Looking for some "to buy" suggestions..

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Qquake kind of answered the pad question. I got to thinking when I was a kid getting started in rthis hobby I had built my own launch pad with my mother. Found some pictures tonight. I'm gonna do the same here shortly, just make it a little more pro. Looking. I'm not gonna get a case, the F is the furthest I'm gonna do the most launches with. I'm getting a Aerotech Gforce shortly, but prob won't launch it more than 2 or 3 times a year. This thread and site has a lot of good info present. Its gotta be the best site I've joined yet. I think I'm gonna get into the scratch build, I just placed an order to start my first scratch. I did them as a kid, but with only household items. Thanks again.. :)

Not to confuse things for you, but I did see an Aerotech Initiator Starter Package on eBay for $100 with free shipping. It includes the pad, launch controller, and an Initiator rocket kit. I started out in mid power with this system about 15 years ago and I never regretted it.

Cheers,
Michael
 
Not to confuse things for you, but I did see an Aerotech Initiator Starter Package on eBay for $100 with free shipping. It includes the pad, launch controller, and an Initiator rocket kit. I started out in mid power with this system about 15 years ago and I never regretted it.

Cheers,
Michael

Oh ok, I already bought a 12 volt controller, and two MPR's. But thanks for the heads up, 2 weeks ago I would have jumped on it. Thanks again.
 
A "case" is a reloadable motor's tube. The closures screw on the top and bottom. Usually a case is just the tube, and a complete motor is the tube and closures, but some refer to the complete motor as a case. The designations are the diameter (in millimeters) and impulse of the reloads it will accept. Aerotech 29mm reload cases come in 29/40-120, 29/120, 29/180. 29/240, and 29/360. There are also 29/60 and 29/100, but they're pretty uncommon. There is a pretty good list of the reloads available for all the cases here:
https://performancehobbies.com/secure/store.aspx?groupid=45

As for the reload designations, they're the same as A-B-C motors. More information can be found at the links below.

https://www.nar.org/NARmotors.html

https://www.lunar.org/docs/handbook/motors.shtml

Ok, ill check out the links to better understand what the numbers mean. Thanks again qquake2.
 
Hope you enjoy the Leviathan - I sure have. It was also my first foray into MPR. The re-loadable motors and casings can be a bit confusing at first but once you get a handle on them they're really no more difficult to deal with than single-use motors - except for loading them. Then the operative statement is "Read and follow all directions!" MPR is probably the most fun I've had in this hobby since I launched my first D many, many years ago. Good luck.
 
Hope you enjoy the Leviathan - I sure have. It was also my first foray into MPR. The re-loadable motors and casings can be a bit confusing at first but once you get a handle on them they're really no more difficult to deal with than single-use motors - except for loading them. Then the operative statement is "Read and follow all directions!" MPR is probably the most fun I've had in this hobby since I launched my first D many, many years ago. Good luck.

I'm sure I will, you have any pictures of your Leviathan? I'm looking for paint ideas. But I'm really looking forward to building & flying the Aerotech Gforce....That's gonna be my personal favorite, my birthday will not get here fast enough! With the casings I just want to understand the numbers
 
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I'm sure I will, you have any pictures of your Leviathan? I'm really looking forward to buildingYFlying the Aerotech Gforce....That's gonna be my personal favorite, my birthday will not gvet here fast enough! With the casings I just want to understand the numbers

I love my levithan... I need to get some pics of it flying but unfortunately my current 12v set up requires 2 hands and noone is around to launch with me when i have the chance to...

20121011_182420.jpg


mark (stickershock23) made the vinyl for me

I also need to get cases... the prices of su motors are just killing me...

when you build your levithan (or any psII kit make sure to leave out the thrust ring... you don't need it in there
 
I love my levithan... I need to get some pics of it flying but unfortunately my current 12v set up requires 2 hands and noone is around to launch with me when i have the chance to...

20121011_182420.jpg


mark (stickershock23) made the vinyl for me

I also need to get cases... the prices of su motors are just killing me...

when you build your levithan (or any psII kit make sure to leave out the thrust ring... you don't need it in there

I like that color scheme. I'm just do what it looks like advertised I like that too, maybe ill mix up the colors. From what I'm seeing now it may be a good idea to buy a "case". How do you rebuild a motor? Have any links explaining it? Ill check out aerotechs site/estes too. Have any more MPR pictures you wanna share? I'm more of a fan of the leviathan style rockets. I did some complex ones as a kid, and I think about everytime one landed something broke. Thanks too for sharing.
 
Yep - here's a shot of mine. Printed my own decals so it didn't look like anybody else's.
100_0063.jpg
 
What do you guys fly your Leviathan's on? I just watched a video of a G75J, that looked pretty d^&* cool. Id love to fly one around here but finding a large enough field is the problem..
 
don't own one...but offhand I would consider something in the F50 range.
rex
 
What do you guys fly your Leviathan's on? I just watched a video of a G75J, that looked pretty d^&* cool. Id love to fly one around here but finding a large enough field is the problem..

Once on an f50 and twice on the g80... the f50 was a nice flight... still got up there pretty good... you will need a pretty good sized field to launch anything mpr... if you wont send up an lpr to 1k feet there then you do not want to send up anything mpr...
 
Once on an f50 and twice on the g80... the f50 was a nice flight... still got up there pretty good... you will need a pretty good sized field to launch anything mpr... if you wont send up an lpr to 1k feet there then you do not want to send up anything mpr...

Oh good I bought 2-F50's, where do you get the engine that burn out the pure black smoke? 1k won't be a problem, I'm talking about going 3k and over. Which id love, but won't happen around here. I want to keep most of my flights though around 800-1000ft for max climb.
 
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You can print your own waterslide decals with decal paper and an inkjet printer. That's what I did on my Blood Sucker.

https://www.hobbylinc.com/cgi-bin/s8.cgi?str_s=decal+paper&ss=1

I may have to do that. Darn I just ordered from hobbylinc, I may have to have that paper added to my birthday order. Can you get it at staples maybe? And do you have any mind of program you use for setup? Or does Openrocket have it, I haven't gotten a chance to check it out on my desktop yet. Thanks for being patient and taking the time to answer qquake2 and everybody else, I'm tryingvto take in all I can so I don't mess anything up..
 
if you're staying with estes/aerotech motors then the letters in the motor description to watch for are 'J' or 'FJ', ex F26FJ.
Rex
 
I may have to do that. Darn I just ordered from hobbylinc, I may have to have that paper added to my birthday order. Can you get it at staples maybe? And do you have any mind of program you use for setup? Or does Openrocket have it, I haven't gotten a chance to check it out on my desktop yet. Thanks for being patient and taking the time to answer qquake2 and everybody else, I'm tryingvto take in all I can so I don't mess anything up..

I know you can get it from michaels and hobby lobby... not sure about staples... it wouldnt hurt to look...

Oh good I bought 2-F50's, where do you get the engine that burn out the pure black smoke? 1k won't be a problem, I'm talking about going 3k and over. Which id love, but won't happen around here. I want to keep most of my flights though around 800-1000ft for max climb.

You are going to want a black jack motor... here is some good info on motors https://www.apogeerockets.com/Rocket_Motors/AeroTech_Motors/29mm_Motors_Single_Use ... scroll down to the section where you see "what does the motor ' type' designation mean"... itll explain the different types of propellant...
 
I get my decal paper from Micro-Mark. No , Staples doesn't carry it. As far as a graphics package you can use the paint program that comes with windows but I have been using Corel Draw for years so that is my program of choice. I use an Epson All-in-One printer and set the print quality all the way up. It uses a lot more ink but makes them a bit more opaque.
 
G38-4FJ lots of good black smoke.
6232550269_82f6d78e75.jpg


F23-4FJ Not as much power or smoke, but a nice ride for lighter rockets.
5922472582_2468c4c5c4.jpg
 
Nice launches! I think I'm gonna make my own railstyle launch pad. I found a rail on Apogee Rockets for $75! :( . I knew id see that rail somewhere before, and I remembered it was made at a company called Kawneer also right here in my town I used to work for. I don't think I can get it from them directly, but I think I found it one ebay, ill post a link that inludes measurements. Anybody have a rail system that they can confirm measurements? I may be able to get it super cheap. Link below...

Its 80/20 T slot alum. If you click on description on the ebay site, it takes you to a 80/20 site.

https://item.mobileweb.ebay.com/vie...0351272615&index=1&nav=SEARCH&nid=37916005023
 
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Thats how I bought my rail. Shipping wasnt bad at all. You want 1" or 1010 sized. I think mine's an eight or nine footer.
 
Pretty sure this is what I need, 96.5" long, but its 1.5" x 1.5". Pretty sure I need 1" x 1".. Now it just depends on the shipping costs. Right now the rail is $32 itself. Well see....

https://item.mobileweb.ebay.com/viewitem?itemId=370680887456

Yes, you definitely want 1010 or 1"x1" rail. Shipping is the problem. I'd try to get at least a 6ft rail. Grainger has them, and if there's a branch within driving distance, you can pick it up and save the shipping.

https://www.grainger.com/Grainger/w...tt=1010+rail&N=0&GlobalSearch=true&sst=subset

https://www.grainger.com/Grainger/w...earchType=state&input=&searchValue=pa&x=0&y=0
 
Qquake2 and Diz Wolf, yeah shipping is a problem. I knew when I saw that rail it was something we extruded at Kawneer. I'm less than a 1/4 miles from them. I may be able to order one and pick it up, contractors around here do it all the time. As far as Grainger, i m not sure. I know we have fastenal is this area. Thanks for the links, it beats paying $80 from apogee..
 

That's cheap, I'm gonna try kawneer here in town to see if I can buy off them. If not its prob gonna be one of those links..

Crazy question, has anybody ever cut a pc of 1" or 1.5" PVC pipe down one side? It would look like a "C" but with only a 1/8" inch or so cut out. And it looks like a rail button would side into that opening. Stand the pipe vertical and make something to keep it upright, and use that instead of a metal rail to launch rockets. Does anybody know what I mean? I'm thinking in the sense it would be cheaperand a lot lighter. If nobidy understands what I mean I may post a picture.
 
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That's cheap, I'm gonna try kawneer here in town to see if I can buy off them. If not its prob gonna be one of those links..

Crazy question, has anybody ever cut a pc of 1" or 1.5" PVC pipe down one side? It would look like a "C" but with only a 1/8" inch or so cut out. And it looks like a rail button would side into that opening. Stand the pipe vertical and make something to keep it upright, and use that instead of a metal rail to launch rockets. Does anybody know what I mean? I'm thinking in the sense it would be cheaperand a lot lighter. If nobidy understands what I mean I may post a picture.

If you could cut the PVC pipe perfectly straight, which is doubtful, it wouldn't be stiff enough and I think the wall would be too thick.

https://www.8020.net/1010-Pop-Up.htm
 
If you could cut the PVC pipe perfectly straight, which is doubtful, it wouldn't be stiff enough and I think the wall would be too thick.

https://www.8020.net/1010-Pop-Up.htm


I was thinking using a table saw., you get the idea though? I just wondered if anybody tried it or use it. Your right its probably a bad idea, and its not worth it the rails cheap enough anyways. I should be more concerned about making a base for the rail. I like the gun turret type on apogee, but $450!?! That's a little ridiculous. You could make it for a heck of a lot cheaper than that. I really only need the rail launch pad now for the Gforce.
 
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