Colorado Model Rocketry Championships IX – November 20th-21st, 1999

By Mel Gray

    The Colorado Model Rocketry
Championships IX was held the weekend of November 20th –
21st, 1999 at C.R.A.S.H.’s Bear Creek Lake Park launch
site. This year it was a regional affair with the
contestants competing in six events. Those events were:
1/4A Parachute Duration Multiround, 1/2A Helicopter
Duration, 1/2A Boost Glider Duration, B Streamer
Duration, C Eggloft Duration, and Predicted Duration.
Twenty two contestants registered and made flights in at
least one event. The mix of contestants showed several
“newcomers” to the competition scene joining the contest
regulars to provide a broad range of experience. The
balance of talent in this group was pointed out to me by
Bruce Markielewski who, upon reviewing the meet results,
noted that every contestant placed in the top four in at
least one event.

    The weather for this event was
typical of late fall weather in Colorado, that is, very
changeable. Conditions varied from almost ideal blue
skies with light breeze to overcast with a cold, biting
wind. The contestants coped with the conditions well
although the weather did make a difference in the outcome
of a few events. 1/4A Parachute Multiround was dominated
by the 10.5mm diameter rocket powered by the Apogee
1/4A2-4. Paul Gray posted two consistent flights to go
along with a MAX to win B division over Tom Aspenwall,
who posted a single qualified flight. C Division was a
shootout between Greg Elder and Bruce Markielewski, each
with two MAXES. The third flight made the difference with
Greg posting a short flight when his chute did not fully
open while Bruce suffered a DQ when his model went
unstable at launch. Nathan Coit and Dan Fougner finished
in Third and Fourth. Team Division saw The Paranoid
Androids (Todd Williams, Kathleen Williams and Dave
Gianakos) edge out 2 Old COSROCS Guys (Dave Nauer and Ben
Hays) by five seconds in the totals for the three
flights.

    1/2A Helicopter Duration showed that
consistency is a key for this event. A/B Division was won
by Paul Gray with two consistent flights, one with his
new Apogee Micro Whirl-A-Tron. Elise Coit followed in
second place with two nice flights with her Apogee
Heli-roc. John Powell finished in third place with a
single qualified flight. C Division saw Bruce
Markielewski top the field with his six-bladed Psyclone
design, followed by Tim Van Milligan flying his Micro
Whirl-A-Tron. Ed O’Neill and Mel Gray followed in Third
and Fourth places with single flights. Team Division was
claimed by 2 Old COSROCS Guys with two steady flights
while the Paranoid Androids team struggled with their new
Micro Whirl-A-Tron, DQ’ing on each attempt. The
motor-of-choice was the Apogee 1/2A2-4 with the trend in
models being toward the smaller and lighter side.

    The 1/2A Boost Glider event saw the
emergence of the dreaded Red Baron, who pulled many a
well boosted glider back to earth. A Division saw
Christiana Williams and Randy Chambers both barely escape
the Baron’s grasp to post short but qualifying flights
for First and Second Place. In B Division, the Baron
again shortened Paul Gray’s first flight but his Deltie
escaped the curse altogether for a good second flight to
post the win. Tom Aspenwall and John Powell flew new
gliders very well to Second and Third place. The Baron
was working overtime in C Division but Richard Hyman
avoided the problem on his two good flights that secured
the win. Greg Elder was “Baroned” on his second flight as
was Tim Van Milligan on his first but their other flights
pulled them into Second and Third places. Newcomer Jack
Long posted two qualified flights for Fourth place. The
Paranoid Androids put up two good flights to claim First
place over 2 Old COSROCS Guys, who also flew two
qualifying flights. Motors used were split between Apogee
1/2A2-2 and Estes 1/2A3-2T with the reliable Edmonds
Deltie putting in several fine flights, winning in A, B
and Team Divisions.

    B Streamer Duration witnessed the
best relative performances of the contest. In A Division,
Steven Cratty posted two fine flights to take First
place. Randy Chambers put up a good first flight and a
qualifying second flight to move into Second place. Elise
Coit put up a long flight but unfortunately was DQ’ed
when her rocket spit its motor. B Division saw Paul Gray
run away with the win by putting up two long flights, the
second qualifying for a new B Division National Record at
233 seconds. His 370 second total was the highest of the
contest. John Powell finished in Second place, suffering
a separated streamer on his first flight before putting
up a fine second flight. In C Division, Robert Ellis really
had it going, putting up two wonderful flights to easily
outdistance the other competitors. Mark James and Bruce
Markielewski flew two steady flights each to finish in
Second and Third places. Mel Gray finished in Fourth with
a single flight. The Team Division saw 2 Old COSROCS Guys
posting two good flights while the Paranoid Androids were
bitten by the DQ Bug. Motor selection saw both Apogee
B2-7 and Estes B6-6 in use, with the highest scores going
to the 10.5mm and 13mm rockets with Apogee power.
Visibility with these very high performance models was a
problem as the weather deteriorated during the
contest.

    C Eggloft Duration provided its usual
thrills and adventures. In A Division, Brian Williams had
his model weathercock severely at launch and the ejection
charge saved the model at a pretty low altitude, but it
then floated nicely to the ground for the winning flight.
Randy Chambers battled hard for a qualified flight, but
an unstable first flight and a shredded chute on the
second produced omelets both times. In B Division, Paul
Gray flew his shrouded Egglofter to a safe flight for the
win while John Powell posted a good flight for Second
place. Tom Aspenwall suffered a separation with the
resulting less than beautiful egg. C Division saw Tim Van
Milligan outfly the field to claim First place. Carlin
Lowry flew a nice flight to earn Second with Ed O’Neill
and Greg Elder rounding out the top four positions. Team
Division saw the Paranoid Androids finish ahead of 2 Old
COSROCS Guys. Motor usage was split between Estes C6 and
Apogee C4 or C10 power. Both shrouded and egg-on-a-stick
designs made nice flights.

    Predicted Duration was an
entertaining event. In A/B Division, Steven Cratty missed
his prediction by only one second to finish in First
Place. Paul Gray, Christiana Williams and Brian Williams
followed in Second, Third and Fourth places. C Division
saw Dan Fougner fly his brand new, untested model to miss
his prediction by again a single second to post the win.
Carlin Lowry finished in Second with Tim Van Milligan and
Mark James following in Third and Fourth. In Team
Division, 2 Old COSROCS Guys outguessed the Paranoid
Androids to take the win.

    Totaling up the points for the meet
showed the following results. In A Division, Christiana
Williams’ win in 1/2A Boost Glider Duration along with
her Third Place in Predicted Duration totaled 606 NAR
points for the Championship. Brian Williams added up to
528 points with his win in C Eggloft Duration and Fourth
Place in Predicted Duration. Steven Cratty’s total from
his two wins in B Streamer Duration and Predicted
Duration gave him 510 points for the meet. Randy
Chamber’s two Second place finishes in 1/2A Boost Glider
and B Streamer Duration totaled 468 points.

    B Division saw Paul Gray far out in
front due to his five First place finishes along with a
single Second place finish. His meet Championship total
was an impressive 2304 points, the highest point total of
the contest. John Powell’s consistent placings in each
event that he entered earned him 882 NAR points, placing
him Second. Tom Aspenwall used his Second place finishes
in 1/4A Parachute Duration and 1/2A Boost Glider duration
to total 504 points for Third place.

    In C division, Tim Van Milligan rode
his win in C Eggloft Duration, coupled with his
consistent finishes in the other events to a Championship
total of 1182 points. Bruce Markielewski finished Second,
winning 1/2A Helicopter Duration and placing well in the
other events. His meet total was 948 points. Greg Elder
utilized his win in 1/4A Parachute Duration and, together
with his finishes in the other events, earned himself an
840 point total for Third place in the contest. Richard
Hyman finished Fourth in the meet at 567 points by way of
his win in 1/2A Boost Glider and his placings in 1/4A
Parachute Duration and Predicted Duration.

    In the Team Division Championship,
both 2 Old COSROCS Guys and the Paranoid Androids won
three of the events each. In the end, 2 Old COSROCS Guys
finished First with 1872 points, due to their consistent
finishes in the other events. The Paranoid Androids
totaled 1464 points, encountering troubles in two events
that reduced their point total.

    The Section Championship saw
C.R.A.S.H. amassing 10239 points for the meet to finish
ahead of COSROCS, who totaled 4578 points. CMRC IX was a
wonderful success. The twenty two contestants made it one
of the best attended contests held here in Colorado in several
years. It was my great pleasure and honor to serve as the
Contest Director for this Championships that witnessed a
very high level of competition and camaraderie. Several
fliers who will greatly impact the competition scene in
the near future here in Colorado made first appearances.
As is usual, several fellow C.R.A.S.H. members
contributed to the meets’ success. I would like to thank
Kathleen Williams, Dwight Kimsey and Jeff Karpinski for
helping out with the range duties. Couldn’t have done it
without you guys!

    This competition year here in the
Rocky Mountains is shaping up to be one of the most
enjoyable and competitive in a while. It seems that the
approach of the first Colorado NARAM in over thirty years
has the rocketeers here honing their skills in
anticipation of that great event.

“1/4A” Parachute Duration Multiround (WF 11)
Pl.
Contestant
Flt. 1
Flt. 2
Flt. 3
Total
Pnts.
NAR Pts.
B Division
1
Paul Gray
22
22
MAX
104
10
330
2

Tom Aspenwall
15
NF
NF
15
6
198
C Division
1
Greg Elder
MAX
12
MAX
132
10
330
2
Bruce Markielewski
MAX
MAX
UNS
120
6
198
3
Nathan Coit
20
48
NF
68
4
132
4
Dan Fougner
56
NDP
NF
56
2
66
5
Carlin Lowry
22
DQ
33
55
1
33
6
Tim Van Milligan
22
27
NF
49
1
33
7
Richard Hyman
14
15
NF
29
1
33
8

Jack Long
6
NF
NF
6
1
33
T Division
1
Paranoid Andriods
MAX
25
NF
85
10
330
2
2 Old COSROCS Guys
54
SEP
26
80
6
198
“1/2A” Helicopter Duration (WF 19)
Pl.
Contestant
Flt. 1
Flt. 2
Total
Pnts.
NAR Pts.
A/B Division
1
Paul Gray
25
23
48
10
570
2
Elise Coit
18
19
37
6
342
3
John Powell
5
NF
5
4
228
x

Tom Aspenwall
EJ
NF
DQ
0
0
C Division
1
Bruce Markielewski
31
62

93
10
570
2
Tim Van Milligan
31
31
62
6
342
3
Ed O’Neill
41
NF
41
4
228
4
Mel Gray
40
NF
40
2
114
5
Carlin Lowry
UNS
36
36
1
57
6
Greg Elder
12
NF
12
1
57
x

Nathan Coit
SEP
SEP
DQ
0
0
T Division
1
2 Old COSROCS Guys
22
24
46
10
570
x
Paranoid Andriods
SHR
ROT
DQ
0
0
“1/2A” Boost Glider Duration (WF 17)
Pl.
Contestant
Flt. 1
Flt. 2
Total
Pnts.
NAR
A Division
1
Christiana Williams
8
NF
8
10
510
2

Randall Chambers
6
NF
6
6
306
B Division
1
Paul Gray
23
53

76
10
510
2
Tom Aspenwall
11
12
23
6
306
3

John Powell
11
10
21
4
204
C Division
1
Richard Hyman
39
23
62
10
510
2
Greg Elder
39
RB
39
6
306
3
Tim Van Milligan
7
31
38
4
204
4
Jack Long
11
14
25
2
102
5
Ed O’Neill
5
NF
5
1
51
x
Bruce Markielewski
SHR
UNS
DQ
0
0
x
Nathan Coit
RB
NF
DQ
0
0
x

Carlin Lowry
UNS
NVB
DQ
0
0
T Division
1
Paranoid Andriods
35
58
93
10
510
2

2 Old COSROCS Guys
14
32
46
6
306
“B” Streamer Duration (WF 9)
Pl.
Contestant
Flt. 1
Flt. 2
Total
Pnts.
NAR Pts.
A Division
1
Steven Cratty
32
33

65
10
270
2
Randall Chambers
30
9
39
6
162
x

Elise Coit
EJ
NF
DQ
0
0
B Division
1
Paul Gray
137
233
370
10
270
2

John Powell
STR
61
61
6
162
C Division
1
Robert Ellis
145
168
313
10
270
2
Mark James
80
81
161
6
162
3
Bruce Markielewski
51
62
113
4
108
4
Mel Gray
78
NF
78
2
54
5
Tim Van Milligan
71
NF
71
1
27
6
Greg Elder
EJ
46
46
1
27
x
Ed O’Neill
SEP
NF
DQ
0
0
x

Carlin Lowry
NDP
SEP
DQ
0
0
T Division
1
2 Old COSROCS Guys
58
83
141
10
270
2

Paranoid Andriods
SEP
UNS
0
0
0
“C” Eggloft Duration (WF 16)
Pl.
Contestant
Flt. 1
Flt. 2
Total
Pnts.
NAR
A Division
1
Brian Williams
7
NF
7
10
480
x

Randall Chambers
UNS
STR
DQ
0
0
B Division
1
Paul Gray
46
NF

46
10
480
2
John Powell
18
NF
18
6
288
x

Tom Aspenwall
SEP
NF
DQ
0
0
C Division
1
Tim Van Milligan
116
NF

116
10
480
2
Carlin Lowry
98
SEP
98
6
288
3
Ed O’Neill
71
NF
71
4
192
4
Greg Elder
34
NDP
34
2
96
5

Bruce Markielewski
24
NF
24
1
48
T Division
1
Paranoid Andriods
66
NF
66
10
480
2

2 Old COSROCS Guys
38
NF
38
6
288
Predicted Duration (WF 8)
Pl.
Contestant
Pct.
Pnts.
NAR
A/B Division
1
Steven Cratty
3.3
10
240
2
Paul Gray
5.6
6
144
3
Christiana Williams
15.0
4
96
4

Brian Williams
50.0
2
48
C Division
1
Dan Fougner
3.3
10

240
2
Carlin Lowry
5.9
6
144
3
Tim Van Milligan
13.3
4
96
4
Mark James
25.7
2
48
5
Bruce Markielewski
32.3
1
24
6
Mel Gray
34.0
1
24
7
Jack Long
36.7
1
24
8
Richard Hyman
64.3
1
24
9
Greg Elder
65.5
1
24
10
Robert Ellis
70.6
1
24
11

Ed O’Neill
70.8
1
24
T Division
1
2 Old COSROCS Guys
10
10
240
2

Paranoid Andriods
36.7
6
144
Total Overall Points
Pl.
Contestant
1/4A PD
 1/2AHD
1/2A BG
B SD
 C ELD
 PRD
NAR Pts.
A Division
1
Christiana Williams
—-
—-
510
—-
—-
96
606
2
Brian Williams
—-
—-
—-
—-
480
48
528
3
Steven Cratty
—-
—-
—-
270
—-
240
510
4
Randall Chambers
—-
—-
306
162
0
—-
468
5

Elise Coit
—-
342
—-
0
—-
—-
342
B Division
1
Paul Gray
330
570
510
270
480
144
2304
2
John Powell
—-
228
204
162
288
—-
882
3

Tom Aspenwall
198
0
306
—-
0
—-
504
C Division
1
Tim Van Milligan
33
342
204
27
480
96
1182
2
Bruce Markielewski
198
570
0
108
48
24
948
3
Greg Elder
330
57
306
27
96
24
840
4
Richard Hyman
33
—-
510
—-
—-
24
567
5
Carlin Lowry
33
57
0
0
288
144
522
6
Ed O’Neill
—-
228
51
0
192
24
495
7
Dan Fougner
66
—-
—-
—-
—-
240
306
8
Robert Ellis
—-
—-
—-
270
—-
24
294
9
Mark James
—-
—-
—-
162
—-
48
210
10
Mel Gray
—-
114
—-
54
—-
24
192
11
Jack Long
33
—-
102
—-
—-
24
159
12

Nathan Coit
132
0
0
—-
—-
—-
132
T Division
1
2 Old COSROCS Guys
198
570
306
270
288
240
1872
2

Paranoid Andriods
330
0
510
0
480
144
1464
Pl.
NAR Sections
Points
1
C.R.A.S.H.
10239
2
COSROCS
4578
3
Independent
510