Rocketry+Way+Down+Under+With+PITA+1

Rocketry Way Down Under With PITA 1 out of the ashes and back from the dead THUNDERHAWK AGM-03TH

Moving out here to New Zealand a little over 2 years ago in July 2012 our lives have changed dramatically. But I am not here to write about that, the subject in question is Rocketry. Rocketry was a hobby of mine in the UK and enquiries where made before we came out as to if the hobby was alive and kicking here. Rocketry is more of an obsession than a hobby to myself, with some of the big projects that I have on the go and that I have undertaken in the past my brain is working overtime 24 hours a day to work out how things are going to work out how certain applications are going to work, what will happen if this happens and what will happen if that happens.

My first flight out here was an old favourite of mine called "screamin' abdabs". Not the impression I wanted to taint myself with. A false deployment of the parachute whilst honking its way to 5000ft somewhere near the sound barrier doesnt do your reputation any good. That rocket then was put back into storage and out came the old faithful that won't give up PITA 1. What an awesome rocket. This rocket was concieved back in 2005 in Wales, I was recovering from a leg operation and Chris wanted to do his level 1. We bought this kit from Mal at rockets and Things. It was discussed that the rocket would be built to a standard that would see him through to his level 2. The rocket built and fibreglassed socked, nice job, I was impessed with our workmanship. The rocket flew at Black Knights BK Flamer event on a H185 if my memory is correct, WOW it lept of the pad and deployed after a straight as an arrow flight. Chris being a typical teenager lost interest in the rockets and turned his attention to the Army and the opposite sex. Sean commandered the rocket and built a payload section.

Fast forward to IRW events the next few years PITA became an ever present replacing my Thunderhawk ( nicknamed sanatogen, because it always had one a day, flights that is.) PTA flew on an I284 White Lightening, great flight, approx 3000ft. PITA always flew on the I284 or I285 whichever was available to me. Flights in Scotland where a regular occurrance at the IRW reports and we also visited Midland Rocketry a few years ago where another flawless performance was recorded.

Shipped out to New Zealand PITA waslet loose yet again to head on a vertical trajectory. A few flights on I284 and an I161, then came our public day. Its like an open day where Joe Public are a;;owed to come and wacth and kids can participate, well, I had the casing for a J570 i may as well put it to some use, so some maths and calculations later I arrived a a thrust to weight ratio of about 90:1. Well thats a big margain taken that a rule of thumb safetly to launch 8:1. This is a serious amount of instantanious power, whatever happensit will be a kneck breaker and conclusive. 5,4,3,2,1, launch whith a thunderous roar the rocket was up and away in the blink of an eye, 4300ft and 15 or so seconds later PITA arcs over and apogee is achieved, seperated and tethered together the two sections tumble towards terra firma, 800ft and the main parachutes where deployed. That was a sigh of relief to see her still intact. I had never intended to put so much thrust up her back end and was, to say the least a little nervous about pushing the button. I have a little bit of courage now and have a hair brained idea of fitting her out for a Hybrid motor. A K240 to be precise, over the winter months she has been stripped down, painted, new decals, and a new motor mounting system. This going to be nice.......I dont think I will have the launch system ready for the weekend 9th Novenber 2014, so yet a differnt motor agian J350 if I can get my hands on one. Next March sees the arrival of the biggest rocketry event in the southern hemisphere [|Thunda Down Under in Australia]. there has been a lot of preparation for this event from all corners on the planet, but I have only recently found out that we will be heading for Oz next year, so I am deperatley trying to organise some rockets to fly out there and to see if any ground support will be available for the Hybrids that I love.

This Thunderhawk has seem many variations on build and motors. Thinking way back about 15 years or so I think this was the first rocket propelled by a combustianable motor that I had. The rocket was bought for me for Christmas and after the second or third flight that was on a C motor that was it I was hooked. It was lost a few years later when flown at a local park, God only knows how many flights it had had, another was purchased. A 2x upscale was put into production, and as my knowledge and experience started getting more vast a 4x upscale was born. The demise was back in IRW 2010 when an L730 motor CATO'ed on take off it blew the think into so many pieces, it was a spectacle if you where an onlooker but for myself it was heartbreaking to so much effort and hard work gone in an instant. But, in the cobweb strewn garage in semi rural Auckland in a town called Pukekohe rose from the ashes a new Thunderhawk. A fantastic flight on a K500 is paving the way for something a little more expensive with a lot more grunt. The rocket isnt really built for this journey but we shall see. Its predecessor had a beatiful flight on the L730 back in the days of Milson Airstrip being hosted by the Black Knights. This flight is one of my most memorable, awesome to say the least, mach diamonds captured before it left the launch pad by and old aquaintance Richard Parkin. Looking back through my photo portfolio I didn't realise how many launches it had done on anything from a single J330, to 3x J330, J400, K240, K660 and L720. The 3x J330 saw it end in tears, conclusive to say the least, bits? yes, too many to count and that led to amore sturdy airframe being built. I have a nice photo of the K240 launch at Lincolnshire, KLOB 2005, the backdrop is a darkening sky prior to an almighty rip of lightening and thunder. The dark sky is a contrast to the bright flame of the Hypertek..
 * __ Seanys upscale Estes Thunderhawk __**

Thanks for taking the time to read this I could ramble on and on.

We have plenty of opportunities here for flying, and the long summer days are ideal. I am sure the future is going to be enjoyable as well as a learning curve as it always is in Rocketry. You cant compare Rocketry and tenpin bowling but as a seasoned rocketeer you are always learning, no matter what, but seasoned tenpin bowlers get a strike almost every go. Whats the point in that?

Regards Sean O'Neill