Tips on making an engine mount that can handle both D and E engines.

[Green Jello]

Has anyone done this? Do you just make the mount for an E engine and slide a 1" spacer ring in there when you want to use a D? Ideas?

[Rex R]

yes & yes
rex

[JPVegh]

Yep, thats what you do alright. If you buy an Estes that launches on E motors that's how they do it as well and the kit will include the spacer.

[blackbrandt]

Leave out the engine block, so you can fly bigger motors in there. Just wrap a little tape around the aft end.

[Green Jello]

Anyone know where you can buy a 1" 24mm ring?

[JPVegh]

You can make your own from a spent 24mm motor.

I don't know if you've seen this thread yet but there is some good general rocketry info to be found here:http://www.rocketryforum.com/showthr...of-information

[blackbrandt]

Make it yourself. Use a bandsaw and cut off a 1 inch section of a 24mm casing.

[Green Jello]

You can make your own from a spent 24mm motor.

I don't know if you've seen this thread yet but there is some good general rocketry info to be found here:http://www.rocketryforum.com/showthr...of-information

Yeah thanks. I've been going through that stuff as much as I can and trying to only ask the questions that I can't find by searching the forum archives. Thanks for your patience. You guys are great.

[JPVegh]

Yeah thanks. I've been going through that stuff as much as I can and trying to only ask the questions that I can't find by searching the forum archives. Thanks for your patience. You guys are great.

Ask away, that's what forums are for, to exchange information and ideas.

[BEAR]

Some of the Estes kits come with this spacer also, such as the Mean Machine. Also in this configuration, able to accept Estes "D" and "E" motors, you will be able to use an Aerotech 29-60 case, with the spacer so you can fly "F" motors. I do not know if the 29-120 will fit without the spacer. Of course as mentioned earlier, you could leave the engine block out or the motor clip and use tape so that you could put any length motor in. I have a modified Mean Machine that I fly on "G"s, but I have thru the wall plywood fins on it to make it beefier.

[Coop]

Pretty sure the Mean Machine is a 24mm bird, no?


Later!

--Coop

[BEAR]

As a stock bird it is, but mine has a 29mm motor mount in it, so I can take 29's, and with a motor adapter it is 24mm. Plywood thru the wall fins, and can be used as dual deploy, also. Only bulkhead is at the end of the first tube segment, start of the second tube segment. The tubes have never been glued together, so the body tubes can be assembled in as necessary. It can be 18, 36, 54, or 72" long. Variations are dependent on how high I want it to fly and what the wind conditions are like. It is stable, according to rocksim in all variations. The attached photos show my two well used Mean Machines. The 29mm version I have flown on CTI G-54's and G-118's. I did fly it on an H, but I failed to put shear pins and vent holes in it, so there was a catastrophic learning event. I am making another one, but it will have a heavier body tube and some other changes. For what it is worth, the finish is monkote adhesive trim sheets.

[georgeb]

Estes sells the spacer in a few different part kits,cheap too. The spacer is orange an I have a few from different kits,one permenently in my range box. The Estes spacer is easy in an out too. My V2,Big Daddy an Maxi Alpha an a spare,so I have four.

[plastic_gorilla]

Got one with the qcc explorer, but also i have made one using the spend d motor method, and i made a quick cut and peeled off a couple of layers of paper to help with the slide in and out of the spacer.

[qquake2k]

Anyone know where you can buy a 1" 24mm ring?

Mercury sells them, pack of 3 for $1. You'd pay $4.50 shipping though. But if you're going to order something else, just throw a pack in with your order. I'm sure other vendors sell them as well.

http://www.mercury-rockets.com/Rocket_Components_2.html

[kruland]

You can also pick up a 30" Series 085 tube from semroc. Then you have a bunch of them.

Mercury sells them, pack of 3 for $1. You'd pay $4.50 shipping though. But if you're going to order something else, just throw a pack in with your order. I'm sure other vendors sell them as well.

http://www.mercury-rockets.com/Rocket_Components_2.html

[qquake2k]

You can also pick up a 30" Series 085 tube from semroc. Then you have a bunch of them.

The E to D adapters are much thicker than normal body tube.

[Green Jello]

Yeah, I think the best (and free) solution is taking a band saw to an expended D engine.

[kruland]

The E to D adapters are much thicker than normal body tube.

Good point. A tube coupler would probably be adequate. That's what's included in some ASP kits.

[Sparkytfl]

I used a tube coupler which was 2inches, cut in in half, split one half so I could fit it in the other, and superglued them together. Stronger than just a coupler, lighter than a cut engine, and the glue coating should keep it from getting burned.

[JPVegh]

I have some that I cut from Aerotech SU motors.

[MarkII]

Make it yourself. Use a bandsaw and cut off a 1 inch section of a 24mm casing.

That one is very durable, too. Thin paper spacers and paper couplers used as spacers deteriorate after just a few uses, but a spacer cut from a spent casing will do continue to do its job for many, many flights. Just use some sandpaper to deburr the ends and sand the exterior a little bit so that it will easily slide in and out of the motor tube.

Don't be afraid to ask questions like that. We help each other out here, because we were all newbies once and we all appreciated when someone answered our questions and gave us a tip.

[georgeb]

Got one with the qcc explorer, but also i have made one using the spend d motor method, and i made a quick cut and peeled off a couple of layers of paper to help with the slide in and out of the spacer.

Great method there,an it will be alot more durable. The orange Estes spacer is not too robust, being kind here.

[paul.nortness]

Great method there,an it will be alot more durable. The orange Estes spacer is not too robust, being kind here.

Really? I've flown that orange spacer for the better half of 2 years and never had an issue...

[qquake2k]

Great method there,an it will be alot more durable. The orange Estes spacer is not too robust, being kind here.

Not robust? Are we talking about the same thing? The walls are 3/32" thick. It's certainly much more robust than a motor mount tube, that can last for years.

[DizWolf]

I've gotta agree here. I've been flying the estes orange spacers since....96? I must have a dozen or so of the things. The interior burns up some...but I've got tons of them, and I only ever use a few.... One for to space from the old E15's, and one to space from E9's.

EDIT: I'm oddly missing my E15 spacer, which I fly more often and is probably hiding in my trunk.... but you can see here...they hold up pretty well to getting cooked. Those two have seen a good number of flights and are still fine. just knock out the crap and good to go.

[jflis]

Assuming there is enough stability margin (like the Mean Machine or the FlisKits Richter Recker), I set the engine tubes for the short (D & C) 24mm motors and let the E motor stick out the back further (friction fit, of course). Saves the trouble of keeping track of a spacer and the problems with getting the spacer back out after a flight...

[georgeb]

I will retract my statement on the orange spacer,I have not done as many launches with them. I am glad to hear they do hold up. The deposits in them made them look like they had a short life span to me. I will try cleaning them.

[Green Jello]

Does anyone know of a source on these orange spacers? I can't seem to find them for sale anywhere. Both of the spent D12-0 engines I was going to cut on a band saw got flared out a bit and probably won't work.

It looks like the official part is Estes 35005

[BEAR]

Take your flared spent engines, sand them down till the flare is gone and they fit loosely in the motor mount tube, cut to length, then coat/saturate them in CA, then lightly sand again and you should have what you need. It has worked for me in the past. Paint it dayglo so they are easy to see if you want. I use red magic marker myself, before I put the CA on.