Flame Colours

Burnt a couple of Blue Thunder motors on the weekend. An F52 reload followed by an F42 single use. Both of them burnt with the usual orange flame... I launched a Mohave green G reload too and that one didn’t look particularly green either. Watching other launches, I’m sure I’ve seen the “bright blue flame” that is advertised.

The redline motors I’ve used have always burnt obviously red.

I have slow motion photographic evidence.

Is this typical?

I will forgive Aerotech for the false advertising if they can get some 24/40 casings to my local dealer

Green motors in particular don't show up as "green" very well unless you have longer (more grains) motors. Same with anything blue.

Yep the smaller motors are harder to see the colors, even on camera.
If you can set your camera up to under expose, you'll notice more color.

I've flown the F42 as well, and wasn't impressed at all. Estes D12 looks and sounds better.

View attachment 345817View attachment 345818

Here you see an AT I435 (4in AMRAAM) and an AT I300 (1st stage on a BlackBrant X with Tarrier booster) These are 38mm blue motors and while they kick hard and fast, the blue color isn't the defining feature of the motor like you see with reds. The AMRAAM was actually my L1 flight and it broke the leg off the pad it kicked so hard.

MikeyDSlagle said:

Yep the smaller motors are harder to see the colors, even on camera.
If you can set your camera up to under expose, you'll notice more color.

I've flown the F42 as well, and wasn't impressed at all. Estes D12 looks and sounds better.

Click to expand...

Agreed the F42 is a bit meh. I prefer the longer burning F27 for SU and the F40 reload for 29mm... A D12 wouldn’t have gotten this rocket off the rail but I did have a couple of very nice low-and-slow flights on a pair of F15s with a 400g-ish rocket this weekend - but that was pushing the thrust to weight envelope a bit.... Love the smell of sulphur in the morning...

The lack of the blue flame was a little disappointing. I chose the motor specifically because this was an dusk launch and thought the colour would really pop. Next time I’ll go with red.

You just need a K805 Green...that pops as you put it.

I have had pretty decent luck with the G76 reloads. They throw off some decent color, more yellow than green but color all the same. I’m a Smokey motor fan myself ��

The G Redlines are really nice and have a bright vivid red flame just like the larger ones.



My LOC IV on an AT 38/120 G67R