Returning to Model Rocketry after a 50 years Hiatus

Welcome back to the hobby. It's only become more fun in the past 50 years.

You'll get all kinds of replies pro and con for both AT and CTI reloads. The best answer is use the system that is covered by the vendor(s) that frequent your local launches. If you have coverage from both manufacturers, it would be a good idea to hang around an avid user of each at upcoming launches to see what each system offers. Better, see if you could borrow the case and hardware from each camp and buy reloads to fly your rockets and then make up your mind from that.

Great advice Kenn! Never occurred to me to think outside the box like that. Most appreciated. Like your avatar and the salute to Rocky and Bullwinkle. Sorry that we lost June Foray this year. Gigantic talent and personality. Live long and be excellent to each other dud!

Cool Beenz, love the old days too...here are my suggestions: note: I did work for AeroTech. If your rocket does not have thru the wall fins or they are balsa, use a lower thrust motor (Avg thrust less than 30nt) or you will get a shred. If they are plywood or fiberglass, increase power. Judging from the approx size of the rocket pictured, Use an E_Motor for first flight with about 5-6 sec delay, medium thrust. 20-40nt avg. As for motors, AeroTech are a bit higher performance than Cesaroni but both work well. Cesaroni reloads are easier to assemble. Both will require trimming the delay charge, Instructions will be enclosed with the respective reload kits. You could also try an Estes 29mm Black powder E16-4 or F15-5. Try a couple different ones next: The New AeroTech F67 would be a nice kick butt motor, or try an Aerotech Redline F27 or a Cesaroni F36 Smokey Sam. If you are looking for doing a level 1 certification flight later on, think big on the rocket and small on the motor, you want success not altitude, you have to return it for inspection. Use a low end H-Motor in a 4" or 5.5" rocket that weighs at least 4-7 Lbs. A U.S. Rocket Mega-Roc kit is the perfect level 1 cert flight rocket. I see that you are in Massachusetts, come down for Red Glare at MDRA Date TBD.

For motors I prefer CTI. They are quicker to assemble and clean IMHO (especially the smaller stuff), largely due to not having to fiddle with o-rings and assembling delays and things. They have already done that for you. Not that it is super difficult for AT anyway. The real difference I find is they have much larger impulse available for the same diameter motors. That may or may not matter to you, depending on what/how you fly. Also I think AT was not so much into long-burn years ago. That may have changed but I am not that familiar with current AT offerings.

As was said above, availability will drive you to a large extent I suspect.

The current AT longburns are endburning versions of their Warp9 propellant. Both brands have their fan, but as KennB stated see what your local vendor offers. Each of the brands has their own charm (Loki,AT,CTI, AMW?) and fans.

Rockiteer said:

Hello everyone, Now that I am retired retired and have way too much free time on my hands I got back into model rocketry after a 50 year hiatus. Wow so much has changed like the motors. Back in my day we just stuffed an Estes C6-5 (their most powerful one at the time) and off to the races. Scratch building my own rocket this time around and plan to use a 29mm motor casing. Any recommendations about what brand to use? Areotech or Cesaroni Pro-X good, bad, indifferent. Any and all inputs appreciated.

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Welcome to MPR!

Here's my humble opinion on motors...

If you have an onsite vendor or some other way around HAZMAT, I see no good reason not to fly CTI. If you don't have a CTI vendor, AeroTech is fine- they just have more little pieces to keep track of.

If you have plenty of space CTI is especially nice for semi-performance rockets- I have a 38mm diameter rocket with a 29mm mount where the stock delays are almost perfect for most motors. I just slip the load into the casing and I'm ready to fly.

CTI motors also light much easier and have more accurate delays. The problem is they tend to be kickier than AT motors, so only ~25% of their G motors can be flown without an L1. The extra kick pays off with heavy rockets though.