Baildon Moor, 20th July 2000
A good turnout for the first UK (England) leg of the 40th Anniversary Alpha launch. Good weather meant we chanced an evening launch, and we weren't disappointed. People arrived between 6:30 an 7:30, attending were: Brian, Mike, Pete, Angela, Richard, Tony, Luke, Darren, James & Shaun.
40th Anniversary Alphas
Well, we waited a long time for these to arrive, but it was worth it. Planning for this round-the-world-jaunt started almost a year ago, and this is just the first leg. We flew both the Alphas on Estes A8-3 motors, resisting the temptation to use something 'a little bigger'. Both flights were good. The chute didn't open properly on Estes but the ground on Baildon Moor is very forgiving. Even though we refolded the chute before flying, I guess it has spent a long time folded recently. I'm leaving it out for a while now to 'relax'.
Everyone present signed the log book. Next stop Scotland, for the International Rocket Week at Largs. You can see more of the 40th Anniversary tour here at the 40th Anniversary Alphas website. Richard wrote a lunch report too, which is here on his home page.
The rockets
Left to right:
- USAF has a really nice paint job, with pearlescent finish
- Estes. These rockets are built to last
- USAF descends on chute
The launch crew
Left to right:
- James & Darren look really excited
- Mike doing what he does best.
- The launch party: Angela, Luke, Pete, James, Mike, Darren, Brian, Shaun, Tony & Richard
Richard & Tony launched...
- Fat-Boy : C5-3, twice
- Side-Winder : C5-3
- Dagger : C5-3
- Python : D12-3, first flight
Left to right:
- Fat boy launch. This rocket is a regular at our launches now.
Brian launched...
- Estes Terrier Sandhawk : D12-3, chute tangled - will be reborn as something completely different
- Optima : D12-2, 1993 vintage - still flying but will be renovated this winter
- Space Defence : was designed to carry a winged fighter as a nose but is too unstable so flew with a standard cone
- ABM Sprint : D12-3, 2 x flights
- Quest DCX : C5-3
- 'Omni' : B4-2, Made from Omloid and Maniac bits, a good wind tester -
fairly strong model
- Sentinel : B4-2, Another 1993 vintage, 18 flights so far
Left to right:
- Sprint ABM on the pad
- Sprint ABM launch. The sound is like no other rocket
- Sprint ABM on chute leaving an impressive smoke trail
Left to right:
- Space Defence on the pad
- Space Defence descends on chute
- The second Terrier Sandhawk we've seen in recent weeks
Apart from the Alphas, Shaun, Darren & James launched...
- AstronMike glider : 1/2A3-2T, Spacked big time, even with the addition of laser cannon
- Tomahawk : A8-3, another nice flight of James' kit
- X-24 : B6-4, doesn't really glid at all these days
- Spudnik: A10-0T, maiden flight, landed on a rock, but little damage
- Centuri Saucer : C6-3, plenty of smoke during a close landing
Mike launched...
Nothing. Again. An investigative tribunal of the North Star Rocketry Group, special judicial 'no-fly' select comittee, is set to look into this matter.
Pete & Angela launched...
- Estes Space Shuttle : ,
- : ,
Left to right:
- Shuttle read for launch
- A wild flight
Shaun, Darren & James launched...
- AstronMike glider : 1/2A3-2T, Spacked big time, even with the addition of laser cannon
- Tomahawk : A8-3, another nice flight of James' kit
- X-24 : B6-4, doesn't really glid at all these days
- Spudnik: A10-0T, maiden flight, landed on a rock, but little damage
- Centuri Saucer : C6-3, plenty of smoke during a close landing
Did we go to the pub?
Well, we flew until the light faded, and it was quite late, but yes we did. The tallk was mainly of igniters, uses and abuses.
Mine holes - part two
During a previous launch Mike suggested that the conical holes were made by mining. At the time Darren ridiculed this notion, without mercy. A subsequent investigation, undertaken by Jan, has shown inconclusively that this just might possibly have been, theoretically, the case. At this meeting Mike asked Darren to retract his mocking doubt, and apologise. In answer, Darren was clearly heard to say, and with great magnanimity I might add, "Humph, I suppose it might have been mining then, bah!"
Darren is the author of several popular local history books including..
- "Why Luftwaffe bombers dumped their load on Baildon Moor"
- "Home guard grenade training - the Baildon Moor story"
- "They're not all sheep you know - the secret life of the Hob"