Liberty Launch Systems

ROCKETS Magazine V8 I5
Rocketry News
Dog House Rocketry, LLC
Presents the Drill Guide Tool
The Drill Guide Tool is designed to aid in drilling perpendicular holes in tubes and also works well on flat stock. This tool
is especially handy when drilling through a tube into center rings
for mounting rail buttons. The tool comes with two installed steel
guides for 3/8” and 1/4” and utilizes steel inserts for 5/16”, 3/16” and
1/8” to cover standard fractional sizes. Please contact us for other
steel insert sizes (fractional and number sizes) that can be made
to meet your needs. Drill bits are not included. The tool is painted
with a 2-part automotive clear coat paint to provide a tough, smooth
surface that reduces the chance of scratching painted tubes.
The Drill Guide Tool will fit between the fins on a 3-fin
38mm body tube, and on a 4-fin 54mm body tube. It will not work
on 29mm and smaller body tubes.
Website: http://doghouse.blastzone.org/
Altus Metrum
Introduces the EasyMega
Keith and Bdale are pleased to introduce the EasyMega, a
new flight computer that has 6 pyro channels and enough sensors to
lock out pyro events based on conditions like tilt-angle from vertical.
EasyMega is an ideal solution for complex projects with air-start or
multi-stage engine ignition requirements.
Choose TeleMega for a complete in-airframe solution
including radio telemetry and GPS, or EasyMega if you already have
a tracking solution and just need intelligent control of multiple pyro
events.
Website:http://gag.com/bdale/blog/posts/EasyMega_v1.0.html
rocketsmagazine.com
By Dick Stafford
Countyline Hobbies
Announces their new web store
After a year as an on-site vendor for Tripoli Fort
Wayne, Tripoli Indiana, and Tripoli Michiana, Mr. Bob is
proud to announce his new online store, www.countylinehobbies.com. Our goal is to show only what is in stock as
we don’t want unexpected back orders. But, we will gladly
special order what you want. Our selection spans from Mini
motor kits to fiberglass high power kits and parts, with more
items added constantly. If you are looking for a vendor for
your rocket launch in the Great Lakes area contact us and
we may be able to help. We carry Aerotech, CTI and Estes
products.
Once again we will be sponsoring a drag race at
Thunderstruck. This year it will be LOC Caliber ISPs with
Aerotech I205W DMS motors. For more information, questions, or to join the drag race, call M-F 10:00 - 3:00 S 10:005:00 EST 574-540-1123 or e-mail atcountylinehobbies@
yahoo.com
Website: www.countylinehobbies.com
Loki Research
Certifies four exciting new reloads
Loki Research is pleased to announce the first four reloads
certified by Tripoli Motor Testing under the ownership of Scott
Kormeier. The M3464 Loki Blue (pictured) is the 2nd largest 75/76mm
motor available on the market today and is designed for our 76/8000
compatible hardware. The motor specifications are: Total impulse
– 9,395.24 Ns; burn time - 2.71 seconds; peak thrust – 973lbs; and,
average thrust -778.7 lbs.
The M3464 was tested with a new Head-End Ignition Smoke
Grain, which performed as designed. These are intended for use in
minimum diameter 2 or 3-stage flights using the newer 76mm & 54mm
extended bulkheads. They are designed as a “wired” smoke grain and
allow for the attachment of a standard motor igniter. Although TMT
does not certify Head-End Ignition for commercial motor use, they
have stated it would be viable as an “experimental/research” ignition
option.
The three other motors certified during this session include
the M1650 “Loki Cocktail” (6,534.7Ns) for the 76/6000 hardware,
the J300 Loki Red (1,208.8Ns) and the K527 Loki Red (1,983.34Ns)
for the 54/1200 & 54/2000 hardware. Visit our website for pricing
and www.facebook.com/LokiResearch for future certification
announcements.
Website: www.LokiResearch.com
ROCKETS Magazine V8 I5
Dan Crank’s Wildiman Level 1
Back in the infant years
of
high-power rocketry, Tripoli Wisconsin was formed
in September 1989 by David Sutton and two others.
Several years later, Tripoli Wisconsin Association
(TWA) was formed, which grouped the Wisconsin
Tripoli Prefectures together: Tripoli Madison, Tripoli
Green Bay, and Tripoli Wisconsin, along with Tripoli
Northern Illinois and Tripoli Chicago. Today, under
the faithful leadership of Frank Nobile, Dan Byra, and
Bob Justus, TWA is alive and well, holding monthly
launches at Bong Recreation Area near Kenosha,
Wisconsin. On a whim, TWA joined forces with the
Quad Cities Rocketry Society (QCRS) in a bid to host
the thirty-third rendition of Tripoli’s annual national
launch: LDRS, at “The Bong.”
As with any large event, there are some
challenges. The Bong, as it is commonly referred
to, is a nature preserve that was once destined to
be a Strategic Air Command bomber base. Richard
Bong State Recreation Area is 4,515 acres of the
Wisconsin state park system. It is located in the town
of Brighton, in Kenosha County. The park is on land
once intended for the Richard Bong Air Force Base,
whose namesake is World War II veteran aviator
Major Richard Ira Bong.
Richard Ira “Dick” Bong, born September 24,
1920, and died on August 6, 1945, was the United
States’ highest-scoring air ace, having shot down at
least 40 Japanese aircraft during World War II. He
was a fighter pilot in the U.S. Army Air Forces and
was a recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor.
All of his aerial victories were in a P-38 Lightning.
After his release from active duty, Major Bong
became a test pilot assigned to Lockheed’s Burbank,
California plant, where he flew P-80 Shooting Star
jet fighters out of the Lockheed Air Terminal. On
August 6, 1945, on the acceptance flight of a P-80,
the plane’s primary fuel pump malfunctioned during
takeoff. Major Bong either forgot to switch to the
auxiliary fuel pump, or for some reason was unable
to do so. Major Bong ejected from the aircraft, but
was too low for his parachute to deploy. The plane
crashed into a narrow field at Oxnard St. and Satsuma
Ave. in North Hollywood. His death was front-page
news across the country, sharing space with the first
news of the bombing of Hiroshima.
What was days away from being a 2.5mile-long paved runway for the heavy aircraft has
become one of the premier launch sites for highpower rocketry, as well as an active recreation park
used by hunting dog trainers, naturalists, ATV and
off-road motorcycle enthusiasts, radio controlled
rocketsmagazine.com
Thurdsay
Day one of LDRS 33 was filled with excitement and anticipation. The local members
who flew at The Bong knew what to expect, but the uninitiated fliers were wide-eyed as they entered the
park. The long and winding road didn’t appear to be heading anywhere close to what most rocketeers
would consider a flight line. The tall grass and clumps of trees obscured the final destination. There
were signs along the roadway cautioning anyone driving through this section of the Richard Bong State
Recreation Area that they were in a rocket-recovery zone. After a couple of more left turns it all became
clear: there was a large parking area, vendor booths and tents, registration, RSO, first aid, and an LCO
station. There was also a deep field that would be the flight line for LDRS 33. “Yes, Virginia, there is
going to be a rocket launch.”
Once the fliers and spectators were settled in and understood the lay of the land, it was obvious
that the flight line would be obscured by the increasingly deep rows of pop-up tents, trailers, and
the event front-line tents. All the spectating and launch viewing was best served from the front-line
spectator area. While most large launches have the fliers parking area/rocket-preparation pits running
perpendicular to the flight line and at times running well over a quarter of mile in length, the setup at The
Bong was different. It was only about 200 feet wide with about 2.5 feet in depth to work with. LDRS 33
took up about a third of mile from one end of the parking area to the furthest away cell.
As is typical with any large event, the early participants spent the beginning of the day getting
settled in, meeting with old friends, and getting projects prepped in the comfortable Wisconsin
weather.
The day started off testing the upper-level winds, which remained light throughout the event,
with some of the smaller projects. There were 83 low- to mid-power flights on the first day. There was
a large contingent of young fliers from Wisconsin. They included Tessa Hoag, Sabrina Sager, Cody
Cayemberg, Mikel Lewis, Brandon Cayemberg, Adam Hall, Josh Beyer, Colton Ebert, Joel Oquist, Tom
Disch, Chris Dufy, Allen Rollin, Rex Reynolds, Mark Pusch, Frank Roushar, Jeff Annis, Justin Treptow,
Eric Bergschultz, and Jerry Huebner.
John Glasswick of Calgary, Alberta, launched his white/orange Black Brant on an H-123. Lance
Lickteig, better known as the President of the KLOUDbusters, launched his Arcas D’Herman on an H123. Royce Bean also used H-123 power for his Big Bertha flight. Dan Vento cranked off his Quasar
on an H-128. Brad Hall made good use of H-255 power with his PAC 3 flight. Tripoli Board of Directors
member Gerald Meux joined the LDRS H-powered fun with his H-399-powered project called Board of
Directors. Rex Reynolds boosted his WAC Corporal low and slow with an H-73.
Richie Milliken went for his Level One certification with Leviathan, powered by an H-128. Pavel
Pinkas holds a Ph.D. and thought this would be the time to really step it with a Level One certification on
his H-180 Skidmark-boosted Mathilda. Bob Netz reached for his Level One certification with his Small
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John Glasswick’s Black Brant
ROCKETS Magazine V8 I5
Royce Beane’s Bertha
Kevin Harnack’s No Name Level 1
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Cayemberg family drag race
ROCKETS Magazine V8 I5
Tripoli President Stu Barrett
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etc. required a great deal of extra man-hours.” Randy mentioned
some early concerns with the process, “We started early with the
pre-registration, and while the advanced registration started out
slowly, which worried us a bit in the beginning, by the end we were
pleased by the turnout.”
George Pike had time on his hands with the launch of Timex
IV, with a J-250 in the business end of the rocket. Greg Olson made a
statement with his Get Out and Vote, powered by a J-250 Skidmark.
Greg also blasted his X-Celerator/Eagle #2 off the pad with a J315.
Kevin O’Neil boosted his Minnie Magg nicely with a J-290.
Tripoli Board Member and Kansas LDRS organizer Bob Brown
flew his Smashing Pumpkins on a J-336. Diane Dorn busted off her
Warlock on a J-350. Joe Schneider boosted his Stretched Tethys
on a J-420. Paul and Russell Rogowski launched Midnight Sky’s
Afterlife on a J-394 G. Devin Fumarolo took to the skies with his
Hyper Loc 300 on a J-425. Chuck Durst used J-430 power to launch
his Nike Smoke for a nice flight. Dan Vento boosted his Hyper Loc
835 on a powerful J-514.
A J-675 was the order of the day to get George Pike’s Bring
on the Wonder into the sky. “Crazy Jim” Hendricksen hammered his
Wildman Vindicator with a J-760. Eric Cayemberg also used a J-760
to boost his 4-inch Jart off the pad quickly and cleanly.
Mark Koelsch flew his 4-inch-diameter, 92-inch-tall Utility
Rocket on a J-825 Redline motor. The orange, yellow, and black
rocket was made from phenolic tubing laminated with Kevlar sock
and Aeropoxy. The fin can was laminated with tip-to-tip carbon
fiber over a G-10 core. The flight went perfectly, as Mark hoped
and expected after flying variations of this design for the past 13
years. As Mark commented, “The site has its challenges, but being
a local, I am used to it. This is a refinement of my L2 bird. It has
gone through several upgrades/refinements. I recommend taking
your time and figuring out solutions to problems when they arise
versus perpetually trying to fly bigger and bigger motors and having
issues.”
Launch Director Frank Nobile, who has been a Tripoli flier
since 1996, commented on the advantages and disadvantages of
running a large international launch: “The advantage of running a
club launch is that it has become very easy and pretty much the norm.
Tripoli Wisconsin and its affiliated prefects conduct twelve launches
a year. This includes universities and middle school competition
launches. So managing a large launch venue like LDRS 33 was
a good challenge. Every LDRS prep meeting we always had an
agenda that we stuck with. Cooperation from all four prefects worked
hand in hand. At the end of each meeting I always encouraged them
by saying “It’s just another launch.” Randy addressed the turnout:
“The turnout was what we sort of predicted. It was either going to
be our thirty local people plus fifty from out of state, or hundreds
of rocketeers that wanted to fly somewhere different. I thought the
turnout was a comfortable crowd and it was.”
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Vern Knowles’s Coldfire
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Bill Wagstaff’s F-150
Jason Griffin launched his appropriately named Don’t Blink on a blistering K-4000. Bill Gack flew
Sub-Lime with a K-456. Dan Vento had a K-540 Metal Storm motor powering his Deep Purple off the
pad. Vern Knowles had Kate, the talking GPS/Flight Recorder, on board with his K-550 launch of Cold
Fire.
Randy Lutz woke up the neighbors with his Teeter Tooter on a K-675 Skidmark. George Pike was
back in line to launch his Long Walk Home on a K-900.
Eric Cayemberg launched on of the most elaborately painted rockets, his Green Mamba on an
L-1300 Blue motor for an outstanding flight. George Pike kept ratcheting up the impulse and launched
The Mummers Dance on an L-800.
Bill Wagstaff had his Formula 150 thundering off the pad on an L-820 Skidmark motor. Brent
Lillesand launched Muhicle on a fast-burning L-910. Andrew Grippo made the long trip from Louisiana
to fly his Cawcajun on an L-930 for a great flight.
Chuck Nozicka made good use of M-1300 power for the boost of his V-2. Sather Ranum had a
spectacular launch out of a single Patriot Mobile Launch System. The scale rocket was powered by an
M-1315 and looked like the real thing exiting the mobile launcher.
Bill Bertoldi flew his rocket called My Level 3 on an M-2505. Ponchatoula, Louisiana’s Andrew
Grippo tested the 10,000-foot waiver with his M-2550-powered flight of Aunt Tina Roo.
The first day of the first LDRS in Wisconsin was completed with no major issues or meltdowns.
Everyone that wanted to fly on this first day got their projects into the sky with an unusually high
percentage getting them back in one piece. The organizing and operational teams from Tripoli Wisconsin
and Quad Cities could take their first long breath as the last rocket settled gently back to the ground. The
relatively early shutdown gave all the participants enough time to secure their camps for the evening
and make plans for the next round of rocket launching, scheduled for 9:00 A.M. the next day.
Friday
Day Two of LDRS 33 was in full swing under a clear blue sky with light winds. The
launching environment was perfect for an LDRS. The heat and the dust that defined other LDRS events
were out of everyone’s mind as they prepped and flew their projects at the Richard Bong Recreational
Area.
Communication is a crucial element to any large-scale launch. Information needs to be transmitted
quickly and efficiently. Frank Nobile addressed this after the first day of flying was behind him. “That was
one of the things TWA (Tripoli Wisconsin Association) was most concerned about. Also one of my main
goals when having any kind of a launch event is to have ample audio to cover most of the attendees and
launch participants. Luckily the Quad Cities Prefect helped out and provided a nice sound system that
worked very well.” Randy Lutz added, “The launch system was provided by QCRS / Brad Wilson. The
PA system was a combination of TRA and QCRS equipment. Both worked exceedingly well throughout
the launch.”
Day Two of LDRS 33 would see 106 low- and mid-power flights take to the skies. Each of these
flights was given the same level of pre-launch detail as any of the larger-impulse projects. The spacing
of the various pads allowed for placing the rockets on the pads while the high-power pads down the
lane were in operation, and vice versa.
John Glasswick sent his Black Brant skyward on an H-120. John also flew his Callisto on an
H-54 for a long-burn flight. Bart Johll Boosted his No Name rocket on an H-120. Randy Vandergaast
slapped Lil’ Red off the pad with an H-123. Al Casper launched his V-2 and his Bull Pup with an H123. H-123 motors were also used on Brad Haugan’s Barkyardigan’s, Dan Jurle’s Mystic Buzz, Peter
Cadra’s MR-1, and Jerry Huebner’s Falcon.
Brad Hall flew his Te-Bo on an H-143. Eric Bergschultz took the leash off his Little Dog and let it
run with an H-148. Mike Hoag put up his Patriot with an H-148. Chandra Hoag levitated her Maleficent
with an H-148. Theo Katowski used an H-0153 to launch Orange.
Diane Dorn had some fun launching Mr. Potato Head on an H-159 and an H-180 Skid Mark.
Chad Rogers blasted Rize of the Fenix off the pad with an H-165. Justin Treptow powered his Mega Der
Red Max with an H-165. Steve Craft put his Wildman Jr. into the air with an H-170. Scott and Sabrina
Sager squirted Orange Whip into the blue sky with an H-182.
Bob Netz used an H-220 to boost his Small Endeavor. Chris Bertrand powered his Darkstar Jr.
with an H-225. Todd Koutny launched his Mini Magg, called Hog Wild, with an H-225. Carol Lutz blasted
Kicking and Screaming 2 off the pad with an H-225. George Pike trashed his Honest John after a great
boost with an H-242.
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Bill Bertoldi’s Beat The Bears, Bill is in yellow shirt
ROCKETS Magazine V8 I5
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Wayne Nigliaccio’s Blackie
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Todd Benzschawl’s German Pirde
Charles Swindler’s Albino Assault
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The flight of Michael Reese’s Mad Dog
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Robert Anthony’s Pyramid
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recovery eventually coming out, after increasing
the pucker factor significantly. Eventually the
webbing and parachutes sorted themselves
out, and Jaycoke Zero was under a multicolored
parachute on its way back to the tall grass 50
feet in from the runway.
George Pike whisked his All Souls Night
into the sky with an M-1350 for a nice flight.
Jason Griffin punched his Gizmo XL off the pad
with an M-2000 Research Albino Assault motor
for a great flight and recovery. Bill Wagstaff had
classic flight with his Nike Smoke, boosted on
an M-2250.
Jackson Lubin launched his odd roc
called AP Soda. The big plastic recycling
container was 5 feet tall, 20 inches in diameter,
and weighed in at 100 pounds. AP Soda was
powered with an M-3400 to ensure it boosted
cleanly from the rail. Jackson first flew this rocket
at LDRS 30. Jackson explained the project:
“The rocket began as a project with fellow Bong
flyers, and it has finally come home. Four years
ago, Sather Ranum, Marc Stevens, Bill Bertoldi,
and I ordered four plastic garbage cans shaped
like soda bottles with the intent that each would
build their own version of the odd rock and then
all would fly together at Bong. The group flight
at Bong never happened, because participants
chose other launch venues. LDRS 33 was a
’reunion‘ for my AP Soda and Sather Ranum’s
Jay Coke, both of which flew on Friday.” The
up part of Jackson’s flight was perfect. The
rocket achieved 2800 feet. Jackson continued,
“The parachute shredded upon opening due
to manufacturer error, we have resolved this
problem with the manufacturer. One fin was
damaged at landing, but I had expected this to
be its last flight anyway.”
Jerry McKinley had a high-flying, highprofile project on the pad. Jerry’s Pegasus rocket
was flying on an N-2200 and was scheduled to
be a waiver-scratcher. The weather was perfect
for the flight, and the results were equally
flawless. Pegasus screamed off the pad and
was recovered intact.
With LDRS half over, it was time to
take stock on how the launch was going and
where it could be improved. Launch Director
Frank Nobile addressed dealing with the
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
rocketsmagazine.com
Saturday
Saturday is typically the biggest flying day of any large launch, and
LDRS 33 was no exception. The warm, stable weather continued, and that bode well for the fliers and
the large influx of spectators. The crowd of fliers and spectators swelled on Saturday, pushing the
parking area back at least 100 yards or more.
The RSO and LCO were busy, non-stop, and both stations did a great job keeping the inspections
efficient and the rockets flying safely off the pads. Their hard work paid off with 173 low- and mid-power
flights leaving the pads and 126 high-power flights on this third day of the event. By any accounting,
299 flights in one day is a very respectable number. While a fractional percentage of the flights didn’t
perform as planned, it was a very safe day.
Lance Lickteig launched his Arcas D’Herman on an H-112. John Glasswick powered his Callisto
with an H-120. H-123 motors were some of the most popular flown at LDRS 33. On Day Three eight
combinations of the motors were flown, both the White Lightning and the Skidmark varieties. Those
flying H-123 motors included Julie Esche with her This End Up, Pavel Pinkas with The Traffic Cone,
Robert Grygar and his Miranda, Diane Dorn with Mr. Potato Head, Brad Hall and Barkyardigan’s, John
Glasswick flying his Black Brant, Chris Dautel with The Creeper, and Francis Roushar with his Level
One certification flight on his Wildman Jr.
Chris Roemer flew his Sandhawk for the 46th time with an H-128. Chris also flew his Phobos
on an H-129. Jeff Ling went for his Level One certification with his H-128-powered Explorer 38. Brad
Marsh launched his Winter Is Coming on an H-129 in an effort to secure his Level One certification.
David Reynolds flew his Eliminator with an H-135 for the 35th time. Mark Crumpacker boosted Das V-2
with an H-143 and his DX-3 on an H-200. Bob Netz flew his Amraam-3 twice on H-148s. Joel Oquist
used H-148 power in his Diablo.
One of the more-anticipated projects of LDRS 33 was Vern and Mike Hoag’s Patriot Missile
Battery. The quarter-scale missiles and launch trailer were ogled for the first two days of the launch by
just about every participant at the event. The common theme was, “I can’t wait to see this go.” There
were four Patriot missiles in the battery, and each was controlled independently, by Vern. When the
countdown reached one, the first Patriot missile was clearing the top of the battery. Once it was safely
in the air, the second and subsequent missiles began to emerge from their launch silos, powered by
H-148 motors. The boost portion of the project worked great, but the recovery was less than Vern and
Mike wanted, but all the rockets are repairable, and this project will be seen again.
Richard Krumbacher launched his Weasel on an H-151 and his V-2 on an H-152. Russ West
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Eric Cayemberg’s Dog People at launch then at apogee
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Peter Cadra and Team’s Sanity Clause
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Matt Kubik’s Sky Raver
Teresa Wagstaff’s Warlock
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Stan Blatt & Bob Lazzant putting their Madgdeburg,
4 Stick Repulsor on the pad, with help from friends
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Dave Jurk’s Scudbuster
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order to stay within the 10,000-foot waiver.
Judy provided additional details: “I designed and built the
Drag Queen just for LDRS 33. Bong is my home field, and I wanted
to celebrate the home-field launch with an N motor, especially since
the allowance of N motors was a special provision just for LDRS.
Because I’m familiar with the trees and water hazards at Bong, I
didn’t want a big heavy rocket. Instead, I used drag to keep the
rocket low. That’s why I named her the Drag Queen. The name is
also a reference to a Midwest Power tradition in which the loser of
the drag race has to dress in drag. With the help of three tube fins
around the regular fins, the rocket achieved its goals and put on a
good show. After breaking mach, with tube fins, the rocket coasted
to about 9000 feet and then landed 500 yards from the pad. Perfect,
except that it landed in a pond. Thankfully, the parachute had blown
clear of the pond, and we were able to pull the rocket out by the
shock cord.”
LDRS 33 was three-fourths complete, and all systems were
functioning normally and as expected. Randy Lutz commented, “It’s
hard to please everyone!! I do feel, however, that all phases of the
event met our expectations. The park ranger and DNR officials were
exceedingly pleased with the people we brought to the park and
with how well the event was run.”
Frank Nobile said, “I never heard any complaints directly
about the launch. All I heard during the launch was how smooth
and organized the event was working, considering the terrain and
stories about getting Bonged. The weather was a 75% successful
factor. Let’s just say, it was just an old-fashioned LDRS. TRA was
concerned about how safe this event would be at a Wisconsin stateowned park. Well, I guess we had the right stuff, but maybe better
said the right staff. This event woke up many spectators; born-again
rocketeers and members whose membership had lapsed wanted to
join the hobby and questioned when the next launch at Bong would
be. So, all in all, having LDRS at The Bong has been a very good
thing.”
rocketsmagazine.com
Sunday
Dan Crank’s Home Alone
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The final day of LDRS 33 started with
a bang. Four of the new Wildman 6-inch V-2s drag raced
with L-3150 V-Max motors, ripping into the sky to open the
range.
When the smoke cleared, the final day of LDRS was
underway. It was clear, by any measure, this event was
a success. The flights were spectacular, the fliers were
satisfied, safety was maintained, mishaps were minimal,
and the unpredictable Wisconsin weather cooperated.
By Sunday most of the fliers had launched what
they had planned over the course of the event. The action
wasn’t over, but the last day of LDRS fatigue was creeping
in. There were 40 low- and mid-power flights and 48 highpower launches.
Theo Kurowski put Orange Cream into the sky on
an H-100. Gordon McGrew powered his RSO’s Nightmare
with an H-115 Dark Matter motor. Bill Bertoldi kicked off
his Nike Smoke with an H-120. Russell Olp launched
Mendalore on an H-123. Nick Rau slapped Ugly off the
pad with an H-128.
Jim Christensen made use of H-135 power in his
Night Hawk. Eric Cayemberg boosted his Minnie Magg
with an H-144. Chandra Hoag flew Maleficent on an H-148.
Scott Goebel launched his Sea Wolf missile on an H-170.
Don Brudig fired off his Spitfire with an H-182. Robert Rau
got Accentor in the sky with an H-170. Trent Hitchins went
for his Level One certification with Spider Lug, powered by
an H-90.
Gregory Zankle put up his I-161-powered Darkstar
Jr. for a nice flight. Gus Piepenberg launched his Wildman
Gomarc, which is basically a Bomarc missile hiding in
Wildman’s clothing, on an I-180 Skid Mark motor. Steve
Galindo powered Minnie Magg Carbon with an I-195.
Chad Rogers flew his Super Jart on an I-218.
Wayne Nigliaccio was grinning ear to ear with his
I-225-powered Devilish Fun. Bob Netz hammered his
Eclipse with an I-300 for a fast flight. Gregory Olson flew
his Minnie Magg on an I-327 Dark Matter motor. Mark
Joseph launched his Wildman Jr. on an I-566V-Max.
Steve Arnold cracked off his Gas Pig on an I-599. Robert
Rossman blasted his Predator into the sky with three I-366
motors, all lit on the ground.
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Dave Jurk’s Jumangi
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Chad Rogers’ 2 Wycked
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final musings and wanted to “Thank Frank Nobile, Randy and Carol Lutz and Bob Justus and Peggy
Unger for executing what was far and away the best launch I’ve seen yet at Bong and a very successful
LDRS. The essence of LDRS is the truly the people! Bong was a unique site for an LDRS; it wasn’t
everybody’s favorite flying field, though many enjoyed the challenges. Most importantly, it was a unique
venue in a unique location where passionate rocket enthusiasts of all ages and backgrounds could
gather to enjoy one another’s company. Thank you to TWA and QCRS for hosting, and thank you to all
who traveled near and far to make LDRS 33 a genuine success!”
Frank also mused, “Like any other large rocket launch, you have the haves and the have-nots. In
Wisconsin we generally will do a combined launch with TRA and NAR members. When the local Woosh
NAR club heard we were organizing LDRS, it was as though we all were having a national launch at
Richard Bong Recreational Park. It’s not that difficult to organize an LDRS. You need 3 or 4 dedicated
members of your team to make sure all agendas are fulfilled. Volunteers are the greatest assets.”
Randy Lutz looked back and explained, “Hopefully, our LDRS will show others that you do not need a
vast launch site or a huge organizational committee to pull this off. We had 7 or 8 people organizing the
event and 20 or so running the launch. Obviously, having more persons involved would have lessened
the work load on some individuals, but in the end we were successful.
Looking at future opportunities for Tripoli, Randy suggested, “Personally, I think Tripoli, as an
organization, should become more involved in recruiting our youth to explore STEM fields for their careers.
TWA is involved in two such programs. During the spring Tripoli Wisconsin is a major participant in the
Wisconsin Space Grants Consortium’s university rocket competition. We also are a major contributor
to the Rockets for Schools program in Sheboygan. With the cutbacks of NASA’s educational efforts, I
believe Tripoli needs to look into national programs like these to expose students to rocketry.” And with
regard to running an LDRS, Randy offered these words, “I think the organization hosting LDRS needs
a strong leader with a clear vision of how the event will be run. Large groups can get bogged down
debating decisions. Also, do not get too far outside your comfort zone and try to structure your launch
differently. TWA’s motto was ‘It’s just another TWA launch!’”
LDRS 33 was completed, and the organizing committees for the participating clubs can finally
take a well-deserved break. LDRS 33 proved it can be done; all that is needed is the motivation and
the will to succeed. Over the years there the knowledge of running an LDRS increases. If you’re on
the fence with your club, get off, ask for help, and keep the tradition going. Congratulations to Tripoli
Wisconsin and Quad Cities for a job well done. Now it is time to move onward to LDRS 34 in Potter,
New York.
opposite page: Faces in the crowd
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