RGV Rocket Club January 2024 Launch
On a cold and windy Saturday morning on January 20th, Randy and Sylvia arrived at Wilde field to begin setting up the range. Temps were in the upper 30s and low 40s all morning. Wind was out of the North at about 15 gusting to 25 at times. None the less, setup continued following the "Build it and They Will Come" theory. Setup went surprisingly fast even with only 2 people.
Victor and Victor Jr. arrived shortly after setup was complete and began prepping rockets. We honestly didn't know if anyone would brave the cold but our heartfelt thanks goes out to these 2 for joining us.
Victor Jr. quickly prepped his Alpha as the first flight for RGV Rocket Club in 2024. Though his shock cord mount broke it was still a great flight and all parts were recovered.
Victor, Jr. turned out to be our one man launch crew with the help of his Dad. The next flight was his Sizzler I which has also made several flights in previous launches. Sizzler carried a payload of an altimeter and on a B6-4 reached an altitude of 158 feet.
Victor got in the groove and launched his Starship Octavius I shortly after on an A8-3, Prospector I on a C6-5, and then came one of his new rockets. His SLS Block I was next on the roster. Pic below.
He flew the SLS on a C6-5 but unfortunately the 5 second delay was just a little too long and the sudden stop at ground level damaged the rocket. In Victor's words, "Don't cry over spilled milk". The SLS is not a total loss and with just a little work it will be back in Victor's launch rotation. The next rocket he brought out was a Mongoose I two stage rocket. Pic Below
He flew the Mongoose on a B6-0 staged to a B6-4. Staging is not always easy but it was a perfect staged flight with booster and sustainer both performing well and both pieces being recovered.
As the day was winding down Victor brought out the Green Eggs I which is an egg lofter. Geen Eggs carried an altimeter and a sharpie pen. He commented this will be the worlds first sharpie to fly higher than I can throw it. LOL. Green Eggs flew on a D12-5 which was a great motor and delay for this rocket. It as a drive recovery though as the winds aloft were ripping by launch time. Luckily ground level winds were still remaining under 20mph sustained so we could find lulls weak enough to get our launches in. Victors dad drove out for he recovery duty and shortly returned with a rocket, sharpie and altimeter in perfect condition. Altitude for this flight was 744 ft.
Victors final flight was his original design and scratch build Victorious I. He flew it on a D12-5 to a perfect flight. The parachute didn't fully open due to cold temperatures making the plastic stiff, but this worked to his advantage as the recovery was only a short walk.
All totaled we had 8 flights due to the tenacity of Victor and Victor. Thanks guys!
