Estes vs. Quest motors - any opinions?

[Rocket_Man]

Quest Aerospace is an American company. By the time its motors arrive on these shores, the factory in China has already been paid. So every dollar spent on Quest motors after that point stays right here. Don't tear yourself all up over buying Quest motors because they were made in the PRC. When you buy Quest motors at a hobby shore or online, the actual dollars that you spend aren't going anywhere near the bank account of a Chinese corporation.


That is one amazing amount of financial knowledge you have there. I am totally at a loss for words.

 

[RoyAtl]

Quest motors USED to be made in the US until a fire destroyed part of the facility and killed a worker (IIRC). The motor factory used to be just on this side of the border in Arizona, and the Quest rocket factory was just on the other side. I remember reading an article in American Spacemodeling or Sport Rocketry (about the time it changed names) about this, with an interview with Bill Stine and tour of the plants.

Actually, it was four workers that died. Two more or less instantly, the other two died in the following days from their burns (75% coverage). A fifth person was treated and released. It was at the Cocopah Indian Reservation near Somerton. It was a flash fire that occurred in the building where some sort of post-processing was being done to finished motors.


https://www.useuosh.org/pls/imis/establishment.inspection_detail?id=106335946

 

[MarkII]

I think it's more about tooling and liability issues than inability to license.

There was several discussions of this general issue on another forum a couple of years ago. Many lines were written (not by me) about the multiple daunting processes involved in getting approvals for any kind of black powder motor-making facility. I can't research my old issues of AS because I don't have any; I wasn't a member of NAR back then, nor even active in the hobby. The bit of information about Quest's history that you mentioned, drawn from sources that aren't available or accessible to those of us now who weren't involved in rocketry at the time, is very helpful and I thank you for sharing it. Researching anything about model rocket history is quite difficult now because so little of it is in public records that are accessible to someone now, at least anyone who lacks the time and money to go digging through various archives scattered around the country or anyone who wasn't deeply involved in the hobby or industry at the time that the events occurred. For people who weren't, this is basically lost history.

 

[MarkII]

That is one amazing amount of financial knowledge you have there. I am totally at a loss for words.

LOL. Well, that statement was much more rhetorical than economic. See my sig below.

 

[Highpowerrocketyahoo]

Anyone see the recent article they had at rocketry planet about Estes motors? According to a research group all the Estes motors they tested were under powered. Estes declined comment on it I think. Things that make you go hmmmm.

 

[billspad]

Anyone see the recent article they had at rocketry planet about Estes motors? According to a research group all the Estes motors they tested were under powered. Estes declined comment on it I think. Things that make you go hmmmm.

I think you're talking about the article on Rocketry magazine. It's accurate but it's not news.

Most motors do not provide the maximum total impulse for their class. If you want accurate numbers all you have to do is look here.

 

[luke strawwalker]

Actually, it was four workers that died. Two more or less instantly, the other two died in the following days from their burns (75% coverage). A fifth person was treated and released. It was at the Cocopah Indian Reservation near Somerton. It was a flash fire that occurred in the building where some sort of post-processing was being done to finished motors.


https://www.useuosh.org/pls/imis/establishment.inspection_detail?id=106335946

I read about the Quest fire and the Aerotech fire years ago, but I was just quoting what I remembered from reading about them a LONG time ago... thanks for filling in the details! That's pretty bad-- didn't remember/realize that several folks lost their lives... VERY sad!

I DO remember that the particular article in question discussed the separated low-bunker like motor making buildings and such, and the tour was rather limited due to safety concerns. Much more time was spent on the kit factory just over the border-- I specifically remember the discussion of the bus that brought the workers out from the Mexican town where they lived, and the other amenities provided by Quest for the workers, and the discussion of the good work ethic and cheap labor costs over there and all that...

I read some about the Aerotech fire-- I remember it pretty much wiped out the whole plant, which is why they were down for around a year...

Personally, I thank the motor manufacturers for the work they do... there's a lot of risk that goes into making those neat little power packages we depend upon!

Later! OL JR

 

[luke strawwalker]

There was several discussions of this general issue on another forum a couple of years ago. Many lines were written (not by me) about the multiple daunting processes involved in getting approvals for any kind of black powder motor-making facility. I can't research my old issues of AS because I don't have any; I wasn't a member of NAR back then, nor even active in the hobby. The bit of information about Quest's history that you mentioned, drawn from sources that aren't available or accessible to those of us now who weren't involved in rocketry at the time, is very helpful and I thank you for sharing it. Researching anything about model rocket history is quite difficult now because so little of it is in public records that are accessible to someone now, at least anyone who lacks the time and money to go digging through various archives scattered around the country or anyone who wasn't deeply involved in the hobby or industry at the time that the events occurred. For people who weren't, this is basically lost history.

Well, being a bit of a history buff (not specifically model rocket history; but I DO read up on what I can find) I've kept all my American Spacemodeling issues and Sport Rocketry issues too, and bought a BUNCH of the ones from my 20 year or so hiatus from folks getting rid of their old mags... interesting stuff in there... I re-read the old mags a year or so ago (well, it's sort of an ongoing process-- I started at the beginning with MY first issue, Jan 86 (right before Challenger) through ~early 90/91 sometime, and then continuing with the ones I've bought online... production of the magazine became VERY spotty in that time period as well, after John Pursley left as editor of American Spacemodeling and just before/around the time it became Sport Rocketry... I remember some of the stuff printed back in the 89-90 time frame by G. Harry discussing this new fangled "High Power" rocketry and some of the implications of it... he seemed very cautious of it (for good reason).

At any rate, it's interesting to follow some of the lines of thought and developments over the years... stuff that happened before 86 is really before my time... I was only a HS freshman after all! I rely on older folks who have first hand knowledge or collections of old mags and stuff who can tell us about those days...

Later! OL JR

 

[spacecadet]

>Quote:
>Originally Posted by Gillard
>And where do Estes get their kits made?
>spend the extra dollar and keep your engine money in the USA.

Gillard is in the UK. So am I. With one exception we don't have a choice because Quest motors aren't CE marked so it's now illegal to sell them here. So we HAVE to keep our engine money in the USA.
I understand there is one other source of German Quest motors under another brand, though.

 

[SpaceRocketeer15]

I can't say many but What of the two you recommend me. I always use Estes but I don't know if the quest motors work well too. I want to lear of you guys

 

[luke strawwalker]

I can't say many but What of the two you recommend me. I always use Estes but I don't know if the quest motors work well too. I want to lear of you guys

Estes motors work. Quest motors work. They each have thier ideosyncracies depending on who you talk to and their design-- (Quest motors burn longer, which is good or bad depending on what you're doing with them; Quest ejections are a bit softer or 'weaker' and you have to prep your recovery system accordingly). Each has their place and are best suited to different models/flying conditions, and will have different flights in the same rocket under the same conditions.

Rule of thumb-- don't try the heavier/draggier rockets on the same size Quest engine that flies pretty well with an Estes rocket-- it may be marginal or risky flight on the longer duration but lower thrust of the Quest engine. If you want to put a lightweight streamlined rocket out of sight, try the Quest motors-- you'll see higher flights than with the equivalent Estes motors.

That's pretty much the crux of it... Later! OL JR

 

[Highpowerrocketyahoo]

I've been flying for years and I'm embarrassed to say I've never flown any other BP motors but Estes

 

[Rocket86]

As others have said, the dark smoke of the Quest motors makes them very good for tracking rockets. I use them as much as possible when launching on cloudy days (all of them) becuase the dark smoke stands out against the gray sky. I really don't like the very heavy residue at the top of the body tube though, some of which is very hard to clean off. Some nice paint jobs are getting really messed up.

 

[accooper]

But the safety record of Rocketry as a whole over these many years is still better than any other hobbies that involves flammables don't you think?

And the flying safety record is incredible.

Andrew