Unlucky Thirteen: Hi-Jinks Breaks a Fin

BELVIDERE, IL – The Space Program in Training (SPIT) lost one of its most launched rockets this evening in a bad crash.

Hi-Jinks was prepped with an Estes B-6-4.  Daniel checked the parachute and set it up on the launch pad.  It had flown without problems earlier in the evening.  This was its thirteenth flight, second only to Rocket Cam 2 in the arsenal of the Space Program in Training.  Daniel counted down and launched the rocket.

“It took off really quickly,” said Daniel.  Bob and Daniel lost the rocket near apogee, but located it tumbling out of the sky a few moments later.  The parachute did not deploy and Hi-Jinks came crashing into the ground about 40 yards south of the launch site.

“We’ve had worse crashes than that,” said Bob.  “We really didn’t expect the rocket to be broken.”  Hi-Jinks has weathered several bad landings, including one onto blacktop.  However, Daniel reported back the news that a two inch section of fin had snapped off completely.  The Space Program in Training collected the pieces with the hopes that it can be repaired.

• Posted in: B-6-4 ♦ Flight / Onboard ♦ Hi-Jinks ♦ Launch ♦ Launch / Pre-Flight ♦ Lincoln Elementary School ♦ Post-Flight / Recovery ♦ Recovery ♦ Recovery / Post-Flight
• Tagged: b-6-4, belvidere, crash, hi-jinks, launch, Lincoln School, recovered