AeroTech F30 Metalstorm (2011-07-02)

This is an AeroTech Consumer Aerospace demonstration flight at MDRA's Red Glare VIII. The rocket is an Estes Rubicon painted with Stars and Stripes; and the flyer is my wife, Barbara R. Grocki... aka: The Rocket Girl The motor is a soon to be certified F30 Metalstorm which is a new type of sparky motor in mid-power form. This is sure to be very popular after it is certified in 2011. The reason it is not certified presenly is because of new rules regarding sparky type motors rated 'G' and under are considered to be high-power requiring certification. See my other videos detailing other AeroTech demo flights including a J340 Metalstorm and I320 Loudmouth.

Aerotech G75 Metal Storm (2011-07-02)

This is a clip of an AeroTech G-Force rocket flying on the new AeroTech G-75 Metalstorm motor. This was a demonstration flight by Aerotech's East Coast Representitive Dan Michael. The rocket weighed exactly 3 pounds at the pad and recovery was by motor ejection. Considering the wind... recovery wasn't too bad but like many landings at METRA the rocket did get a little wet from an irrigation ditch. AeroTech will be releasing more 'sparky' style motors called METALSTORM as testing and certification continues. This is a long awaited addition to the already wide and varied AeroTech line of motors. After Red Glare 8 in Maryland (4/16 - 4/18/2010) I should have more video of new METALSTORM motor demonstrations.

Art Applewhite 54mm Stealth Rocket (2011-06-26)

This is a collection of still photo's and video clips of my Art Applewhite 54mm Stealth high power rocket. Please comment and rate positively if you can. I flew it for the first time on September 13th 2009 at our club's home field in Pine Island, NY. The first flight is on an Aerotech J-135 White Lightning and the second flight is on an Aerotech K-185 White Lightning. Watch the guy running in the field just before the K-185 launch. He makes sure to stop and watch the launch. Both motors have a burn time of 7 seconds. Each flight was easy to prepare for and the rocket flew better than expected! I wanted to test this 'airframe' for the possibility of flying in the future at a rocket demonstration where the field will be quite a bit smaller. The rocket never landed further than about 200-250 feet from the launch pad so it will be a great flyer in the small field environment. Because it flies lower and slower than traditional rockets you can experience the flight more personally including more roar of the motor and smoke. The rocket is an easy build and I recommend the kit to be included in any odd-roc small-field fleet. Those 'things' flying around madly throughout the video are the bugs-of-the-day at the field.

Kieley HoJo (2011-07-05)

George Kieley of METRA rocket club flies his 6" Public Enemy Honest John rocket on an AMW L-1400 Skidmark motor. The rocket flew to 1402 feet on a plume of fire, smoke and sparks! The flight was awsome and the recovery very close to the center of the field. The Skidmark motor contains metal flakes that ignite yielding that great 'sparky' look!

Neil Brown Goblin 1 (2011-05-29)

This is the launch of Neil Brown's Polecat Aerospace 10" Goblin. The motor is a LOKI K-830 Spitfire which makes lot's of noise, smoke and sparks! The rocket has single deployment recovery triggered by an altimeter at apogee. This flight was absolutely perfect in every way ending with a very short walk to recover the rocket after flight.

Neil Brown Wocket 2 (2011-05-29)

This launch is of a Polecat Aerospace Wocket! The Wocket is a flying saucer like rocket that just falls back to Earth with out a parachute after reaching apogee or the peak of flight. In this situation the motor did not come up to pressure as it should have causing a spectacular burn on the pad. Considering this is a 'sparky' style motor it has metal flakes mixed in with the propellant to give the shower of sparks effect. Because the rocket stayed on the pad so long the very hot metal sparks actually burned a hole into the blast deflector! You can see the motor exhaust burn through just before the saucer lifts off the pad. The rocket had little damage and no one was hurt although the announcer would have you believe that was possible. Overall, the flight rated 'very cool'!

Pterodactyl NERRF 6 (2011-06-20)

This is our 7.5" diameter, 10' long PML Pterodactyl. The kit was modified with an additional 4' payload section to facilitate dual deployment recovery. That, not to mention it is a lot bigger! The rocket flew on an AeroTech M1845 NT which is from the Karl E. Bauman signature series using the New Blue Thunder propellant. The flight was our best effort yet as this was the largest rocket we have ever flown with the most powerful rocket motor we have ever used. The rocket was recovered with the booster section on the bank of the Wallkill river dirctly behind the flight line. Thanks to everyone noted in the credits for their help in setup, launch and recovery.

Red Glare 9 Pink Pterodactyl (2011-06-03)

This is our largest project to date; a PML 7.5" Pterodactyl lengthened with an additional 48" payload section. The rocket was test flown in June at NERRF (North East Regional Rocketry Festival) in Goshen, NY on an AeroTech M1845 NT. (See other video) This time the rocket was painted pink considering this launch was to support Susan G. Komen For The Cure and breast cancer awareness. Even with the wind the launch was essentially straight up with appropriate arching into the wind at apogee. Recovery was uneventful less than 1/4 mile away in a soft grass field.

Rocket Explosion (2011-06-03)

This is my PML AGM-600 Pit Bull painted like an F/A-18 from The Blue Angels. It was originally supposed to be in memory of Lt. Cdr. Kevin Davis who died in an Air Show back in 2007. Now the rocket is a memory considering the AT M1780 NT motor it had in it spit the forward closure and blasted a giant hole in the side of the rocket. If you look carefully in the video, just after the blast, you can see one of the small 'strake' fins go like a bullet to the right as well as the motor cartwheeling within the void in the smoke on the left.. I am reasonably sure the rocket can be repaired. It is unclear why the motor behaved this way. Everything was done as instructed and the motor case was brand new. I will post details as available.

Steve Eaves' World Record 1:10 Scale Saturn V Rocket (2012-05-18)

(WARNING: a very short moment of language which may be considered offensive at approximately 17-18 seconds into the video... sorry!) This is a clip of the launch of Steve Eaves' 1/10th scale Saturn V rocket. The rocket was built in honor of the 40th anniversary of Apollo 11. This rocket, it's successful launch and recovery was a world record for the largest and heaviest amateur built rocket. Hardly amateur, Steve put his heart and soul into building an amazingly accurate museum-quality creation which now holds a place of honor next to an original Saturn V in Huntsville Alabama. The video is nothing technologically special but a record of what it was like for me and my wife Barbara to be only 600 feet from the launch. It was very exciting as well evidenced by the screams and yelps heard shortly after liftoff!