Flight #: 3 Date:4th of June, 2001 Venue: EARS, Elsworth, Cambridgeshire R-DAS type: R-DAS Classic R-DAS firmware: 3.0 R-DAS Recorded Altitude: 1758 feet (533 metres) Apogee - Charge Firing Delta-t: -0.4 seconds Apogee - Charge Firing Delta-h:0 feet (metres) Descent Rate at Apogee Deployment: 0 feet per second (0 metres per second) Total Time of Flight: 60 seconds Apogee - Charge Firing h Variance: 0% R-DAS Flight Mode: Apogee & Main Ejection Launch Vehicle Diameter: 2 inches (54mm) Launch Vehicle Length: 5 feet Launch Vehicle Propulsion: R.A.T.T.Works I-80H Hybrid Fins: 3 clipped Trapezoidal (Aerofoiled) Launch System: Rail Launch (6 feet long, Black Sky Rail) Finish: Smooth Ejection Method: Electronic Deployment using apogee charge in SafeEject canister, then main charge in SafeEject canister as backup Ejection Ignition Type: Daveyfire igniters (electric matches)
Comments This flight of the Blitzspear rocket was a text book launch, with the chracteristic arcing over towards apogee which is seen on most hybrids. At apogee, a Rocketman R3C-ProXP parachute was deployed via a Daveyfire igniter fitted in a SafeEject ejection charge holder. The Daveyfire was connected to the R-DAS output channel. A backup altimeter was also used (A Black Sky Research ALTACC), and this too was connected to a second Daveyfire fitted into a second SafeEject ejection charge holder.
The rocket was also equipped with a 433 MHz RF tracker (courtesy of Chris Eilbeck), which meant that finding the rocket took relatively little time (about 10 minutes). Close in to the rocket, it was visible anyway due to the bright orange/red parachute, and the fact that some of the rocket is painted in a fairly bright red.	Prepping the R-DAS Photograph by Bob Arnott
Thrust Section of Flight