Dynastar Grappler?

[jaymeister99]

Anybody tried this rocket out? It sounds huge for the price and size motors you can use.

But I wonder how solid it is?

[Madison Alum]

I've got one sitting at the post office, waiting to get picked up. I used to have a Sky Torpedo, which was a good flyer until the shock cord came loose and the body got lost in a bean field. The nose cone drifted off to who knows where.

[Dean B]

I'm building the similar Stone Breaker right now. I really like the look of this rocket, but all the Dynastar kits are pretty cool.

My gripes - The balsa fin stock had lots of hollow spaces in it. I filled holes around the fin edges and then I papered the fins to add needed strength.

Also, the fit of the nose cone to the body tube was very sloppy. The shoulder of the cone has a bevelled shape that only contacts the tube at the very top. I couldn't get a good fit, no matter how much I taped the shoulder. I cut down a piece of BT-80 and glued it into the tube where the nose cone shoulder would be, and then sanded it to more closely fit the shoulder. Just a little tape and I had a great fit.

So now my Dynastar kit is about ready for primer. We'll have to see how it holds up, since the body tube does seem a little thin. I may never launch it on a C11 as advertised, but it's probably do-able because of the lightweight parts.

[RocketManDan]

How are the body tubes? Do they seem to be of good quality? I think the kits for the money should come with nylon chutes.

[Joe V]

The tubes are thin. They are not going to last long, unless you are very careful. I bought this kit about 3 years ago. Nice Mid Power kit, but not very beefy. I believe it is designed light so you can use smaller motors. Thin tubes, and cardboard centering rings. Once I started pushing it with Aerotech E motors, it wore out quickly. The tube crimped just above the fins, the top centering ring ripped out with the shock cord, also has a couple of good zippers.

If I got another one I would put a coupler in just above the fins and make plywood centering rings. I put a ring of clear packing tape at the top of the tube and this seemed to help with the zippers, along with a small wad of making tape on the shock cord.

[RocketManDan]

The tubes are thin. They are not going to last long, unless you are very careful. I bought this kit about 3 years ago. Nice Mid Power kit, but not very beefy. I believe it is designed light so you can use smaller motors. Thin tubes, and cardboard centering rings. Once I started pushing it with Aerotech E motors, it wore out quickly. The tube crimped just above the fins, the top centering ring ripped out with the shock cord, also has a couple of good zippers.

If I got another one I would put a coupler in just above the fins and make plywood centering rings. I put a ring of clear packing tape at the top of the tube and this seemed to help with the zippers, along with a small wad of making tape on the shock cord.

Kind of like a glorified ESTES kit. I think they are a little on the high side for what you get.

[jaymeister99]

Kind of like a glorified ESTES kit. I think they are a little on the high side for what you get.

For a 2.6"x45" rocket? Its got to be the cheapest rocket of that size that can run on D12? But then again, if you got the money and the room a decent mid power rocket can probably be had for around the same price.

I think I'll look into getting this one, but definitely have to beef it up a little bit.

[RocketManDan]

For a 2.6"x45" rocket? Its got to be the cheapest rocket of that size that can run on D12? But then again, if you got the money and the room a decent mid power rocket can probably be had for around the same price.

I think I'll look into getting this one, but definitely have to beef it up a little bit.

Thats' true about the weight. I mean you can get a MadCow kit for about the same price is all I'm saying...better made with ply fins and thick wall tubes

[bjphoenix]

For a 2.6"x45" rocket? Its got to be the cheapest rocket of that size that can run on D12? But then again, if you got the money and the room a decent mid power rocket can probably be had for around the same price.

I finished an Estes Executioner not too long ago. It is pretty big, and light. There has to be a tradeoff though. I have several 2.6" diameter rockets built with LOC components. They are obviously stronger, but also heavier and you won't fly one of them on a D12. I have an Estes Phoenix, also large and relatively very light. I've flown it numerous times and it is holding up well, except that its design makes the fins pretty fragile. Stronger fins would add weight and build complexity.

[Madison Alum]

Picked up my Grappler at the post office today. Everything came through OK. The body tubes are about the same as the thin tubes I have bought from BMS. I dry fitted the parts together and everything fits fine. Lots of weight up front.
Since I haven't been in rocketry for very long these are the first die cut fins I have run across, but they look OK as well.


Hope to start building it soon.

John

[Stymye]

Thats' true about the weight. I mean you can get a MadCow kit for about the same price is all I'm saying...better made with ply fins and thick wall tubes

don't compare model rockets to midpower rockets ... 90% of people on this forum already understand the difference.

your point makes no point,
and you know better than that as well

[RocketManDan]

I finished an Estes Executioner not too long ago. It is pretty big, and light. There has to be a tradeoff though. I have several 2.6" diameter rockets built with LOC components. They are obviously stronger, but also heavier and you won't fly one of them on a D12. I have an Estes Phoenix, also large and relatively very light. I've flown it numerous times and it is holding up well, except that its design makes the fins pretty fragile. Stronger fins would add weight and build complexity.

That would be a fun kit to clone...hear its a great flyer.

[RocketManDan]

don't compare model rockets to midpower rockets ... 90% of people on this forum already understand the difference.

your point makes no point,
and you know better than that as well

I'm comparing mid power rockets to mid power rockets. For what you would pay for a Dynastar that costs between $40-50 you can get a basic Mad Cow kit. And I might add the Dynastar kit are considered a mid-power kit and they make this very clear on Apogee's website so don't tell me what I do and don't know.

Now read this very slowly so you can understand it. My point makes plenty of sense...you are the one that has no point at all...

"The sole purpose of Dyna-Star is to create an exciting mix of mid-power rockets. By mid-power, we are talking about rockets that use D, E, and F size rocket motors. Dyna-Star will not attempt to enter the low powered nor high powered rocketry markets. There is already ample selection of rockets in those areas of rocketry."


and here the link with pretty pictures to help you understand it better.

http://www.dynastar-rockets.com/

Now gently and I do mean gently...pull your head out of your a$$ and don't hurt yourself. I'd hate to see anything happen to you.

[Stymye]

......oh brother

[RocketManDan]

You opened your mouth and placed your foot in it

[Stymye]

here's a rocketry 101 quiz for you

study the following diagram closely than answer this question ... is this
A) model Rocket
B) midpower rocket





* Hint - it is built to the same specs as the Dynastar Grappler , lightweight body tube , Lightweight Nosecone ,balsa fins,plastic chute,paper centering rings, estes "style" construction.
* Hint - The dynastar Grappler lists C-11 as a recommended motor

[Aksrockets]

Ladies, calm down! Wether the grappler is a mpr or a lpr is up to the flier. It reccomends from a C11 to an F motor. If the flier flys it mostly on C11s and D12s then i guess you could call it a lpr kit. If they fly it on Es and Fs, they could call it a MPR. Just because one of the reccomended engines isnt an F or larger doent mean that it's not a midpower. A LOC aura reccomends a D12 but that doesnt mean that it isnt a midpower kit.

Play nice
Alex

[jaymeister99]

Wow, didn't mean to get everybody all wild here!

Does. Anyone know how high this typically goes on a D12?

[[POW]Eagle159]

Wow, didn't mean to get everybody all wild here!

Does. Anyone know how high this typically goes on a D12?

http://www.dynastar-rockets.com/Grappler.html

Look to see altitudes.......D12-3- 290'' feet.