What's your experience with the CC Express?

[TheSamurai]

So we are heading to Wyoming next month to see my grandpa before he goes to Texas for the winter. He is dying of liver cancer (too much drinking) and is only expected to live another year and has never seen any rocketry before. So we are gonna load up the van with all our stuff and head down there.

I bought the CC Express and will dedicate it to him. He raised mules for most of his life and it was what he loved. So we are going to call our CC Express "The Mule" and color it mustard yellow and brown (Wyoming colors).

I'm going to "unbox' the CC tonight and take a look at her. Watched Youtube videos and it looks pretty cool. What are your guys' experience with it and any helpful tips?

Thanks in advance.

 

[AfterBurners]

That's sad news. Sorry to hear it.

It's a high flyer and I'm sure you will have plenty of room to recover it. Shoots nice and straight. Make sure the wings line up and just take your time when you build it.

 

[TheSamurai]

Is seeing the booster stage difficult when it pops off or does it come off low enough that it isn't difficult to see?

 

[AfterBurners]

You'll see it. It would be best to have someone track the booster and someone the main rocket. Not that hard, but a bright color like yellow would help so you should be ok.

 

[TheSamurai]

You'll see it. It would be best to have someone track the booster and someone the main rocket. Not that hard, but a bright color like yellow would help so you should be ok.

I'll probably track the booster. My wife will have to watch the main. I am terrible at tracking and she is very good at it.

 

[Green Jello]

It's probably Estes' best performing 2 stage rocket. Here is my thread on the mod I did to make it run on dual E motors. I hit 3,200' with it.

https://www.rocketryforum.com/showt...stes-CC-Express-Mod-Project&highlight=express

 

[TheSamurai]

It's probably Estes' best performing 2 stage rocket. Here is my thread on the mod I did to make it run on dual E motors. I hit 3,200' with it.

https://www.rocketryforum.com/showt...stes-CC-Express-Mod-Project&highlight=express

Thanks for the thread. Read through the whole thing. Lots of good info and tips. I don't think I'll go for the dual E but I am definitely thinking of moving the block forward so the sustainer can take an E.

 

[Green Jello]

Thanks for the thread. Read through the whole thing. Lots of good info and tips. I don't think I'll go for the dual E but I am definitely thinking of moving the block forward so the sustainer can take an E.

Careful what you follow in there as far as techniques. I was a serious n00b then. I know so much more these days thanks to this place.

 

[AfterBurners]

Thanks for the thread. Read through the whole thing. Lots of good info and tips. I don't think I'll go for the dual E but I am definitely thinking of moving the block forward so the sustainer can take an E.

You may want to use a tube coupler to hold the two sections together, It just helps make it more stable.

 

[Green Jello]

You may want to use a tube coupler to hold the two sections together, It just helps make it more stable.

Oh yes. I remember that being a very important change.

 

[K'Tesh]

Makes a nice Cherokee D (long version) and gives you lots of spare parts for other projects (I used mine in my ill fated increased power version of the Venus Probe). BTW, I hate the original self-adhesive decals.

Sorry to hear about your GPA. Hope he's comfortable.

 

[TheSamurai]

You may want to use a tube coupler to hold the two sections together, It just helps make it more stable.

A coupler for the sustainer and booster sections?

 

[Green Jello]

A coupler for the sustainer and booster sections?

This:


That way it holds the sections together instead of just the two motors doing it.

 

[TheSamurai]

Careful what you follow in there as far as techniques. I was a serious n00b then. I know so much more these days thanks to this place.

Yeah I am still relatively new to the hobby. Been a year since I started but I have taken my time and there is still so much to learn.

 

[TheSamurai]

This:
View attachment 140102

That way it holds the sections together instead of just the two motors doing it.

That's what I had in my mind but just wanted to make sure. Looks great. How many times did you end up flying it and did you ever have a failure? I know you said in that other thread that it tipped on the first flight you did.

 

[cerving]

Cool mod. Put a motor mount in the pods, this thing would be sweet on three E12-0's and an E9-8 sustainer. Might need a bit of nose, weight, however...

This:
View attachment 140102

That way it holds the sections together instead of just the two motors doing it.

 

[Green Jello]

That's what I had in my mind but just wanted to make sure. Looks great. How many times did you end up flying it and did you ever have a failure? I know you said in that other thread that it tipped on the first flight you did.

It actually only flew twice. I did a test on 2 Ds and then the second flight on 2 Es. I was wrong before and it looks like it hit 3,625'. Since then it's been retired on the shelf.

[video=youtube;-5dfwEvZK6w]https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=-5dfwEvZK6w[/video]

 

[AfterBurners]

I took it one step further on mine and made it a 4-stage rocket. 3 "C" motors in the upper stage and a "D" booster in the booster stage. I think I got about 2800 feet on this design.



I would love to build another one...a lot of work making the air duct system, but it's worth it.

 

[TheSamurai]

It actually only flew twice. I did a test on 2 Ds and then the second flight on 2 Es. I was wrong before and it looks like it hit 3,625'. Since then it's been retired on the shelf.

[video=youtube;-5dfwEvZK6w]https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=-5dfwEvZK6w[/video]

Just didn't feel like flying it again because you were scared to lose it or what? If you don't mind me asking.

 

[TheSamurai]

I took it one step further on mine and made it a 4-stage rocket. 3 "C" motors in the upper stage and a "D" booster in the booster stage. I think I got about 2800 feet on this design.

View attachment 140105View attachment 140106View attachment 140107View attachment 140108View attachment 140109

I would love to build another one...a lot of work making the air duct system, but it's worth it.

That's pretty cool lookin. I like it.

 

[Green Jello]

Just didn't feel like flying it again because you were scared to lose it or what? If you don't mind me asking.

Oh I don't know. I guess it's mostly because it came at a time when I was transitioning into MPR and then HPR. Plus, with two Es in there it runs about $11 a shot. I can get G64 reloads for $10.

 

[tmacklin]

I've built 1 1/2 CC Expresses over the past few years. To explain, I built the booster as per the instructions and modified the upper stage to accept E9 motors by making the motor mount 1" longer and moving the stop ring forward. First flight was on a private, flat, grassed 80 acre field...D12-0 to a E9-8. The upper stage disappeared into the haze but I found the booster.

Fortunately, I had made paper templates of all fins as well as having noted the body tube lengths of the parts. (It's just a habit). Anyway, being an old scratch builder I had plenty of spare parts so I crafted a clone replacement out of BT55 and the Estes nose. I attached a Kevlar shock cord to the motor mount and a round elastic Kevlar sheathed bungee to the nose. I just don't think the rubber band method was strong enough for this puppy and I suspect that in the first flight it snapped at ejection, taking the nose and chute on a long trip!

The second flight was again at a private field (not the same but at another field) and the visibility was much better. Both the landowner and I were able to see the flight all the way to ejection and with the very light winds it only drifted 150-200 yards from the pad. Examination of the recovered sustainer revealed a near burn through of the motor casing. Fortunately, there was only minor scorching of the motor mount and one fin was cracked apparently upon touchdown.

My most recent flight of my "DE Express" was at a DARS launch in Frisco, in the late Winter/early Spring of 2012...I think? Almost out of sight and I'm just guessing about 3,000+- feet. It's been sitting on a shelf ever since cause I've been busy with other things. When it gets cooler I need to blow the dust off of it once again.

I've also been experimenting with minor modifications to composite motors which would allow them to be used as boosters to BP motors. Specifically, Aerotech E28 to Estes E9-8 0r E12-8 sustainer. That E28 packs quite a punch "off the line" and weighs a good bit less than either the Estes D12-0 or E12-0 motors.

It's a great kit, stock or not.

Green Jello, your videoes are marked private. How can I view them?

 

[TheSamurai]

I've built 1 1/2 CC Expresses over the past few years. To explain, I built the booster as per the instructions and modified the upper stage to accept E9 motors by making the motor mount 1" longer and moving the stop ring forward. First flight was on a private, flat, grassed 80 acre field...D12-0 to a E9-8. The upper stage disappeared into the haze but I found the booster.

Fortunately, I had made paper templates of all fins as well as having noted the body tube lengths of the parts. (It's just a habit). Anyway, being an old scratch builder I had plenty of spare parts so I crafted a clone replacement out of BT55 and the Estes nose. I attached a Kevlar shock cord to the motor mount and a round elastic Kevlar sheathed bungee to the nose. I just don't think the rubber band method was strong enough for this puppy and I suspect that in the first flight it snapped at ejection, taking the nose and chute on a long trip!

The second flight was again at a private field (not the same but at another field) and the visibility was much better. Both the landowner and I were able to see the flight all the way to ejection and with the very light winds it only drifted 150-200 yards from the pad. Examination of the recovered sustainer revealed a near burn through of the motor casing. Fortunately, there was only minor scorching of the motor mount and one fin was cracked apparently upon touchdown.

My most recent flight of my "DE Express" was at a DARS launch in Frisco, in the late Winter/early Spring of 2012...I think? Almost out of sight and I'm just guessing about 3,000+- feet. It's been sitting on a shelf ever since cause I've been busy with other things. When it gets cooler I need to blow the dust off of it once again.

I've also been experimenting with minor modifications to composite motors which would allow them to be used as boosters to BP motors. Specifically, Aerotech E28 to Estes E9-8 0r E12-8 sustainer. That E28 packs quite a punch "off the line" and weighs a good bit less than either the Estes D12-0 or E12-0 motors.

It's a great kit, stock or not.

Green Jello, your videoes are marked private. How can I view them?

That's a great idea on making paper templates of the fins and other parts of the rocket. I think I'm gonna start doing that. Wish I had done that for my Ventris when one of the fins got lost. Luckily one of the others broke loose and I was able to pull it out and make a template with that.

Thanks for the idea.

 

[Green Jello]

Green Jello, your videoes are marked private. How can I view them?

Oops. Fixed.

 

[TheSamurai]

This:
View attachment 140102

That way it holds the sections together instead of just the two motors doing it.

So where did you get the coupler and how did you decide how long it needed to be and so forth?

 

[Green Jello]

So where did you get the coupler and how did you decide how long it needed to be and so forth?

I'm sure I got it from SEMROC where I get almost all of my LPR parts:

https://www.semroc.com/Store/Products/HollowCouplers.asp

There's is 1.5", so I'm sure I just did 0.75" per side. Sorry, I'm at work, so I can't check to be 100% at the moment.

 

[TheSamurai]

I'm sure I got it from SEMROC where I get almost all of my LPR parts:

https://www.semroc.com/Store/Products/HollowCouplers.asp

There's is 1.5", so I'm sure I just did 0.75" per side. Sorry, I'm at work, so I can't check to be 100% at the moment.

No worries. If you can let me know the diameter and length for sure when you get time that would be great.

 

[Green Jello]

No worries. If you can let me know the diameter and length for sure when you get time that would be great.

Oh, the CC Express is a BT-55 rocket. So you want that JT-55C at SEMROC.

 

[TheSamurai]

Oh, the CC Express is a BT-55 rocket. So you want that JT-55C at SEMROC.

Ok, thanks!!! Can I put most of everything together without it? I want to get started tonight. Don't see a reason since it looks like you glued it into the booster part.

 

[Green Jello]

Ok, thanks!!! Can I put most of everything together without it? I want to get started tonight. Don't see a reason since it looks like you glued it into the booster part.

From memory, I don't see a reason why not. But my whole motor mount system was slightly altered so it could take an extra 2" of engine. Looking at the manual, I don't see a problem though.

https://www.estesrockets.com/media/instructions/001302_CC_EXPRESS.pdf