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Mycroft's Flock o' Rockets
Level 1 - LOC EZI-65
 In
the late summer of 1996, I had lots of fun of flying larger rockets
on F and G motors. That fall, I decided to go for my level 1
high power certification in the spring of 1997. Initially, I
built a LOC Minie Magg for that
purpose. However, I later convinced myself that such a short,
stubby rocket wasn't the best choice. In the beginning of
April, I picked up a LOC EZI-65 kit, built and painted it in only a
couple weeks.
On May 10, 1997, a couple friends accompanied me to
the Minnesota Tripoli launch in North Branch. Here's an
excerpt from my launch report as originally posted to rmr:
EZI-65: H123-M
SUCCESSFUL Level 1 certification flight!
I kept it nice, safe, and simple. WRASP had predicted all of 1300
ft. With the wind, I figure that I might have gotten about
1000 ft (at most.) Launch and flight were very nice. That
large 35" chute carried it a good ways downrange but landed it
nice and gentle (albeit in a bare field, just to get it dirty.) No
damage other than one small ding in the paint on one fin.
I made a few modifications to this bird. First, I
added three (reinforced) screws to secure the nose cone to the
payload section. Second, I revised the assembly process so
that I could put substantial
epoxy fillets on the fin tabs inside the main airframe. Third, I put
an eyebolt through a reinforced section of the upper centering ring
and ran 1/16" steel cable up to a loop just inside the upper
end of the main airframe. (This instead of the LOC "glob o'
epoxy" style shock cord mount.) A slightly modified LOC 54 to
38 adapter was used for the motor. The motor was secured into
the rocket using an aluminum retaining plate bolted to three 8-32
blind nuts set into the rear centering ring. Yes, it did turn
out heavy - 44 oz. including the motor adapter and aluminum
retaining hardware.
After such a wonderful first flight, I was looking
forward to flying the rocket on an I motor the next month. In
hindsight, I should've stayed home that day. Here's an excerpt
from another of my launch reports as originally posted to rmr.
 EZI-65:
I161-M
Heartbreak and despair.
Last month, this rocket had a successful maiden
flight on a H123 for my level 1 certification. This month, I wanted
to try it on an I for my last launch of the day. So, I placed it out
on pad 5 and went back to the launch table. I had been taking
pictures all day and was hoping to get a good launch picture of this
rocket (I had forgotten to take one last month.) As I was waiting by
the table, the wind shifted from the SE to the SW, meaning that it
was blowing towards the nearby power lines instead of away from
them. But, I knew that if I waited a few minutes, it would shift
back again. Meanwhile, the guy on pad 6 finished prepping his K550
powered Magnum, came back, and wanted an immediate launch. So,
camera to my face to take a picture of his rocket launching, I hear
this guy go thru the countdown, I hear a rocket motor igniting, I
snap a picture, I realize that his rocket is still sitting on the
pad, I put down my camera, look up, and realize that this guy had
just launched MY rocket on pad 5 instead of HIS rocket on pad
6. So, I watch the rest of the flight, parachute deployment,
and my EZI-65 drift down with the wind to dangle nicely off the DC
high tension power lines about a third of a mile from the pad.
Spit.
After taking a few pictures of my misfortune, I
packed up and left. (For those of you wondering, yes, the wind
did shift back just a few minutes later.) Being a good guy, I
contacted the power company, but since the rocket wasn't causing any
shorting or arcing, they weren't much interested in taking it down.
Then I mentioned how much money I had in it (my 38mm, 360 casing),
and the guy said that he'd see what he could do. I haven't heard
back from them. I guess that I'll have to drive up there this
weekend in the hope that it has blown down. The rocket is a
loss because it has been rained upon, but it would certainly be nice
to get that casing back.
As for the guy with the Magnum, his altimeter
deployment failed resulting in a terminal velocity lawn dart from
5000 ft. (I'm above gloating. Well, maybe just a little.)
I did drive up to the field on the following
weekend, but the rocket was nowhere to be seen. Not on the
power lines, not anywhere on the ground nearby. The power
company claimed that they hadn't taken it down. It might have
blown down during that week and either been picked up by someone
local or just blown away. Of course, I didn't have my name or
phone number on it, and I never saw it again. Expensive lesson
learned!
I ended up having to buy a replacement 38/360
casing. One of these days, I'll get around to building another
EZI-65 (the kit is in my closet, waiting).
In eight years of flying rockets at that site, my
rocket is one of only two that I've ever seen land on those
[obscenity deleted] power lines!
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