Estes Executioner Core Sample, Fix and Fly (Ejection Charge Burning Debris pics)

[DizWolf]

I recieved an Altimeter Two yesterday and wanted to test it out. Perfect time for the Executioner's first flight. I used epoxy to build it, and the weight suffered. Clocked in at 11.2oz unloaded. So these were going to be low flights. Perfect since I didn't want to risk losing the Alt2 yet.

First flight- 191 feet 50 mph

Had an odd bit of burning debris when I saw the photos and video. Nothing wrong I'm sure, but never caught it like this before.

[DizWolf]

Second Flight- 188 feet, 50 MPH up, 39 MPH down



Third flight- Cut off half the upper tube. Now 10.5oz. 237 feet, 58 MPH, 8mph decent

[DizWolf]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tf13gmARV-o

[JPVegh]

Really great pics.

[Rocket86]

Amazing pics!!

[jef955]

Those are great pictures !

[Wayco]

I agree, those are some great aerial pic's! That burning debris looks like a photon torpedo, did you see a Klingon bird of prey in the area?

[paul.nortness]

I have that happen to me with my Big Daddy.....I always thought that the fireball was caused because of the body being so short and the dog barf being right on top of the ejection charge that it caught it on fire as it ejected....but seeing it on your MUCH longer Executioner....gotta rethink that theory!

[DizWolf]

Thanks guys, I appreciate the comments on the photos. Still need to tweak a few things to nail it, but I'm getting closer. Tried AI focus today and that was a total failure kept grabbing the background.

Paul- This is the first time I've run with just nomex. I'm guessing it normally buried itself in a ball of Estes wadding and doesn't burn free.
In the first photo of the ejection (which I didnt include above) you can see something smoking against the fire blanket. There are also several smaller pieces near the tail.


As it falls, it seems to burn hotter as the speed feeds it air. I'm guessing this is just normal debris from inside the engine, left over tracking particles or whatnot. With a bunch of wadding to get caught up in, you don't normally see it. With short bodies, or methods that don't trap the burning embers, it was able to shoot clear.

Also from today, My LOC onyx on an F42-4T




MUCH quicker liftoff than an F23-4FJ, I got many more shots during this lift: http://www.flickr.com/photos/3175794...57627037840795 Today it was just -gone- Looked up and saw nothing Those shots are taken at 8 frames a second to give you an idea of speed.

[jmartyg]

Great shots!

It looks like it flew a lot better after you shrunk it. That said, exactly how much did you cut off?

also, what camera did you use?

The wadding/barf/engine chunk looks like a little meteor.

[GDJ]

I'm thinking this is a piece of wadding with a bit of black powder stuck inside it. From the rest of the pics it looks like it burned for a rather short time.

Pretty cool shot!

[DizWolf]

Chopped 6 3/4 inches. It seemed to like the chop, I don't think I'm going to lengthen it.

Shot with a Canon 7D with EF 70-200L f/2.8 lens

It's definitely a BP fireball, I didn't use barf or wadding. Yea, I'm guessing it burned for just over a second or so.

[Marc_G]

Spectacular pics!

[trippkid]

What motor were you using for the Executioner flights? Could your fire chunk be the ejection cap if using a SU composite or reload? Very nice pics, I wish I could get them that good.
Matt

[DizWolf]

D12-3 in the Executioner flights.

Thanks! If I had been thinking clear I'd have shot with the sun to my back and gotten some -very- sharp photos. Some days it's like sitting around a campfire and where the smoke blows... Anywhere I went, the rocket would shoot directly over my head.

[dixontj93060]

I also had a unfortunate finish to an Executioner flight a few weeks ago at a Tripoli Indiana launch. My upgraded Executioner on a G64-8. Blow by on the motor for an unknown reason as forensics after the flight showed that the motor was built per spec--but the delay grain seemed to be "non-existent/ineffective"--in any case a flaming decent for the booster. Payload bay is intact and am considering a rebuild of the fin can / booster--we'll see. (Photos courtesy of David Reese).

[DizWolf]

Ouch.....Never good to see that much fire coming down... Cool pictures though.

(i've actually got your build thread bookmarked from before I ordered my Executioner... )

[Grendel]

I like the color scheme on that rocket.

[ounderfla69]

I had an 29mm Executioner 5 years ago on the old G80s cato on ignition and blew the bottom of the rocket apart on the launch rod. You were luck I had to rebuild the entire bottom.