Apache
| Diameter: | 4.02" | Type: | Sport |
| Length: | 78.25" | Status: | Active - 2 flights |
| Motor Mount: | 54mm | Build Dates: | 2003-08-01 to 2003-11-01 |
The Apache was given to me by Erik Gates as a "thank you" gift for helping out with RocketSilo 2.0. (Thanks, dude.) The stock kit came with a 38mm motor mount, but (oddly) relied on a centering ring to hold the mount in place at the aft end of the tailcone -- that would never do for me, so I substituted a 54mm motor mount, and foamed in the fins. The rest of the rocket is constructed stock, with the exception of an altimeter board in the payload section. It eats 54mm long burns with joy.
Flights
The Apache did quite well on the J90W, so I figured things would be even better with the J135W. And that turned out to be quite true. After a bit of a chuffy start, the J135W picked the rocket up with ease on a straight trajectory, cruising to 5600 feet on a perfectly straight flight path. (Those big Apache fins are awesome.) Ejection was on-time at apogee, courtesy of a MAWD, and recovery was gentle on an R7C.
I had yet to fly the Apache, waiting for a windless day, but one had arrived, so it was time to prep. I used my trusty G-Wiz LC to control deployment, and prepped the rocket for apogee deploy using an R7C. The J90W reload had been sitting around for a long time - at least three years - so it was a little tough to get going. Once it did, the Apache lifted gracefully into the air, absolutely straight with a gentle roll. The rocket arced over, leaving a neat white line from its delay element, and ejected just past apogee, descending slowly to the east end of the flight line.
