Loki Research 2015

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My 50% L is 76" long. I'm sure Scott can get the same NS from a shorter length, I'm just a amateur with crude methods and equipment not a professional. I've posted the formula, so anyone should be able to do it. It's been about five or six years since I published how I did it, but no takers yet.
 
Oh yeah.... if I ever find time for myself, Eric Foster sent me this little 38mm gem I spec'ed out for him. I might add, he nailed it! :)




38_3600_Small.jpg

Scott, I might know someone who can build a rocket around that monster.
 
Scott, I might know someone who can build a rocket around that monster.

LOL. I know you do. Let me attempt to make a working motor out of it first, and then we'll talk shop. I haven't done anything but post case pictures yet. There's a long road ahead, unless you know someone who has time to machine stepped mandrels for me to pick up at Airfest. Then I can take a short cut! :)
 
MD M1200 SpitFire made for absolutely beautiful launch photos.

11822141_804742106305677_197027996_o.jpg11831318_1089041141126888_532059952_o.jpg

And an almost successful L3 to 24,300ft.
 
Clay,

Very nice shots! No biggie not getting your L3 though. You just get to fly another M motor, try it again the same way or try something totally different again. You learn with every flight.
 
Clay,

Very nice shots! No biggie not getting your L3 though. You just get to fly another M motor, try it again the same way or try something totally different again. You learn with every flight.

That's very true, all I need to do is pack the parachute a little more carefully and set the cable cutter a bit higher from the ground, and I think I'll be golden. I'm
going to repair the fins and see if I can't convince my TAP about a M1882..
 
Dan, it's an old 14&1/2" Southbend with a 6' bed.

Wayne, I'm sorry to say that all 54mm production is delayed. Advance has had several set backs in the past month, including their father having a heat attack last week. He's doing better. :) If you need the 54/4000 hardware to fly at Airfest, send me an email and I'll ask TMT to send me a case back. Pointing to another thread, if profits overall were health in my business, I wouldn't have to wait till the last minute to get things made and restocked. It doesn't help me and it certainly doesn't help my customers. The rest of the 54mm cases are now very low in number, all but the 4 grain 54/1600.

Sorry to cross reply but I'm not jumping in that airfest thread :)

All I just heard was "so I'm going to rush certify a 4 grain load with a star core" after that post....
 
Find me a $10/hr employee so I have more working man hours in the day and I'll see what I can do. The cost of living here is about half of what it was in Philly, so this would really be more than I was getting paid by Jeff. ;-)

Priceless reply in the thread btw. LOL
 
Find me a $10/hr employee so I have more working man hours in the day and I'll see what I can do. The cost of living here is about half of what it was in Philly, so this would really be more than I was getting paid by Jeff. ;-)

Priceless reply in the thread btw. LOL

If I lived closer, you would need a restraining order to keep me away! Would you consider payment in reloads??
 
I've been slammed here lately, but I wanted to make time post some photos of the 98mm single use nozzle I'll be testing at Airfest. It came out very nicely.
I'll update this later with a weight comparison. It'll be flown in a 98/12,500 case with an N-4500 Loki Blue stuffed with 7,295g of propellant that is 36 & 7/16" in length.

98mm%20CE%20Nozzle%20small%203.jpg

Here are links to the rest so I don't bog down anyones system.
https://lokiresearch.com/images/2015/98mm%20CE%20Nozzle%20small%201.jpg
https://lokiresearch.com/images/2015/98mm%20CE%20Nozzle%20small%202.jpg
https://lokiresearch.com/images/2015/98mm%20CE%20Nozzle%20small%204.jpg
 
I've been slammed here lately, but I wanted to make time post some photos of the 98mm single use nozzle I'll be testing at Airfest. It came out very nicely.
I'll update this later with a weight comparison. It'll be flown in a 98/12,500 case with an N-4500 Loki Blue stuffed with 7,295g of propellant that is 36 & 7/16" in length.

98mm%20CE%20Nozzle%20small%203.jpg

Here are links to the rest so I don't bog down anyones system.
https://lokiresearch.com/images/2015/98mm%20CE%20Nozzle%20small%201.jpg
https://lokiresearch.com/images/2015/98mm%20CE%20Nozzle%20small%202.jpg
https://lokiresearch.com/images/2015/98mm%20CE%20Nozzle%20small%204.jpg


Looks really cool!!
 
Agree - looking forward to the results and the "after" picture to compare and learn why they are "single use."
What's the cost on these?
 
Kurt, yes.

Fred, so far, everything I have tested has cooked and charred the phenolic very badly immediately after the burn ends which results in a broken bond between the graphite and the phenolic. This one has a tapered insert so it may be possible to salvage the graphite, but the phenolic would be toast. Cost is a rough estimate at this points, but if I were to make another like this one for sale myself, I'd estimate between $125-135. The exit is also 2.6" with a 14 degree exit and a .941" throat. Had I made it a bit longer I could have kept everything the same and gone up to a 2.8" exit. I could also use a lighter duty retaining ring and gone even larger which may be necessary on longer cases.
 
Scott,,
That's without a doubt the coolest best looking single use nozzle I've ever seen...
That is gorgeous man...

Teddy
 
Cost is a rough estimate at this points, but if I were to make another like this one for sale myself, I'd estimate between $125-135.

I don't really understand the point. If the cost for "single use" is more than a graphite re-usable....why would single use be something I would invest in? Forgive me if I'm missing something. Maybe this is for extreme motor designs that are above my skill set. Either way, like others have said, it looks really cool!!
 
I don't really understand the point. If the cost for "single use" is more than a graphite re-usable....why would single use be something I would invest in? Forgive me if I'm missing something. Maybe this is for extreme motor designs that are above my skill set. Either way, like others have said, it looks really cool!!

I had the same question.
 
I don't really understand the point. If the cost for "single use" is more than a graphite re-usable....why would single use be something I would invest in? Forgive me if I'm missing something. Maybe this is for extreme motor designs that are above my skill set. Either way, like others have said, it looks really cool!!

There's not much of a cost savings if you're only comparing nozzle to nozzle. But if you consider that this nozzle gives you about 2-3 inches more propellant length (depending on your graphite nozzles length) for higher overall performance and Ns, and that in a 40-48+" long motor with a high performance, high pressure, hot burning propellant load, this nozzle will completely insulate the throat from the motor case. A full diameter graphite nozzle will weaken the strength of the motor case when the heat soak of a graphite nozzle heats the case up above 230C+ degrees. If you had to buy a new motor case, then this nozzle would be a steal at $135. Also, a full diameter graphite nozzle can even crack on you so you'd be out that cost anyway. The 54/4000 can't usually keep a nozzle from cracking past 1 firing. During one of those tests it burned a pin hole through the the case, right where the thrust ring was. So in a nut shell, for the highest skill set motors this nozzle will save you from replacing your motor case and your no longer reusable graphite nozzle.
 
Geeezzzzzzzzzz,,,,,,,
Are you serious Dave.......
That's the most ridiculous sparky load I've ever seen.......

Wow,,,

Teddy
 
Great shots David. Thanks for posting them. I'm anxious to hear about the flight performance Michael. Anyone know whose pad cam that was?

Ted, I'm sorry, I believe I forgot to respond to your email this past week. It's been a busy one Thank you for the photos as well. Very nice. Glad you liked that L-930.

Ted's photos...... the first rocket looks to be an EX zinc/white motor, then an L-780 Spitfire (after the flag photo) another rocket and an L-930 Loki White.
https://onebadhawk.com/mars-8222015.html

Thanks to both the fliers and photographers. :)
 
I don't really understand the point. If the cost for "single use" is more than a graphite re-usable....why would single use be something I would invest in? Forgive me if I'm missing something. Maybe this is for extreme motor designs that are above my skill set. Either way, like others have said, it looks really cool!!

I'm no expert but for longer burning, graphite really starts to transfer heat to the case. I have a friend who has a pretty extensive machine shop and made a beautiful 6" diameter motor.
Threaded, knurled closures. Motor failed with the 4th firing. Back end of case failed on the pad and burning grains dropped out. Was a "low pressure" failure as opposed to some of the
big "blowouts" one sees pictures of in the magazines. Recurrent heat soaking of the case around the nozzle likely caused the failure of the aluminum.

I made a high L/D 24mm snap ring motor that was about an H. I ground tested it and holee molee the aft snap ring was bowed out and the graphite nozzle was royally cooked and crumbly after firing. A few milliseconds more and it might have blown. It was machined out of 2024 Aluminum too. Given extreme conditions, graphite and the best machined casing can become single use. Kurt
 
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