My quest for an O motor launch.

walden0311 said:

Just seeing this thread. Nice build! I built this one last year and launched at LDRS on an M2505. Here's a shot of it finished up along with the Pike 33 I launched. Looking forward to seeing the video on yours!

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I just so happen to have an M2505 that has been tempting me to use as a test flight. But then if the test flight goes bad, I'm stuck with the O motor and nothing to put it in.

If the O is ready for 2/8, I'll bring both and let the weather decide which one goes in, I guess.

It was a perfect flight up to 5k and came down about 30 feet from the pad! I have video but not sure how to load it on here. My wife is planning to get her L3 this year and then next year we want to do a joint project full scale IQSY Tomahawk with an O motor. Might do a thread on that one on here. You can't go wrong with either motor although that O is a beast! Good luck to you and hopefully the weather plays nice

jsdemar said:

And 98mm O motors are the bleeding edge of cool.

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Following this thread for a while, living vicariously through your build.
I got my first taste of a 98mm O motor at LDRS 38, flying my 6" Darkstar on an O3400 to 21,111 ft. and Mach 1.6. Recovered about 3 miles South of the rocket pasture minus the 1515 rail buttons and some slight decal peeling. It was 80 lbs. on the pad.


Sharon and I have been accumulating parts for an 8" fiberglass rocket for a while now, just picked up the fins at LDRS 38:


We have most of the airframe, with 6" MMT and centering rings. We also picked up an 8" coupler and a short extension for the fincan to fit the 6" motor casing. These sort of projects take time, not only for assembly, but funding also.

Hope you are feeling better now, and good luck at Red Glare. I think you should fly the M2505 first, it's a lot easier to watch the flight and possibly correct a problem before you "shoot for the moon" with an O motor. My ultimate Darkstar had five flights on it before I flew the O at LDRS last year. That was the most awesome launch, sorry I missed walden0311's flights, Dark Aster looks like a great rocket.

The latest.

When Scott and I tested the motor fit to the MMT, we discovered that it would only slide in from the forward end. Probably either the forward end of the motor casing or the aft end of the MMT is slightly out of round. Scott sanded a bit, but when I got the finished motor



I found it still wouldn't go in, even with the retainer pulled out 1/4". So I had to remove the rear closure and thrust ring; but after that, it slid right in from the front. I put the closure and ring back on.





Retainer screws on perfectly. Whew!



Sticks out of the original booster about yay much.



Booster extension added and Y-harness clipped in.



"Down the well" view.



She'll be ready to go in two weeks weather-permitting. Next up will be to fit the drogue and aft harnesses down around the motor and test the fit of the AV bay coupler.

Good luck if you get to fly on 2/8!

I'll keep a weather countdown here. Two weeks out, it's looking like cloudy with a 40% chance of rain or snow showers.

Man, I hope we (my daughter and I, and maybe her TARC team) don't miss the launch! If the weather's good, we might have to focus on TARC launches (late start this year). The team can launch maybe 3-4 times an hour at the farm where they fly -- likely more often than they could at an MDRA launch.

Best of luck whether we're there to see it or not!

Bat-mite said:

I'll keep a weather countdown here. Two weeks out, it's looking like cloudy with a 40% chance of rain or snow showers.

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Lol I know how you feel. Been wanting to fly for a while now but mother nature just wants to rain on weekends.

Always sunny and 70°on the east coast in February

Woo hoo! Today's forecast shows sunny with a high of 51, ground winds peaking at 11 MPH. Let's hope it holds!

Wishing you all the best my friend!!!

Go for it!
Best of luck.

Thanks, guys!

Bat-mite said:

Woo hoo! Today's forecast shows sunny with a high of 51, ground winds peaking at 11 MPH. Let's hope it holds!

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I plan to be there, flying a wimpy little M motor. If the wind is really only 11 mph it will be the calmest day at Higgs Farm in a long time.

Yeah, good luck! I'm planning on being there as well.

Nathan said:

I plan to be there, flying a wimpy little M motor. If the wind is really only 11 mph it will be the calmest day at Higgs Farm is a long time.

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Yeah, I remember when I used to fly Ms.

Bat-mite said:

Yeah, I remember when I used to fly Ms.

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Boy Scouts? Summer Camp?

Best of luck 'Mite! Can't wait for the pics!

Getting together with Scott some time soon to do a little AV bay mod. Scott wants to mount a Raven in it to collect some accelerometer data. Eight days and counting ...

Bat-mite said:

Getting together with Scott some time soon to do a little AV bay mod. Scott wants to mount a Raven in it to collect some accelerometer data. Eight days and counting ...

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I will have my mini Performer 98 ready to fly on a baby K motor for next weekend. I ground tested it last launch, and I'm just finishing up the AV bay now.

My mini-98 is two feet over my head, and barely fits standing up in my garage. This O-class Performer must be some kind of monster. This is going to be awesome!

I'm not so sure I can trust this weather forecast.

Heh, I had the same thought when I checked wunderground this morning. It would be nice to not have a rainy weekend for a change. Fingers crossed.

It looks like the field may be very wet on Saturday.

Nathan said:

It looks like the field may be very wet on Saturday.

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I hear there is nothing but gravel under neath the top soil so it drys very quickly.

Bat-mite said:

I'm not so sure I can trust this weather forecast.

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I'm still coming up Saturday. Already cast the first set of grains for then. Lets hope I just don't get stuck in the mud

0011001100 said:

I'm still coming up Saturday. Already cast the first set of grains for then. Lets hope I just don't get stuck in the mud

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If you do, for God's sake, don't let Nathan pull you out!

Bat-mite said:

If you do, for God's sake, don't let Nathan pull you out!

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I'll hopefully be fine. Gonna bring a separate pair of shoes for driving back so I can throw my boots in the back.

Bat-mite said:

If you do, for God's sake, don't let Nathan pull you out!

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I assume you are referring to the time I got stuck while trying to pull Tom Cohen's truck out of the mud and then Tommy Higgs had to pull both of us out with his 18,000 lb tractor.

Forecast update:

Sunday now is no longer calling for rain and will have lower winds and higher temps than Saturday.

Good to know. I don't normally come out on Sundays, but if Saturday is a no-go for any reason, maybe i could head out after church.