Final Flight of the Phoenix (2012-06-27)

The final flight of our Estes "Phoenix" model rocket, fired from a scale seagoing barge. It powers into the sand while still under full thrust. The rocket, previously damaged by several crashes (including one water landing), was a total loss. It will be refurbished for display at the RapidNadion W&M Shipyards, but will never fly again. See our channel page for video of its previous flights. The cause of the crash was likely lack of true-ness in the fuselage or fin assemblies due to these previous crashes. It's also possible the floating launch platform created some instability on rocket ignition, as the guidance rod can be seen to oscillate quite severely in the raw footage. See our website for more: http://www.RapidNadion.com Shot with the following cameras: Sony Handycam HDR-CX130 Casio Exilim FC-150 (high-speed footage only) GoPro Hero HD Muvi Veho Atom Panasonic Lumix S85 Sound & Music: Apollo 10 launch sequence is NASA-released and public domain. Thanks, as always, to YouTube used harmsworth1 for the idea. Music track is "Achilles" by Kevin MacLeod. It is royalty-free and can be found at the following link: http://incompetech.com/m/c/royalty-free/index.html?feels%5B%5D=Action&feels%5B%5D=Epic&page=1 License information for the above track: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Thanks for watching!

Model Rocket Disaster (with on-board video) (2011-06-22)

Our classic Estes "Phoenix" model rocket meets a sod field at high speed. The crash happened because we used too steep an angle for the launch rod (we were trying to compensate for a very high cross-wind). The rocket's recovery system (parachute) did not have time to deploy before impact.

Model Rocket Launch from R/C Boat -- crashes and burns (2011-06-19)

This scratchbuilt recoverable rocket fires from the deck of the 40-inch RC destroyer "702" -- and has a problem. Rocket almost crashes into cameraman, who catches a few frames of the engine smoking and burning before it sinks. Rocket was recovered to fly again.

Model rocket launch with onboard camera (2011-05-31)

After the first crash of this rocket (see related video), we shortened the missile's body and fired it again. The long delay on the D-engine we used resulted in a tense moment.

Model Rocket w/Camera Crashes At Sea (2012-01-08)

This is an Estes Phoenix model rocket, fired from a scratch-built barge pushed by the Dumas electric tug "Farwell." The rocket, heavily damaged from prior misadventures (see our earlier videos), was to be put out to pasture in this launch, by firing it into Peconic Bay without a recovery system (parachute). Two cameras were installed in a custom-built waterproof capsule in its midsection, though only the nose camera functioned properly. Four other cameras captured the launch from multiple angles on a warm December afternoon during the closing days of 2011. To our great surprise, Phoenix glided several hundred feet in near-level flight after engine cutoff, and survived the violent impact with the water with hardly a scratch. It was recovered immediately after landing - along with its cameras. Far from being destroyed, the missile now sits in the RapidNadion storage yards, dry, strong, and ready for another maritime launch! NASA radio chatter sound bites were taken from the NASA archives, and come from the Apollo 9, Apollo 13, and Space Shuttle programs. Thanks to user "harmsworth1" for inspiring us via his "Estes Mercury Atlas Rocket Flt 2" video, featuring similar sound effects. Engine used: D12-7 Cameras used: Sony Handycam HDR-CX130 Casio Exilim FC-150 (high-speed footage only) GoPro Hero HD Off-brand "gum stick" camera For more on our misadventures, visit our website! http://www.RapidNadion.com

Underwater Model Rocket Launch (2011-06-23)

This is an Estes Alpha III model rocket, waterproofed with candle wax and fired from a depth of approximately 9 inches. This was immediately following the great Northeast blizzard of 2010, and the water was very cold. Rocket fired on first attempt! Rocket recovery system did not deploy due to waterproofing glue used to secure engine and nosecone against seawater intrusion. This was not an unexpected failure. Shot with a GoPro Hero HD.