We signed in at 10:30am, and the launching was underway within an hour. Scott's son, Ian, was first to launch, putting up his Estes Something-or-other on an A, then a B. I think he got six flights in the first two hours.
Next up was Scott on a PML Ariel with an I-161. After some problems with the ignitor, he got the rocket up for a nice level 1 certification flight. Delay-based deployment was right on the money, and, after a long walk he recovered the rocket. No damage.
Once Scott's motor had been built, I got to work on my level 2 cert attempt: a mostly stock PML Eclipse type A with a Transolve P5 for drogue at apogee and main at low-alt. The J-275 was easy to assemble, but we spent over an hour trying to get the altimeter installed: eventually we had the wires cut down enough that everything fit in the altimeter housing. On the pad, and a clean launch. Really nice boost, and then disaster struck: the apogee charge tore out a bulkhead, and the rocket can down in two pieces. The main fired as planned, so the rocket did land without damage: the booster came down on the drogue, and the airframe had a nice slow decent on the main chute. Post mortem examination showed that weak epoxy work, and my new deployment ideas (climbing rope, not bungee) had probably caused the failure. I was dejected: it was 4pm, and the range closed at 5pm. No time to prep another rocket...
Then I had an inspiration :) We had five adults left in our group, and although only two of us had ever launched a high power rocket, we had the skills to prep and launch one in the time remaining! I asked METRA's Denis Luoni if I could try again, he said sure, so we picked up a J-800 from Zeppelin (yes, I had preordered a bunch of big motors.) The rocket was a PML Ultimate Endeavour, stock, but with an additional altimeter (AltAcc) for backup. Deployment would be at apogee, with the booster coming down on a 62" chute, and the airframe on a 44".
Everyone got tasks:
Me: assemble the J-800. Scott: get all paperwork ready. Andrew: prep and install the altimeter and backup charge. Maya & Helen: build the deployment systems. The women were awesome! If you want work done right, get two graduate students!
Within 30 minutes, we had a flight ready rocket: 9ft tall, yellow, J-800, active altimeter, two chutes on 30ft of nylon paralleled by elastic.
Denis checks the rocket: 15.5 pounds. He gives it the green light. Off to the pads.
Randy (Hensz?) helps me set up the rocket. The 3/4 inch rod is a no go: my launch lugs have a little flashing on the insides, and the rod is scrapping against them. Damn - the 3/4 dowel at home slid through them fine. We try a 1/2" rod, and Randy adds a rock for stabilty.
First ignition try fails: connectivity, but no ignition. Inspection reveals a cracked ignitor. I'm going nonlinear from the stress, but Randy is a calming influence. We disarm the AltAcc, and lift the rocket for a second ignitor. Gary "I make them" comes over and offers us, and then installs, a big ignitor. "This'll work," he says.
Work it does! A thunderous roar, a great boost, and both chutes cleanly out at deployment. Out team treks off to the trees in which it seemed to have landed. The two sections touched down within 20 feet of each other: one in a field, one 30ft up in a tree! We hike back with the booster, and a METRA guy (name unknown) offers me an incredible telescoping pole with a hook. I get back to the airframe, and find Helen and Andrew have found a 30 foot tree limb and are still working on recovery. That, and the hook, get us the airframe back. Woohoo! Level 2 and no rockets lost.
All in all, a great launch... many fine flights, including an awesome, ground-shaking K1100, some beautiful airstarts, and a lot of really clean flights on everything from A's to J's. The METRA guys were great: they went out of their way to help me get the Endeavour up safely. I felt everyone was rooting for a good flight and successful certification. Many people took time to help Ian get his A rockets launched and recovered. Two thumbs up.