Launch Report, Sputnik Anniversary Launch
4 October 1997

At the September club meeting it was noted that the 40th anniversary of the launch of Sputnik was coming up and it was suggested that it might be fun to get together on October 4th for a commemorative launch. One of the members brought along copies of the Sputnik-Too plans from the JimZ plans site. During the course of the week I obtained a couple styrofoam balls and after a false start I built a clone using a 4" ball and 1/8" dowelling.

I had planned to paint the Sputnik-Too on Saturday morning, but the nozzle on the spray can clogged, so I brought the model along unpainted.

I arrived at the field until just before 2:00, but I didn't see any other club members around. There *was* a bit of a breeze, but since I had driven the hour to come up I decided to launch anyway.

I set up my Porta-Pad and loaded a 1/2A6-2 into the Sputnik. The model launched beautifully, with minimal weathercocking, but it was still facing mostly upward when the ejection charge kicked out the motor casing out toward the ground. No one was in the area, but I decided that I wanted the model higher in the air (and preferably heading down) when the casing was ejected. Anyway, the Sputnik-Too landed within twenty feet of the pad and I prepped it with an A8-3 for its second launch.

Again, a very nice launch and good recovery. The motor casing wound up about fifty feet from the pad and the Sputnik was again about twenty feet from the pad. The open-cell styrofoam did pick up a couple of minor dents, but the model flies very well.

It was too breezy (for me) to launch my Nighthawk BG, but I did work on adjusting its glide. On its first launch it had spiraled down rather than circling down (a matter of degree). After 10-12 test throws, I had it adjusted to (I think) a pretty good glide.

Since no one else from the club had turned up, I closed up shop and headed home -- stopping at a couple hobby shops along the way. I picked up some silver paint so I could finish the Sputnik and an Estes Omloid to have *something* to launch for the B Eggloft Duration event at MWRC-97.

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Last Updated: 18 September 1997
Author: Alan Rognlie
Email: arrognli@execpc.com
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unless otherwise noted, all images are copyright © 1997 by Jeanne Rognlie - all rights reserved