Pad Cam looking straight up. I made a wiring mistake on my son’s Epic cluster rocket, swapping engine cluster ignition and parachute deployment. All kinds of chaos broke out overhead.

My DSLR photo sequence is below, and video compilation (HD).

7 responses to “Eye of the Storm”

  1. Each fin tip motor lit just fine:
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    Parachute deployment charge fired at launch detect, with pad cluster launch wires falling away…
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    whip it good!
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    Parachutes deployed under thrust –> rocket rodeo
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    with a buckin’ bronco…
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    The avionics computer deploys the main parachute at low altitude as programmed…
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    so we have a soft landing with no damage, and she’s ready to fly again later that afternoon, with the wires done right. =)

  2. …you are the best dad! My kids won’t go out to the desert with out dessert bribery.

  3. Sort of like switching the gas pedal with the brake pedal but maintaining the original one-two punch with left foot and right foot… glad it caused only a minor set-back.

  4. First, I thought that it was a strange cloud… 😀
    Excellent capture, great serie !

  5. Great series, but I have to say that I originally thought it was a shot of the Challenger…

  6. thanks y’all. Since the airframe was unharmed, we went back to verify the wiring mistake, and loaded her up with three new fin-motors and two new parachute BP charges. The central motor setup remained from this first attempt, so it was a quick cycle to try again in the afternoon.

    I just posted that photo sequence

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    We used G40 white lightnings instead of G38 black jacks for the second flight.

  7. Martin Hall got some candid shots of the run to the pad to arm the cameras
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    and the reaction post flight…
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