Prepping Eggs for Launch

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lcorinth

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In three days, I'm about to launch my first egg payload in my new (and first) cluster rocket, the Quest Magnum Sport Loader.

IMG_2015.jpg

When I first heard of launching eggs, I thought what's the point? But now I understand the idea is to launch something fragile and get it back safely, and I'm into the challenge - besides, that's what this rocket was designed for. And I'm hoping we'll have some kids there, so that will be fun for them to watch.

But I've just realized I don't know how to protect the eggs (two of them) from breaking, and I don't want to get egg all over my new rocket. But I do want to try the challenge.

I'm sure I need to wrap them in plastic, but what sort of DIY padding should I use for this? I don't have a premade egg payload protector, and don't have time to get one - besides, I would rather make something myself.

Can anybody give me some suggestions?
 
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One thing to keep the mess (presuming a failure) is to encase them inside balloons. Take a rubber balloon (mylar won't work), inflate it some, then push the egg inside it, then when the egg is fully enveloped , let the air out, while keeping the egg encased.
 
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Quick answer - hard-boil it! ;)

Seriously, I fill all the space in the capsule with cheep foam sponge (not the cellulose type) cut to cradle the egg. Then I slip the egg into a sandwich bag (not zip-locked - that can cause a hard spot that could crack the egg. Cut away most of the bag leaving enough to wrap around the egg and close with a small piece of tape. Keep everything smooth - again, you done want ridges or hard points that could puncture the egg. The bag doesn't so much protect the egg - the foam does that, as it protects your capsule from the egg assuming the worst happens?
 
For 2 eggs, the big danger is the ends knocking together on liftoff and ejection. The other big danger is on landing a sideways impact can break the sides of the eggs. I tell my TARC teams that if the eggs can't move back and forth, they can't knock into each other.

kj
 
For 2 eggs, the big danger is the ends knocking together on liftoff and ejection. The other big danger is on landing a sideways impact can break the sides of the eggs. I tell my TARC teams that if the eggs can't move back and forth, they can't knock into each other.

kj

Second what KJ posted with this addition:

It's always a good Idea to Open Egg-Loft capsules after flight over a large Trash-can just in case;)
When flying Eggs I've used Rubber balloons, and much Thinner "Raincoats", or in a pinch a plain plastic sandwich bag wrapped tight and masking taped (not Ziploc which takes way to much room). Whatever break membrane is chosen each egg is then seated in the capsule individually wrapped in bubble pack (small bubble) and/or fore, between & aft ends sitting on fitted soft foam rubber pads.

Good Luck..
PS I agree with Greg for a first Sport Egg-loft flight you really might want to Hard Boil your eggs. Then look for cracks in the shells on return. Same result with far less mess, but certainly not nearly as funny:)
 
Get a foam pad at your favorite fabric store and cut out some custom egg couches.

pillow foam.jpg
 
ack I didn't actually mean ziplock I meant sandwich baggies... (the fold over kind) because yeah what they said - hard zipper plastic runs risk of cracking the egg.

the baggie is used to protect the rocket from scrambled egg. whatever you use to protect the egg from getting cracked/scrambled in the first place (foam/small cell bubble wrap) should be sized to fill up the space in your payload bay so the eggs don't move around/hit each other.

I keep thinking I should try building a rocket that adheres to the current year's flight rules just for fun. And so I have more experience to advise my son when he gets to TARC age. (I'm about 90% sure he's going to want to start a TARC team when he's old enough.)

You could always hard boil them and then you would have any worries:rofl:

or if you can find them:
cadbury-egg.jpg
(its kind of the wrong time of year, or do they make a halloween version?)

edit: blegh - just looking at that picture is making me feel all hyperglycemic. now I need to go test my glucose levels...
 
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It would be cool to fly a Human Egg in a Rocket and then use it for Artificial Insemination/In-Vitro Fertilization.
I believe they Freeze them, so the G Force would not have any ill effects.
 
It would be cool to fly a Human Egg in a Rocket and then use it for Artificial Insemination/In-Vitro Fertilization.
I believe they Freeze them, so the G Force would not have any ill effects.

I could see it now... The kid all grown up, talking about this to the therapist. "Well, the first thing they did to me was stick me in a vat of liquid nitrogen. Then, they sent me in some half-assed attempt at a "manned space flight", then it all went downrange from there..."
 
This topic is exactly on the mark for me, as I am preparing to launch my "Scrambler" on Nov. 15th.
Now, I've been thinking along the lines of a plastic easter egg with candy inside, but I realize I should be working on legit padding for a raw egg, so that I'll have bragging rights later... (I assume there's some sort of certificate or recognition among members of this elite club, right?)

In the meantime, I have found a 4" by 2" action figure of Iron Man in PVC that just fits inside the clear playload section...and that's what I was counting on launching until I knew that the rocket performed well. I figure I could bring a six pack of eggs to the launch, with three raw and three hardboiled...

Thanks for all the tips and suggestions.
 
This topic is exactly on the mark for me, as I am preparing to launch my "Scrambler" on Nov. 15th.
Now, I've been thinking along the lines of a plastic easter egg with candy inside, but I realize I should be working on legit padding for a raw egg, so that I'll have bragging rights later... (I assume there's some sort of certificate or recognition among members of this elite club, right?)

In the meantime, I have found a 4" by 2" action figure of Iron Man in PVC that just fits inside the clear playload section...and that's what I was counting on launching until I knew that the rocket performed well. I figure I could bring a six pack of eggs to the launch, with three raw and three hardboiled...

Thanks for all the tips and suggestions.

10-4 on the Plastic Easter Eggs for fun launching but be aware there is a specific mass and Diameter requirements for an "Offical" Egg-loft competition eggs.

From the Pink Book (Model Rocket Sporting Code): "Each Egg must be a Raw USDA Larger hen's egg, with a mass of no less the 57g and no more then 63grams, measuring no more then 45millimeters in diameter." "NO material may be affixed to the Egg(e.g., Glue or tape)."

Some Plastic Easter eggs do fit that diameter spec but need lots of filling to meet the mass. For photo ops i've used plastic eggs on a couple occasions.

Long ago I built my first BT-60 size staged Payload lofter. An Estes Magnum...Looking for a funny name for my new rocket I noticed in my bag of junk a small Garfield figure dressed in graduation garb with a small sign reading "Phi Beta Cata!" Immediately I knew he was destined to Ride in My New "Magnum Goes Loudly" rocket. He's resided there ever since:) OH almost forgot Garfield weighs in at 61g...but he's a bit thin in girth. You can see the foam pads used in "normal egglofters" that he's sitting on and under.

138-sm_Dual Egglofter 24mm D&Emotor_06-03-93.jpg

069a2_Magnum Goes Loadly 2-Stage_05-17-06.jpg

069c_Magnum Goes Loadly_PhiBetaCatta pld 2pic_05-15-06.jpg
 
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Somebody above said something to the effect that they would place the egg in "a raincoat" before packing it in foam for the payload.

Just to clarify here, you did mean, er, a 'raincoat', right...I mean, the slang term for...er, you know... right? (Why didn't I think of that!)
 
Somebody above said something to the effect that they would place the egg in "a raincoat" before packing it in foam for the payload.

Just to clarify here, you did mean, er, a 'raincoat', right...I mean, the slang term for...er, you know... right? (Why didn't I think of that!)
Yes Kirk G: I ment a Raincoat just as the Slang term suggests. This is a family friendly Forum so I'll leave it at that. Just remember we are trying to create a "safety Goo Containment enclosure for our raw egg. Pick your favorite brand, slide in the EGG, tie a knot off to one side a bit tightly encasing the egg, trim excess material as needed. This type "container" is far thinner and lighter then standard plastic sandwich bags or even rubber balloons.
Hope this answers your question.
 
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Yes Kirk G: I ment a Raincoat just as the Slang term suggests. This is a family friendly Forum so I'll leave it at that. Just remember we are trying to create a "safety Goo Containment enclosure for our raw egg. Pick your favorite brand, slide in the EGG, tie a knot off to one side a bit tightly encasing the egg, trim excess material as needed. This type "container" is far thinner and lighter then standard plastic sandwich bags or even rubber balloons.
Hope this answers your question.

Yes, I understood.
I was just joshing you a little.
I almost laughed aloud at the expression...
a "safety Goo Containment enclosure for our ...."

It's actually an obvious and brilliant application to keep the egg separate from our.... er, thrusting...., er,... rocket! (There, I got it out!) LOL!
 
You can try this. takes a while to get to the egg section but still fun to watch.

[video=youtube_share;bW0GQHpFgy8]https://youtu.be/bW0GQHpFgy8[/video]
 
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