Pegasus MKII maiden flights a success
(Harmon Flying Field – June 26, 2010)
A week after the last flight of the original Pegasus booster, the Pegasus booster MKII with its structural improvements took its maiden voyage earlier today on a C11-3 motor. Two flights were done on the C-11, reaching an altitude of about 450 feet. After two successful flights on the lower power engine, the new Pegasus spread its wings and climbed to about 1000 feet on its full power D12-5 engine. No structural issues were noted, and its improved baffle system performed as expected. The next flight of the new Pegasus booster will be in August.
I did not get to take any launch pictures, so some post-flight pics will have to do…
Pegasus MKII booster in the workshop for post flight inspection and cleanup.
Post flight inspections: Pegasus booster without the parachute bay (the gray upper part). Part of the ejection baffle system is visible.
The only real design tweak this time around will involve painting the Ejection baffle system to assist in cleanup readiness procedures for quicker turnaround between launches.
((( )))