BAR with MMX Conversion of Starlight Rockets Micro

[JCL]

For my son's eight birthday I got him a rocket starter pack (Quest Astra III, pad, Quest controller). From experience I knew that just having 1 rocket is sub-optimal, so I made some card rockets (Fliskits Caution, Applewhite Scimitar). I also got some MMX parts and motors from Quest, and on impulse bought a Starlight Micro at one of the LHSs.

The micro is a 18mm rocket like a scout or similar "Fire and Forget" designs. On the recommended motors (18mm 1/2A and up), it would likely never be seen again. So I converted it to MMX and rear ejection streamer.

I painted it yellow (body and fins) and black (nose). It came out pretty well. I used some light spackle on the fins, then rustoleum automotive primer, then airbrushed with creatix paints. I put some future on top for shine.

I flew at Desert Foothills Park in Phoenix Az. This park is one of 8 Phoenix parks that allow rockets limited to B or lower motors.

It was warm and windy, but I figured it wasn't going too high and tiny streamer (.75x10" of plastic shopping bag) would keep it close.

I built it with a fullsize launch lug and used some tiny plastic woodclamps to keep it halfway up the 1/8" rod on top of the ignitor. I've got to come up with a more elegant setup but this worked well enough for a first attempt.

I flew 2 other rocket first (the Caution rocket and the Scimitar) with great flights but a lot of drift on the Caution. That little paper rocket went pretty high on a Quest A6-4! The Scimitar didn't go very high but it was a nice spinning saucer flight.

First flight of the Micro was perfect. It flew higher than I expected but still very visible. I can't estimate height well, but it must have gone >50 feet. Certainly higher than the Scimitar on a A10-3T.

The rear ejection worked great and the streamer deployed well. Still came in somewhat fast, but no damage except scratches on the nose from hitting some hard bare ground. Hard pack desert is probably as hard as asphalt with small stones embeded.

Landed within 50' of the pad.

Second (and final) was very similar, but it popped one fin off on landing and cracked the attachment of another. The streamer didn't unwrap. Had it hit grass, I'm sure there would have been no damage.

My son was thrilled with the flights. He really liked the Micro and wants it to be his. The MMX conversion makes this more than just a disposable rocket.

I've got some small parts for MMX as well as a Quark kit that I plan on converting to MMX and streamer as well. Rear ejection is great as it doesn't require wadding. I may make the streamer bigger on the Micro to keep it safer.

I really like the idea of little rockets and I'm very impressed with the performance of an oversized 10g rocket on these motors.

Joe Larkin

BTW -- I posted a very similar message to the MMX Yahoo groups as well, I won't X-post in the future, but I wanted to get a post in both places to introduce myself.

[MarkII]

Great post, Joe! Since the Micro is sized for an 18mm motor, you could even convert one to a 3 motor cluster! See this review (http://www.rocketreviews.com/reviews/all/mod_sem_triton_cluster.shtml) of a similar conversion. (The newer Quest Micromaxx Q2 igniters make lighting clusters of them easier now.)

MK

[RangerStl]

Thanks for sharing your flights! This rocketry stuff is always better when you can share it with the kids. :)

Keep us up to speed as you get back into the swing of it, the bug always bites harder the second time.

And welcome to The Rocketry Forum!

[jflis]

Welcome to TRF and welcome *back* to rocketry, Joe :) You're going to love both!

Micro's are certainly an interesting way to come back to the hobby, that's for sure :) I warn you though... ...they can be addictive...

[Micromeister]

For my son's eight birthday I got him a rocket starter pack (Quest Astra III, pad, Quest controller). From experience I knew that just having 1 rocket is sub-optimal, so I made some card rockets (Fliskits Caution, Applewhite Scimitar). I also got some MMX parts and motors from Quest, and on impulse bought a Starlight Micro at one of the LHSs.

The micro is a 18mm rocket like a scout or similar "Fire and Forget" designs. On the recommended motors (18mm 1/2A and up), it would likely never be seen again. So I converted it to MMX and rear ejection streamer.

I painted it yellow (body and fins) and black (nose). It came out pretty well. I used some light spackle on the fins, then rustoleum automotive primer, then airbrushed with creatix paints. I put some future on top for shine.

I flew at Desert Foothills Park in Phoenix Az. This park is one of 8 Phoenix parks that allow rockets limited to B or lower motors.

It was warm and windy, but I figured it wasn't going too high and tiny streamer (.75x10" of plastic shopping bag) would keep it close.

I built it with a fullsize launch lug and used some tiny plastic woodclamps to keep it halfway up the 1/8" rod on top of the ignitor. I've got to come up with a more elegant setup but this worked well enough for a first attempt.

I flew 2 other rocket first (the Caution rocket and the Scimitar) with great flights but a lot of drift on the Caution. That little paper rocket went pretty high on a Quest A6-4! The Scimitar didn't go very high but it was a nice spinning saucer flight.

First flight of the Micro was perfect. It flew higher than I expected but still very visible. I can't estimate height well, but it must have gone >50 feet. Certainly higher than the Scimitar on a A10-3T.

The rear ejection worked great and the streamer deployed well. Still came in somewhat fast, but no damage except scratches on the nose from hitting some hard bare ground. Hard pack desert is probably as hard as asphalt with small stones embeded.

Landed within 50' of the pad.

Second (and final) was very similar, but it popped one fin off on landing and cracked the attachment of another. The streamer didn't unwrap. Had it hit grass, I'm sure there would have been no damage.

My son was thrilled with the flights. He really liked the Micro and wants it to be his. The MMX conversion makes this more than just a disposable rocket.

I've got some small parts for MMX as well as a Quark kit that I plan on converting to MMX and streamer as well. Rear ejection is great as it doesn't require wadding. I may make the streamer bigger on the Micro to keep it safer.

I really like the idea of little rockets and I'm very impressed with the performance of an oversized 10g rocket on these motors.

Joe Larkin

BTW -- I posted a very similar message to the MMX Yahoo groups as well, I won't X-post in the future, but I wanted to get a post in both places to introduce myself.

Shoot we don't care if you cross post Joe!
We're all glad to hear any and all flight reports. It's what makes Micro Maxx flying such fun!

I will again suggest replacing that 3/4" x 10" Plastic shopping bag streamer with about the same or longer piece of 3/4" white Plumbers Teflon Tape as your streamer. Since the Teflon is flameproof it also eliminates the need for PF wadding.

Be sure to Talc baby powder the heck out of both side before the first folding which helps a lot to get the tape to unfurl. If you'd like a little more color in the streamers several of the industrial supply companies sell Military grade PTFE (Teflon) Thread sealing tapes in muted yellow, orange, red & green. these tapes are about a bit thicker .0032" thick rather then the standard white .0028" and just a little heavier but I think the colors make it worth the extra weight.

Keep the great flight reports coming and as mark mentioned don't forget Clustering micro's isn't all that difficult:)

[bob jablonski]

Welcome back to rocketry.
Mr. Bob (The guy that brought you the Micr
www.starlightrocketry.com

[Micromeister]

Welcome back to rocketry.
Mr. Bob (The guy that brought you the Micr
www.starlightrocketry.com

Hey Mr Bob:
Ya need to pick another name of that model....I mean really Upscale a Mosquito and call it a Micro? Ain't no-where near anything micro... Might want to call it a Tiny, Smallish or Huwe but not micro. I mean good grief it's set up for 18mm motors... What a laugh!!!

[bob jablonski]

We also have a website only Ultra Micro which uses mini motors. Maybe someday we will do a super mini Micro for MMX. Trying to find that will be like flying a original Micro on a D10 or D21. Yes I have done that.
Shopping cart coming soon to our website.
Mr. Bob

[Micromeister]

"Super mini micro" OH that is so weak; Bob; I'm sure if you just think about it for a brief period you'll be able to come up with a much more approperiate or fitting name(s) for you smallish sized kits. Sort of like this model I Call the Nano-dot. If it doesn't have anything to do with micro's how bout leaving that word to those of us who do.

[JCL]

Thanks all for the welcome messages.

The micro is repaired. I may use some CA to reinforce the body tube as I think tube flex popped the fin off rather than just force on the fin.

The nano-dot is pretty tiny. I guess you could just glue fins and a NC on a motor to get smaller ... but it wouldn't be much smaller.

I've now got a Swift and Quark set to build for MMX. I think I will go with normal nose cone blowoff with streamers or maybe a tiny parachute for recovery.

Joe

[MarkII]

The nano-dot is pretty tiny. I guess you could just glue fins and a NC on a motor to get smaller ... but it wouldn't be much smaller.Really?

MK

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_e8qXoxLWxrI/S_y1LNez6NI/AAAAAAAAAPw/kFeOYlbN9Hk/s640/DSCF1220.JPG

[Micromeister]

Thanks all for the welcome messages.

The micro is repaired. I may use some CA to reinforce the body tube as I think tube flex popped the fin off rather than just force on the fin.

The nano-dot is pretty tiny. I guess you could just glue fins and a NC on a motor to get smaller ... but it wouldn't be much smaller.

I've now got a Swift and Quark set to build for MMX. I think I will go with normal nose cone blowoff with streamers or maybe a tiny parachute for recovery.

Joe


Glad to hear there was no permanent damage Joe. Might I suggest a fillet of either Titebond trim and Molding glue, or better yet small radius fillets of 5minute epoxy on your fin/body joints. I use a 1/4" dowel or rubber gloved baby finger to set the fillets on most of my micro model fins. These generally outlast the model.

Over time I've found Streamers are generally the preferred way to go in micros T4 and below. larger models with BT-5 and BT-20 bodies can use small 3" to 5" parasheets, as long as they are well Talc powdered, for all but the heaviest I'd still suggest a wider and longer streamer. That military grade PTFE (teflon) thread sealing tapes come in 1/4",1/2", 3/4", 1", 1-1/2" and 2" widths;)

LOL! Since we are not supposed to glue things to our motor casings (violation of the Mod Roc Safety code); The Nano-Dot is about as small as we can go. Might be able to trim back a little fin area overhang but thats gonna get into the marginally stable area.
Besides down this tiny recovery becomes a REAL problem. With absolutely no where to put a streamer to help in spotting the models after ejection. I've yet to recover a nano-dot:( Even with more then 30 pairs of eyes watching the launch...5...4...3...2....1...zip and it's gone! Really funny to watch 30 heads jurk back all at once but I perfer to get micros back for a second and furture flights.

Yes Mark.... really;) Not trying to be a wise guy but what are the dimensions of the model shown?
The Nano-Dot is .281" dia., x 1.609 (1-39/64")h, x .9375" (15/16") span. with an Ewt of .8grams, LOWt 1.8g. I was told by Chris Taylor that he had flown one a bit smaller by gluing fins to a casing without a NC that was right at 1-1/8" tall with the same span, and LOWt of 1.7g.
Could we make something smaller? I'm sure we could if we leave the off the NC and clip the fins a bit, I believe Chris called his the Gnat, but would that really depict a model rocket? Which was the point of building the Nano-dot in the first place;)
Now the Smallest RECOVERABLE models I've flown or seen for that matter is the tiny Crayon pictured below. Its flown only twice but because it has a shockcord and very small 1/4" x 10" Teflon streamer is visible in the sky after ejection and has been easily recovered after each flight. Making them recoverable is the REAL challange. Another slightly smaller at 2" long, but not as "Seeable" micro is the "No-See-Um" (2nd pic) which has also flown and been recovered but wasn't as visible as it is a noseblow feather weight recovery with only a 24" kevlar shockcord.
And then theres the Micro Thumbtac. Haven't talked about this one much because I consider it a Spool "Odd-Roc". It's only .5625"(9/16") tall and 1.1875" dics diameter, so I guess it is in fact the Shortest micro in my fleet. But again; Just like the Nano-Dot I've built about a half dozen of these and have yet to recover a single one. 5...4...3...2..1..GONE! Fly great. flashes a little in the sun but disappears before your very eyes.
To me Building small is one thing...but Recovery to fly again is to me all important.
Sorry how'd we get this far off topic??? :2: