got the rocket into the sky with little effort. As the rocket approached motor burnout, it took a left-hand turn, sending Little Appel to the eastern mountains. East Coast flier Bill Gack from Industry, Pennsylvania, took advantage of the western waiver to fly his Silver Bullet on an M-2400. The silver and black 5.5-inch-diameter, 10 foot 6-inch-tall, 52-pound rocket was recovered by dual PerfectFlite Strato Logger altimeters and also recorded the flight with an onboard video camera. Gary Dickinson of Dayton was on site to launch his Iguazu. The rocket was 4 inches in diameter, 108 inches tall, and weighed a mere 32 pounds. The red and black rocket was to fly on a research N-2835, if it hadn’t been for a pesky Cato that interrupted Gary’s flight. Ari K from Sunnydale, California, flew his Black Piper on a J-575 for a good flight. Rob Grygar down from Ham Lake, Minnesota, had big plans for his Ultimate Endeavour. The green and yellow 45-pound, 6-inch-diameter rocket was boosting on an N-1540 and met the limits of its structural integrity, resulting in a shredded project. Minneapolis native Verno Musselman lofted his L.O.G. (Look Out God) on an M-1060. The project was 8 inches in diameter and 46.2 pounds on the pad. The Adept and PerfectFlite Strato Logger altimeters brought the project back in one piece. James Russell made the ride to the Playa from Arvada, Colorado. James cracked off his blue and yellow 4-inch-diameter, 8-foot-tall project called Blue-N-Yellow. The 37.5-pound rocket was powered by an N-1800 and, with the help some good planning and a Missile Works RRC2 and a Telemetrum altimeter, he was rewarded for a good boost with a good recovery. Paul Snow from San Diego launched his 7.5-inch-diameter Nike Smoke on an M-1545. The big white, red, and yellow rocket boosted well and was recovered as planned with a G-Wiz LCX and a PerfectFlite Strato Logger altimeter firing the charges.

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Michael McGuire’s Celtic Uprising on a P-4000

Rob Grygar’s Ultimate Endeavour on an N-1540

Richard Hagensick’s Lightspeed on an N-2200

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Andy Limper down from Rochester, Minnesota, pooled resources with his good friend Richard Hagensick to fly a two-stage Black Brant–Terrier. The red and white rocket was 4 inches in diameter, 12 feet tall, and only weighed 30 pounds. The booster was powered with an Aerotech 1-315, and the sustainer was powered by a Hagensick L-860. The flight went as planned, with both stages lighting for an awesome liftoff. Ken Overton from Plano, Texas, also had a two-stage project, called Big Bird. Ken’s project was 4 inches in diameter, 16 feet tall, and weighed a respectable 71 pounds. The power was all research motors, with an N-2363 in the booster and an M-1818 in the sustainer. The rocket also contained two AIMXtra altimeters, a G-Wiz HCX altimeter, and a Tiltometer. The boost went as planned, but the rocket may have tilted beyond the predetermined angle of the Tiltometer, because the second stage did not light, crushing the hopes of a high-altitude flight. The good news is that Ken has an M motor to play with later. Carl Hamilton of Woodinville, Washington, launched Benny on an Aerotech M-1939. The 38-pound, blue and yellow, 5-inch-diameter, 96-inch-tall rocket had a spectacular flight, and the recovery was controlled with an ARTS and a MAWD altimeter. Richard Hagensick from Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin took it easy at Balls 22. Rickard is known for pushing the button on some very substantial motors, but this year he was slumming with N motors. Richard flew Lightspeed with an N-2200. The gray and yellow project was 4 inches in diameter, 12 feet tall, and weighed 40 pounds. The launch went as advertised, and Light Speed was recovered by two ARTS altimeters. Ken Finwall from Pismo Beach, California, started the day and also finished it. Ken took his Spool rocket out for one last flight, last being the operative word. The H-180 Cato’ed and sent Ken to the Playa repair shop to ensure there would be hope of future Spool flights at Balls 22. Day Two of Balls 22 dawned to thickening clouds and increasing winds. As the early morning wore on, the cloud deck was hovering at 3,000 to 4,000 feet above the Playa, hardly “Balls” flying conditions. The wind sent a chill into the bones of the determined rocketeers, who patiently waited and prayed for the clouds to magically part and allow the high flying to continue. As the veteran fliers know, the weather conditions on the Black Rock Desert can change within minutes, but sometimes they don’t change for days. The threat of rain made those on the Playa even more uncomfortable. Once wet, the light Playa dust will turn to a slick, treacherous, guaranteed-to-get-stuck mess. Traveling on the wet Playa is to be avoided at all costs. This meant having a plan, even if it was a bad plan, to get off the Playa with enough time to make the 12-mile trek to what would qualify as a road so important. With consideration of this vital information, the crowd began to thin as the clouds darkened and rain could be seen in coming down on the surrounding mountains. Despite the inclement conditions, there were some hardy souls who were determined to fly some rockets. Brandy Bruce from Mesa, Arizona, launched his Aerotech Arrow on a G-104. The yellow and black, 1.9-inch-diameter, 2-pound rocket jumped off the pad for a good flight. Mark Howe down from Spokane stayed beneath the clouds with his LOC stretched Vulcanite. The white and orange rocket was 2.3 inches in diameter and 66 inches tall. The I-180 Dawg Pack motor pushed the cardboard rocket off the pad nicely for a good flight and recovery. Ken Finwall repaired his Spool from the previous day’s calamities and flew it twice. One of the flights was on an I-221, and the other was with an H-308 that reportedly went boom. One of the most anticipated flights was Dave Schafer’s Bell X-2 Starbuster rocket-powered glider. This project seemed to be a museum piece that should be handled with kid gloves; instead Dave was going to fly it on the cold and gray Playa. Team members included Dave Schaefer as the builder and pilot, Mike Oser as the design engineer, and Ken Overton responsible for the launch pad, landing skids, nose cone, nose art, windscreen, and consultant. Charles Schafer, Woody Woodruff, and Ed Nogard were responsible for the wing and tail cores. Terry Farmer took on painting technique and stencils. The pit crew was Ken Overton, Tony Huet, Michael Smart, and Robert Turner. The rocket height, if stood on end, was 8 feet 4 inches, with a diameter of 11.5 inches. The balsa, ply, spruce and foam project weighed 46 pounds fully loaded. Dave claimed there were many trees killed in the construction of this project. The electronics package was extensive and included a Spektrum 2.4 GHz R/C with telemetry, an Eagletree Guardian Stability augmentation/wing leveling, and pneumatic nose gear and main wing skids. The X-2 also had an ejecting nose-wheel hatch, and two cockpit cameras, one looking forward and one facing right and slightly aft. The white, blue, black and red X-2 would be boosted with a Gorilla Motors K-470

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Dave Schaefer’s Bell X-2 getting loaded on the pad

Boost of the Bell X-2 on a K-470

Just before touchdown

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Gerald Meux’s Circus Peanut on an O-6600Below: Gerald and Guy

Tim Covey’s Hybrid 3-5 on an N-15,000below: Tim pacing before the launch

Tony Lazzaro’s Bob on an O-5000

and would be radio-controlled for a glide recovery. Dave Schafer described the preparation, “The X-2 takes about two hours to set up. If it were not for Tony Huet’s tent, aka X-2 hangar, I would not have been able to take advantage of the breaks in the weather to fly the X-2.” Dave continued, “While I had thoroughly tested the Guardian in a smaller model, I ran into issues using it with the AR9100 power safe receiver that was in the X-2. It took Ken and me three days to trouble-shoot this issue just before we left for Balls.” But the rocket was made ready and, with the help of many enthusiastic rocketeers, the X-2 was brought to the flight line. It took some time to get the glider situated and prepped on the pad. After about 45 minutes of delicate tweaking and double-checking, the X-2 was ready for flight. The boost was unusual for a Balls launch, as the rail was angled about 45 degrees from horizontal. When the button was pushed, the motor ignited, and the X-2 rocket-powered glider slid up the rail and into sky with Dave Schafer at the controls. The flight was flawless, with multiple passes by the smiling crowd, culminating in a perfect landing on the pool table–flat Playa. Dave was overjoyed with the flight and the accomplishment: “The Gorilla K-470 is a great motor! The tracking grain fried the tail a little. The flight went very well. The model left the pad cleanly and boosted great, with no issues. The Guardian worked very well. The glide settings given to me by Mike Oser were spot on. The nose hatch ejected with no issues during the extension of the gear. And the model handled very well. The main wing skids handed the landing very well. The cloud cover did make it challenging to keep the X-2 in sight. During the landing roll, the X-2 hit a tire track in the playa that jarred the nose gear, and the nose gear collapsed, resulting in just a little scuffled paint on the belly.” Dave went on, “The only issue was that the weather did deteriorate rapidly after the landing, so we had to rush to get the X-2 back in the hangar. The Balls launch at Black Rock is truly an inspiring event. There is not another event like this on the planet. It was the prospect of going to this the first time that motivated me to build the X-2. I had to have a project worthy of the Playa. ” Dave concluded with a few thoughts for those who might want to try a rocket-powered project of this magnitude, “The X-2 is the culmination of two years of R&D and construction. The success of this flight was the result of gathering data and a lot of testing prior to the flight of the model. I received a lot of help and input from some truly great people.” After the X-2 was back safely on the ground and was being de-prepped, the weather really started closing in. The wind increased, and the temperature plummeted. The fliers who were camping, which is often considered surviving, on the Playa were taking shelter, slowly prepping projects for the final day of Balls 22, or just trying to stay warm and absorbing the Black Rock experience. All except for the largest team on the Playa, Team Traveler from the University of Southern California, USC. The 30-plus-member team was busy prepping their space-shot project that was supposed to exceed 300,000 feet. Headed by Jason Silverman, the white rocket was 8 inches in diameter, 140 inches tall, and weighed 300 pounds on the pad. The propulsion was a full P-19000, and the recovery was to be controlled by three Raven altimeters. As the day slowly worn on, the threat of rain lessened, and the skies were becoming clear enough to allow for a final attempt at launching a high-altitude rocket from the far away cell. Traveler took to the skies at 6:07 P.M. PDT on a massive trail of fire and smoke. She broke apart approximately 4.5 seconds into the flight, due to a motor over pressurization, with a root cause believed to be grain delamination from their casting tubes. The rocket could be seen from the Twelve Mile entrance, and to those who witnessed it from that distance, the flight looked like it was going to work but resulted in “No joy in Mudville.” The students searched the Playa until after 10:00 on that cold September evening and miraculously recovered most of the rocket for an autopsy back at USC. Day Three of Balls 22 dawned to clearing skies and moderate winds. The stormy Saturday weather had passed, and the range was open to restart the business of launching rockets. There was a rush on with the teams wanting to get their projects in the air as early as possible. This was especially true for the high-fliers, who needed the extra time to locate and recover their rockets after flight. Even though the Playa on the Black Rock Desert is very flat, its massive size adds to the challenge of retrieving your high-flying rocket. Gerald “Skippy” Meux wasn’t clowning around with his O-6500-powered Circus Peanut. The orange

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John Horrkohl’s Breaking Balls on an O-4500 to an M-2000

Tony Huet’s The Manix on an M-1400 for his Level 3

Marc Quenneville’s It Ain’t Pretty on a K-69

rocket was 6 inches in diameter, 12 feet tall, and weighed 150 pounds. Gerald teamed up with Guy Hardy, who produced the powerful O-class motor. Prior to the launch, Gerald passed out rancid, stale Circus Peanut candy to the folks near the pad. The tasteless, rubbery consistency of the treat made you wonder if it was a bad omen to name the rocket after the disgusting sweet. When the button was pushed, the rocket roared off the pad and quickly disappeared into the Nevada sky. The burn time was 5 seconds, and the rocket pulled 19 gees off the pad. Later we were to learn that the TRA records and competition committee has certified a new research group 6-inch motor record of 23,365 feet AGL set by Gerald Meux Jr. and Guy Hardy. Tim Covey from Des Moines has struggled with the complexities of his hybrid rockets over the past years at Balls. Tim was determined to make this his year of success with his Hybrid 3-5. The white 3.5-inch-diameter, 11-foot-tall, 40-pound rocket flew well on an N-1500 and validated all the lessons learned from the prior attempts. Tony Lazzaro out of Albuquerque launched a rocket he simply called Bob. The yellow, 12-inch-diameter, 9-foot-tall, 175-pound ground-shaker was powered by a 1% O-5100. The Raven and PerfectFlite altimeters brought the high flier back in one piece. Fellow Albuquerque resident John Hornkohl had a massive two-stage project on the Playa, a rocket he called Breaking Balls. The yellow and white project was 7 inches in diameter, 14 feet tall, and tipped the scales at 171 pounds. The powerplant were an O-4500 in the booster and an M-2000 in the sustainer. The electronics package included an HCX, an LCX, a tiltometer, and a MADS. The rocket looked promising for a few seconds, and then all hell broke loose with a high-speed disassembly of the well-built rocket. Long-distance traveler Arve Tokheim from Oslo, Norway, made it to Balls 22 to launch his Nike Smoke. The white 5.5-inch-diameter, 72-inch-tall, 15-pound sounding rocket flew well on a K-900 and was recovered with the assistance of a PerfectFlite and Missile Works altimeter. Scott Hertel from Gilbert, Arizona, cranked off his no-name, neon-painted rocket on an M-1590. The 4-inch-diameter, 20-pound rocket tore into the sky and was recovered intact with deployment of a 72-inch chute by a PerfectFlite Strato Logger and a Raven 3 altimeter. Tom Ugulini down from Tigard, Oregon, flew his red, black, and white, 4-inch-diameter, 20-pound Broken Arrow XP on an Aerotech K-805 for a good flight and recovery. Zach Bailey of Greenwood, Indiana, launched his H-195-powered Aerogant Big Head, which nosedived into the hard Playa, becoming yet another Lake Stake. Relative local Wayne Sawka from Reno busted off If Found Please Call on an M-2505. The 30-pound, red and black, 4-inch-diameter rocket flew well and had a good boost and recovery. Tony Huet up from Coppell, Texas, launched The Manix. Tony’s red and yellow rocket was 6 inches in diameter, 12 feet tall, and weighed 42.5 pounds. The electronics included a RDAS Compact and a Raven 2 altimeter as a backup to bring his successful M-1400-powered Level Three certification flight back safe and sound. Marc Quenneville out of Portland, Oregon, took to the sky with It Ain’t Pretty. The unpainted 4-inch-diameter, 21-pound rocket flew as planned with a K motor and was recovered with the benefit of dual MARSA altimeters. Verno Musselman got in a second flight of the event with his L.O.G. (Look Out God.) Sunday’s flight increased the power to an N-2600 in the 8-inch-diameter rocket. L.O.G. flew well and was recovered intact. Verno got in a third flight later in the day with his 54-pound, Richard Hagensick N-2200-powered Ultimate Wildman. The rocket flew great, and PerfectFlite Strato Logger did the trick once again, bring Verno’s rocket back intact. David Warman made the trip from England to fly Perturbation in the fabled Black Rock Desert. The rocket was 3 inches in diameter, stood 5 foot 6 inches tall, and weighed almost 7 pounds loaded with a research K motor. The Raven altimeter did its job, getting the parachute deployed prior to impacting the dry lake bed. Mike Law from Spencerville, Indiana, launched his 34-pound, 4.5-inch-diameter, two-stage rocket, Stranglehold. The silver and red rocket was powered by teammate Dennis Watkins’s M-2200 motors. The electronics included a Missile Works RRC2 and RRC2 Mini and a Big Red Bee GPS Unit. The rocket performed as planned and was recovered none the worse for wear. New Jersey’s Ed Enyart powered his 4-inch-diameter, 40-pound Bad Romance with an O-2800 for a sensational flight. The black rocket was brought back with the help of a RDASS and a G-Wiz altimeter. Rob Grygar out of Ham Lake, Minnesota, took aim with his Broken Arrow. The red, white, and black rocket was 4 inches in diameter, 8 feet tall, and weighed 45 pounds. Rob made his M-motor, which performed flawlessly.

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James Donald from Phoenix launched his two-stage Min Flurous on an N-3301 in the booster and an M-1450 in the sustainer. The 5-inch-diameter, 91-pound rocket tore off the pad and was deploying parachutes with the assistance of Telemetrum, Raven II HCX, and Missile Works RRC2 HCX altimeters Jamie Raack up from Mesa, Arizona, flew his black and orange minimum-diameter 54 mm Probie on a K-300. Todd Harrison flew his no-name black and green 4-inch-diameter rocket for a blistering flight on an N-8000. Aussie flier Blake Nikolic from the Gold Coast, Queensland, made it to the big continent to fly his Thunda 2015, in commemoration of the international launch the Blake’s group is sponsoring in 2015. The black and white, 7.5-inch-diameter, 18-foot-tall, 150-pound rocket was flying on a Gorilla Motors O-4475. The boost was worth the 9,400-mile trip to rocketry heaven. The rocket was recovered with the assistance of a Raven LCX and a Missile Works RRC3 altimeter. Another long distance flier, Guillermo Descalzo, was out in the Black Rock Desert from Alejandro Korn, Argentina. Guillermo took advantage of the improved Sunday weather to get in a second flight of the event with his TRA-Acema II. The deep blue, 3-inch-diameter rocket flew and recovered well on a J-350. Larry Haymes flew This Is a Test on an L-990. The green, 3-inch-diameter high flier was 15 pounds on the pad and flew well with a PerfectFlite altimeter controlling the recovery parachute. John Ballard in from nearby Reno launched Scrap Yard Cinderella on an M-2500. The 4-inch-diameter, 37-pound, pink rocket turned a good flight and recovery making use of a Missile Works RRC2 and Raven altimeter. Sean Serell, Doug Krohn, and Corey Jaskolski out of Fort Collins, Colorado, flew their two-stage Siamese Dreams/Bullet with Butterfly Wings. The orange, black, white, and yellow 87-pound project was 4 inches in diameter, 13 feet tall, and was powered by a CTI O-3400 in the booster and a CTI N-1100 in the sustainer. The rocket recovery was to be controlled by an RDAS, Raven altimeters, and a Big Red Bee GPS for tracking. Sean Serrell elaborated on the attempt: “We had a two-stage flight on Sunday around noon—Siamese Dream to Bullet with Butterfly Wings, which shredded the sustainer at just past Mach 3.6, and our video system was presumably scattered southeast of the flight line. We had 5 GoPro cameras mounted in the nose cone, and despite recovery of both the booster and the sustainer; the silver 4-inch nose cone, as well as 5 GoPro Hero3 cameras, are still missing. This was part of a Nat Geo 360 iSphere project. If anyone happened to recover one on Sunday we would love to hear about it. Balls 22 was great this year—minus the Saturday wind/rainstorm.” Lou Goldring made the trip from St. Louis to cut loose Come to Daddy. The black O-5400-powered project weighed 59 pounds, was 4 inches in diameter, and stood 10 feet tall. The rocket ripped off the pad, and all indications were that the flight would be successful. Jay Holcombe from Midland, Texas, was on the Black Rock Desert to create a seismic event with his 84,078 newton second Q motor in his Pumpkin 1 rocket. The black and orange minimum-diameter 6-inch rocket stood 16 feet 4 inches tall and weighed 206 pounds. The electronics were two PerfectFlite Strato Logger altimeters. A year or more of planning for one of hardest things you can do in rocketry—fly a Q—comes down to one push of the button. Unfortunately the visions of the classic flight were dashed with a Cato. Ken Finwall launched Old LOC Rocket on a research I-221 motor. The 2.5-inch-diameter rocket flew well and was recovered intact. Ken also performed a static test of an L-1980, but the chamber pressure caused the nozzle to eject from the casing. Marc Stevens from Green Bay, Wisconsin, took flight with Bambulance. The white, 7-pound, 4-inch-diameter rocket was powered by a Sconnie J-220 and performed well. Guy Hardy out of Phoenix went for some big air with his Anti-Bovine. Guy enlisted the help of Tom Vandenbosch, Bill Robinson, and some guy named Tony (whose real name is withheld to protect the innocent). The silver, white, and black, 6-inch-diameter rocket was 15 feet tall and weighed 120 pounds, thanks to the Black Cow Willy P-8000 that made up most of the rocket mass. The rocket screamed off the pad and flew to an altitude of 38,685 feet AGL. The Hillbillies crawled out from under a rock in Phoenix and hitchhiked the 640 miles to the Black Rock Desert to fly their Q-6888, 88990Ns-powered Huevos II. The rocket, despite the Hillbillies’ reputation, was a magnificent work of construction. The blue and silver all-aluminum, 280-pound, 6-inch-diameter rocket stood 20 feet tall on the pad. The motor alone was 120 inches long and weighed 140 pounds. The electronics consisted of a Raven, ARTS 2, and PerfectFlite Strato Logger altimeters. The recovery would be aided by a Rouse Tech CD3

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James Donald’s MinFluous on an N-3301 to an M-1450

Blake Nikolic’s Thunda 2015 on an O-4475 Sean Serrel’s Siamese Dreams on an O-3400 to an N-1100

System. Also on board were a Big Red Bee GPS to find the rocket and Contour HD Video Cameras to record the attempt. The team consisted of Jim “Bubba” Hussey, Jimmy “Jimmy” Hussey, “By God Damn” Darrel Burris, “Biker” John Sitarz, Don “Motorman” Alexander, Robin “SGFC” Blackford, Paul “Rat Bastard” Harnisch, “Hey” Bob Heninger, and Guy “No Nickname” Hardy. The Hillbilly gang of wayward rocketeers is known for their good-natured antics before, during, and after the launch, but you will never run into a more helpful group of people. On board for this special flight were the ashes of fallen Hillbilly Zachary B. Cornwell. No one gets left out when the Hillbillies launch. True to form, there were the usual pre-flight jitters and good-natured ribbing. Finally it was time to push the button. The big blue and silver rocket left with a whack and thundered into the sky. There was a slight weathercock at about 4,000 feet, and Huevos II just kept going on a long trail of white flame and smoke. The flight topped out at 52,000 feet and was recovered eight miles from the launch pad in perfect shape and ready to fly again. Consider yourself warned! Coloradoans Steve Jensen and James Russell combined their rocketry skills to launch Kiss My Ass Goodbye. The yellow, 4-inch-diameter rocket was 38 pounds on the pad and was powered by a long-burning M-840, for a nice flight and good recovery with a Raven altimeter. Mike Moore paddled in from Aloha, Oregon, to crack off The Coug. The crimson and gray rocket was 4 inches in diameter and 8 feet tall. It weighed in at 20 pounds and screamed off the pad on an Azinger M-1750. The flight looked promising at first, but not for long, as it suffered a catastrophic high-speed disassembly. Gary Dickinson from Germantown, Ohio, launched his 5-inch-diameter, 128-inch-tall, 60-pound Outkast II on an N-5992. Gary thanked his wife for putting up with his work time away and rocketry madness. The orange and green rocket’s recovery was controlled by two SL100s and a Raven altimeter. Gary explained the project: “The rocket is constructed of fiberglass and magic dust. This is a Wildman Competitor 5 kit that I asked Tim Lehr to make to accommodate this motor. In addition to the altimeters, I had some tracking devices on board, including a Garmin DC 40 and a Rocket Hunter Transmitter. The motor was an N-5992, (90% N), Mad River Blue. This propellant is the infamous “Rocket Killer Blue,” normally known as “Mad River Blue.” I love blue propellants, especially MRB when it works as intended. I think that I have it tuned to be a little more stable on this flight. “I had so much into this project that the recovery had to be a parachute, as a shovel was not an option on this flight. The flight went as planned, I am happy to report, though I did not get the altitude that I had hoped for, but the motor performed, and that’s what mattered. Flight was a tad bit less than 22,000 feet AGL and it would have gone higher if it hadn’t weather cocked coming off the rail. The rocket was found on the Playa about 1.3 miles from the pad. I drove straight up to it.” Gary elaborated on what brought to the Black Rock Desert: “The friends, the projects, the venue, and everything that is Balls. This is my third trip here; this launch gets in your blood and it becomes a must-attend launch. If you are going to attend a Black Rock Balls launch, I would suggest that you plan, plan, and then plan some more. Seek advice and listen to it. And don’t be afraid to fail.” Ed Dawson out on the Playa from Longmont, Colorado, put his two-stage Piecemeal into the sky. The black, 4-inch-diameter, 11-foot-tall, 25-pound project was boosted on an M-1882 and successfully staged to a long-burning K-300. The recovery, staging, and tracking electronics included a PerfectFlite Strato Logger, MAWD, PerfectFlite Timer, and two Garmin GPS Units. Another two-stage project was launched by Steve Johnson from San Diego. The red and black rocket called Premature Detonation was 4 inches in diameter, 12 foot 6 inches tall, and weighed 16 pounds on the pad. The motor combination was a K-490 in the booster and a K-261 in the sustainer. The recovery and staging was controlled by a Missile Works RRC2 and a PET-2 Timer. The rocket flew as planned and was recovered intact. Brian Vanthul down from Beaverton, Oregon, busted off Black Rock Surprise on an M-1315. The gray, red and white, 6-inch-diameter, 113.4-inch-tall, 40-pound project turned in a good flight, and the recovery was controlled by a PerfectFlite Strato Logger and a Telemetrum altimeter. Huntingdon, England’s Cath Bashford kicked off her purple and silver, 3-inch-diameter Skram on a homebrew K motor. Cath’s rocket flew well, and the motor performed as intended. Randy Hughston from North Salt Lake, Utah, flew his Darkstar on a K motor. The 16-pound, 4-inch-diameter rocket flew well and was recovered

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within walking distance. Vic Davis from Boulder lit off his Flame On. The red and yellow, 3-inch-diameter, 15-pound rocket was boosted on a K-650 and performed well. Black Rock veteran Neil Anderson from Seattle flew his well-worn two-stage rocket called Sublime. The 15-foot-tall rocket was 4 inches in diameter and weighed 52 pounds. The power plants were an M-3700 in the booster and an M-2150 in the sustainer. The rocket has flown many times with great success. When the button was pushed on this flight, the rocket roared to life and reached for the sky. It was soon after that that all hell broke loose, and Sublime was engulfed in a flash of fire with a resounding boom. Andrew Hamilton made the long trip from Perth, Western Australia, to launch his 54 Mini. The blue and white rocket flew well on a K-300 and was recovered with a Raven altimeter and found with the help of a Big Red Bee GPS. Another long-distance flier, Arve Tokheim from Oslo, Norway, launched his 5.5-inch-diameter, 16-pound Nike Smoke on an L-820. The electronics included PerfectFlite and Missile Works RRC2 altimeters. The flight went as planned, making Arve’s trip to the Black Rock Desert a productive one. Relatively local flier Mark Howe of Spokane flew his Mad Cow Super DX-3 on an I-330. The yellow 4-inch-diameter, 6.3-pound project flew well but it did not deploy a parachute and crashed into the unforgiving Playa. Local flier Stan MacDonald from Reno took a chance with the aptly named Possibly Wrong. The rocket was 3 inches in diameter, 91 inches tall, and weighed 27 pounds with the research N-1200 motor. Unfortunately for Stan, when the button was pushed, the rocket lived up to its name and Cato’ed on the pad. Steve Merriam from Hillsboro, Oregon, was going for his Level Three certification with a rocket he called Slick. The purple and red project was 4 inches in diameter, 8 feet tall, and 50 pounds on the pad with an Aerotech M-1297. There were two MARSA altimeters onboard to successfully deploy the main parachute, to earn Steve his long-awaited Level Three certification Michael Leenellett made the long commute from Cincinnati to fly his research N-2750-powered Leener. The yellow and maroon rocket was 4 inches in diameter, 9 feet tall, and weighed 30 pounds. Leener tore off the pad and turned in a good flight and recovery. Charlie Ogino all the out from Charlotte, North Carolina, was demonstrating his Carolina Composite Rocketry 54. The gray 54mm, 42-inch-tall, 6-pound rocket flew well on a K-300 and was recovered with the aid of a PerfectFlite Strato Logger. Paul Snow from San Diego launched his silver and red rocket called 3 of Diamonds on a research Red Neck Tek M-2000. The 4-inch-diameter, 8-foot-tall, 18-pound rocket turned in a good flight. Bill Good, Sr. from Chillicothe, Ohio launched his blue, 3-inch-diameter Intimidator on an M-1850 for a good flight. Dale Woodford from Seattle busted off his green N-1000 powered 40-pound Roadrunner for a good flight. Robert DeHate from Beverly, Massachusetts, had a two-stage project he simply called Balls Rocket. The red and yellow rocket was 6 inches in diameter on the booster and 4-inches in diameter on the sustainer. The booster motor was a P-10000, and the sustainer motor was an N-4000. The electronics were Pico altimeters and timers. The rocket jumped off the pad to an undetermined, but very high altitude. Robert Turner out from Canton, Texas, went for his Level Three certification with his Odyssey II. The orange and silver rocket was 4 inches in diameter, 101 inches tall and weighed a mere 27 pounds. The flight was successful as the M-1400 CTI motor performed flawlessly getting the rocket to apogee, and the recovery was nominal, earning Robert his Level Three certification. Michael Smart, up from Flower Mound, Texas, took to the sky with his rocket called Gray Ghost. The attempt would be for his Level Three certification, and Michael saved one of the best for last as he launched on Sunday afternoon around 4:00, when most of the fliers were breaking camp and getting ready to head back home. Michael provided some details of the effort: “Dave Schaefer (NAR L3CC) and Ken Overton (now Tripoli TAP) served as my certification team, and I had moral support from Tony Huet and Robert Turner. The G-12-constructed rocket was 11 feet, 2 inches tall and was 5.15 inches in diameter. It weighed 45.5 pounds. The onboard electronics were a Missile Works RRC2, PerfectFlite MAWD with a Rocket Hunter transmitter for finding it out in the desert. The motor I chose was a Loki M-1882 white formulation. I planned on recovering the rocket with a 2-foot Rocketman Ballistic drogue at apogee and a Skyangle Cert 3 XL main and free-bag, PML 54-inch pilot

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Hillbilly’s Juevos II on a Q-6888 Neil Anderson’s Subline on an M-3700 to an M-2150

Robert DeHate’s Balls Rocket on a P-10,000 to an N-4000

chute.” Michael continued, “The main challenge in attempting a certification flight at an event like Balls is that the event offers so many distractions. It is difficult to concentrate on prepping and documenting your certification attempt with so many exciting N, O, P, and multi-stage flights. Not that I am complaining! I was also a member of Dave Schaefer’s X-2 ground-support team, and that took quite a bit of prep time. The weather was also a challenge; at times preventing flights and preparation and requiring breaking down canopies and securing the camp site.“The electronics were pretty straightforward dual deploy, but with redundant charges, redundant e-matches, and lots of testing for the certification package, this also took quite a bit of time,” said Smart. Michael considered what could have been: “I had planned to make an L-3 attempt back in 2006 and had purchased the Loki 76-6000 motor and M-1882 reload back then. Unfortunately, major surgery—to remove a tumor from within my spinal cord—required extensive rehabilitation, and rocketry had to take a back seat for a few years.” Jump forward to this flight: “The reload, dated April 2006, took a full six seconds to come up to pressure, but the Jim Turner (Trailing Edge) igniter, provided by Dave Schaefer, did the trick. By time I was ready to launch, almost everyone else had broken camp and left. Our pad was the only one on the Playa. My flight was perfectly straight off of Ken Overton’s amazing launch pad and then weather cocked slightly into a spectacular blue sky. The white drogue at apogee was a welcome sight, and I gave a whoop of delight when the main appeared right on time at 1500 feet. ” Michael continued: “I did have a minor issue when the pilot chute (attached to the nose cone and free bag) became entangled with the recovery harness, but all came down gently together for a soft landing a mile or so downwind. Unfortunately, we had no ground-support vehicle, and it was going to be a long, hard walk carrying an 11-foot-long, 35-pound rocket back to camp. The icing on the cake appeared when Mark Clark and Robin Meredith drove up with my rocket happily beeping out its altitude. Mark and Robin had not only graciously stayed on site, keeping the range open well past their intended departure time, but they also took time to recover my rocket and drop it off at our camp before heading home. “I had been dreaming of going to Balls for years, but the timing conflicted with my job. I retired in May of this year, so this was my first opportunity to attend. In our group of five from Tripoli North Texas, we successfully flew and recovered Dave Schaefer’s Bell X-2, Ken Overton’s actively stabilized N-to-M two-stage, and three Level Three certifications: mine, Robert Turner’s, and our Prefect Tony Huet’s. What an awesome trip!” Michael concluded, “There is so much to see and do, and so many knowledgeable and interesting people to visit with at Balls, that it is a challenge to complete and document an L-3 flight. I would recommend that, if you are going to attempt a Level Three certification flight at Balls, you have all the construction, testing, and documentation done well before you go. That way you are less likely to overlook some critical detail or make a mistake, and you will have more time to interact with everyone on the Playa. “I also recommend that you show up on Wednesday afternoon in time to set camp and unpack, giving you all day Thursday to get your pad set up and your rockets ready to go well before the launching starts on Friday morning. Apparently, you never know when the weather will go bad and cause the range to be shut down, so you need to be ready when the opportunity to launch presents itself. Next year, I will have my Wildman two-stage prepped and all-but-ready to go before embarking on the thirty-two-hour drive.” While Michael’s team was out recovering his rocket, Balls 22 was going into the history books as another successful event. The remaining teams and fliers were packing up and starting the trek back to wherever they called home. The Playa would wait another year before the biggest and the best of high-power rocketry’s elite jump off at the 12-Mile entrance and blaze their own trail of Black Rock dust to the middle of the dry lake bed to once again test themselves and their magnificent flying machines. Another year of planning would all come down to the single push of the launch-control button. Will you be there, earning the ultimate rocketry rite of passage?

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Robert Turner’s Odyssey II on an M-1400 for his Level 3

Jay Holcombe’s Pumkin 1 on a Q-84,000

Verno Musselman’s L.O.G. (Look out God) on an N-2600

My original plan for 2013 was to go to LDRS at Black Rock, but not to Balls (not to fly a rocket, anyway). I had a couple of two-stage flights planned, and I wanted a longer launch window to fly them, which is why I chose LDRS-32. My 4” x 3” flight went fine, a two-stage N-2500 to M-745, which went to about 74,000 feet. However, on my 4” x 4” flight, a two-stage N-5800 to N-1100, in which the sustainer didn’t light. The rocket was traveling at a bit of an angle, so it was probably just as well that my electronics aborted the flight. I got the rocket back undamaged, but the idea of waiting 14 months for Balls-23 in 2014 to try the flight again was not making me very happy. It wasn’t really that hard to convince my wife that we needed to take another trip to Black Rock. After all, we had a great time at LDRS! The FourCarbYen rocket is a near-minimum-diameter two-stager, which I flew at both launches on an N-5800 staging to an N-1100 combination. A diagram of the rocket is shown in Figure 1. The rocket was just under 16 feet tall and weighed in at 91 pounds on the pad. The airframe consisted of my home-rolled carbon fiber tubes, and the construction techniques for the sustainer can be found by Googling for my “Part 2” article on carbon fiber construction. I have found that one of the more challenging aspects of high-altitude, two-stagers is to figure out a viable way to configure the electronics. For one thing, there isn’t much air, and barometric deployment isn’t a very good option. It is also necessary to account for the idiosyncrasies of the electronics and for alternative

Pulling Out All the Stops, FourCarbYen to 120,000 FeetBy Jim Jarvis

Jim Jarvis on top of ladder, Stu Barrett and Kevin Trojanowski holding the ladder

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flight scenarios, (such as the sustainer motor not lighting). The electronics strategy I employed for this flight is shown in Figure 2. For this flight, with an expected altitude of around 120,000 feet, I chose to use timers for apogee deployment, with barometric apogee deployment if apogee was reached at an altitude below 90,000 feet. Another challenging aspect of these flights is simply surviving the flight. I prefer to let the rocket coast for a while before lighting the sustainer. This reduces the top-end speed to the extent possible, and helps to keep the rocket from shredding. For this flight, I programmed the igniter to fire when the velocity dropped to 850 ft/s, and the velocity reached 730 ft/s at the point where the motor actually lit. This strategy resulted in a coast time of about 18 seconds. Even with a long-burn sustainer motor, the maximum velocity was still nearly 3,000 ft/s. The Raven altimeter screen for the “up” part of the flight is shown in Figure 3. The weather forecast for Balls 22 wasn’t particularly good, and I wanted to fly as early as possible on Friday morning. We pushed the button after a short wait for a train, (naturally). From the telemetry, I knew

Figure 1

Figure 2

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the rocket had reached about 120,000 feet, and the sustainer landed about 9 miles from the pad on the side of a mountain. With the help of Tony Alcocer, we had to hike a couple of miles into the scrub and mountain to recover the rocket, and by the time we reached it, the wind was really howling. Like Tony says, “This is just another Black Rock rocket adventure”. One nice thing about this flight is that I got a decent on-board video. This was my first video of a complete two-stage flight, and it’s really interesting to see how things unfold through the flight and at higher altitude. A still image from the video near apogee is shown in Figure 4. All things considered, I was very fortunate to be able to attend both LDRS-32 and Balls-22 this year. We had a blast and we’re looking forward to 2014.

Figure 3

When I was into Estes rockets back in the’70s, I mean really into them, my shelf had a fleet of nearly twenty. But like everyone, I had my favorites—Orbital Transport, Cherokee D, Mars Snooper II. Over the years, I’ve seen just about every one of my favorite rockets upscaled and written about in ROCKETS Magazine (or its predecessors), be it a 3×, 5×, or bigger. One rocket that I hadn’t seen, though, was the Astron X-Ray, with its cool payload section, and so this became my clear (get it?) upscale choice. I first went about locating a big clear tube, since its diameter would likely dictate my scale. After hunting online and in local plastic-supply houses, I finally found a Plexiglas section that was 7.5 inches in diameter, with a wall thickness I could handle and a cost to fit my budget. So, approximately 7× became my scale, and I snapped up the other components to match. I sliced off the bottom end and reduced the diameter of a large LOC Precision nose cone to fit with the payload bay, and I had a custom fiberglass transition section made for me by Public Missiles. With custom G10 fins, a 54mm mount, and two parachutes, I was well on my way. But what, oh, what, to put in that big clear payload section? Even though it was big enough to put something really crazy in there, I wasn’t about to break the rules I had followed as a kid. After thinking about this for a long time, it dawned on me to connect the present with the past by putting my still-intact 37-year-old original X-Ray rocket inside, which had been painted identically (well, close) to the picture in the old catalog:http://www.ninfinger.org/rockets/nostalgia/76est008.html Of course, this meant the big one had to have a matching paint scheme too (tape, tape, tape . . .).When finished, the rocket weighed 26 pounds unloaded, so I chose a K-700 for the first launch at our club outing here in southeast Michigan. The launch went perfectly. Upscaling of course changes the relative physics of a design, and the onboard video showed the large fins fluttering some during the max-speed phase of the boost, indicating that a 54mm motor mount was a good choice. But the fins all stayed on, and the rocket

7X Upscale X-Ray RocketBy Todd Vest

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Todd with his rocket at the pad

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Booster before paintinginsert: Original package of the X-Ray rocket kit

soared to a little less than a half mile before a perfect deployment. Here’s a YouTube video:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8idU-S7m6g All in all, it was a really fun project, and I proudly offer up the pictures and story of my 7× upscale X-Ray, alongside the other upscale stories that I have enjoyed seeing and reading about.

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Todd at the pad, ready for the first flight.notice the X-Ray rocket as payload

AGM again organized RJD(RoteJahneDays)fromthe9th of May until the 12th of May 2013. As we (Dutch Rocket Boys) skipped the Big Range launch this year since we did not have time enough to finish our large EXCALIBUR project, we decided to attend as we already had planned the days off for launching. RJD is held on an active airfield close to Leipzig in Germany. Para Jumpers, Gliders, and also now and then general aviation and historical aircraft use the airfield. During the launch days constant contact is held with the Air Traffic Controller at the Tower of the airfield to be able to coordinate launches, Para Jumpers, Gliders and Aircraft movements. The field that is used for launching is getting smaller by the year as it is being dug out for sand. Slowly, artificial lakes are formed that are not really good landing places as some fliers, including me, found out. In the future, AGM already has a larger location planned and things are coming into place to launch there when this field is a new lake. This year, the AGM-RJD launch was by far the largest launch in Europe with around 50 fliers who launched 366 rockets over 4 days. Thursday saw 45 launches, Friday 110, Saturday 183 and Sunday 28. The weather was uneventful up until Sunday afternoon, but that was not a problem as most fliers had left for home. The rocket motors that were used to fly ranged from Estes, Weco, Aerotech, Zink, Cesaroni, Maurer, Eigenbau (Experimental), HyperTec, ATI and Contrail. Low Power accounted for 268 launches and there were 98 HPR launches. Total impulse launched was 63538 N-sec or a 12% O by fliers from Germany, the Netherlands, United Kingdom, Poland and Lithuania. At the moment we can fly only CE approved motors and reloads in Europe, hybrids and homemade motors under specific regulations. As we had not planned to launch at RJD we all had to improvise with what to take with us. Normally we plan months ahead before a launch and build one or two special projects, but as our planning changed that was not the case. After an inventory check of which reloads we had available we just picked out some rockets that did not need much preparation to launch and loaded up the van. For us it was about a 650-kilometer drive thru the Netherlands and Germany to get to Leipzig, and it always is nice to drive through Germany where there are still parts of the freeway without any speeding limits, and it was very nice to overtake some Police cars without any problems or repercussions afterwards. As Nico Buis, my nephew, drove his Subaru Impreza, he soon got his new nickname Mad Max. After an uneventful drive through Germany we arrived on Wednesday at our hotel, and after settling in the first of many rounds of beer was ordered. Peter Muller proved his nickname Pitcher again that night. Our group consisted of Peter Muller, Ramon Peeters, Nico Buis, Steve Dulek and me; the two other DRB members did not have the time to participate as a result of work commitments.

Arbeitsgemeinschaft Modellraketendie freundlichen Raketenflieger

By Frank De BrouwerPhotos by Frank De Brouwer and Nico Buis

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Thursday 090513

After a good rest and breakfast we arrived on the launch field around ten in the morning. AGM members were already present and the morning was used to setup the field. Most fliers had their own pad systems with them and AGM has a very sophisticated remote operated launch system that was used for all launches. This system worked excellent and was also a very good system for drag races. After the PA system was setup and checked, which took some time to finding all the right switches and setting them in the right configuration, the RSO performed the fliers briefing for that afternoon. The weather was fine and the launch coordination with the tower on the airfield worked great as a total of 45 rockets were launched that afternoon ranging from low to high power. Steve Dulek flew his Level 1 rocket. Steve is a US citizen who immigrated to the Netherlands around 25 years ago and rediscovered the hobby a year back. Steve had no luck with his flight, as there was no ejection of the chute and the rocket buggered in. After checking the ejection charge we found out that it had not fired; on further inspection we found that the hole between the delay and the ejection charge was not open. This was a quality issue for CTI, and Steve received a new reload from the vendor under guarantee. Steve luckily had another rocket and set out to fly this one for his level one. Sadly, the parachute got caught in the rocket on that flight and his rocket again buggered in…..so hence his nickname no-chute Steve.

After a good day of launches we went back to the hotel for some beers and a very good dinner.

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Frank De Brouwer’s Wac Corporal

Holger Trusch of Rocketonlinestore.de with a client Peter Muller and Ramon Peeters Drag Race

Steve Dulek’s Pirate for his Level 1

Friday 100513

On Friday more fliers arrived, and after the normal RSO briefing the launches started. On Friday we had a total of 110 launches, again ranging from Low Power up to High Power. Rockets were ranging from standard models up to fine built scale models and sci-fi models.Steve got a new nose cone and a tube from the vendor Rocketonlinestore.de that supported this launch and rebuilt his rocket and certified Level 1 with a textbook flight. This time we made sure that the ejection charge worked. However, his nickname still stands. The participating fliers enjoyed the day immensely with many memorable launches. I sadly flew my Carbon Scrap into the ground on its 27th flight when the delay worked its magic one meter before impact. I prepped the delay the same way as the flight before, but it probably was an old delay that burned slower which is what we seem to see happen more with the older reloads. Mathias the German prefect immediately gave me the nickname Ballistic as a result, but I think he gave that to me several years ago when I flew a Carbon Raptor into the ground at an ALRS launch in Switzerland. The chute system failed as a result of a too long activation plug that blocked the release of the coupler. I am still working on getting that rocket fixed. After the launch, all AGM members had a dinner at their hotel and held the yearly AGM meeting. At the yearly meeting the situation with the launch field was discussed and a new option for a different location was revealed, so the future looks bright for AGM in Germany as the membership is still growing and the infrastructure is sound, with several launch weekends thru the year at different locations.

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Frank De Brouwer’s Bandit 3 with a real water recovery

More Rocketonlinestore.de goods

Great flight on a sparky motor

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Frank De Brouwer’s Photon Disruptor

Frank De Brouwer’s Mega Viper

Louis Schreyer’s Alien

Dragon Fire at launchPeter Muller’s Pterodactyl

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Saturday 110513

Saturday was the busiest day with the most fliers and 183 launches, ranging from Low Power up to High Power. A lot of high altitude flights were made (2500 meter over here, after special windows were requested from Air Traffic Control) with good recovery due to Marshall tracking and GPS systems. It is nearly impossible to list all the flights as I had no access to all the flight cards, but all fliers names can be found on the AGM website for every launch. The weather held up during the whole day and at the end of the day everyone participated in a barbeque on the field. That evening we had some night launches and a fireworks show that was set up by some of the fliers to celebrate the AGM launch.

No matter where you fly rockets there is someone with a plane flying overhead

Peter Muller’s Matrix Frank De Brouwer’s Carbon Scrap and its last flight, ballistic recovery

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Rolf Stabroth’s Bacher NatterSteve Dulek with his Level 1 rocket

There is always something to do in the field

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Sunday 120513

A lot of fliers started to pack-up on Sunday since they had to work on Monday, so only a few launches (28) took flight in the morning. As the weather turned on us with some very heavy thunderstorms drifting in, we also decided to pack the van and car, checked out of our hotel and drove back that Sunday instead of Monday as planned. Luckily we did that, as on Monday the traffic in Germany was very busy. In total our DRB Group launched 31 rockets, which was a record for a weekend of launches. In retrospect, this was the largest launch we have witnessed in Europe. It really seems rocketry is slowly becoming larger in Europe again, with lots of launch weekends in the whole of the EU from the UK, Ireland, Spain, Italy, France, Germany and the Netherlands, and of course Switzerland, but that is not part of the EU. During the launch we talked to several members of AGM about the Tripoli membership in Germany. As UKRA in the UK has been independent for years, some Tripoli prefectures are slowly looking at an option to reorganize rocketry in Europe. The BOD of Tripoli is aware of our problems and questions, but the solution process is much too slow. Currently, we have to pay a Tripoli membership fee and a prefecture fee, besides having to pay for EU insurance which is a result of local requirements. On top of that, the whole EU explosive legislation is a bit different than in the USA. At the moment all reloads and single use motors are classified as explosives, and as a result, every flier needs an explosive license that differs in every country in the EU. This drives up the costs significantly. In July a new EU explosive law will come into effect and it looks like all reloads and single use motors will be reclassified as Pyrotechnical devices. The new law makes a difference between Explosives, for which you need an explosive license and Pyrotechnical devices, (like car airbags), for which you need a P-1 or P-2 license. When the new process is in effect every flier will also need a P1 or P-2 license that hopefully will be valid in every EU country. To get a P-1 or P-2 license a 2 day course and exam is required, besides a fee that will be renewed every 5 years. Every flier will then also still need an explosive license as Black Powder will still be classified as an explosive. There will be a separate 5 year fee required for this license. As every flier will have to do a P1 or P2 exam this highly exaggerates the whole Tripoli L-2 exam. Some current proposals and ideas are that fliers fly an L-1 flight as usual, do a P-2 course and exam, then fly L-2 and L-3 as usual without the Tripoli L-2 exam as this is fully covered in a paid P-2 course and exam. In Germany this policy is already in place and has been in effect for over 10 years, as they have the oldest Explosive Laws on which the new EU law is based. Also, AGM and several acknowledged training courses have been taking place for over 10 years in Germany. We will see where all this will lead to, but organizations will need to focus on making the hobby accessible in the EU and the BOD of Tripoli will have to focus on this as we are faced with a totally different situation than in the USA. One major difference is our insurance is superior to the Tripoli USA insurance in coverage, and has a much lower fee. For some reason it is not valid in the USA. A case could be made, if Tripoli would offer an opt-out insurance option, this could open up a lot more members, as UKRA has over 100 members, AGM has over 70 and other organizations would total up many more members throughout the EU., This would widen the base of Tripoli. Lots of members in Europe are slowly seeing the value of an EU organization that can do all this and let the local organizations tackle the local situations. If that is the outcome Tripoli could lose a lot of EU members and prefectures in the not so distant future as only a few members that fly in the USA will stay on as members of Tripoli. Lastly I would like to thank the organizing members of AGM for setting up a very good launch that ran like clockwork with a solid and safe infrastructure. As Dutch Rocket Boys we are now planning our large and high altitude flights for Big Range in May 2014 and Australia in 2015.www.ag-modellraketen.de www.dutchrocketboys.nlThe Dutch Rocket Boys are;No Chute Steve Mad Max Nico Rubber Robert Mortar RamonLumberjack Ton Pitcher Peter Ballistic Frank

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Louis Schreyer’s rocket at liftoff Nico Buis’s Vertigo Ramon Peeters’s Shark

No Chute Steve’s Level 1 rocket

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