How I spent my sunny day (or part of)

[Terence McCann]

Took this out to the local park today.

Wingspan: 47.7 in (1200mm)

Overall Length: 32.5 in (825mm)

Flying Weight: 25.2 oz (715 g)

Motor Size: 480 brushed

Radio: 27MHz 3-channel proportional

Prop Size: 9 x 6

It was a stellar 30 seconds of flight before lawn darting.

Just call me Wilbur.

[kurt]

Cool.....what's lawn darting?

[Bill Kibbel]

Cool.....what's lawn darting?

I'm guessin' it's when the plane plummets rapidly to earth and plants like a lawn dart.

That reminds me that I should dig out the old model rockets from my childhood and see if the kids have any interest. It would be fun (for me) making them chase 'em. I usually tape 2 engines together to get them really up there.

[Terence McCann]

Cool.....what's lawn darting?

Nose dive.

It took off great then had a bad pull to the right -I managed to trim it out but as it got behind me I got discombobulated and down she went.

I met an 80 year old chap that was flying as well and he said it was a great flight for the first time. Older folks have a habit of trying to be nice (however out of the corner of my eye though I saw him cringe as it came crashing down).

I just ordered a new wing and cowling.

[Terence McCann]

That reminds me that I should dig out the old model rockets from my childhood and see if the kids have any interest. It would be fun (for me) making them chase 'em. I usually tape 2 engines together to get them really up there.

You ever get the camera attachment for them?

[Bill Kibbel]

You ever get the camera attachment for them?

Yup. It was fun, but it wasn't a very good image and it didn't last long. Google Earth and other aerial imagery probably takes the fun out of it now.

[Chad Fabry]

My wife runs a youth program for community action. I help out by doing projects w/ the kids a couple times a month. A few weeks ago we built rockets and I'm pleased to say it's just as much fun at 50 as it is at 12 or 13.

[kurt]

I thought Estes rocket engines were classified and controlled stuff nowadays.....(?).....

[Tom Raymond]

Nope. They sell em at Walmart. My boy got two estes rockets for Christmas. They were one of the first things he wanted to play with. On the maiden flight he insisted we use the big engine, over 800' altitude, a beautiful chute deployment, then half way to the ground the wind shifted and picked up considerably. A nice near vertical descent became near horizontal, and instead of landing in 10 acres of open field touch down was 25' up in a tree.

Tom

[John Dirks Jr]

I few years ago my son and I put a C engine (big one) on a very small rocket. The sucker went so so high we could barely see it. Matter a fact, we never saw it again. When he chute opened, the wind carried it away. Next time we try that trick, I think we'll launch without a chute onboard.