Launch Report for Sunday, September 3rd, 2000
(Page 1 of 2)

The winds were dead calm this morning and so I just had to send up a few.  My father & I went to the schoolyard of Howard S. Billings Regional High School here in Chateauguay, Quebec, Canada and the winds had picked up a bit by the time we got there, but only to the extent that we could now feel which direction the breeze was coming from.  The skies were clear and the temperature was about 20 degrees Celsius (68 degrees F).

I brought my NCR Command Control launch controller along with my second Estes Porta Pad launch pad as well as my camcorder to film every flight.

Flight 435, 86th flight this year
Estes Alpha III 02 on an Estes A3-4T

My second Alpha III went up to test wind speed and direction.  Launching it straight up, it landed a mere 39 feet west of the pad.

Flight 436, 87th flight this year
Estes Maxi-Alpha 3 02 on an Estes D12-3 for its 1st flight

This flight was a close one since it seems that the wind was stronger at higher altitudes than I thought and Maxi-Alpha 3 weathercocked a bit into the wind and it landed just within the field.

Flight 437, 88th flight this year
Estes Maxi-Alpha 3 02 on an Estes D12-3 for its 2nd flight

I accidentally got the chute wet while prepping it for flight since it rained the night before and I placed the chute in a puddle of water by accident.  The chute didn't open and a fin broke on landing.

Flight 438, 89th flight this year
Scratch built X-1 Grey Ghost on an Estes A3-4T for its 3rd flight

This one got some serious altitude, even on an "A" motor.  The chute didn't open, but there was no damage though.

Flight 439, 90th flight this year
Estes Delta Star on an Estes B4-4 for its 9th flight

With its new nose cone in place after losing it at the last launch, Delta Star turned its usual excellent flight.

Flight 440, 91st flight this year
Estes Rattler-7 on an Estes B4-4 for its 7th flight

Flight 441, 92nd flight this year
Estes Delta Star on an Estes 1/2A6-0 staging to an Estes 1/2A6-2 for its 10th flight

This was Delta Star's first two stage flight since 1981.  This flight marked my first ever use of an Estes 1/2A6-0 booster stage motor and first stage separation occurred no more than 10 feet above the pad which caused the booster to land not even two feet west of the pad.  The 1/2A6-0 was 1973 vintage and I lit it using the original Estes Astron igniter that came with the motor and I used a relatively new 1/2A6-2 in the upper stage which proved to have a more appropriate delay than a 1/2A6-4 for this motor combination.  Distance from the pad was less than two feet southwest for the booster.

Flight 442, 93rd flight this year
Estes Longshot on a Centuri C5-3S for its 7th flight

I used my last 1980 vintage Centuri C5-3S "Super C" motor for this flight.  A great flight and no broken fins this time!

Flight 443, 94th flight this year
Estes Scamp 02 on an Estes A3-4T for its 3rd flight

My second Scamp was given to me by a former teacher at Howard S. Billings who also ran the rocket club until it closed up.  This one is quite a performer even on a little A3-4T.

Flight 444, 95th flight this year
QED Hot Dog on an Estes B6-4 for its 5th flight

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