Flight reports and Videos
All the .AVI videos below require
the DivX codec
BTW - if you don't already have it, you
should view these animations using the
Wolfgang's Woldo Player - trust me, it kicks ass for reviewing movies Frame
by Frame.
VIDEO FROM VIDROC 1.x
Flight | Version | Flight Notes and additional pictures | Altitude | Motor | Full speed video | Half Speed Video | + ground tracking |
1 | 1.0 |
Stable launch, great video, but recovery charge failed and crashed |
n/a | Estes D12-3 |
3.1 mb | 1.6 mb | n/a |
2 | 1.5 |
2 Stage launch, vectored off a bit but good recovery and video |
n/a | Estes D12-0, D12-5 |
3.9 mb | 4.3 mb | 644 k |
3 | 1.5 |
Stable launch but still vectored off a bit, good recovery and video |
n/a | Estes D12-5 |
2.2 mb | 1.7 mb | 3.9 mb |
4 | 1.6 |
Flown at LDRS 20, stable flight with too much spin. Video wasn't great, mostly because the receiver batteries were not at full capacity. Launched side by side with Peter's "Big Kahuna", you can just see the tail of it whipping past the bottom of the screen, moments after lift off. (specially in the 1/2 speed version) |
n/a | Aerotech G33-7 |
1.7 mb | 1.9 mb | n/a |
5 | 1.6 |
What it it about this configuration that incites it to crash? Nice footage but the audio cut out, so I added commentary about the flight. I think the D9 was a little too little motor. |
n/a | Aerotech D9-4 |
1.0mb | 1.8mb | n/a |
6 |
1.6 |
First attempt at using the a MAD deployment system - unfortunately it blew the ejection charge just off the launch pad - cool "CATO vision" video and if you look closely you can see Peter's Big Bertha lift off. |
Aerotech F12-5 |
1.6mb | 2.0mb | n/a | |
7 |
1.6 | Moments after flight 6's disaster, I dusted her off and used an Estes E9 put the beast up and over. Nice classic launch footage but it arced over and of range. I was able to pick up some of the recovery. | Estes E9-4 | 1.6mb | 3.5mb | n/a |
Flight | Flight Notes and additional pictures | Altitude | Motor | Full speed video | Half Speed Video | + ground tracking |
1 |
Stable launch, stable flight, great video, perfect recovery |
611' | Estes D12-0, D12-5 | 2.5 mb | 5.5 mb | n/a |
2 |
Vectored off the launch pad and crashed, some video |
377' | Estes D12-0, D12-5 | 800 k | 1.9 mb | 967 k |
Flight | Quick Notes (flight reports to come) | Altitude | Motor | Full speed video | Half Speed Video | + ground tracking |
1 |
Wobbly launch, stable flight, perfect recovery |
420' | Estes D12-3 | 1.5 mb | 2.0 mb | n/a (yet) |
2 |
Wobbly launch, stable flight, lost the booster but recovered the camera. |
450' | Estes D12-5 | 1.4 mb | 2.0 mb | n/a (yet) |
3 |
Stable launch, stable flight, minor chute melting but good recovery. |
n/a | Estes D12-5 | 1.1 mb | 1.8 mb | n/a (yet) |
4 |
Stable launch, but the rocket broke up in flight (hate it when that happens) |
815' | Aerotech E15-7 | 513 k | 930 k | n/a |
5 |
Stable launch, stable flight, but it lost the parachute at the apogee. We recovered all parts in "operational" condition |
1226' | Aerotech E15-7 | 2.6 mb | 2.2 mb | 3.3 mb |
7 |
Stable launch, stable flight, but it lost the parachute at the apogee. We recovered all parts in "operational" condition. Note: The .AVIs here play @ 60fps. Also note that flight 6 sucked so bad I skipped posting it. |
n/a | Aerotech E15-7 | 1.5 mb | 2.3 mb | n/a |
9 |
New booster design that for some reason introduced A LOT of spin. Cool launch and artistic looking footage. It spun so hard it shutdown the transmitter - whadayagointado? |
n/a | Aerotech E15-7 |
970k | 1.4mb |
Fun "bonus" video; I took Flight 5's video, put it through a film filter and added Nasa's Apollo 13 audio. | 9.6 mb |
VIDEO FROM WHV ( Wart-Hog Video)
Flight | Quick Flight Notes | Altitude | Motor | Full speed video | Half Speed Video | + ground tracking |
1 |
Stable flight, great video, unfortunately
it was "tumble recovery on the camera" as the connecting hook
broke. |
(est) 800' | Aerotech G35-4 | 2.0 mb | 1.9 mb | Slo-mo Free Fall 2.2 mb |
2 |
Stable flight, weak video (I think I need to adjust the transmitter), perfect 2 parachute recovery. Flown at LUNAR's June 17th club launch. As I said, it's not great video reception (and there is no audio), but watching the rocket exhaust shadow on the ground is very cool. |
n/a | Aerotech G38-4 |
n/a | 1.7 mb | n/a |
VIDEO FROM VIDROC 4.0
Flight | Quick Flight Notes | Altitude | Motor | Full speed video | Half Speed Video | + ground tracking |
1 |
Stable flight with a little too much spin, bad video reception (new antenna trial), perfect recovery. Flown at LUNAR's May 19th club launch. |
(est) 1100' |
Aerotech G80-7 |
583K | 1.2 mb | 418k |
2 |
Stable flight with a little too much spin, bad video reception as well, perfect recovery with the landing captured on video. Flown at LUNAR's May 19th club launch. |
1131' | Aerotech G80-7 |
n/a | 3.0 mb | n/a |
3 |
Stable flight (not much spin), great video reception (using a new antenna), perfect recovery though the video signal was lost before touchdown. | (est) 600' | Aerotech F20-4 |
2.6 mb | 4.2 mb | n/a |
4 | Stable flight with little spin, not great video reception LONG recovery footage. Great altitude. I think the primary reason the video wasn't as good had to do with the receiver being much further away from the launch pad. Flown at LUNAR's June 17th club launch | 1297' | Aerotech G80-10 |
n/a | 2 mb | n/a |
VIDEO FROM VIDROC 5 (and Gumby flights)
Flight | Flight Notes and additional pictures | Altitude | Motor | Full speed video, Full Flight | Half Speed Video (launch only) | Half Speed Video Full flight |
1 |
Wonderful launch, decent video signal, facinating recovery. Flown at LUNAR's June 17th club launch |
n/a | Aerotech G38-4 |
3.5 mb | 960 k | 6 mb |
2 |
Flown at LDRS 20, this was my High Power Level 1 qualifying flight! Great video, lots of spin, amazing altitude. I don't know how high it went but it had to be better than 1500' just based on rough calculations. |
n/a | Aerotech H180-W |
2 mb | 2.1 mb | |
3 |
Side by side results using a stock XCam receiver and one fitted with a HyperLink Technologies' HyperGain antenna. Flown at LUNAR's August 5th club launch. |
n/a | Aerotech G38-7 |
Antenna test 1.7mb |
n/a | 4.6mb |
4 |
Day Launch at Black Rock - sort of flew out of range but nice footage |
n/a | coming | soon | ok? | |
5 |
Flown on top of the Night Owl at Black Rock's night launch pretty cool but didn't yield a lot of footage. The long version includes footage from when we picked it up from its landing site. |
n/a | Aerotech
H165 Redline
|
n/a | 330k | 1.9mb Includes retrieval |
7 | Aerotech H180 |
1.3mb | ||||
8 |
XPRS Gumby Launch, the video! |
Aerotech H180 |
14mb | |||
9 |
Gumby On Evening Magazine |
Aerotech |
VIDEO FROM VIDROC Junior
Flight | Flight Notes and additional pictures | Altitude | Motor | Full speed video, Full Flight, (60fps) | Half Speed Video (launch only) |
4 |
Stable and straight launch, decent video signal, fun recovery. (I finally catch one!) Where are the other 3 Vidroc Jr flights? The first one is here but the other 2 weren't worth posting. |
n/a | Estes C6-3 |
3.2 mb | 1.4 mb |
VIDEO FROM VIDROC DMC (was Eye)
Flight | Quick Flight Notes | Motor | Full Flight (15fps) DivX | Real Video |
1 |
Fascinating first successful launch of this on board digital video capture system. |
AT G33-4 |
2.7mb | 2.6mb |
2 |
Cool "minimal" diameter rocket. Maybe should have waited for the sun to rise higher. |
D12-3 | 1.6mb | 1.8mb |
3 |
Second launch of the minimal diameter rocket. The camera is tilted way to close to the body but the footage is still kind of cool, especially at the end when the booster bumps up against the camera. |
E9-4 | 2.4mb | 2.5mb |
4 |
First launch of the camera fitted into an Aerotech payload section, launched at the Lunar Club launch on Feb 16, 2002. Full flight, all the way back to the ground. Delay charge was a little too long but recovery was perfect. |
G64-7 | 5mb | 5.4mb |
5 |
New camera layout flying "minimal" diameter booster. Much improved camera angle, real nice footage. You get to see Jamie catch the rocket at the end of the footage. (weee) |
D12-5 | 3.1mb | 2.6mb |
6 |
First flight of the Patriot DMC using the radio control pull-pin switch. Flown at Aeronaut 2002 |
G35-4 | 2.5mb | 2.7mb |
7 |
Second flight of the Patriot DMC, on an H128 at XPRS. The dang launch lugs tore off and the flight was less than straight. (It's going to use rail buttons next) Interesting footage, if you look closely you can see the booster falling, the chute twisted and never fully opened but there was only minor damage. |
H128 | 2mb | 2.8mb |
Flight | Quick Flight Notes | Motor | Full Flight DivX | Real Video |
1 |
Maiden voyage showed the C6-3 to just have enough scoot to get this bird in the air. Some great stills in the video, I hope to post them soon. |
C6-3 | 1.3mb | 1.0mb |
2 |
If you watch just after the launch you can see Roger's rocket lift off from the pad. Once Junior is down on the ground you can see the smoke still coming out of the body tube. |
C6-3 | 1.4mb | 1.2mb |
3 |
On this launch we also flew "the Screw Machine" a 3" starter kit rocket, it's real easy to see. The landing was a little harsh and the mirror shifted a bit. (easy to fix) |
C6-3 | 1.3mb | 943mb |
4 |
In this launch I used an RMS 18mm with a mellow D13-4. Sure spun a lot more than the C6-3 flights. |
D13-4 | 4 mb | 3.1mb |
5 |
For this flight I mounted the DMC Jr on top of my "homage" to the Fireball XL5. Pretty cool footage. |
D12-3 | 2.3mb | 2.mb |
6 |
Flown atop my Omega Booster, with the first stage setup with a 3 motor cluster! Very cool footage but lost a few parachute shroud lines and so the recovery footage is all over the place. Luckily I caught it before it hit the ground. Check out these cool pictures as well. |
(2)C6-3 +1 D12-0 / D12-7 |
4.1mb | 3.2mb |
7 |
Put the DMC Jr. on top of an Estes Screw Machine (yes, that's what it is really called) and loaded a D24-7! Beautiful flight but the 7 second delay was a bit long and for a moment there it looked like it was all over. When the charge did blow one of the shroud lines must have turned off the camera. Short but fun flight. |
D24-7 | 602mb | 600mb |
VIDEO FROM Cineroc 2001
Flight | Quick Flight Notes | Motor | Full Flight DivX | Half Speed |
1 |
First Launch of the Cineroc 2001 system. Single stage, good signal |
D12-3 | 3.3mb | 4.2mb |
2 |
Second launch, 2 Stages. Good signal
but it flies out of range so the signal is lost. |
D12-0/ D12-5 |
1.2mb | 2.2mb |
3 |
Cool footage of a classic Big Bertha launched in the background, but the D12 first stage didn't perform hot enough to keep it from weather cocking, so it flew out of signal range quickly. The rocket was recovered undamaged, but needless to say a bit down range. |
D12-0/ D12-5 |
1.7mb | 2.4mb |
VIDEO FROM Uber-Roc (redux)
Flight | Flight Notes and additional pictures | Altitude | Motor | Full speed video, Full Flight, (60fps) | 1/4 Speed Video (launch only) |
1 |
First flight footage from Mudroc. Things could have gone better. It was starting to rain, the wind was picking up and the rocket shredded under the K1100 thrust. |
n/a | AT K1100 | .8 mb | 1.3mb |
2 |
Uber-Roc Redux launch at Aeronaut, this time on little smaller motor. The rocket was fully rebuilt (except the fin can and motor mount) and flew great. I tried positioning the antenna differently and the launch footage suffered but the recovery footage was interesting. I plan to edit key moments from the video but for now here are some stills. |
2700' | AT J350 | STILL IMAGES | |
3 | Spectacular footage from XPRS. Went to about 2800', with a little too much spin for my tastes BUT the deployment of the recovery system is very cool. |
2800' |
AT J350 |
3mb | 4.5mb |
Flight | Flight Notes and additional pictures | 1/2 speed video |
1 | 2 mb | |
2 |
Next kick ass launch |
4 mb |
3 | 3.1 mb | |
4 | Triple E booster | 2.3 mb |
5 | Potty Animal | 9.4 mb |
6 | Jamie's Flippi-Twin (2 Stage) | 7.9 mb |
7 | Mike Brest's Flippi-Twin (2 Stage) | 5.4 mb |