Estes Ascender questions

Two quick questions:

What is the body tube size of the Ascender?

What is the nose cone size of the Ascender?

Thank you!

You looking for diameter or length?

RalPh8 said:

Two quick questions: What is the body tube size of the Ascender? What is the nose cone size of the Ascender? Thank you!

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The outside diameter is 2.005". The lower section is 24" long and upper section is 8" long. Not sure what you mean by the nose cone size. Greg

I'd bet nose cone length.

Sorry, should´ve been more descriptive. I have an Ascender and it flew wonderfully two days ago on an E and then an F engine right until it got to about 2000AGL and then it blasted my nose cone to kingdom come. Heard a loud "pop" from 2000ft away. The masking tape and leather strap both failed holding that thing in place when the ejection charge hit. The rest of the rocket returned gracefully under the parachute but that nose cone is gone. So I need a new one and I was trying to find the accurate replacement.

Thank you!

Estes has a 2 inch nose cone listed, described as used with the Argent. The pictures look close enough to the Ascender.

https://www.estesrockets.com/rockets/pro-series/parts/072653-pro-series-iitm-2-plastic-nose-cone


Sounds like a shotgun ejection got you. Now would you mind explaining the leather strap ?

RalPh8 said:

Sorry, should´ve been more descriptive. I have an Ascender and it flew wonderfully two days ago on an E and then an F engine right until it got to about 2000AGL and then it blasted my nose cone to kingdom come. Heard a loud "pop" from 2000ft away. The masking tape and leather strap both failed holding that thing in place when the ejection charge hit. The rest of the rocket returned gracefully under the parachute but that nose cone is gone. So I need a new one and I was trying to find the accurate replacement.

Thank you!

Click to expand...

Below is a clip from the Ascender's instructions, with the Estes part number for the nose cone. You might try contacting Estes to get a replacement.



I did have a similar incident with my Ascender where at apogee the plastic strap that secured the recovery strap on the coupler gave way (it was the second or third flight). It was only by the grace of God that I found the upper tube and nose cone.

Greg

GregGleason said:

Below is a clip from the Ascender's instructions, with the Estes part number for the nose cone. You might try contacting Estes to get a replacement.

View attachment 279926

I did have a similar incident with my Ascender where at apogee the plastic strap that secured the recovery strap on the coupler gave way (it was the second or third flight). It was only by the grace of God that I found the upper tube and nose cone.

Greg

Click to expand...

Oh My, data beats calibrated eyeballs every time. :blush: Thanks Greg !

Different part number; maybe the OP will get lucky and find out the only difference is color:

samb said:

Estes has a 2 inch nose cone listed, described as used with the Argent. The pictures look close enough to the Ascender.

https://www.estesrockets.com/rockets/pro-series/parts/072653-pro-series-iitm-2-plastic-nose-cone


Sounds like a shotgun ejection got you. Now would you mind explaining the leather strap ?

Click to expand...

The leather strap that I had tied the nose cone to the coupler with was a (apparently) weak attempt to keep the nose cone with the rocket should it pop out of the payload bay upon ejection. Maybe next time I'll try a shock chord instead. Something that gives a little

GregGleason said:

Below is a clip from the Ascender's instructions, with the Estes part number for the nose cone. You might try contacting Estes to get a replacement.

View attachment 279926

I did have a similar incident with my Ascender where at apogee the plastic strap that secured the recovery strap on the coupler gave way (it was the second or third flight). It was only by the grace of God that I found the upper tube and nose cone.

Greg

Click to expand...

Mine did the same thing. I built it per the instructions exactly. The nose was so tight it barely fit. Lost mine the same way. Estes replaced it. It was obviously a "seconds" cone, but I filled the surface, sanded, painted, and this time I put a 2-56 black screw through the airframe into it. Haven't lost it again.

The anchor point on the coupler broke on mine as well. I have the whole thing, haven't decided how to repair the part yet.

And it is exactly the same as the Argent cone, just speckly black. The joy of owning both, I could compare them.

quick tip i used in my Ascender build, if you build it with the payload bay, put a piece of duct tape covering the rectangle hole in the base of the plastic connector (between the booster tube and payload tube), this will keep the gas pressure from the ejection charge from blowing up through your payload bay and subsequently blowing off your nose cone from the payload section, also like others have said, a small screw works too but my way might be a little easier and nothing to drill or align each time you remove/replace the nose cone. Also for extra security you could put a piece of thin red electrical tape (or black) to maintain the color scheme) around the base of nose cone where it meets the payload tube.