Chris Gonnerman's Page

AKA: Solomoriah

Location: La Belle, MO, USA

Favorite Quote:

"What does this button do?"

Personal Home Page: http://rocketry.gonnerman.org

RocketReviews.com Pages:


   

2024-10-12

Estes Phoenix Bird

Flight

It was a good flight, going higher than I expected and drifting a bit but recovering with no damage. - B6-4 - Veteran's Park, Macomb, IL [More]

   

Alpha X

Flight

The flight was excellent going up, but due mainly to a flaw in my design, the shroud lines of the parachute were burned off by the ejection charge. Despite returning without a chute, the rocket was undamaged. - A8-5 - Veteran's Park, Macomb, IL [More]

   

Calypso

Flight

The launch was high and straight, deployment was perfect and the rocket recovered with only the slightest nose cone dent in the upper end of the rather thick body tube. - B6-4 - Veteran's Park, Macomb, IL [More]

   

Semroc Mini-Centurion

Flight

It was a low, gentle flight with a good deployment and a recovery close to the stand. - A8-3 - Veteran's Park, Macomb, IL [More]

   

Mo' Skeeter

Flight

As expected, it went up straight, ejected its core and returned under chute in textbook fashion. This rocket has never failed to please. - B6-4 - Veteran's Park, Macomb, IL [More]

   

Estes Sizzler (2171)

Flight

It had been launched just once, in 2007, and I just never flew it again. So I took a shot with the biggest engine, knowing it would be a very high flight and we'd lose sight of it for a bit. I had some hope the 12 inch orange crepe paper streamer would help us find it. No such luck. It was a fast ... [More]

   

Estes Guardian

Flight

My flight was not as high as another rocketeer flying the same model on the same engine, nor was the drift as far despite the wind being a bit stronger at that point. I can't explain it. But it was a good flight with a textbook recovery so I'll take it. - B6-4 - Veteran's Park, Macomb, IL [More]

   

Estes Baby Bertha

Flight

The boost was anemic, suggesting that I shouldn't use B4-4 engines with this rocket; this led to a slightly late deployment, but recovery was excellent and there was no damage noted. - B4-4 - Veteran's Park, Macomb, IL [More]

   

2024-05-18

Mo' Skeeter

Flight

As usual this rocket turned in a pretty flight, weathercocking somewhat into the south wind and then landing under parachute fairly close to the launch stand. - B4-4 - Fairfax Society of Rocketry Site [More]

   

Centuri Bandito

Flight

Despite the small engine it went up fast to a fairly decent altitude; the streamer detached at deployment, but it fell sideways to the ground and was only very slightly damaged. I had hoped to fly it with a B6-6 also but decided not to go on with that, given the visibly poor condition of the ... [More]

   

2015-09-23

Skylark

OpenRocket Design

[More]

   

2014-01-08

Quest Evader Cruise Missile (Kit)

Review

Single stage missile-like rocket with an unusual compound nose cone. I picked this one up while passing through St. Louis; I had never seen one like it.  Not surprising, I later learned, as I was able to find it in the early Quest catalogs on Ninfinger's site, but not on the current ... [More]

   

2010-12-24

Mo' Skeeter (Upscale)

Review

This is my Mo' Skeeter, a 320% upscale of the classic Estes Mosquito . It's a rear-ejection model, which avoids the visible nose cone line that most Mosquito upscales suffer from. Components This rocket consists of a Baby Bertha cone , 6" of BT-60, 6" of BT-20, two 20-60 ... [More]

   

2008-09-25

Scratch New Centurion (Scratch)

Review

  This is my upgrade/semi-clone of the classic Centuri Centurion. It incorporates an offset-tube baffle, breaks at the midline (at the baffle) and features three interchangeable engine mounts: 1x18mm, 2x18mm, and 1x24mm D/E. Cygnus 1x24mm E Engine Mount Kit Cygnus 2x18mm Engine ... [More]

   

2007-09-24

Estes X-Prize Lucky Seven (Kit)

Review

This is a semi-scale model of the Acceleration Engineering "Lucky Seven" rocket, one of the contestants for the Ansari X-Prize. This is a largely plastic rocket. The package includes a three-piece plastic nose cone (two side halves and a bulkhead), a plastic body tube with integral bulkhead, ... [More]

   

2007-08-16

Custom Rockets Galileo Probe (Kit)

Review

Brief: The Custom Galileo is a cute little helicopter recovery rocket. Mine was an Father's Day gift from my wife. This is a skill level 2 rocket. Construction: The kit contains standard BT-20 tube and ogive balsa cone, three small balsa fins, dowels, paper centering ring ... [More]

   

Chris Gonnerman