MAXXUM 7D
ƒ/9
500 mm
1/2,000
400
BAM!
CATO on the pad. Just before the explosion, my buddy Erik muttered “this should be a train wreck.”
It was the most peculiar rocket. It had what looked like a PVC pipe for a super-sized launch lug with two wraps of duct tape to help hold it on. (In high power rocketry, most everyone has switched to launch pad rails over rods as they are much more rigid). The body tube also had something wrapped around it (perhaps for reinforcement) that made it look like a big black crayon.
From the craftsmanship of the rocket, we could only guess how the motor was built…
(Photo by Nadine, posted with permission; I got a couple shots of this CATO with greater detail, but not framed as nicely as hers. You can also get cool calendars from her site.)
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