Flight Log - 2013-03-10 - Rich DeAngelis's Cyclone

The Cyclone: This is a modern Almost-Ready-to-Fly kit from Quest.  The length and weight of this model is on par with the Estes Alpha, but a slightly smaller diameter.  It has plastic fin assembly, stick-on body decal, streamer recovery. Uses 1/2A - C motors. Reasonably light model. I think this model could be called something else, but it came in a Quest starter kit and the other model was busted (I got a deal), so I used the "Cyclone" tube wrapper because it looked better, so now I just got used to calling it the Cyclone. It could just have well been called "Chain Reaction", the other decal. I modified the streamer bay with vent holes to install an Altimeter One. Notice also, to break up the monotony of the plain orange fins, I added the cheesy stripes to the fins using leftover sticker material from the body wrap.  This model doesn't get much respect from me though; I didn't build it, just some minor assembly work. Not only is it simple and colored ugly, the plastic fins means it is a toy. A real rocket has balsa or wood fins and paint. I must admit though, it flies fast and high and is pretty rugged.  This rocket has flown higher than NASA's VAB (Vehicle Assembly Building) in Cape Kennedy Florida – and that was only with a B6-4!

Flight Date: 2013-03-10
Rocket Name: Cyclone
Flyer's Name: Rich DeAngelis
Motors: B6-4
Expected Altitude: 520.00 Feet
Wind Speed: 10.00 mph
Launch Site: Penn Manor School Lancaster PA
Actual Altitude: 538.00 Feet

I would have used a -6 delay but the wind was quite strong.  The Cyclone was deemed safe to fly in such winds because of its small streamer.

Ignition went well and the rocket shot off the pad at a strong 20.4 Gs, averaging 7.3 Gs for the B6’s 8/10 second burn time. Both the peak and average G-forces were higher than any previous flight.  The motor burned for 8/10 seconds, letting the Cyclone reach a top speed of 131mph to coast for the next 3.4 seconds when the ejection fired.  The ejection was measured at 477 feet, while the apogee of the rocket measured 9138 !  Obviously this was an altimeter measurement error, no rocket is going to go over 9000 feet on a B6 motor…on the Earth at least.

Similar to other flights, it seemed to reach the same apogee, so I’ll estimate this at 538 feet, which is the mean for this rocket/motor combo.  After a well-deployed streamer, this rocket returned at 20mph, landing downwind about 400 feet.

 

StageMotor(s)
1Estes B6-4

 

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