The Sprint: This Astron Sprint is from the original '70s kit. It uses streamer recovery, but I changed it out for a small 8" parachute. It is designed for high-performance altitude flights, and generally requires longer-burning ejection delays for maximum height. The engine must be tape-friction-fit as this model does not have a metal motor clip. Instead it has the boattail end designed to reduce drag. This rocket was later given my "Iris" modification, which extends the body tube about 5 inches above the streamer/parachute bay, and allows for a payload with an Altimeter One to measure altitudes.
After this payload section was tragically lost when the screw-eye/balsa joint failed, I built a newer, lighter and smaller payload section. It is now 3-1/8" vs. 4-1/2", and weighs 9.8 grams. I certianly hope now I can get that extra 12 inches of altitude out of this bird and finally crack that elusive 1200 foot mark!
Originally, I replaced the flimsy crepe paper streamer with plastic one, but the plastic seems to stick to body tube because of static electricity, so I replaced it again with a small 8" parachute. With this parachute it descends at about 9 mph, soft enough for a safe grass landing. The rather small size should prevent this from drifting too much - a real problem considering the height it can attain. (The Iris altimeter payload is named after the Greek god of the rainbow. She is a messenger of the gods, linking the gods with humanity.) This rocket has flown higher than the NY Times Building in NY, the John Hancock Tower, and the Aon Center in Chicago.
| Flight Date: | 2012-05-26 |
| Rocket Name: | Sprint |
| Kit Name: | Estes - Sprint {Kit} (1249) [1970-1983] |
| Flyer's Name: | Rich DeAngelis |
| Motors: | C6-7 |
| Expected Altitude: | 1,200.00 Feet |
| Wind Speed: | 5.00 mph |
| Launch Site: | Fort Indiantown Gap, PA |
After a record-altitude and speed flight of the Quest Gamma Ray, it was time to bring out my best-performing rocket, the Estes Astron Sprint, modified with a altimeter/accelerometer bay and a small parachute. This was the day to set a new altitude record beyond 1200 feet and possibly a new all-time speed record.
The liftoff went well, and it flew straight up and out of sight, but I was prepared by standing far back and watching the flight through binoculars. The problem was I was standing in the wrong spot and the rocket appeared to fly straight into the sun, causing me to lose sight of the coast and recovery deployment. The rocket was spotted descending by a fellow club member and I tracked it to the ground across the street into some very tall grass where it was recovered.
I was horrified to find the rocket, shock cord and parachute all attached to the screw eye but the bulkhead, payload and nose cone was not attached. The thirty-year-old balsa-glue-screw eye joint had failed. Having been visually lost in the sun there was no way I could have seen the payload separate and fall and I had no idea where it would have been. Although it was painted bright yellow and the nose cone orange, it was near impossible to find it in the 3-foot tall grass in such a large field.
I made many zig-zag steps through the field in a desperate attempt to find the payload with the $70 electronics inside. I would have sacrificed the altimeter to have the flight data, but that was just not to be. With a storm approaching and thunder sounding in the distance, the search was aborted for safety reasons.
The payload remains somewhere in the tall grass, now soaked from a good thundershower. 10% successful flight – I did get enough of the rocket back to determine the cause of failure. This was documented as the 13th flight of this rocket. Just sayin’.
| Stage | Motor(s) |
|---|---|
| 1 | Estes C6-7 |
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