Can I tell if an Aerotech motor will burn up?

[timster68]

I had an Aerotech F50-6T that was 5 months old burn up on the launch pad (in the maiden flight of an original MDRM - grrr). Is there any way I can tell if a motor is “bad” before I burn up another rocket? Was something loose inside that caused it fail?

 

[waltr]

Did you file a MESS report?
https://www.motorcato.org/report

 

[Steve Shannon]

It’s difficult to know exactly what went wrong, based on your description and picture. Describe how it “burned up”. Did it sit on the pad and never move? What does the motor case look like? Did the forward closure fail? Did the aft closure fail? What (if anything) happened during preparation? Although an occasional burn-through happens it’s usually pretty rare. You should contact Aerotech customer service. They are very good at helping to diagnose what went wrong and if it’s the fault of their motor they’ll send you another.
Also, please be sure and fill out a motor failure report at motorcato.org.

 

[AeroTech]

Like Steve said, the picture doesn't really tell us anything. Please contact Karl at [email protected].

 

[waltr]

https://www.motorcato.org/search?manufacturer=AeroTech&name=F50

 

[timster68]

Well, I thought I did file a report, but I can't find where I did. There wasn't really anything left of the motor. We didn't have a fire extinguisher, so we poured some Mountain Dew on it. I was thinking that maybe something was loose inside that I could tell next time by shaking it, but probably not.

I did contact Aerotech and they have replaced the motor. No complaints about that.

I did file a report on the motor failure today.

 

[timster68]

Here is it ejecting the nose cone.

 

[David Schwantz]

Where you are flying at a fire extinguisher would be a good idea.