Rock Lake15: 28-30 June 2013

Home | | RockLake15 Panorama | Rock Lake Video
Clear skies for the 15th annual Rock Lake rocket launch, <br />about 50 km southeast of Lethbridge, Alberta... the distant "Writing On Stone" hills... breakfast... Perry's travelling workshop... and his Honest John... Greg Dietlein preping his 'N' powered rocket... Robert with his "Patriot"... flyers from Saskatchewan... RockLake 15... RockLake 15... Graham... RockLake 15... RockLake 15... Ian's J290 powered Tomahawk... prelaunch meeting... prelaunch meeting... It doesn't get any better, lawn chairs and rockets <br />on a warm summer afternoon... RockLake 15... RockLake 15... RockLake 15... RockLake 15... RockLake 15... Greg setting up his 'N' launch attempt... successful liftoff, on a twelve foot flame and about 800 lbs of thrust.<br />The rocket went very high but unfortunately the main deployed at apogee by <br />mistake. Greg eventually found the rocket about 3 km from the site. Ian with his Tomahawk... this was a level 3 certification flight, flying a J290 motor... the rocket also carried an ARTS2 flight computer <br />for dual-deployment recovery... anxious spectators... liftoff... Tomahawk, photo by Sue Dietlein... the rocket flew to around 3900 ft <br />where the streamer deployed... and then the main deployed around 400 ft... but the most remarkable thing of all... was that the rocket drifted back and landed just <br />a short distance from the launch site... RockLake 15... RockLake 15... RockLake 15... Richard's rocket had a bad day... it appears a failure of the motor end cap caused the <br />escape of propellant into the forward section... and the subsequent destruction of the rocket... but the remains still managed a soft landing... RockLake 15... RockLake 15... RockLake 15... RockLake 15... RockLake 15... RockLake 15... RockLake 15... RockLake 15... RockLake 15... RockLake 15... RockLake 15... geese... sunset after the first day... the calm clouds did not hint at the thunderstorm <br />that would arrive during the night... The following morning brought brilliant blue skies... descending close to the half-moon... RockLake 15... RockLake 15... RockLake 15... RockLake 15... RockLake 15... RockLake 15... RockLake 15... RockLake 15... RockLake 15... RockLake 15... RockLake 15... RockLake 15... RockLake 15... RockLake 15... wildflower after the rain... end of the line.