Apogee Aspire

The Rocketry Forum

Help Support The Rocketry Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

GreatWhite

Active Member
Joined
Nov 26, 2009
Messages
27
Reaction score
0
Just purchased the Apogee Aspire. Anyone have any experience with this kit?

-Patrick
 
Yes i have built three. All lost !

Lesson 1, dont put an g80 in it and expect it back ;)
Lesson 2, buy more than one at the time.

Its a great "beginners" rocket but not only for beginners as its a fun rocket for anyone. Its Highflying, cheap, easy to build.
For extra strenght i recommend paperlaminating the fins and putting nice rich fillets. Apogee has instructions for this on thier site.
 
Get a few of those F10 motors from Apogee. Love that looooong burn :)
 
Use a radio tracker and dual deployment.

I've not quite finished mine, but I am using a Featherweight Raven and a BeeLine Transmitter for tracking. I'm still a couple of months away from finishing it before considering flying it.
 
Use a radio tracker and dual deployment.

I've not quite finished mine, but I am using a Featherweight Raven and a BeeLine Transmitter for tracking. I'm still a couple of months away from finishing it before considering flying it.

You could do that, yes. Personally, I would just use a long shiny streamer and single use motors.
 
Just purchased the Apogee Aspire. Anyone have any experience with this kit?
Yes. My streamer burnt after three launches. Apogee sells a silver streamer that is twice as thick, 2 mil, that I need to buy. It's big, but can be cut into several smaller streamers.

This is onboard video of my Apogee Aspire with a D12.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYZyg3WFyxc

I have a F26 and F62 single use motors ready to go. However, my Aspire suffered damage after the descent rate was too fast. I have cut the rear section off, now I need to remove the fins and reattach them to the airframe.
 
Use a radio tracker and dual deployment.

I've not quite finished mine, but I am using a Featherweight Raven and a BeeLine Transmitter for tracking. I'm still a couple of months away from finishing it before considering flying it.

Once you get experience with that setup, make it shorter and as light as you can (I assume you're using a lipo battery? They can share one if you want), and you can probably set a Tripoli F record on an F10.
 
Yes. My streamer burnt after three launches. Apogee sells a silver streamer that is twice as thick, 2 mil, that I need to buy. It's big, but can be cut into several smaller streamers.
.

topflightrecoveryllc.com

Top flight offers a large variety of streamers!
 
Yes. My streamer burnt after three launches. Apogee sells a silver streamer that is twice as thick, 2 mil, that I need to buy. It's big, but can be cut into several smaller streamers.

This is onboard video of my Apogee Aspire with a D12.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYZyg3WFyxc

I have a F26 and F62 single use motors ready to go. However, my Aspire suffered damage after the descent rate was too fast. I have cut the rear section off, now I need to remove the fins and reattach them to the airframe.

I had the same thing happen to me the first time that I launched my Aspire.I put it up on a E9-6,the streamer was burnt almost in two.What I did was buy some ripstop nylon and made my own streamer.3" by 50".It will cost just a few dollars and you can make more than one.Buy a few yards.I have yellow and red streamers,work out great.cjp.
 
Mine flew apart at close to mach using an AT G80! Ha ha ha. Make sure you strenghen the fins as suggested for bigger motors.
 
I have flown mine on F10s multiple times, and you do not need a radio tracker. Also, I would strongly suggest not putting in the engine block, so that you can fly larger motors. Here are instructions for strengthening it to fly on a G80:https://www.apogeerockets.com/education/downloads/super_sonic_Aspire.pdf

I don't need a tracker. That's what I used to think until my 29mm Big Bertha on a Pro29 3 grain drifted away on a thermal in April. I'm not gonna make that mistake again (winds aloft are unpredictable). However, you are correct, you don't need a tracker.

I agree, leave out the motor block (or at least move it forward) for a wider variety of motors. I read about this rocket suffering separations and can't help but wonder if it's not due to the over powered ejection charges in the motors used in the Aspire. Only a small amount of BP is required to get the laundry out. Anything more stresses the recovery system including the attachment points. Enough of that and things let go.
 
This is a GREAT rocket. I have flown it several times on Estes D12 & E9 motors. I built mine with airfoiled fins skinned in paper & epoxy putty for fillets. The streamer worked well put I also flew with a parachute. All flights were recovered successfully except the last one at LDRS 29. Tab on the nosecone broke & the rocket recovered via flat spin loosing 2 fins. I will definetly repair or replace this model.
 
Flew one on an Apogee F10 last weekend, and didn't get it back. We lost sight of it pretty quickly, but we heard it all the way up. Very cool!

I used a metallic streamer in hopes I would see it glimmer on the way down, but no such luck. I probably should have waited for a larger field, but I've been wanting to burn one of those long burn motors for a long time.

My simulations put it right around 5000' -- that is pretty high for a single-deploy, light weight rocket on a relatively small HPR field.

I'll build and launch another on an F10 someday. I'll probably just wait for a bigger field.
 
I know the feeling, you wait and wait for something to appear in the sky but it never comes down. Its like it hit space ;)
 
I launched an F10 at night in my glow light express which has a 15" cylume in it. With the 8 sec burn it went 3000 ft+ high, was in sight the whole way and had an easy recovery. Almost no wind however!
 
I know the feeling, you wait and wait for something to appear in the sky but it never comes down. Its like it hit space ;)

When I have one that goes up and doesn't come down, I'll tell you I got one to orbit!:cool: If you don't agree, prove it otherwise by finding the rocket!;) Until then, orbit it is!:D
 
Back
Top