1	Hey Bubba, Watch This! Flight Report Chuck Pierce TRA 9308 NAR 78629 Southern Thunder Launch Manchester, TN June 3, 2006 1030 am TAPs: Walt Stafford, Tom Binford
2	Overview Rocket attributes Performance Predictions Actual Predictions Preflight Preparations Transportation and Pad Operations Bubba Boost Bubba Recovery Bubba Retrieval and Data Recovery Photo Gallery Acknowledgements
3	Rocket Attributes Rocket Diameter: 6” Rocket Length: 10.5’ Gross Liftoff Weight: 40 lbm Landing Weight: 33 lbm Stability (Calculated using RockSim 7.0) CP Location: 17.5” from base (RockSim Equation) 21.5” from base (Barrowman Equation) CG Location 39” from base (hand measured in flight configuration) Stability Margin 3 calibers (based on conservative Barrowman CP Equation)
4	Performance Predictions Predictions performed using RockSim 7.0 Rocket Attributes GLOW (w/ motor): 40 lbs Landing Weight: 33 lbs Motor: AMW M1350 Total Impulse: 5725 Nsec Max Thrust: 1662N (373 lbf) Burntime: 4.3 seconds Launch 44 fps achieved in 46” of travel Thrust/Weight: 9.3 Main Deployment Altitude: 700’ (pre-set) Velocity at deployment: 101 fps Landing Velocity: 20 fps Flight Time 132 seconds
5	Preflight Preparations Preflight Preparations began at 9:30 am, June 3, 2006. The M1350 reload was loaded into the casing. An error in the AMW instructions gave me great grief. Even though the motor has been on the market for well over a year, the instructions still include an incorrect drawing (though labeled as such) and called out components (specifically, a fiber disk) that are not used with this particular reload. The motor was retained by a 3/8” threaded rod in the forward closure and two #10-24 clips at the aft end. The motor WAS NOT going to kick! The charges were loaded: dual 2.5-gram charges for the drogue, and dual 5.5-gram charges for the main. With the bays still open, the upper airframe section was taken to a safe location (ie, away from the prep area) to test the altimeter/charge continuity before buttoning up the airframe for flight. The settings of the altimeters were 700’ and 500’ (backup) for the Main Deployment. The parachutes were loaded. The 24” B2 Cert-3 drogue and 60’ of ½” tubular Kevlar were easy to pack in drogue compartment. A Rocket Hunter transmitter was electrical-taped to the drogue harness. The main parachute was originally planned to be a Rocketman R14C. With a landing weight of 33 lbs, Hey Bubba was at or above 20 fps, which was verging on unacceptable. Since Rocketman feels that they are too good to publish any substantial data on their line of parachutes, I tossed the R14C into a paper bag and used a military surplus 12’ nylon chute instead, which would give me a landing velocity of less than 15 fps. My fingers were crossed that the Main wouldn’t deploy at apogee, but I had high confidence that the Main deployment would be nominal. I did have to tightly roll up the 12’ Main to fit inside the Main Compartment. The fit of the Main Chute was good, but I recognized that it would take a few extra seconds to fully unfurl and inflate. The aft airframe, forward airframe, and nose cone were stacked. The Drogue and Main Parachute separation joints were secured with four #2-56 nylon screws, each, for shear pins. With the ignitor (homemade fat-headed, nichrome-bridge-wire with Jim Ball Yellowjacket Pyrogen (which is the best ignitor mix I’ve ever used)) lying next to the rocket, the rocket was ready to head to the pad. The time was 10 am, local, and the 14,000-ft waiver was active.
6	Transportation and Pad Operations The time is 10:15, local, and I can no longer think of a good reason not to go to the pad. The ceiling is virtually unlimited, and due to the low humidity, the haze is low. The winds are light and mostly northerly (the predicted direction and good for the field setup). I see Walt Stafford walking nearby and I say, “Walt, I think it’s time.” Walt asks a couple of good questions, and being satisfied that I hadn’t forgotten anything due to nervousness, puts the nose on his shoulder and I sling the business end onto my shoulder. We head East, camera shudders clicking. Next stop: The RSO tent. Dr. Pr’fesser Terry McCreary is RSO’ing. We chat for a few minutes. Pr’fesser scribbles his initials onto the flight card, and we head to the LCO staging area. The Pads are open; so we head to the Away Cell, paparazzi close on our heals. J At the Away Cell, we drop Hey Bubba to the ground. Walt breaks the pad over. I install the igniter. The butterflies are getting active. I question why I hadn’t taken a minute to re-baseline my bladder before heading out here. Too late now. The Paparazzi coax Bubba into posing for a few more glamour shots; Bubba graciously allows me to stand beside him for the photos, well most of them anyway. Walt and I guide Bubba onto the rail, raise the rail and Bubba to the vertical, and lock down the pad. At this point, I could easily have made a joke about Bubba being fully erect, but I just won’t stoop to such depravity! With the exciter box power off and the igniter clips verified not to spark when touched together, I connect the motor igniter to the launch system. Both altimeters were armed and three beeps, each, verify the expected continuity. After few more pictures of the fully erect Bubba, the relay exciter box is armed. The winds are still light, the skies are still clear, and there’s still no reason not to proceed with the launch. We clear the Away Cell and fall back to the LCO area. The butterflies are multiplying, probably exponentially at this point. I really hate those dang insects!
7	Bubba Boost Arriving back at the LCO table, Bubba’s flight card is handed to the LCO. I think that Joe Robinson was LCO’ing, but surprisingly can’t remember for sure. There was a good bit of conversation while we waited for all the pads to clear, to give us the 500’ clear needed for Bubba’s launch, but those dang butterflies must’ve gotten into brain, too; so, I don’t remember much of the chit chat, other than commenting a few times that I was more nervous than I had expected to be. I was extremely confident in the structural integrity of Bubba, but had no control over the Rokitgods who command the winds and rokit-eating trees. The light rack of modrocks and HPR rockets were launched, then Bubba was up. The LCO said some nice things about the rocket and the work I’d put into the rocket (which was much appreciated). Cameras were flashing. People were asking if I was nervous, but I was much too nervous to give a coherent reply. Walt manned the wireless remote. I fired up the RocketHunter and verified that the transmitter was still transmitting. The LCO announced the altitude and staged-deployment settings, checked the skies, then started the countdown. Surprisingly, my knees didn’t buckle. I remember now! Russ Bruner was LCO’ing, because he gave an ungodly slow 10-count. J “10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1-ignition.” Walt presses and holds the ignition button. Smoke oozes from the nozzle, as the massive ignitor tries to light the M1350. The smoke quickly increases, making it obvious that the M1350 was coming to life. A burst of white smoke, and Bubba is hit with 9 g’s, accelerating off the pad. Then, the roar, as Bubba continues to accelerate, arching slightly upwind (a good direction). 4.3 seconds of burn, and the motor shuts off. All systems still nominal. 22 seconds of coast left. Bubba is fadding from sight, but the M1350 tracking smoke is easily visible. Arching over… Tracking smoke still visible. Flickers from Bubba’s clear coat paint also visible.
8	Bubba Recovery Arching over… Event! …big puff… Flickers show that Bubba has indeed separated. And, both halves are still connected! Tracking smoke still aiding visual tracking. Everyone’s pointing skyward toward Bubba, and murmuring, “I’ve still got it.” The tracking smoke finally dies out, but the clear coat in the sunlight make it easy to visually track Bubba. Still descending, quickly, drogue chute clearly doing its job. Bubba comes into full sight between 4000 and 5000 feet, continuing a nominal descent. Drifting overhead, toward the south end of the field. Trees line the south end of the field, of course. 3000’…2000’…1000’. Anytime now…. Butterflies start hopping again. Event! The Nose Cone blows off, with a 5.5-gram bang, and a wad of parachute pops out. The backup charge fires soon afterward. The moment of truth. Of course, I’m blue in the face from not breathing at this point. A few more seconds elapse as the Main struggles to unfurl. Pop! The Main fully inflates! Cheers erupt!. Finally! I smile. It’s almost over. Bubba approaches the south end of the field, but I can’t yet tell if Bubba’s on the field or in the trees. Under the 12’ chute, Bubba leisurely settles to the ground, a couple hundred yards this side of the trees, still on the field! The clock has stopped. Mission elapsed time: ~ 145 seconds. 145 seconds of shear terror, followed by near drunken relief. Thank God for endorphins. J Handshaking, backslapping, congratulations all around. It was finally over. Clearly, the flight had gone per the flight plan.
9	Bubba Retrieval and Data Recovery The rocket was on the field, but barely. 33-lb landing weight. I think I’ll drive to recover Bubba. Sean MacEwan (my guest, on temporary assignment from the Naval Academy to my office) hops into the Bubba Transportermobile., and we drive the half mile to retrieve Bubba. As Sean and I walk up to the Bubba, lying fully stretched out on the ground (~100’ nose-to-stern), Sean asks, “Why did you leave those keys in altimeter switches like that?” Doh!!! Okay, so the prep/flight wasn’t perfectly flawless. I’d forgotten to pull the keys after arming both altimeters. No adverse affect from this goof, just some wounded pride, but I have plenty to spare. :-D Turning off one MAWD, an altitude of 8248’ was beeped. Only 250’ off my prediction. Who knows, with both keys pulled, maybe Bubba would’ve hit 8500 dead on. J The second MAWD was beeping out a weird sequence of numbers; so it was disregarded for altitude determination. IFA Bubba1 is logged on MAWD #2 for later disposition/resolution. Inspection revealed that the redundant charges had both fired for both the Drogue and Main. Everything had worked flawlessly. Hey Bubba, Watch This! Level 3 Certification Successfully Accomplished. June 3, 2006, 10:45 am
10	Photo Gallery
11	Acknowledgements First of all, I want to thank my TAPs, Walt Stafford and Tom Binford. Walt is a local HARA member; so, consultation was easy with him. Tom is in South Carolina; so, he had to trust my documentation and Walt’s assessment, I’m sure. I greatly appreciate the constructive comments and help along the way from both guys! Next, I want to thank Walt again for handling the motor storage for my LEUP, which included the M1350 for Hey Bubba. I know it takes extra work to track motors from multiple LEUP holders, and I want to continue to express my appreciate for this service that Walt provides and for just being an all around great guy! People were jumping at the chance to loan hardware for Hey Bubba. I didn’t end up using it all, but it was all greatly appreciated. AMW 6000Ns Motor Hardware Lee Brock, Tripoli B’ham Prefect Rocketman R14C Lee Brock, Tripoli B’ham Prefect 12’ nylon parachute (military surplus) John Storey, Oak Ridge, TN, but core MC2/HARA Rocketeer Awesome Paint job Lee Brock, Tripoli B’ham Prefect