May in Washington State is for rockets! This year didn't disappoint with a large contingent of rocketeers in attendance at FITS 2007 — Fire In the Sky — the largest launch in the Pacific northwest each year. Held over Memorial Day weekend the event grows every year in every way.

This year the rockets took to the skies as early as Friday afternoon extending all the way to Monday afternoon with only Sunday being shut down due to high winds. Other than that afternoon the weather was beautiful with clear blue skies, few clouds and temperatures in the 70's.

The scope of the event continues to grow and this year it included seven level 3 certification attempts! This in addition to numerous Level 2 and 1 attempts. I was co-Launch Director with Kent Newman, President of Washington Aerospace and local Prefect, as well as being the clubs Operations Manager it was a busy weekend. Being a glutton for punishment however, I was also attempting my Level 3 certification!

Apparently Brad has a thing about Panther Paws.

To do this attempt took a lot of advance planning as the primary focus had to be the launch logistics. Besides construction over the winter, in the week leading up to the launch I went through a series of preparations. My checklist included pages of items before we ever loaded the rocket into the truck for the drive over the mountains.

Thursday involved building the motor, building charges, packing the parachute and assembling the harness into the three different sections of the rocket. Once that was all done then I could rapidly assemble onsite for a launch attempt on Saturday morning first thing. Jim Wilkerson, our local TAP representative, needed to observe seven different level 3 attempts so this required careful scheduling with him and the other fliers.

Brad applies the power of persuasion.

After getting to the launch site mid-day Friday and rallying the troops to set up the range and camping areas as more and more people arrived, we then set up our camp and unloaded Panther Paws, my level 3 rocket, and the other birds for the weekend. Friday also saw the first of the level 3 attempts. Unfortunately it was unsuccessful, which did nothing for my nerves knowing that I was first up the next morning. That evening I dropped by a copy of my paper work to Jim for a final look and he inspected the rocket again.

Saturday morning dawned bright, beautiful and calm. You couldn't ask for better conditions. After calling in the waiver with Seattle ATC and McCord Airforce Base, I finished the prep: putting the motor in, connecting charges, verifying the flight computer configuration for what seemed like the 1000th time, installing the Rocket Hunter transmitter, verifying correct operation and getting everything loaded into the truck. This included the away cell controller boxes as we were to be the first launch of the day out there.

Jim Wilkerson, Kent Newman and Andy Casillas loaded up with 'Red' and Corinne (my girlfriend and her daughter) and me to help transport, load, document, witness and launch. This was a big deal as Andy was also making a level 3 attempt later in the day, Jim as I said was getting pulled seven different directions and Kent was the other launch director. My thanks to everyone here!

It was 8:30am and we had Panther Paws out of the truck and two sections put together with the shear pins in. As we got ready to load it on the 10 foot 1515 rail, someone noticed that we didn't have the leads from the controller box to the pad. Back in the truck for a mad dash back to the club trailer for the leads and a spare set simply because at this point I was paranoid. This left the guys holding 11 foot of a 17 foot tall rocket against the back of a car as I drove away in the truck.

Panther Paws demands the kid glove treatment.

Back with the leads, we then proceeded to load the lower two sections, now one piece, onto the rail. Then we proceeded to putting the top 6 foot section on and installing the rivets it to keep it attached. Of course they won't go in, so out comes the hammer to do some convincing. All together now and we get the beast vertical.

Now up on the ladder and with shaking hands, on a shaky ladder, in dirt the consistency of baby powder, I hold onto someone's shoulder and manage to arm both altimeters which beep out the right sequence. Down from there and clear, I install the igniter and verify continuity. Everything is ready and checked out good. The sky is still perfectly clear and there's no wind at all.

Kent now interviews me on video about the project...

The rocket is a totally scratch built effort sponsored by Curtis Turner at Performance Rocketry with all G-10 fiberglass parts. It is a four fin design that is 17 foot tall and weighs 51.7 lbs fully loaded on the pad. Starting at 6 inches in diameter, it transitions down to 4 inches and finishes with a 6:1 conical nose cone.

Here's Brad getting a little help from Jim Wilkerson, TAP Adviser and WAC Secretary and Kent Newman, WAC President and Prefect.

For electronics, it contained a Perfect Flite MAWD and a G-Wiz MC. The parachute was a SkyAngle Cert-3 XL in a deployment bag with a pilot chute. The design had no drogue and instead just separates at apogee to free fall with just a harness between the two sections.

The Rocket Hunter transmitter is contained in the 6 inch to 4 inch transition section. Finished with Duplicolor Metal Cast paints and clear coated with POR15 Glisten PC, it was ready to go on a Cesaroni Technology Incorporated M1450 4-grain 98mm motor, coming to almost 10000 Ns of total impulse. The simulations put the flight at 11746 ft.

After the interview we pulled back and one of the guys radioed the LCO table that we were ready to go. Too nervous to do anything, I asked Andy to track with the binoculars, Red and Kent to video and Jim to photograph. We got the count down over the radio from my buddy Bob Yanecek at the LCO table and I manned the controller. At the push of the launch button, that big CTI motor came up to pressure with a massive roar and sent Panther Paws straight up with no drift, no spin, just a straight, clean flight.

Brad, and his significant other, Angela, can both breathe easier after his successful L3 flight.

Andy maintained visual as I grabbed the Rocket Hunter receiver to track the incoming signal. At apogee the charges fired and the rocket separated as designed and drifted down until the main was deployed at 900 feet, and it came to rest intact next to a road about half a mile away.

After thanks all around, Red, Corinne and I raced off to recover. Everything was laid out perfectly in a nearby field and looked to be just fine. Upon return to camp everything was validated as in good shape and a deep breath later, I could relax and move on. Upon examination of the flight computers, the final altitude was 11765 feet at Mach 0.86.

Thanks to all for their help and encouragement! Life has been 'interesting' the last 2 years and this was truly a cap to the up-swing and the people I get to enjoy doing this are top notch. Special thanks to Kent Newman, Jim Wilkerson, Andy Casillas, Scott Bowers, Bob Yanecek and especially to my partner in life, Angela 'Red' Innes and her daughter Corinne. Now on to the next big project!

For Brad's contribution of this article, he will receive a free one year subscription to LAUNCH Magazine. This sponsorship is made possible by our friends at MM Publishing, Inc., the producers of LAUNCH Magazine. Want your own free subscription? Read the program details page for complete information.

06-07-2007 02:35 AM  #1
PeterEkstrom New Member   Joined: Oct 2006 Posts: 7	Woo Hoo... Way to go Brad. Gonna bring that bad boy to Balls? - Peter