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Bruiser

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I have been building rockets that use 24mm D and E Estes engines. I was getting ready to graduate to the 29mm Estes Engines but now that Hobby Lobby is not carrying them I have lost my only local source for them.

I am wondering if there is a step up into composite motors that will not require me to become certified and stay in the BT60 to BT80 range? I want to be able to build mostly single and two stage scale rockets but I also do some fantasy scale type designs.

Thanks,
-Bob
 
Aerotech 29/40-120 has a bunch of reloads that ship hazmat free from E16-4 to G76-10

No staging without electronics, though.
 
Here are a couple of ideas for you.
Hobby Lobby - Still a good source for rocketry related stuff even if they don't have the motors you want - always look for clearance items or use the 40% off coupon - never pay full (list) price.
Local Launch Vendor - We drive an hour to "Bong" to fly with Woosh (NAR) and TWA (Tripoli) - another benefit is the on-site vendor (Wildman) - even if you have to drive an hour or 3, an on-site rocket vendor can be an exceptionally good source for motors.
Order Online - Estes E and F motors (24 and 29mm) require special "hazmat" shipping. This often makes an online purchase overly expensive. Aerotech makes several D to G composite motors that ship hazmat free. Some of these are single-use, and some are "reloads" requiring a reuseable aluminum motor case. Composite motors have a greater ISP than black-powder (Estes) motors making them more efficient (greater thrust in a lighter motor.)
BT80 Rockets - I was amazed the first time I put a composite motor (E15) in a BT80 sized rocket. The power, SOUND, and altitude astounded me, and I could watch (see) the entire flight because the rocket was much larger than the smaller (BT50) rockets I was used to launching. Bigger is often much better. :)
 
I ordered Estes 29mm BP motors in bulk from a couple of online vendors 2 or 3 years ago. Never paid a Hazmat fee. Don't know if there's been a change in the rules so out of curiosity I revisited their websites and put some motors in their shopping carts. Went all the way to checkout with no mention of Hazmat. One vendor gave me a coupon for free shipping over $100 after my first order. Bruiser, you can PM me if you want their names.
You can purchase most composite motors up to a G without certification. There are a few exceptions like the high impulse Gs. As mentioned previously, best source is a local launch vendor. No shipping or Hazmat. Good luck.
 
So I built a two stage rocket in OR that is BT80 based. I tried it with both 24mm and 29mm engines and the results didn't seem to impressive. It's almost like it's not staging. Maybe I am missing something. I hope someone can take a look at the files.

Are there certain "go to" choices among all those motors? Also are there any benefits to reloads versus the single use motors?

Thanks,
-Bob
 

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I ordered Estes 29mm BP motors in bulk from a couple of online vendors 2 or 3 years ago. Never paid a Hazmat fee. Don't know if there's been a change in the rules so out of curiosity I revisited their websites and put some motors in their shopping carts. Went all the way to checkout with no mention of Hazmat. One vendor gave me a coupon for free shipping over $100 after my first order. Bruiser, you can PM me if you want their names.

The USPS exemption has many requirements, the most limiting is usually that the motor must have 30g or less of propellant. BP Es exceed this and must be shipped FedEx or UPS as HazMat.

I would caution against supporting a vendor that is doing otherwise. We are fortunate to have the exemption at all and abusing it will not help the hobby.

Some vendors also require you to add the hazmat fee yourself or will contact you after the order is placed if needed.
 
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