First post here in a long time! I got the notification that my 3-year website hosting fee will renew next month, and I can’t believe it’s already been 3 years since I set up this site. I will renew and I look forward to what the next 3 years bring of rocketry and blog content.

I flew my first rocket of 2022 this past weekend. I didn’t have many flights planned for this year in the first place, partly because of the big Pyromania project on an M1419, but also because Sam and I are getting married in August! I wanted to make sure we’d be able to pay for all of it before I spent a bunch of money on burning rocket propellant.

For the Kloudbuster’s return to the Rocket Pasture for the July Fun Fly, I launched my 38mm minimum-diameter Star Cruiser on an I600R. I wanted to see that it could hold up to the 50+ G-loading before I bought the Loki 38-1200 reload, the K627. I forgot my fly-away rail guides at home, so I got cozy with the club’s giant launch tower for minimum-diameter rockets. I had to adjust the guides down from a 54 or 75mm diameter to my 38mm size which took over and hour to get right. Fortunately, I’d prepped the rocket a couple days prior without issue, and I still remember how to assemble an Aerotech motor reload, too.

I sent up Star Cruiser on an I600R to 8610ft (x m) and it pulled 60.3Gs on boost! It came down drogueless and while the main appeared to have deployed, I didn’t get any telemetry packets as to where it landed. After some wandering, I came across a guy who was digging out his 38mm minimum-diameter flight that lawn-darted from 18000ft (x m) and said he saw it come down a ways further south. Turns out he was exactly right, and thanks to his input, he spared me hours of searching.

Everything returned intact, with just a few scratches from the rustry launch tower. Even my ABS-printed avbay sled held up without issue. Looks like I’m good to go to fly this thing on a K627!