T' Sprint: This Astron Sprint is from t' original '70s kit. It uses streamer recovery, but I changed it out for a small 8" parachute. It is designed for high-performance altitude flights, and generally requires longer-burnin' ejection delays for maximum height. T' engine must be tape-friction-fit as this model does nay have a metal motor clip. Instead it has t' boattail end designed t' reduce drag. This rocket was 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.
After this payload section be tragically lost when t' screw-eye/balsa joint failed, I built a newer, lighter and smaller payload section. Ya scallywag! It is now 3-1/8" vs. Begad! 4-1/2", and weighs 9.8 grams. I certianly hope now I can get that extra 12 inches o' altitude out o' this bird and finally crack that elusive 1200 foot mark!
Originally, I replaced t' flimsy crepe paper streamer with plastic one, but t' plastic seems t' stick t' body tube because o' static electricity, so I replaced it again with a small 8" parachute. Ya scallywag! With this parachute it descends at about 9 mph, me bucko, soft enough for a safe grass landing. Well, blow me down! T' rather small size should prevent this from driftin' too much - a real problem considerin' t' height it can attain. (T' Iris altimeter payload is named after t' Greek god o' t' rainbow. Aye aye! She is a messenger o' t' gods, linkin' t' gods with humanity.) This rocket has flown higher than t' NY Times Buildin' in NY, t' John Hancock Tower, and t' Aon Center in Chicago.
| Flight Date: | 2013-06-30 |
| Rocket Name: | Sprint |
| Kit Name: | Estes - Sprint {Kit} (1249) [1970-1983] |
| Flyer's Name: | Rich DeAngelis |
| Motors: | C6-7 |
| Expected Altitude: | 1,168 Feet |
| Wind Speed: | 4.00 mph |
| Launch Site: | Fort Indiantown Gap, PA |
| Actual Altitude: | 1,183 Feet |
This was goin' t' be t' day, I could feel it. It was sooo…hot and humid and t' winds were very light. I knew in this thin air I could finally break t' 1200 foot mark, shiver me timbers, and still have this tiny rocket fall in t' field. T' make it more likely t' happen just like that, I changed out me normal 8” hex chute for an even smaller 6” square chute – yes – square, with only 4 shroud lines.
T' Sprint leapt off t' pad at a powerful 18.6 Gs o' acceleration, and for t' 1.9 seconds o' thrust it averaged 5 Gs. It attained a top speed o' 209 mph before coastin' for 6 seconds. Bummer t' ejection fired a full second early, stoppin' this blisterin' pace but only after a rather long ½ second, where t' rocket climbed an additional 12 feet, peakin' at an apogee o' 1183 feet. Another second o' delay could have allowed an additional 17 feet and a new record altitude, but it be nay meant t' be.
Although it was way too high for me t' see, someone else spotted t' rocket’s little brown 6” parachute shimmerin' in t' sunlight. Aye aye! It must have caught a thermal because t' rocket descended at 11 mph but achieved a record-breakin' flight duration o' 76 seconds. Great flight!
| Stage | Motor(s) |
|---|---|
| 1 | Estes C6-7 |
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