2025 Launch Reports
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
January, 2025
Saturday, January 25, 2025
Ready to fly @ 1000 hrs, 1st flight @ 1045 hrs
With the temperature cold and the sky overcast before setup, the 5 CRMRC members were ready to set up at 0915 but delayed until the temperatures warmed and the sky cleared, at 0945hrs.
Kevin, Stewart, Paul, John and Howie waited in Howies Suburban, out of the wind and warmer compared to the feels like temperature of below 0F outside.
The setup was very basic, only the wooden controller with a 100 foot extension cord to a black pad with a 1010 rail. To insulate the launch system's battery from the cold, we kept the 12v battery inside a cooler.
Stewart, Paul, and Kevin each flew a rocket by 1100hrs then the launch was declared done.
Last flight @ 1100hrs, off field 1130hrs and some of us went to Mill River Brewery and BBQ.
Weather was the controlling factor for the day (start of day - end of day):
Temperature: 8F at 0900hrs and up to low teensF before we left for the day (colder than predicted)
Feels like (nee windchill): -5F at 0900hrs to -0F midday (colder than predicted)
Winds: 7-15 mph for most of the day (higher than predicted)
Clouds: overcast at 0900hrs, cloudless at 1000hrs, mostly sunny by 1100hrs (followed the prediction)
Road and field frozen solid; field very uneven and difficult to walk on
People: 8, including 5 CRMRC members and one father with 2 kids
Flight summary:
3 flights: 1G, 1H, 1I
Total impulse: I
Mean (average) impulse: H
Mode (most used): G, H, I
Median (middle value): H
Certifications: none
Flights (maker model, color, diameter x length, weight, on motor, other things
of note):
Paul S (CRMRC member)
Binder Design Aspire, red & yellow, 2.6 x 47, 1lb 14oz on AT G64-7W w/JLCR
Good flight
Stewart L (CRMRC member)
Estes Leviathan, white & black, 3 x 41.5, 1lb 12oz, on CTI H133 BS w/JLCR @ 600 & JL altimeter
Tangled chute, 1911
Kevin K (CRMRC member)
Mach 1 Desdemona, orange, 2.6 x 64, 6lbs 9oz on CTI I285 CL w/Eggfinder Proton & RRC2L
Good flight, 3505 (predicted 3500)
February, 2025
Saturday, February 15, 2025
Ready to fly @ 1000 hrs, 1st flight @ 1015 hrs
The day started with Kevin having plowed from Maquam Shore Road down to the field, leaving space for people to park at the top of the hill.
The setup was standard with the red pad at 50, 2 blue pads with 8 1010 rails at 100, 2 black pads with a 8 1010 and 10 1515 at 200 and the new yellow pad with a 12 1515 at 300
The red pad was controlled by the wooden controller and all other pads were controlled by the Pyromate, although there were some difficulties with the Pyromate system, likely due to cold.
We are working with the manufacturer to understand how we can do this better.
Last flight @ 1500hrs, off field 1530hrs and some of us went to Mill River Brewery and BBQ.
Weather was much better than January (start of day - end of day):
Temperature: 2F at 0900hrs to the low 20s F
Feels like (nee windchill): 0F at 0900hrs to 20F
Winds: 0-3 mph, making the day feel warmer
Clouds: no clouds at 0900hrs, with increasing cloudless throughout the day and overcast by 1400hrs
Road and field frozen solid with 4 inches of snow on the ground and the road
plowed
People: 15, including 5 CRMRC members, a group from Montreal, and the Northeastern
University team
Flight summary:
11 flights, 14 motors: 4C (3 clustered), 2D (2 clustered), 2E, 1F, 2H, 1J, 1K, 1L
Total impulse: L
Mean (average) impulse: I
Mode (most used): C
Median (middle value): F-H
Certifications: none
Flights (maker model, color, diameter x length, weight, on motor, other things
of note):
Tom D (CRMRC member)
Estes Big Bertha, orange & black, 1.6 x 24, 4oz on Estes C6-7 w/JL altimeter
Good flight, 460
Loc Graduator, yellow & black, 2.6 x40, 1lb 5oz, on Estes E16-6
Good flight
Stewart L (CRMRC member)
Rocketariam Trident-T172-18, red&white&black, 1.5 x 32.5, 8.5oz, on 3 Estes C6-5 pad cluster
Only 1 motor lit, hit ground before chute came out
Squirrelworks Two Cool For Spool, yellow, 5.75 x 5.88, 4.7oz, on 2 Estes D12-0 staged
Good flight
Estes Star Orbiter, red, 1.6 x 45, 10.3oz, on Estes E16-6 w/Estes altimeter
Good flight
Wildman V2, blue, 2.2 x 19.5, 1lb, 6oz, on AT F40-7W w/JL altimeter
Good flight, 1347
Roman B
Custom Omega 001, black, 2.2 x 34.4, 2lbs, 11oz, on CTI H200 BS
Good flight
Custom Omega 002, black, 2.5 x 33.5, 3lbs, 6.5oz, on CTI H120 RL
Good flight
Rachel B
Custom Tower, silver & green, 2.5 x 58, 7lbs 11oz, on CTI J270 G w/RRC3
Good flight, dual deploy w/main at 100
Julia R
Custom Wyatt, orange & purple, 6 x 67, 25lbs 2oz, on CTI K570 CL w/stratologger & custom
Good flight, dual deploy w/main at 400
Eric M for NortheasternU
Custom Clifford, red, 5 x 99, 32lbs 2oz, on CTI L805W w/stratologger x2 & custom
Good flight, dual deploy w/main at 550
Two CRMRC members attempted flights but were stopped by electronics issues.
Sunday March 23 was
a sunny day in early spring with unseasonably cold temperatures. When club members
began arriving on the field at about 0845 hours, the air temperature was in
the low 20s Fahrenheit with wind chill temperatures (feels like) in the low
teens. For most of the morning, wind speeds were typically in the range of 10-15
mph with occasional higher gusts. However, as the morning wore on, we noticed
that the wind speeds gradually lessened to a range of 5-10 mph. Meanwhile, the
air temperatures gradually warmed up to the low 30s. For the whole day, the
wind was blowing from the northwest. All of this matched the weather forecasts
fairly well. The northwest wind meant that most of our rockets landed in the
wide-open spaces along the longest dimension of the large main field in our
recovery area. Field conditions were therefore excellent for flying and recovering
rockets, although walking in the field was sometimes difficult because of springtime
mud (but rocketeers know that mud is our friend because it means softer landings
for our rockets!).
Kevin K and Howie D brought the club launch equipment in their vehicles. We
set up three high-power pads. First, we set up a 1010 rail on a blue pad and
placed it 100 feet north of the LCO table. We then put a 1515 rail on one of
our black Frankum pads and positioned it about 8 feet to the left of that blue
pad (so that the two pads could alternately share the same extension cord).
We then laid out one more 100-foot extension cord and set up our large yellow
Frankum pad (1515 rail) at 200 feet north of the LCO table. Finally, we placed
the red low-power rack 50 feet east of the LCO table. To protect against the
cold temperatures, we put our LCO battery, which is a 12-volt car battery, into
an insulated cooler box beside the LCO table. For all of the launch pads, we
used our traditional hardwired launching system since the wireless system can
have problems on cold days.
We were ready to fly at 0945 hours, and we launched the first rocket at about
1015 hours. Nine CRMRC members attended the launch, along with approximately
15-20 students in a college team from Northeastern University. There was one
certification attempt, which was a successful L1 flight (see details below).
At the end of the flying day, CRMRC members and Northeastern University students
worked together to dismantle the launch equipment and pack everything into the
club vehicles. We left the field about 1630 hours, and then several club members
went out for dinner together in St. Albans.
MOTORS:
We flew a total of 21
flights on 27 motors (includes 2 two-stage flights and 2 three-motor cluster
flights). In terms of motor manufacturers, our motors were distributed as follows:
Estes: 14 motors
AeroTech: 8 motors
CTI: 4 motors
Loki: 1 motor
Total: 27 motors
In terms of motor classes,
our motors were distributed as follows:
A: 3 motors
B: 1 motor
C: 7
D: 2
E: 1
F: 1
G: 3
H: 1
I: 4
J: 3
K: 1
Total: 27 motors
As a group, our total
impulse was 6539.9 Ns, which is equivalent to a small M motor. We flew at least
one motor in each of the motor classes from A to K. Our average impulse was
242.2 Ns, which is an H motor, but our median impulse was just 33.4 Ns, which
is an E motor. This shows the importance of considering both the average (mean)
and the median for such a distribution. Finally, our mode (most common) motor
class was C (7 C motors).
FLIGHT DETAILS:
Francis M.
1. Estes M104 Patriot, white/black/red, 1.75 in. dia., 21 in. tall, 3.5 oz,
Estes Altimeter
Motor: Estes C6-3
Result: Good flight
2. Estes M104 Patriot, white/black/red, 1.75 in. dia., 21 in. tall, 3.5 oz
Motor: Estes C6-3
Result: Good flight
3. Custom Trident, green and white, 1.25 in. dia., 24 in. tall, 3.4 oz, Estes
Altimeter
Motor: 3 x Estes A3-4T (cluster)
Result: Only one of the three motors was ignited successfully
4. Custom Half-Miler, blue, 1.25 in. dia., 23.5 in. tall, 5.5 oz, Estes Altimeter
Motor: Estes E16-8
Result: Good flight, apogee 1995 feet
====
Paul S.
1. Performance Formula 54, blue, 2.2 in. dia., 31.5 in. tall, 1 lb 13 oz, JLCR
set for 300 feet
Motor: AT G76-7G
Result: Good boost, good separation at apogee, JLCR opened correctly at 300
feet but chute was stuck in the airframe and did not deploy, but the rocket
suffered no damage
2. Custom Gooney Max!, yellow and black, 1.6 in. dia., 11 in. tall
Motor: Estes B6-4
Result: Good flight
====
Stewart L.
1. LOC Cool Spool, multicolored, 1.6 in. dia., 9 in. tall, 1.02 lbs
Motor: AT G64-4W
Result: Good flight
2. Rocketarium Trident, red and black, 1.7 in. dia., 32 in. tall, 7 oz
Motor: 3 x Estes C6-5 (cluster)
Result: Good flight
3. Madcow Mozzie, red and black, 2.6 in. dia., 20 in. tall, 14.9 oz
Motor: AT F67-6W
Result: Good flight
====
Tom D.
1. Dynasoar Rip Roar, yellow and black, 2.2 in. dia., 30 in. tall, 13 oz
Motors: Estes C11-0 to C11-5 (two-stage)
Result: Anomalous boost, and the sustainer did not light
2. Dynasoar Rip Roar, yellow and black, 2.2 in. dia., 30 in. tall, 13 oz
Motors: Estes D12-0 to D12-5 (two-stage)
Result: Good flight
3. Apogee Zephyr, yellow and black, 4 in. dia., 56 in. tall, 3 lbs 3 oz
Motor: AT G74-4W
Result: Good flight
====
Scott L.
Apogee Peregrine, cow pattern, 4
in. dia., 60 in. tall, 4 lbs 10 oz
Motor: AT H182R
Result: Good flight
====
Matt C.
Wildman Punisher named Sunshine, red and green, 3 in. dia., 4 feet tall, 7 lbs
8.5 oz, dual deploy with EasyMini and Stratologger
Motor: CTI I125WH
Result: Successful L1 certification flight
====
James S.
MAC Zodiac, blue and gold, 4 in. dia., 87 in. tall, 12 lbs 5 oz, dual deploy
with EasyMini and RRC2
Motor: Loki I377 red/blue cocktail
Result: Good flight, apogee 1,005 feet (EasyMini), 986 feet (RRC2)
====
Kevin K.
MAC Black Fly, black, 3 in. dia., 41 in. tall, 5 lbs 2.5 oz, dual deploy with
RRC2 and Quasar
Motor: CTI I212SS
Result: Good flight, apogee 2707 feet
====
Rick D.
Wildman Widowmaker, black and green, 2.6 in. dia., 60 in. tall, 4 lbs 15 oz,
dual deploy with Altus Mini
Motor: AT I500T
Result: Good boost, apogee 5450 feet, anomalous deployment, no main chute, nosecone
damaged
====
Kartikey A. (Northeastern University)
1. Le Brocket, unpainted blue tube frame, 4 in. dia., 7 feet tall, 10 lbs 1.5
oz, dual deploy with 2 x EasyMini
Motor: CTI J285CL
Result: Late separation
2. BMO, unpainted blue tube frame, 4 in. dia., 77.5 in. tall, 9 lbs 7.5 oz,
dual deploy with EasyMini and Stratologger
Motor: AT J435WS
Result: Main chute tangled, opened at the last second
3. Tiramisu, unpainted blue tube frame, 4 in. dia., 91 in. tall, 9 lbs 5 oz,
dual deploy with 2 x EasyMini
Motor: AT J420RL
Result: Good flight
====
Ben H. (Northeastern University)
Custom The Little Hammer, red/white/black,
3 in. dia. tube with transition to 4 in. dia. tube, 79 in. tall, 13 lbs 15 oz,
dual deploy with EasyMini and Telemega
Motor: CTI K630BS
Result: Anomalous separation / lost nosecone
====
APPENDIX - Other flights this month
by CRMRC members:
Howie D at Red Glare-25 in Maryland
(MDRA)
Utlimate Wildman named Firebolt, 6 in. dia., 132 in. tall, dual deploy with
RRC3, MARSA, RF tracker.
Motor: CTI M1810RL
Result: Good launch, main at apogee 6499 ft (RRC3), 6389 ft (MARSA)
May, 2025
June,
2025
July, 2025
August, 2025
September, 2025
October,
2025
November, 2025
December, 2025