Estes Indicator Two Stage Build

[Ronz Rocketz]

Ouch. What motors did you use for booster and sustainer?

I replaced the 13mm with 18mm. She’s survived a Cato and lawndarting. She’s a true warrior!

I believe rockets have a personality. Some will always come back and some will decide to go on an adventure and land on a roof or in the canal. Some like the Indicator are abused and forgiving. Some like the Expedition are coddled and saved for very good conditions. Some are fragile but I keep patching them up. Some are brutes like the new V2 who can shrug off a lawndart like it was meant to do that.

 

[BABAR]

I replaced the 13mm with 24mm. She’s survived a Cato and lawndarting. She’s a true warrior!

I believe rockets have a personality. Some will always come back and some will decide to go on an adventure and land on a roof or in the canal. Some like the Indicator are abused and forgiving. Some like the Expedition are coddled and saved for very good conditions. Some are fragile but I keep patching them up. Some are brutes like the new V2 who can shrug off a lawndart like it was meant to do that.

Wow! I bet that baby would have been outa da park on a 24mm.

I white glued the fins on the sustainer for strength as much as cosmesis, and also did the one sides “cheaters” on both the rear fins and the small “finlets” that I parasitized from the sustainer. I was afraid without the forward finlets the booster might lawn dart.

my launch area had big grassy fields all around, with an asphalt parking lot in the middle. I tend to launch from the middle, as it gives me more space 360 degrees for wayward rockets, the down side is that when they Don’t migrate far they land on the hard asphalt,

tumble recovery is a bit tough on rockets (booster and otherwise), the Estes plastic ones probably do well, for paper and balsa you are just about guaranteed at least an impressive scuff or ding if it lands on asphalt, concrete, or rock. Gap staging is also a bit tougher, as the added length is usually just more weight. And unless you can account for that with more fin surface....

hmmm, just came up with an idea. My fin can for the BackSpin might work just by itself as a non-gap stage booster. Now THAT is going to be cool, and it is gonna have one HECK of a Magnus effect because it will have a big spiining radius and low mass. Unfortunately the Magnus effect is lateral, but the conservation of angular momentum rule will keep it horizontal and max drag, and the cut ring fins should hit the ground on the convex side, so they should bounce rather than break.

okay, next two scratchers are mini-BackSpin and a two stage BackSpin.

of course, I now have two Estes F15-0s, I need to get to work on the 72” gap two stage model....

 

[Ronz Rocketz]

Sorry, showing my age. I meant 18mm with a C6-5.



I finally successfully flew the Estes Booster with a D12-0. It probably went 100ft up and landed 150ft away. Fortunately the park had their best mower on the job so was easy to spot.

 

[BABAR]

Masking for recoat of white.

Hopefully will seal the edges of the tape.

Then will do face card nose red and one forward and rear fin set red, the mask red fin and nose and remaining fins black

 

[messedupryan]

Masking for recoat of white.

At first I thought I was seeing a mangled/stepped on rocket. Pfewwwwww.

 

[Ronz Rocketz]

At first I thought I was seeing a mangled/stepped on rocket. Pfewwwwww.

He hasn't n00bed it yet.

 

[BABAR]

He hasn't n00bed it yet.

View attachment 458891

Give me time...

I have to admit, I had to look up the term

Noobed
A word that evolved from newbie or noob, meaning to be killed or fragged in an emberassing way, and/or in a way that requires no skill.

 

[BABAR]

Red fins and nose done

Will mask for black fins

 

[BABAR]

The unveiling

67 grams with motors installed!

 

[BABAR]

Of course I messed up on the main decals but repositioned them and although a little bit irregular it's tolerable. First Flight will be on a 1/2A3-4T motor on the sustainer and an A-10 0T on the booster.

Coming out at 65 grams with decals, motor, 2" crepe streamer, wadding, AND ignitor.

I split the forward fin decals to camouflage the forward fin split.

Again, to reasons I split the forward fin ( or more correctly I just didn't glue the extra piece together and left behind piece on the transition and the forward piece on the sustainer)

1. Sustainer will come in tail first, leaving the fins extending back increases risk of fin break

2. Hoping those small forward finlets on the booster will increase tumbling drag for softer booster landing.

 

[BABAR]

Max lift off recommended for A10-0 is 85 grams. Only flight will tell, but I am excited to upgrade this single stage to two stage and still stay with 13 mm motors. Not gonna break any altitude records, but I have a small field.

CG is at the forward fin split. With those big tail feathers I think she is stable. @Daddyisabar ??

 

[Daddyisabar]

Max lift off recommended for A10-0 is 85 grams. Only flight will tell, but I am excited to upgrade this single stage to two stage and still stay with 13 mm motors. Not gonna break any altitude records, but I have a small field.View attachment 459406

CG is at the forward fin split. With those big tail feathers I think she is stable. @Daddyisabar ??

My mindsim says push the button!

 

[BABAR]

Flight Report.




Disappointing.

Mass with motors 65 Grams, should easily be hefted with A10-0 motor.

Had a decent boost off the pad, staged about 30 or 40 feet up (I'm fine with low staging, I expected it.)

Staged and upper stage immediately unstable. Can't figure that one, should have been up to speed at staging, and the upper stage is tiny, has decent fins, and this was with a tiny motor.

Not sure if worth trying again. Could put some more weight in nose, but that will take off some velocity on boost.

Thoughts?

 

[Sooner Boomer]

Can you try flying just the upper stage by itself?

 

[BABAR]

Can you try flying just the upper stage by itself?

Hadn’t planned on it so didn’t put a lug on it, easy enough to tape one on and try it. You can see where I split the original one piece fins, the sustainer LOOKS like it should be rock solid stable, especially with a tiny 1/2 A motor in the bottom.

I don’t have much other use for the rest of the 1/2A motors, so might as well try it.

 

[GlenP]

hard to tell in the video, but it appears there is not enough venting and the booster basically shot the sustainer off a bit too early. If you don't mind changing the outer appearance, maybe add some larger vent holes to the outside just under the sustainer nozzle? Or possibly the friction fit was too tight and the booster did not separate quickly enough? You know all of this, so my speculation could be totally off here.

 

[Sooner Boomer]

You can see where I split the original one piece fins, the sustainer LOOKS like it should be rock solid stable, especially with a tiny 1/2 A motor in the bottom.

That split of the fins looks *really* good! And do try it with a taped-on lug.