Old aerotech single use motors and their ejection charges

[gdjsky01]

So I wound up with some old AT single use motors. Really old. Many of the ejection charge caps were loose and shrunken. The BP was clumped and hard. Question: should it be trusted? Not the motor, the charge? On a few I scraped it away and will upon use put in fresh. But I am curious if others have flown old AT SU motors with "hardened" EJ charges and there was or was not an issue?

How old? Well bubble pack old. F14 old. E25 old. (I am aware of the certification status')

 

[Initiator001]

So I wound up with some old AT single use motors. Really old. Many of the ejection charge caps were loose and shrunken. The BP was clumped and hard. Question: should it be trusted? Not the motor, the charge? On a few I scraped it away and will upon use put in fresh. But I am curious if others have flown old AT SU motors with "hardened" EJ charges and there was or was not an issue?

How old? Well bubble pack old. F14 old. E25 old. (I am aware of the certification status')

I would not trust the 'clumpy' ejection charges. Moisture may have gotten into the powder. I would carefully clean out the ejection charge cavity and pour in new black powder.

Bubble packs, eh? I may have been the one who packaged those motors over twenty years ago. :wink:

 

[5x7]

F14 old. E25 old.

Drool.....

 

[Pantherjon]

Bubble packs, eh? I may have been the one who packaged those motors over twenty years ago. :wink:

I had a couple of 'bubble packs' and the caps all had come off and lots of loose BP in the packages..I didn't bother refilling them and just used the motors in my saucer:cool2:

 

[Rocketcrab]

The ejection charge issue would have me concerned, but first off, good luck getting them to ignite. I learned my lesson some time ago reagrding ACPC motors - only buy what is to be used in the short term! The White Lightning propellant especially appears to oxidize and resist all attempts at getting it to light.

 

[5x7]

Are they F14s or are you jut teasing us?

 

[gdjsky01]

Thanks for the replies... I am pretty sure all these were exposed to moisture. No matter. I'll try them (with new BP) in rockets I can afford to lose under safe conditions. Patherjon: Agreed. A good reason to build a 29mm powered saucer. But if they are ignitable and work, I can also use them in apogee deployments with electronics.

Bob. Yeah these are in pretty bad shape. But it's worth trying them. And many seem to be in darn good shape.

5x7 just a few F14s... and just a few 25s. All with ridiculously long delays. No doubt meant for altitude competitions.

 

[DeeRoc29]

F14's?! Those were my favorite motors back in the 90's. Hisssssssssssssssss....like the energizer bunny!

Let me know when you're gonna fly 'em

 

[CarVac]

Are they endburning like the newer F10's?

 

[DeeRoc29]

They were definitely not endburning. They were blackjack motors, probably BATES grains but might have been C-slot...Jeff could probably tell us.

I miss the F14.

 

[JStitz]

I carved out 24mm rings on a Bertha and made her longer with some BT-70 tubing I found at a hobby shop. 1st launch on an F-14 I got her back...second launch ...no one saw her after the black trail and bye-bye.
Times before Fast black Jack....

 

[Initiator001]

They were definitely not endburning. They were blackjack motors, probably BATES grains but might have been C-slot...Jeff could probably tell us.

I miss the F14.

The F14 motors were C-slot.

 

[fyrwrxz]

So I wound up with some old AT single use motors. Really old. Many of the ejection charge caps were loose and shrunken. The BP was clumped and hard. Question: should it be trusted? Not the motor, the charge? On a few I scraped it away and will upon use put in fresh. But I am curious if others have flown old AT SU motors with "hardened" EJ charges and there was or was not an issue?

How old? Well bubble pack old. F14 old. E25 old. (I am aware of the certification status')

I don't know if anybody cares or not, but i have an extensive collection of old F-14's left over from clustering days and love to fly them. I made a sanding tool from stranded picture hanging wire by dipping first inch (approx) in nail polish and then rolling it in an alumina grit (sandblasting) media. You can thread it in using the flexible strands to the top of the grain and working it back and forth. I then use an igniter similar to Rocketflute or Quickburst with a 'hot' mix that has either Ti sponge (small screened) or fine Mg flake (not powder) and they hardly ever chuff. The whole idea is to drive molten metal into the grain face to transfer enuff heat. They do , every once in a while, take time to pressurize. I also check the the deploy charge with new 4f. I'll try to fly one in Jan and have KenRico post a video.

 

[5x7]

F14's?! Those were my favorite motors back in the 90's. Hisssssssssssssssss....like the energizer bunny

More like fffffftfffffftffffftffffffftffftffffft.......

 

[iter]

I don't know if anybody cares or not, but i have an extensive collection of old F-14's left over from clustering days and love to fly them. I made a sanding tool from stranded picture hanging wire by dipping first inch (approx) in nail polish and then rolling it in an alumina grit (sandblasting) media. You can thread it in using the flexible strands to the top of the grain and working it back and forth. I then use an igniter similar to Rocketflute or Quickburst with a 'hot' mix that has either Ti sponge (small screened) or fine Mg flake (not powder) and they hardly ever chuff. The whole idea is to drive molten metal into the grain face to transfer enuff heat. They do , every once in a while, take time to pressurize. I also check the the deploy charge with new 4f. I'll try to fly one in Jan and have KenRico post a video.

Drools.... Bet they make great glider motors.

Ari.

 

[fyrwrxz]

Ari- you guessed it. Let's try to hook up at ROC one of these days. I'll even supply the igniter.

 

[gdjsky01]

Wrong impression guys... I only have one F14... and it may be shite... my bad... sorry... and several E25s. As far as igniting any of them, I was pretty successful at getting ignitors in the slots as well as slightly opening those that we too tight. Not like those old G35 EconoJets that were swelled shut tight. Got 5 or 6 F50's with the specs still printed on the sides.

Also apparently, back in the day AT sold 24mm reloads in 1 packs... hm... who knew?

 

[iter]

I'd like that Dave. My co-parenting schedule makes it difficult to leave town for more than a day at a time, and I'm not sure Leah wants to spend 7 hours in the car each way and camp out.

Maybe I can get away for Rocstock in June.

Any chance you come up to TCC? I'd like to meet you in real life.

Ari.