This model is quickly becoming my all-time favorite low-power model rocket: it looks gorgeous, is virtually indestructible, and flies great on anything above C12.
Three PSAs:
1). Loose elastic shock cord and replace it with Kevlar. This should be nothing new to experienced flyers, yet I keep forcing myself to relearn this lesson the hard way.
2). Fly on anything with less thrust than C12 at your own risk (e.g.: C6-3).
3). For frequent flyer miles, upgrade to a nylon chute.
About the motors.
The first flight was at our Cub Scouts launch day, on the recommended C6-3. Rocket started beautifully straight off the rod, then must have caught a crosswind at ~100 feet, and turned into a sky-writer. Crashed hard on the paved parking lot, ejected laundry on the ground. Recovered with zero damage.
Subsequent flights on Quest C12 and D16 went perfectly: straight up, with lovely dark black smoke trail. Huge hit with kids and parents. On the last flight of the day on D16, elastic short code broke, with body coming down and core sampling (recovered with no damage), while the nose cone drifted away into another county.
Got another one to fly stock, old airframe is being upgraded for 24mm MMT. Might need to get creative and find room in the nose cone for a GPS tracker to push the upgrade path to it's logical (and insane) F39 conclusion.
New one flew beautifully again on Quest C12 and D16, and even better on Aerotch D13 and D24. D13 flight was spectacularly high, barely visible. After one flight, the rocket landed in a flooded irrigation canal, turned into a floater. Got fished out with zero damage, dried off in the sun, and flew again.
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P.S.: I am beginning to really love Quest motors, but how are you supposed to secure the ignitors in the nossle? I keep jamming them in place with wooden match stick ends (works well), otherwise, they fall out. If not right away, then as soon as there is a gravity tug from ignition clips. Is there a more factory recommended approach to securing them in place that works?
P.P.S.: Unlike with Estes ignitors, Quest ones light the motor up reliably!