SunDancer HeliRocket

Really happy with this one. Most of my rockets are bare balsa. This is finished in Mylar tape (paint is not my forte) and for its weight it works out well as a good park flyer. Funny it was a beautiful day with calm winds on fourth of July and I was about the only person in the park (of course it was about 9 a.m.!)


This heli DOES have motor retention. Most of mine kick the motor.
On the Video the rocket goes pretty high, I am guessing 200 feet. You will see the recovery about 40 seconds into video and i actually CATCH the rocket.

As much as I don't condone 'catching' a rocket, nice catch

That works quite well, one of the better heli rockets I have seen.

Tom said:

As much as I don't condone 'catching' a rocket, nice catch

That works quite well, one of the better heli rockets I have seen.

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Thanks,

Rocket catching is a no no for the high power safety code.

https://www.nar.org/safety-information/high-power-rocket-safety-code/

1. Recovery Safety. I will not attempt to recover my rocket from power lines, tall trees, or other dangerous places, fly it under conditions where it is likely to recover in spectator areas or outside the launch site, nor attempt to catch it as it approaches the ground.

(Seems like kind of a Darwin Award candidate,)

Nothing about it on low power.

https://www.nar.org/safety-information/model-rocket-safety-code/

1. Recovery Safety. I will not attempt to recover my rocket from power lines, tall trees, or other dangerous places.

I did see a kid cut his hand catching a low power Astrobeam on the plastic fin can. I also get nervous about the newer Estes engine hooks, they have a more complex bend which makes the much easier to load and unload but leaves a kind of pointy end facing straight aft (when I use these I curve the bend a bit more so it points a little bit up instead of down.)

Very cool rocket and flight!

Nice catch. So tell us more about this homing self recovery app programmed on your Sundancer.

Very cool rocket!

Just saw this, really good flight! Heli flights don't get any better than that.

That flight was so perfect it is actually suspicious.

So which company makes a decent helirocket kit? I'd like to build & fly one.

Greg Furtman said:

So which company makes a decent helirocket kit? I'd like to build & fly one.

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Take your pick:
https://www.apogeerockets.com/Rocket-Kits/Skill-Level-4-Model-Rocket-Kits/Heli-Roc
https://www.apogeerockets.com/Rocket-Kits/Skill-Level-5-Model-Rocket-Kits/Mini-Copter
https://www.apogeerockets.com/Rocket-Kits/Skill-Level-4-Model-Rocket-Kits/Rotary-Revolution
https://www.erockets.biz/semroc-flying-model-rocket-kit-heli-roctor-kc-02/
https://estesrockets.com/product/007272-mini-a-heli/
Fliskits used to have one called the Rose-A-Roc, but the new Fliskits doesn't have it in production yet.

I just started the Apogee Mini Copter this morning.

Ho, ho, ho

Forgot about the Fliskits Tiddlywink. MicroMaxx powered.

kuririn said:

Forgot about the Fliskits Tiddlywink. MicroMaxx powered.

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They don't have it on their website. Any ones that use 18mm motors?

The Rose-A-Roc used 18mm motors, but it's OOP.
I think the reason they're all mini engine powered is because there was (is?) an NAR helicopter duration competition event that uses 13mm engines.

Guess I need to do a build thread again. Most expensive part of this rocket is the sheet of 6"x36"x1/8" balsa. Nose cones (er.... pyramids) don't get any cheaper than this rocket, it's made of cardstock.
Also need to post my latest launch. Spoiler......I caught it again on the way down.

BABAR said:

Guess I need to do a build thread again. Most expensive part of this rocket is the sheet of 6"x36"x1/8" balsa. Nose cones (er.... pyramids) don't get any cheaper than this rocket, it's made of cardstock.
Also need to post my latest launch. Spoiler......I caught it again on the way down.

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Yes, if you could post plans it would be much appreciated. Congrats on the 2nd great catch.

@BABAR Doesn't credit for the Tiddlywink actually go to you since you approached them with the idea and/or prototype?

To be perfectly honest, i have never had any direct contact with Jim Flis, although I did buy some of his great kits. Seems like we both came up with the idea independently. I think my Gyskelion came out before Tiddlywink but I severely doubt Jim saw it. Maybe great minds just think alike.

BABAR said:

To be perfectly honest, i have never had any direct contact with Jim Flis, although I did buy some of his great kits. Seems like we both came up with the idea independently. I think my Gyskelion came out before Tiddlywink but I severely doubt Jim saw it. Maybe great minds just think alike.

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Mea culpa...I stand corrected.