[VAXman(Admin)]

FWIW, the AM server had been running faithfully for about 15 years. It decided to give up the ghost Wednesday. At that time, I was packing for a big rocketry event extended weekend known as Red Glare in Maryland. This is the kickoff event of the flying season and I had much to pack. I apologies but the AM server had to wait. I was back Monday. I had some work, what an ugly four letter word that is, to do which interfered in getting the server replaced. Not to worry yourselves, I have a stack of the same server for replacements and ample drives too if need be.

Sadly, the weekend weather wasn't too conducive to rocket launching; albeit, some braved the high winds Friday. Saturday was canceled due to rains. Back home, tornadoes tore through my area causing electrical and communications outages. When it rains, it pours both figuratively and literally. I couldn't virtually replace the web server but could have with little to do Saturday than than talk rockets and drink beer. Sunday began poorly but cleared up after noontime. I finally had a chance to get my rocket to punch a hole in the sky.

My rocket is a full-scale HV-ARCAS, a sounding rocket used in the late '50s and early '60s. The pad weight of my rocket was 12.404kg! In my best Boris Baddenoff voice, "For you imperialist swine, that's close to 28lbs." The ARCAS, which I titled "It's hard to be religious when certain people are never incinerated by bolts of lightning" — a Bill Watterson of Calvin and Hobbes fame quote — flew on an Aerotch L875-DM APCP solid propellant motor which cost me $450. That motor produced 3,887.0 N•s or, for you imperialist swine, 873.5 lb•s of thrust. The rocket flew to 2.233km or 7,326ft or ~1.4 miles. Winds eroded the expected altitude significantly by weathercocking the rocket as it approached apogee.



If you're interested, a video of my ARCAS launch is here.