Launch Report: September 13, 1997
| Location | |
Coe College football field, Cedar Rapids, IA |
| Temperature | |
60s |
| Wind | |
Moderate, N |
The Alpha III starter kit came with three motors, an A8-3, a B6-4, and a C6-5.
The instructions recommended the A8-3 as the first flight engine so I gave it
a shot. The motor was much quieter than I was expecting and the flight was
breif and fell somewhat short of awe-inspiring. The parachute deploy mechanism
worked perfectly, but a good wind at altitude carried the rocket across the
field and across the street, landing in someone's front yard.
We retrieved the rocket and brought it back to the launch pad for another try.
This time we went straight to the C6-5. Anticipating a higher flight, we
angled the launcher into the wind about 15 degrees. The flight went very high.
and the parachute deployed perfectly at apogee. However, the wind carried the
rocket onto the roof of the Ralston factory several blocks away.