Rocket Launch Notes
What Skywinder Rocket When April 13, 2001 2:52 PM Where Civic Center Weather Mostly sunny skies, Brisk N-NW wind, temp 74 Engine B4-2 Status First Flight - Crashed Other Nearly Horizontal Flight Trajectory Photo None Notes We flew these rockets with my assistant Joyce, her granddaughter, Kierra, and Kierra's cousin Brandon. A good time was had by all.
This was the first flight of the Skywinder Rocket. This is an unusual design for a rocket in that it uses helicopter like blades to slow its descent instead of a parachute or streamer. This was the third flight of the afternoon.
Windy conditions dictated inclining the launcher into the wind at about 10 degrees. Joyce pressed the launch button after the all clear signal and countdown. The launch failed because the ignitor and plug fell out.
This scenario repeated itself several times to everyone's frustration. Finally, We wisened up and jammed a little piece of wadding in with the ignitor and plug and this held.
Joyce pressed the launch button after the all clear signal and countdown (again!). The rocket took off and pointed into the wind, and assumed a horizontal flight path parallel to the ground about 20-25 feet high. This had me worried because a few hundred yards in that direction, down over the hill, is a busy highway. The recovery charge fired and the helicopter blades were deployed well before reaching the road. The drag of the blades slowed the rocket and it crashed into the ground before they could begin spinning and slow it into what might be called a "controlled descent".
The damage was one helicopter blade separated from the rotating mechanism. The entire fin section broke off from the main fuselage, possibly because of a poor glue joint. This unit is headed back to the workshop.
Great first flight. Unfortunately, this launch video also ended prematurely and the launch was missed.
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