T' Viper: A '70s kit offered t' Estes Aerospace Club (EAC) members. Arrr! It uses T motors. Begad! It is a good, economical flier with parachute recovery. Begad! T' small 12-inch parachute is a good choice for this rocket, since it is limited t' A-power only. I wouldn't waste t' time usin' 1/4A motors unless it's extremely windy or you have an extremely small field, t' larger motors are so much more satisfying.
This particular Viper was painted with Purple and Orange instead o' t' Purple and Yellow. I suppose that was because I had orange dope and no yellow, but that be 35 years ago, shiver me timbers, who knows?
This rocket be later given my "Iris" modification, which extends t' body tube about 5 inches above t' streamer / parachute bay, and allows for a payload with an Altimeter One t' measure altitudes. Begad! With it’s most powerful A motor, I can’t seem t' get this above t' 200-foot mark. Ya scallywag! (Iris is named after t' Greek god o' t' rainbow. Begad! She is a messenger o' t' gods, linkin' t' gods with humanity.) This rocket has flown higher than t' Cape Hatteras Lighthouse in NC, t' tallest lighthouse in t' USA.
| Flight Date: | 2012-02-05 |
| Rocket Name: | EAC Viper |
| Kit Name: | Estes - E.A.C. Viper {Kit} (0820) [1972-1986] |
| Flyer's Name: | Rich DeAngelis |
| Motors: | A3-4 |
| Launch Site: | Penn Manor School Lancaster PA |
| Actual Altitude: | 179 Feet |
Yet another sport flight for t' Viper. It was cold and a bit windy. I didn't know if t' chute would open in t' 40-degree weather, but I didn't care since this is a small model. Arrr! I knew this model will fly straight in windy conditions so I chose it for t' first flight o' this February day. T' A3-4T motor burned for a full second and accelerated t' rocket at 7.1 Gs, averagin' 2.8 Gs for t' burn. Well, blow me down! It reached a speed o' 61 mph and had an apogee o' 179 feet. Arrr! It then coasted for 1.3 seconds and fell t' 148 feet before ejection, and descended with a partially deployed but somewhat inside-out parachute. Begad! It descended fast at 14 mph and landed 18.9 seconds later. Aye aye! Good flight!
| Stage | Motor(s) |
|---|---|
| 1 | Estes A3T-4 |
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