Baildon Moor, 2nd July 2000

Welcome to George Rogozinski, Thomas Eddison, Patrick Rogozinski & Jan Rogozinski. This was their first launch with the North Star Rocketry Group, after we met them at UKRA 2000 and invited them along. We hope that you enjoyed yourselves and will come along to future launches.

The weather was very miserable on the preceding Saturday, and Sunday morning. So much so that we began to call off the launch. However, we couldn't contact everyone to inform them of the cancellation, Darren wanted to borrow stuff from Mike and Brian was adamant that he was going to test Baildon Bouncer. Launch on! At worst, we would spend an hour watching the weather and go to the pub, at best? Well, read on...

Brian launched...

baildon bouncer min-i-roc

The Baildon Bouncer is a scratch built lander type using estes 2" (BT70) balsa nose and rear transition and home made tube. Min-I-Roc is a scale down of a LOC classic using 2.6" tube. Harrier is a scratch built sport flyer using MRC tube, fin mount and nose cone.

The Moondog GTi is an 18mm conversion, that has perannial chute deployment problems. Brian has warned this rocket that if it failed to deploy it's chute one more time, that it would fly on an Aerotech D21-4, and the rocket gods could do as they pleased. That's probably why Moondog was so reluctant to be found this time, after it's, presumably penultimate, chue failure. We look forward to the next launch, and so too do the rockets gods :-)

Mike launched...

mikenikesmoke nike launch

Jan, George & company launched...

The mongooseski is a comletely scratch built (even the tubes are hand rolled) 3 stage affair. The first flight wasn't so good, but the second was pretty good. Would be better with a bigger motor in the first stage. Fab Toy is being rebalanced in preparation for the next launch. LOC Lil Nuke now being modified for a D before painting. George has ordered Quest Navaho AGM to expt further with multi-staging.

Shaun & Darren launched...

glider on the pad spack

Mike flew one of these gliders about a year ago, and it was cool. The design, I think, comes from a guy called 'AstronMike' who was posting to rmr at about that time. I think he was selling them as kits for a time. There is a set of 'guidelines cum plans' for building glider of various sizes.

The pub delayed

We almost went straight to the pub after watching the weather for 45 minutes and thinking ot would never clear. Brian however, was not to be thwarted, but was detemined to launch Baildon Bouncer in the rain if need be. So he got out his pad, for 'one quick launch'. The rain then cleared up! So our outing to the pub was delayed. Once at the pub we spoke of many things, including, the best way to make a dalek. I kid you not.

It was a shame that we didn't launch the 40th Anniversary Alphas, but the conditions were hardly ideal. We will be launching them soon. It was also unfortunate that the film ran out before we had really got going, so there's not many pictures of this launch. More next time.

Trivia section

Well we've all speculated about it, Home Guard hand grenades, German bombers dumoping loads after failing to find the lancaster factory, Super Moles? Just what are those holes on Baildon Moor, and who dumped that huge pile of 'stuff'?

Well thanks to Jan the mystery is solved. The spoil heap and conical holes are caused by coal mining, and possibly also iron making by monks from Rievaux. Thanks for solving that one Jan :-)