The rise and (long) fall of my AeroTech G-Force

Last Sunday (March 8th) the San Diego chapter of TRA held one of their monthly launches out at Plaster City. It's pretty much out in the middle of no-where and hosts the Plaster Blaster launches and the 2005 NSL.

Fellow TRFer Komvee, his son, daughter and father packed up the RV and invited me along to fly some rockets.

The weather was great. Temps in the high 60s, little or no wind.

I had brought my AeroTech G-Force model which has flown at NARAM-42, NSL 2005 and several sport launches.

I had packed three different AeroTech G motors to use with the G-Force.

First up was the single-use G78-7G Mojave Green motor.

The motor ignited promptly and the G-Force had a great flight with a green flame readily visible from the motor. The rocket landed within 50 ft. of the launch pad.

Here's some pictures:

You know Bob, those of us stuck here in the cold, blustery Mid-Atlantic states will never know the freedom of flying in the conditions that you described. If you weren't such a nice guy, I might have to wish a pox upon you!

Great looking rocket - I hope you had some great flights on it!!

After the first flight, I prepped the G-Force with one of the new AeroTech 137 N-Sec G80-7T motor.

That motor really kicks a model into the air, even one as large as the G-Force.

It looked like another picture-perfect flight. Everything was looking good until I saw a puff of smoke out of the back of the rocket long after motor burn-out.

Aw crap.

Straight down came the G-Force until it hit the ground with a THUD.

The puff of smoke I had seen was the ejection charge venting out the back of the rocket.

Upon examination of the G-Force remains, it appeared that some of the parachute fabric had become pinched between the body tube and the tube coupler. The parts were too tight for the ejection charge to force apart.

Other than the parachutes, the rocket is finished.

Oh, well, I'll just have to replace it with another rocket.

Thanks, George.

I had many great flights with the G-Force.

Until the last one.

Ouch, sorry to hear that.

I have a G-Force and love it. I have mostly flown it on the 29/40-120 G reloads. Goes great on the G64W, G71R, and G76G.

The G53-5FJ makes for a great slow and smokey flight as well.

One of these days I'll try the new upgraded G80-7T in it.

Bob,

Sorry to see that. But you gotta love a green G-Force on a green G motor!

Steve

Sorry Bob, I posted and waddled off to bed before I saw your second post and the outcome of the flight. Eeek. Well, like you said, time for a new one!

Sorry to hear about your G-Force. I don't know what it is about them, but I've seen quite a few of them have very similar ejection issues. Several popped the NC but not the chute, and a few other did what you described.

My opinion is that the body tube volumn is near the upper limits for the amount of powder in the G loads. I'm sure calculations will say there is enough, but I think there is enough powder for nominal deployment. The problem is if anything is off a little, there just isn't enough powder to ensure ejection.

I don't say I belong to the "blow it out or blow it up" school, but I'm leaning that way. My Binder Design Thug had a hard landing when a 29/40-120 load popped the nose cone but it was so weak the chute and some of the shock cord just sat in the tube. I've had several problems with weak ejections, never with too strong ejection.

Bummer you finished off your G-Force. Great lift off & flight pics though!

Do you have a SUMO?

snaquin said:

Bummer you finished off your G-Force. Great lift off & flight pics though!

Do you have a SUMO?

Click to expand...

Yes, I do.

Now I see the difference of flying in the desert areas and on the east coast where I fly. Here, that rocket nosecone may have been a foot in the ground!
Sorry to see you loose one of your babies though.