Bob Francis's Page

AKA: RadioFlyer

Location: Belvidere, IL - USA

Club Memberships: Space Program in Training

Favorite Rockets: Rocket Cam 2

Biography:

I started launching model rockets when I was a kid and finished up in high school... or so I thought.  In 1997, when I was 27, I saw an Astrocam RTF kit at Wal Mart and bought it as on a whim. 

My co-worker with me asked, "What are you going to do with that?"

"I don't know," I replied.  "Maybe I'll save it for my kids."

I got married, we had a little boy and - eventually - he got big enough to wonder about what was in the dusty box in the garage.  We took it out in March, 2010, and started the Space Program in Training (SPIT) together.  Since then, we've moved up from the RTF kits to level 1 and 2 kits.  We've recorded a number of flights with onboard video cameras.  We sent up a rocket at night; we covered it in glow sticks so we could keep track of it.  We've launched our first D level rocket.  We plan to launch at least once in every calendar month (January - not fun). 

Favorite Quote:

"" - Meher Baba

Personal Home Page: http://radioflyer1980.wordpress.com

Club Home Page: http://spaceprogramintraining.wordpress.com

RocketReviews.com Pages:

• Rocket Gallery
• Flight Log
• Flight Statistics

2012-05-07

Speed Freak 3

Flight

Time: 7:00 pm. Temperature: 67 degrees. Wind: calm. Weather: Partly cloudy. Good flight. Daniel recovered nosecone. Landed in water in gully about 75 yards northeast of launch site. Read: ERR. Unable to locate the rocket body. Will search based on video of landing. - C6-5 - Cul-de-sac,... [More]

Triton X

Flight

Time: 7:20 pm. Temperature: 64 degrees. Wind: calm. Weather: Partly cloudy. Good flight. High. Parachute deployed and opened. Daniel caught about 40 yards west of the launch site. No damage. - C6-5 - Cul-de-sac, Belvidere, IL [More]

Penetrator

Flight

Time: 6:40 pm. Temperature: 69 degrees. Wind: calm. Weather: Partly cloudy. Slow take off, but high flight straight up. Parachute opened and deployed. Landed on the pavement about 10 yards north of the launch site. No damage. - C6-5 - Cul-de-sac, Belvidere, IL [More]

Saturn 8

Flight

Time: 7:45 pm. Temperature: 60 degrees. Wind: calm. Weather: Partly sunny. Very high flight. Hand held video camera failed at launch. Parachute deployed and opened. Rocket landed in tall grass about 10 yards west of the launch site. Daniel recovered. No damage. - C6-5 - Cul-de-sac, Belvidere,... [More]

Neptune 1

Flight

Time: 7:30 pm. Temperature: 60 degrees. Wind: calm. Weather: Partly sunny. Good flight, but parachute did not open after deployment. Rocket crashed to the northwest of launch site. Unable to find. Will follow up search after viewing the video tape of the landing. - B6-4 - Cul-de-sac,... [More]

Hi-Jinks 2

Flight

Time: 7:10 pm. Temperature: 64 degrees. Wind: calm. Partly sunny. Good flight. Landed in the gully about 75 yards east of the launch site. Daniel recovered. No damage. - C6-5 - Cul-de-sac, Belvidere, IL [More]

Hi-Jinks

Flight

Time: 6:50 pm. Temperature: 67 degrees. Wind: calm. Partly sunny. High flight. Ground crew caught the smoke trail and coughed. Straight up. Parachute opened and deployed. Daniel caught the rocket as it landed about 25 yards south of launch site. No damage. - B6-4 - Cul-de-sac, Belvidere, IL [More]

2012-04-12

Ghost Rider

Flight

Time: 6:08 pm. Temperature: 60 degrees. Wind blowing less than 5 mph from the southwest. Sunny and clear. Launched with the Altimeter Two onboard. Good flight, very high. Difficult to locate as it flew towards the northwest into the sun. Parachute deployed and opened. Bob recovered. ... [More]

Skyhawker

Flight

Time: 6:28 pm. Temperature: 59 degrees. Wind blowing less than 5mph from the southwest. Partly sunny skies. Good flight. Very high, but visible throughout. Parachute deployed and opened. Unable to locate rocket following 30 minute search of the area. Resumed search on 4/13 after viewing... [More]

2012-03-13

Hi-Jinks 2

Flight

Time: 5:05 pm. Temperature: 70 degrees. Wind blowing ~ 10 mph from the south. Clear and sunny. Connected camera to the outside of the rocket with rubber bands. Rocket arced towards the southeast, but flew relatively straight. Parachute deployed and opened. Daniel recovered about 80 yards... [More]

Bob Francis

• All Flights