Flight Log - 2011-09-03 - Rich DeAngelis's Gamma Ray

The Gamma-Ray: My first Quest kit. It features a translucent red payload tube, three swept fins, and plastic nose cone and transition section. The fin stock is pretty thick and sturdy, and I like the Kevlar shock cord supplied with the kit.  I painted it high-gloss metallic red with silver (stick-on) decals. I also added extra silver foil stickers to really make this model shine. I had to add a lot of nose-weight to balance this model on a string stability test, but now it flies very well - very straight.  The nose-weight was glued in to the tip of the plastic nosecone, so I still have full use of the payload bay.  The payload tube has vent holes added for a barometric altimeter. It can get pretty far up there with B and C motors. I bought this kit cheap as part of a package deal on eBay, didn't give it much respect. But it consistently flies well and it is growing on me. I would recommend this model, but defiantly string-stability test it with a C motor and add nose-weight as necessary, or you'll probably be very sorry you didn't. Its light enough to fly very high, but the supplied 14-inch parachute is too large unless you really pack the ounces into the payload.  Even with a 18 gram payload and a 1-1/2 inch spill hole cut into the chute, it still descends at only 5 mph, allowing the wind to take it pretty far. The material Quest uses for parachutes also seems very light but too stiff, and often it will not unfurl even when plummeting down at about 30 mph.  I now use a 12” Estes parachute.  The other advantage of a smaller chute (aside from getting lost) is that it's easy to pack into that small, 13mm body tube.  I can easily get beyond  800 feet with a C6-7 in this. This rocket has flown higher than the Rennaissance Tower in Dallas, TX and the Charlotte Bank of America Corporate Center. It could easily look down at the Trump World Tower in NY.

Flight Date: 2011-09-03
Rocket Name: Gamma Ray
Kit Name: Quest - Gamma Ray {Kit} (2004) [1994-]
Flyer's Name: Rich DeAngelis
Motors: B6-4
Launch Site: Fort Indiantown Gap, PA
Actual Altitude: 326.00 Feet

Wind picked up to about 10-12 mph for the second of three flights to demonstrate the repeatability of the altimeter. The rocket weathercocked a lot during coast and by the time ejection fired, the rocket was horizontal at 326 feet. Good recovery. This pretty much shows that the wind is a much greater factor in affecting height than any altimeter error which may exist. This series of tests would have been more informative in zero-wind conditions.

StageMotor(s)
1Estes B6-4

 

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