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May Meeting Minutes (5/3/2008)
The May 2008 MASA meeting was held on the 1st at
the Science Museum.
A total of 12 people attended the meeting
Next Launch: May 31 (the Saturday after Memorial
Day) at the sod fields near Nowthen. The theme will be "Fat
Boy Mania!!!". Buzz McDermott has volunteered to run a
just-for-fun contest - C Fat Boy Duration. This will follow
the "2.0 Stock Fat Boy Duration"
rules except that you may choose to make either one or two flights.
If you fly twice, your final score will be the best of the two
flights, not the total of the two flights. There will be a
youth division and an adult division. (We did this waaaaaay
back in 2000, and it
was a lot of fun!)
Next Meeting: June 5. The topic is "kitbashing".
We'll talk about the general idea of taking a kit and turning it
into some other type of rocket. Examples welcome! We'll
also kick off our 2008 kitbash contest.
- So far for 2008, MASA is at about 31 paid memberships
(representing about 84 people). Roughly 13 2007
memberships remain unrenewed. More renewals and new
membership generally come at the first summer launch at the sod
farm.
- Reminder - The NARAM 50 organizers have planned a "Fly-it / Take-it"
event for kids (13 and younger) or first-time flyers of any age
to have an opportunity to fly an already-built rocket and then
keep the rocket. The organizers have requested that NAR sections
build between six and twelve rockets for donation to the event.
The only restriction is that the rocket(s) must fly on a single
18mm black powder motor. If you would like to build and donate a
rocket or two,
MASA Vice President Carol Marple will be collecting the donated
rockets and then will
ship them all to the NARAM 50 organizers.
- The summer picnic will be on July 19 at the Elk River VFW.
We will be celebrating MASA's 10th anniversary. For those
of you participating in the "Sky of Gold" celebration, you're
encouraged to fly your Semroc Golden Scouts at the picnic.
- A summer solstice launch is tentatively planned for the late
afternoon/evening of Saturday, June 21. Location will be
the Elk River VFW soccer fields again. (pending a check on
soccer usage of the field)
- Ideas (and volunteers) for launch themes and fun contests
are welcomed!
- Meeting location. It's looking highly likely that MASA
will be losing its ability to continue meeting at the Science
Museum. Whether this will happen next month or next year,
we don't know. We are starting to look at alternative
meeting locations. Two possibilities have already come to
light - one in Newport, the other in South Minneapolis. If
you have any ideas for meeting locations, please let MASA
President Alan Estenson know. Thanks!
Hybrids
Glen Overby and David Whitaker presented "One Summer of Hybrids".
They talked about the pros and cons of hybrid motors, and the
available types and brands. They brought along their 29mm and
38mm SkyRipper motors and described their components, assembly, and
the costs involved. Glen and Dave went over the ground support
equipment needed to fill the motors with Nitrous Oxide and ignite
them. Then, they went through the process of prepping and
flying their hybrid-powered rockets, and presented their flight
results from last summer.
Great presentation, Glen & Dave! Thank you!
Show -n- Tell
- Rick Vatsaas brought two scratchbuilt rockets that were
inspired by using a disposable plastic wineglass for the
nosecone. He built one of the rockets as a tribute to the
Golden Scout. He also showed how he is using special
ziplock bags and a mini vacuum pump to vacuum bag fins.
- Art Gibbens brought a whole rack of vintage late 70's -
early 80's rockets that he recently acquired. (Falcon
Commander, Norad, Starship Nova, Soaring Eagle, Orion
Starfighter, Torellian Invader, EAC Viper, ALCM, Scissor
Wing...)
- Buzz McDermott also brought a big selection of
newly-finished rockets - Proconsul, Optima, Tuber, Interrogator,
Der Red Max, Goliath...
- Alan Estenson brought a Goony Goblin and a cloned Cherokee
D.
(Alan Estenson)
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