Jeff Boldig's Page

AKA: Handeman

Location: Stafford VA

Certification Level: L3 Tripoli

Club Memberships: Triploi Central Virginia #25

Favorite Rockets: Grapeshot (a scratch built 4", 54mm MMT, DD) retired after it's 50th flight

Biography:

I'm a BAR and have been flying again since 2003. 

I'm a member of Tripoli Central Virginia #25.  Our launch site is called BattlePark since it is located on the Cedar Mountain Battlefield near Culpeper Virginia.

I earned my Level 1 certification in 2008 with a scratch built, dual deployment rocket on an Loki I110 moonburner motor to and altitude of 4,200 ft.

My level 2 certification flight in 2009 was with a K695R to 6,828 ft.  The nose cone was lost so I put one on from another rocket and flew it again an hour later to get the cert.  As of 1/18/19 that rocket, called GrapeShot, has flown 46 times now, reached 9,559 ft and Mach 1.2.  It's the workhorse of my fleet and has taken a lot of punishment over the years.  It has been solid and never needed a repair, knock on wood! ;-)  12/8/12 zippered the payload tube on GrapeShot.  Don't know how.  The apogee deploy worked, it was falling and the main RC controlled chute deployed but never opened.

Had my first motor CATOs in January 2014.  Both Hobbyline G64W-10 motors had blow-by past the delay grain and used the powder well as a second nozzle.  The fwd closures were toast, as was the rocket DNA.  I believe the delay insulator was too small, the delay grain would fall out of the fwd closure. Aerotech was great with quickly sending two new forward closures and replacement reloads.

I got my Level 3 certification on 3/29/2015 at BattlePark.  I flew a Performance Hobbies Performer 150 kit on a Loki M1882LW motor.  The rocket weighed 54.4 lbs at launch.  Unfortunately it was the first rocket in 12 years that I landed on Cedar Mountain.  It hung up in a pine tree about 90 ft up.  I got my certification though.  A Chainsaw recovery about 4 days later was successful.  Flew it again at LDRS34 on my first EX motor.  About a M1700 at 5,300 Ns and a White Lightning type mix.

Favorite Quote:

If you don't use your head, you have to use your feet.  -My Dad

Club Home Page: http://battlepark.org

RocketReviews.com Pages:


   

2024-06-06

Patriot 4"

Flight

delay drilled to 10 seconds. JLCR set to 200 ft. Landed 2000 ft. away - I161-14 - LDRS42 Torrey Farms Potter NY [More]

   

2024-03-17

El Juan Dos

Flight

Great flight. got behind cloud and everyone lost sight. GPS quit at launch LOST. Altitude per Open Rocket - I284-14 - Battle Park [More]

   

2024-03-16

Blue Baboon One

Flight

- J452MW2 - Battle Park [More]

   

Patriot 4"

Flight

Drilled delay to 10 sec. JLCR at 200 ft. Chute popped open at 10 ft. - J350-14 - Battle Park [More]

   

Callisto

Flight

Very old reload. Came with copperhead igniter. - G64-10 - Battle Park [More]

   

2024-02-25

Burt's Strong Arm

Flight

- G76-10 - Battle Park [More]

   

Patriot 4"

Flight

- Aerotech I161W-M - Battle Park [More]

   

Callisto

Flight

- H180-14 - Battle Park [More]

   

2024-02-10

El Juan Dos

Flight

- H128-14+ - Battle Park [More]

   

Blue Baboon One

Flight

- I211-14 - Battle Park [More]

   

2023-12-07

Animal Motor Works Blue Baboon (Kit)

Review

I bought this kit from AMW at LDRS 36 at MDRA.  They told me it was the first Blue Baboon kit they had sold.  It is a blue fiberglass 3 inch diameter kit with a black fiberglass nose cone and fins.  It is a dual deploy kit with a 54mm motor mount tube. Components ... [More]

   

2023-06-11

Big Bird

OpenRocket Design

This was my L3 rocket. It flew at BattlePark on a Loki M1882W. One altimeter read 6830, the other 6920, the average is 6875. It weighed 54 lb 4 oz at launch. [More]

   

2015-01-24

Estes Leviathan (Kit)

Review

This is a Pro Series kit that is four fins and 3" diameter.  It is designed for E, F, and G motors. Components The parts were good.  The fins are plywood while the tubes are cardboard and the nose cone plastic like most kits this size today. /h2 No real cons ... [More]

   

2015-01-20

Estes Renegade-D (Kit)

Review

This was a neat kit of a space ship type rocket.  It included lots of fins and large pods on the end of the largest fins. Components The parts were typical Estes kit.  Everything went together well and the instructions were typical for Estes kits.   /h2 ... [More]

   

2008-04-26

Scratch Funny Funnel (Scratch)

Review

( Contributed - by Jeffrey Boldig - 04/26/08) Brief: Oil funnel with a 4 x 18mm cluster and a central tube that works as a launch lug. The motors are canted at 10° to induce spin which begins before leaving the rod. The base drag is insufficient to stabilize the rocket so it is ... [More]

   

2008-03-15

Pemberton Technologies Kraken (Kit)

Review

Construction and Finishing: The package was shipped with no damage. Packaging was excellent. The instructions were clear throughout and were injected with a lot of humor. This was a good thing for me because it fits right in with my sense of humor and added to my enjoyment of the kit. ... [More]

   

Jeff Boldig