Thursday night began a dubious tradition for GHS weekends - we work all night on our last-minute projects. Mark and Brad work on a SM2...
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...while Rick works on Mark's exquisite Persius II missile (from The Launch Pad). Most years, we putter in the garage until we are overtaken by fatigue.
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The workbench in the background is only temporarily tidy. By the end of the weekend it is piled with crap, and stays that way for several weeks afterward.
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Mark made an unscheduled trip to the Emergency Room because he nearly cut off the end of his thumb. We've managed to keep this off our list of annual traditions.
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We got it all done despite sleep deprivation and near dismemberment. The last task was the final application of paint to Mark's SM2.
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We were amazed that we filled the entire minivan with rocket stuff. We look back now and are amazed that we could fit our stuff into only one vehicle.
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Basecamp 2000. A pretty loose application of the term -- unfortunately, there is no good word for 'a bunch of stuff dumped on the ground'.
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It was pretty obvious that we were the ham-and-eggers of the launch. The Gila Monster wasn't flown that weekend, but stood tall enough to awe us anyway.
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From left to right: Christian (Rick's son, who came with Rick from Minnesota), Danielle and Stefan (both belonging to Brad).
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Christian was a real trooper and really enjoyed the weekend in the desert. He even brought his own arsenal of rockets to fly.
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Rick brought some cool rockets including a couple of Estes kit bashes.
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The Super Sizzler and the Frankenboy were modified to fly on G55's.
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The Halloweener was made from a carpet tube and a jack-o-lantern.
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It was built on a lark and turned out to be the most popular rocket we had at the range.
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Brad and Mark each built a two-stage Standard Missile.
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They flew twice each with truly exceptional results.
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Mark's rocket was almost too pretty to launch.
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Brad's rocket was not too pretty to fly.
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The
RAF Basset Missile was an ambitious parallel-staged rocket. It flew twice - once successfully, once slightly less so. (keep reading...)
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The sustainer motor was ignited on the pad and air-started four more. The boosters peel off and come down on separate parachutes.
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The finest aft section on the entire rocket range.
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And she was a fine model for the RTV t-shirts.
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The Super Sizzler takes to the skies on a G55.
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Mark built a gorgeous Perseus II kit from The Launch Pad.
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