Well, for my first thread, I've decided to recap this past weekends activities, and those that led up to it.
For quite a while, I was working on a customized Estes Flutter-by. I got addicted to 'FatBoy's Acme Steampunk threads, and decided to try my hand at one; Using my favorite rocket, a cereal box, a manilla folder, some peel n stick wooden veneer, and some scrapbooking pearl stickers.
Spent around 13 hours getting it here (sorry for a lack of in process pics):
View attachment 253045
It then spent a while dormant over the month of December, but between the break and receiving a kit or two for Xmas... I spent another 3 hours or so getting it here:
My kids loved it...my son called it my 'rusty metal rocket.'
Before launching, I decided to do some research on what rocket motor to use...is came in at 1.4 oz. unloaded... and it is recommended to fly on an A8-3. Various reviews and threads on the rocket revealed a tendency to go really high, and get lost. There are also various reports of it lawn darting...I should have stopped here and displayed her (You probably see where this is going)....
But I was excited to see her fly and show her off at the club. I asked around a bit, and the consensus was that I needed to step up the motor a bit due to weight (probably preaching to the pastors club here, but...) since an A8-3 max is 3 oz and the rocket was 2.2 oz loaded...
...So, I loaded a B4-4 and added her to launch pad #2 and my newly minted Fusion X-25 on pad #3 (one for each of the kids to launch). . .
When our turn came, I stepped back like a proud little papa...and watched...
She had a beautiful flight, nice and (mostly) straight, but...pretty fast....
We all got to see the ejection charge smoke pop...then took cover as it was apparent (when visible), that the upper (nosecone) was coming in ballistic, lawn darting, just like the reviews said...
....The field was covered in melting snow, so it was slushy and muddy...so should have been an ok landing....but
Our launch site starts at the parking lot next to a baseball field...and my rocket arced over a bit and missed the grass by about 6 feet. here's what's left:
Even during ejection, we never saw the rear (motor mount) section, even after searching the field for a good half hour, maybe more, before heading home....
So, getting back to the Fusion X-25, it launched as soon as the flutter-by ejection charge went off.... Had a lot better flight than I expected, good ejection... and landed softly....
at the top...
of the only tree on the field. Strangely, it even caught a branch inside the body tube and the chute a bit farther down.
Yes we had retrieval gear, but they were all a few feet short, so we called it a loss...
and went to find the Dragonite we lost earlier in the day...no luck here...
So 3 of 7 lost in one day, one hour really....
SO to finish the thread name:
And yet further proof, that the probability of a rocket getting lost is directly proportionate to the amount of time spent finishing it...
Good thing I have a long queue of bagged rockets to build...including (ok, bragging to make myself feel better
)
a BSG Viper upscale from morerockets.com
a 25th Anniversary USS NCC 1701 Enterprise
and an Estes SR-71 Blackbird
None of which will see this field...
IN conclusion, the Flutter-by and X-25 are both fun rockets... and lots of fun to watch..but, as seen everywhere I looked, I would not fly it on anything but an A8-3 and I am considering getting the adapter kit for using mini motors (yes, ....I have another kit, and I am strongly considering trying the steampunk idea again...but as a desk model only....
Happy flight, happy life....
For quite a while, I was working on a customized Estes Flutter-by. I got addicted to 'FatBoy's Acme Steampunk threads, and decided to try my hand at one; Using my favorite rocket, a cereal box, a manilla folder, some peel n stick wooden veneer, and some scrapbooking pearl stickers.
Spent around 13 hours getting it here (sorry for a lack of in process pics):
View attachment 253045
It then spent a while dormant over the month of December, but between the break and receiving a kit or two for Xmas... I spent another 3 hours or so getting it here:
My kids loved it...my son called it my 'rusty metal rocket.'
Before launching, I decided to do some research on what rocket motor to use...is came in at 1.4 oz. unloaded... and it is recommended to fly on an A8-3. Various reviews and threads on the rocket revealed a tendency to go really high, and get lost. There are also various reports of it lawn darting...I should have stopped here and displayed her (You probably see where this is going)....
But I was excited to see her fly and show her off at the club. I asked around a bit, and the consensus was that I needed to step up the motor a bit due to weight (probably preaching to the pastors club here, but...) since an A8-3 max is 3 oz and the rocket was 2.2 oz loaded...
...So, I loaded a B4-4 and added her to launch pad #2 and my newly minted Fusion X-25 on pad #3 (one for each of the kids to launch). . .
When our turn came, I stepped back like a proud little papa...and watched...
She had a beautiful flight, nice and (mostly) straight, but...pretty fast....
We all got to see the ejection charge smoke pop...then took cover as it was apparent (when visible), that the upper (nosecone) was coming in ballistic, lawn darting, just like the reviews said...
....The field was covered in melting snow, so it was slushy and muddy...so should have been an ok landing....but
Our launch site starts at the parking lot next to a baseball field...and my rocket arced over a bit and missed the grass by about 6 feet. here's what's left:
Even during ejection, we never saw the rear (motor mount) section, even after searching the field for a good half hour, maybe more, before heading home....
So, getting back to the Fusion X-25, it launched as soon as the flutter-by ejection charge went off.... Had a lot better flight than I expected, good ejection... and landed softly....
at the top...
of the only tree on the field. Strangely, it even caught a branch inside the body tube and the chute a bit farther down.
Yes we had retrieval gear, but they were all a few feet short, so we called it a loss...
and went to find the Dragonite we lost earlier in the day...no luck here...
So 3 of 7 lost in one day, one hour really....
SO to finish the thread name:
And yet further proof, that the probability of a rocket getting lost is directly proportionate to the amount of time spent finishing it...
Good thing I have a long queue of bagged rockets to build...including (ok, bragging to make myself feel better
)a BSG Viper upscale from morerockets.com
a 25th Anniversary USS NCC 1701 Enterprise
and an Estes SR-71 Blackbird
None of which will see this field...
IN conclusion, the Flutter-by and X-25 are both fun rockets... and lots of fun to watch..but, as seen everywhere I looked, I would not fly it on anything but an A8-3 and I am considering getting the adapter kit for using mini motors (yes, ....I have another kit, and I am strongly considering trying the steampunk idea again...but as a desk model only....
Happy flight, happy life....
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