Streamer debate: Crepe Paper vs. Plastic Construction ribbon

OK, so the small rocket I launched yesterday came with an orange crepe paper streamer about 11 inches long, and 1.5 inches wide. I rolled it up as directed, and launched itTWICE with a half sheet recovery tissue protecting it.

On the second launch, the orange crepe paper streamer tore off, and descended at the same rate as the glider returned! (The pod booster, well that's another story.)

Now I'm debating replacing the crinkled paper streamer with an orange construction plastic ribbon. But the slick plastic isn't corrugated, nor is it as lightweight (but it's close). I know I will still need recovery tissue... 1/2 a sheet each launch.

What other factors should I consider?

Kirk G said:

OK, so the small rocket I launched yesterday came with an orange crepe paper streamer about 11 inches long, and 1.5 inches wide. I rolled it up as directed, and launched itTWICE with a half sheet recovery tissue protecting it.

On the second launch, the orange crepe paper streamer tore off, and descended at the same rate as the glider returned! (The pod booster, well that's another story.)

Now I'm debating replacing the crinkled paper streamer with an orange construction plastic ribbon. But the slick plastic isn't corrugated, nor is it as lightweight (but it's close). I know I will still need recovery tissue... 1/2 a sheet each launch.

What other factors should I consider?

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Crepe paper Streamers are by far the least expensive (already Flame retarded) material out there. Surveyors 3/4"- 1" marking tapes come in about second, 2" and 3" plastic "caution" tape third. then there are the other "competition" type accordian folded materials 1/2mil mylar, and other materials that can get a little expensive. But and I say BUT there is another very interesting. can be very inexpensive and Permanent sport flying streamer material that should be considered that required ZERO Wadding while working just as well as any of the plastic streamer material.

Yes is another alternative material doubles as both wadding and Streamer.
The material is call PTFE Thread sealing tape. It's Military Grade Teflon "plumbers Tape" To Be sure standard Old white Teflop plumbers tape in 1/2" and 3/4" work just fine once you get it Talc baby powdered (both sides) really well before the first fold rolling.
The Military grade (about twice the thickness-.0032" rather then .0028" Standard) Premium PTFE Thread sealing tape comes in widths from 1/4",3/8",1/2",3/4",1.0",1-1/2" & 2" in 43yd rolls. This stuff also comes in muted colors Yellow, Orange, Red and Green.
I've been using PTFE tape as wadding/Streamers in just about all my Micro and small models. I Use the 2" tape for streams in models as large as big bertha. Because this stuff it Teflon it is completely flame proof. Once you get the hang of powdereing them after everyother flight or so they will outlast the model. I generally transfer streamers to another model.
Another cool thing is attachments. All you have to do is pull on the corners at one end elongating the teflon long enough to tie it directly to a butterfly knot tied in the models shockcord. to prep for launch simply Powder, Roll or Stuff, install NC and put the motor in

As a side note you can also construct PERMANENT POM POM Teflon wadding for use in all your rockets works with any material chute or streamer. Like all the other teflon tape things these Pom-Poms must be talc powdered to work best but they are permanently installed attached to the models shock-cord and inserted before shock-line and recovery device. One Pom-Pom for BT-20 and smaller, two Pom-Poms for BT-50 to BT-55 and three or more in BT-60 to BT-80.

I purchase my PTFE Thread sealing tape from McMaster-Carr but i'm sure they could also be available from most any industrial supply or most larger plumbing supply stores.

With this material you can say good bye to expendable FP wadding, Dog-Barf and those very expensive FP TP sheets sold by Estes and Quest.

So, if I were to pursue something on the order of 1.5"-to-2" wide orange or pink Military Grade Teflon plumbers' tape (yes, I have a smaller, thinner spool of home teflon wrap in white for small projects)... how much would something like this run me. I am doubtful to have too much use for it, except for the occasional foot-long streamer for a smaller low-power glider or pod lifter.

Is this your own research and solution, or is this a common site at club launches? What are the odds of a vendor have some/any of this on hand at a launch?

Kirk G said:

So, if I were to pursue something on the order of 1.5"-to-2" wide orange or pink Military Grade Teflon plumbers' tape (yes, I have a smaller, thinner spool of home teflon wrap in white for small projects)... how much would something like this run me. I am doubtful to have too much use for it, except for the occasional foot-long streamer for a smaller low-power glider or pod lifter.

Is this your own research and solution, or is this a common site at club launches? What are the odds of a vendor have some/any of this on hand at a launch?

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Kirk:
Not sure why you'd limit yourself to an occasional foot long streamer for Glider pods??? This material can and should replace any streamer your using for sport flying. Rarely do I use anything else for Any Sport flying model these days.

Chances of having "Vendors" on the field at LPR/MPR launches would be iffy at best, them having PTFE sealing tape I'd say chances are absolute ZERO.


While Plumbers tape streamers were my happy discovery more the 20 years ago, Lots of folks are using PTFE in place of standard crepe or Surveyor's tape/Caution Tape Plastic streamers these days. There are a number of TRF member using both Military grade colored and permanent Pom-pom white plumbers tape wadding. I did not invent the Plumbers tape Pom-Pom but saw it in one of the Mod-Roc mags years ago. Have to say they do work very well protecting some of my best Nylon Hemisphere 24" to 42 inch chutes in MPR BT-80 & BT-101 Clustered Up-scales.

Lots of the LPR folks that fly at our club launches have gone with standard 3/4" White Plumbers Teflon tape replacing Estes provided 3/4" orange surveyor's tape streamers. Makes the model l little lighter without the need for extra waddings.

PTFE Military Grade premium "Muted Color" Pipe Thread Seal tape Currently from McMaster-Carr is more expensive initially then say a roll of Crepe paper but in the long run they more then pay for themselves just eliminating the need for FP wadding.

3/4" 14yd(42ft) roll .0032" thick in any of the 4 muted colors #44945K13 @ 7.87/roll or .19/ft.
1.0" 14yd(42ft) roll .0032" thick #44945K14 @ 11.73/roll or .28/ft.
1-1/2" 14yd (42ft) roll .0032" thick #44945k15 are 17.58/roll or about .42/ft.
2.0" 14yd roll .0032"thick #44945K16 @ 23.04/roll or .55/ft.

I've successfully used 2" PTFE streamers x 48" long in a couple models up to 1.38lbs at liftoff. 1-1/2" x 36" in my Heavy weight Big Bertha. and several Odd-Roc's.

Thank you, John,

I'm a pretty low power kind of sport flier at this point, barely dabbling into a Mega Mosquito on a D or E recently.
As a once a month kind of flier, I'm not anticipating any large rockets or HPR or even MPR right now. So, I'm trying to limit my investment in this hobby...especially cause I've got two kids in college at the moment.

Perhaps I'll experiment with my remaining roll of plumbers' teflon tape... or if I can find a sample foot long streamer of the Military Grade, I might try that. (I'm picking a foot long, cause the original crepe paper was 1.5 wide and 11 inches long.... and i'm not certain how much friction a plastic or teflon streamer will generate....and so, how it might change values of descent rate...)

Kirk G said:

Thank you, John,

I'm a pretty low power kind of sport flier at this point, barely dabbling into a Mega Mosquito on a D or E recently.
As a once a month kind of flier, I'm not anticipating any large rockets or HPR or even MPR right now. So, I'm trying to limit my investment in this hobby...especially cause I've got two kids in college at the moment.

Perhaps I'll experiment with my remaining roll of plumbers' teflon tape... or if I can find a sample foot long streamer of the Military Grade, I might try that. (I'm picking a foot long, cause the original crepe paper was 1.5 wide and 11 inches long.... and i'm not certain how much friction a plastic or teflon streamer will generate....and so, how it might change values of descent rate...)

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10-4 on the economy with two in college..WOW!
I'm a cheapy kind of guy myself. Which is why I buy just about everything in bulk so I can get the very best price for all my Hobby stuff
I think I mentioned earlier I use this stuff 1/4" through 1" in just about every model I fly these days. For my Money the 1/2", 3/4" & 1" Premium Military Grade PTFE muted color tapes are used in every Micro and model I fly up to about a pound. every one of my 200+ Micro models have anywhere from 9" to 18" long streamers. Minimum Diameter T2+ (.281") models use 1/2" Yellow. T3 and T4 (.375" & .448") use 1/2 or 3/4" depending on how slow I want the model to come down. T5(BT-5 & Bt20) models get 3/4" or 1" depending on mass and as long as 30".
It has been my experience these Teflon tapes (Plain old Plumbers or the Heavier PTFE) have about the same decent rate value as the Smooth 3/4"-1" Surveyors tape supplied with most Estes models.
I'd suggest giving the white Plumbers Teflon tape you have a try in a BT-5 or BT-20 size model replacing the supplied streamer with the same length and width. Just remember to Talc Baby powder the heck out of both sides before fold/roll or stuffing in the model. Below are a few pics of some of the Micro and BT-5 models with their PTFE streams and pods.
Hope you have as much fun with this stuff as I have.