R.I.P. Mega Der Red Max

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lcorinth

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Great flying weather up in Maine. A few of us had some bad luck on the field today, but one CMASS member had a CATO that was a little more tragic than most - torching a beautifully built Estes Mega Der Red Max.

If you haven't seen them on the Facebook NAR page, I've uploaded them on my blog, here.
 
As long as you have the nose cone you have an MDRM... Gentlemen... We can rebuild it ... Make it better than it was ... faster ... stronger. Don't give up on yours. It can be fixed. And it can be hot rodded.

This is Der Mad Max. Blue Tube Airframe, Interlocking birch plywood fins. Rocket Poxy Fillets ... and a theme from the 1983 movie, "The Road Warrior." Did I mention that it had a 54mm motor tube?

Der Mad Max 9d.jpg
 
Its always heart breaking to see your work destroyed.

Evan, its funny you say that,
..." We can rebuild it ... Make it better than it was ... faster ... stronger. Don't give up on yours. It can be fixed"

I was just thinking about my miss hap today. After 40 hours of work I was eager to get out there and fly and didn't drill down the delay :facepalm:
neil's rocket 120.jpg

" We can rebuild it ... Make it better than it was ... faster ... stronger. Don't give up on yours. It can be fixed" is all I heard from everyone there at the launch.

Rocket people :wink:
 
Custom nosecone? Pretty cool, I might have to consider getting one.
 
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Ooooohh shiny! I don't normally build fiberglass, but may have to make an exception.

My condolences to the CMASS member. Such a tragic loss.
 
Look what showed up on my doorstep today!

ImageUploadedByRocketry Forum1495671666.778367.jpg
 
Great nose cone for dual deploy

Will be interesting to see what motor is chosen as the G40 will probably not be the go to on this one.

Kenny
 
Looking at the parts compliment, looks like it might be an easy leap to converting to HED. Thoughts?

Yea. It's made for HED, but I'm still trying to figure all of that out. There's a long coupler and a switch band ( both red) that will make the AV bay / NC coupler. But there's only one bulkhead, and it fits perfectly inside the coupler. I don't quite know what to make if it.
 
Yea. It's made for HED, but I'm still trying to figure all of that out. There's a long coupler and a switch band ( both red) that will make the AV bay / NC coupler. But there's only one bulkhead, and it fits perfectly inside the coupler. I don't quite know what to make if it.

That's the 'standard' set up bulkhead for mounting in the coupler to make a traditional nose blow single deploy set up.

Looks like you're missing a few pieces for AV bay. Where'd you get it?

I don't think so. From their web site:
  • Nose cone dual deploy capable
I think that means if you WANT to convert it to HED, it's capable, and they've supplied a switch band for that purpose. Would take several av bay caps and a solution to where to tie off the nose cone recovery harness to to complete the HED. Pity that it doesn't come with those extra pieces, can't imagine it would be that much more $$, but then again I have no idea how much money is tied up in the nose cone.

The key is in where to tie off the harness in the nose. I'm having the same problem figuring out how to do a RW/MC Formula 75 HED as well, since it's a composite nose cone tip. Most of the other rockets that I've seen set up for HED have metal nose cone tips, which facilitates bolting in a stainless eye to tie everything off to.

Gonna take a good think on HEDing this one.

I'm thinking that the nose cone is the real gem here! Gonna open up a LOT of fun with making new fiberglass designs. Hopefully they'll offer it as a separate unit, too.

What is the outer diameter of the motor mount? I have an aeropack order to put in shortly.
 
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Sorry to hear about the MDRM burning... I pray that the same doesn't happen to mine when I get a chance to actually finish it.
 
Mine came today! A full day early! I'm really liking the looks of this kit. No need to post pics, since that's already been done.
Like others have mentioned, yes this could be HED capable, with a few extra parts needed to do so. Also as mentioned, a way to secure a harness to the nosecone would be needed. I'm thinking six inches of Kevlar harness epoxied in the nose would probably do the trick. But I almost want to simply build this stock and use motor eject and my JLCR. Should be a great rocket for some simple pop and drop flights!
 
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