The modified Video-Eclipse on its maiden flight 4-27-03 at CTRA's Pine Plains field.  For this flight it was powered by a PRO38 5 grain 648-J285 motor.  The delay charge was removed since the Eclipse uses PML's CPR3000 dual deploy system with a PML Co-Pilot Altimeter. 

For you flat-landers out there the trees are actually further away then the photo implies. Flying in the North East you have to put up with tree eating rockets.  Behind the trees here is a really large, swampy stand of trees that still holds the sustainer of my QuantumLeap3000 hostage 70 feet up in the tree.

Finishing rockets has never been my forte, this one is at least painted, ugly school bus yellow, but painted none the less.  The video bay (lighter color) was added to the top of the airframe with the nosecone (blue) friction fitted into it (tightly).  An eyebolt  at the base of the bay attaches to the recovery harness with a quick link allowing me to switch between the bay and flying stock with just the nosecone.

     Photo is by Nick DeBrita
 

On 5/18/03 at the Cobleskill field the Eclipse flew again this time on a Pro38 700J400 Smokey Sam motor.  Unfortunately I was unable to properly tune the radio link so there was no onboard video.  Turns out just as well since the fin adjustments weren't enough and the rocket still had a considerable roll rate.  I'm beginning to look into some form of active roll control.  Others have had success with R/C helicopter gyros driving servo controlled vanes.  Back to the drawing board for the video rocket.
 

Photo by Brian McCormack       

movies\PinePlains42703.mpeg  (9.3MB file)

Stills from video

The camera is angled slightly away from the airframe.  If it were visible it would be at the top of the frame.  This is the flight line just after launch.

Flight line from higher up

Just past Apogee, the drogue is out, motor still smoking.

This is just below 600'.  The ground would be to the top of frame.  Main charge went off, but was insufficient to get the main chute out.  The bay has separated from the airframe but the chute is still inside.  The wire in the center of the frame is from the Rocket Hunter transmitter attached to the tubular nylon shock cord (transmitter housing visible at top of frame)

My favorite frame grab.  The eclipse airframe has started its core sample, the camera bay has not yet hit the ground and was still transmitting.  The main's shroud lines can be seen to the right of the airframe.  When recovered there was no damage to the fin-can, airframe, or bay. The coupler tubing cracked a bit, so I replaced the whole aft CPR section before the next flight. Not bad for a seven inch core sample, (took a lot of work to dig the dirt out, it was like concrete).