Executioner upgrades???

Just bought a nice new Estes Executioner...
Looking for some upgrade ideas... I would like to get ride of the shock cord and use something else in it's place. Any ideas on this and other upgrades would be great.
Can't wait to assemble this baby and let-er rip.

Greg d.

I Had one (TREE) that had 4-24mm cluster and it was awsome or you could put a 29mm mmt in it

Cluster

My friend has one built with a central 24mm and 6 18's round the outside - should be cool.

A kevlar leader and nomex heatshield would be the 'standard' upgrades on a kit like this. Preferably attach the kevlar line to the MMT, since its likely to be the strongest part of the rocket.

Estes kit abuse is a noble sport, with an Executioner you could get some pretty silly motors in there.

I've heard of Big Daddies on L2 motors, I'm sure the executioner could be flown on 29 or 38mm G motors. It would be cool to have one 'regular' (well, you could throw in some 18mm outboards) and one, fully glassed HPR version, head out to the HPR pads with your little (well, quite big really) 'Estes' rocket and fly it on a scary motor

Bit like this:

https://www.rocketreviews.com/reviews/descon6/big_bad_bertha.html

But less extreme

Anyone ever thought of putting a 38mm MMT in it? You may need a little nose weight and some strong construcion, but talk about breaking mach on an I357T... somewhere close to 1400f/s if you don't suffer a shred.
Reed

A 29MM mount gets my vote for all-around most versitle upgrade for the Executioner, but clusters are cool too! I have a Exec. with a 29MM mount, that is mostly stock otherwise. Other changes included a LOC-style shockcord mount and a nylon 'chute. It flies great on G-64's and G-80's, but is still light enough to take a D-12-3.

I'd have absolutley no qualms about putting an H-128 in it if I had not installed a motorblock in it. I installed the motorblock on purpose to help me fight off any launch day big motor temptations!

Good luck!

I have one of these, as yet unbuilt, overpriced pieces of c**p (£30 for 1 decal and parts I could clone for £10 was a moment of madness).

They fly like a pig on D12s but the E9 is a nice motor for them. I had intended it to be a quick, stock, build. I'm not clutering it - I already have enough cluster projects so may just stick a 29mm mount in it. Definately an upgrade to the recovery - probably as Niall says a Kevlar leader, and then probably 4mm climbing cord - or perhaps a little thinner if I can find 3mm.

Perhaps a nice letter to Estes would get another decal sheet. Some LOC tubing and n/c and there we go - a L1 / L2 capable monster - now THAT is worth my money

I am defenitly interested in putting in an Aerotech 29mm motor in it. Probably an "F" engine. How does one go about modifing the motor mount for this type of engine? I am going to use kevlar cord inplace of the cheap shock cord. Should i use the same mounting technique as the shock cord ?

thanks ahead of time for all you help.... greg d.

The only things I did to mine were to use a 24mm LOC motor tube, epoxy fillets, and a kevlar leader for recovery. Took the kevlar, tied it around the motor tube under the upper CR, then through and out the top of the rocket. It flies on 24mm AT reloads. Great kit!

The Executioner is a nice little kit and I to would also suggest upgrade to 29mm. Mine is built with a 29mm motor mount and also built a baffle system in it also. I used a kevlar leader and used the shock cord that was supplied and have had no problems. Upgrade the chute for sure. I would also suggest if you go 29 or 38mm that you build it with epoxy. Mine is built using 5 min. apoxy and it is rock solid.

I fly mine on F40's and it really moves fast off the pad. I haven't gotten the guts up to throw a G in it yet but I do have one with its name on it. If you over build it a bit like I did it should handle a low H with no problem but you may not get it back.

Also upgrade the center rings. I made new ones using basswood and they work great.

A buddy of mine made this upgrade to the Executioner that is pretty cool.

Now that *is* cool! Are there any launch photos? Insane clusters on small rockets is cool, insane L3 clusters even better

So do i just go buy a 29mm motor mount tube and the proper size centering rings and build per the instructions? How do i secure the motor into the mount? Detailed help would be great.
Or a link to where i can find the answers!!!!
Thanks...greg d.

Pretty much - you have a few options though.

For a start, 2.6" to 29mm CR's should be easy enough to get hold of - PML and I believe LOC 2.5" tubing is very close to BT80 (as used in the executioner), the PML stuff certainly has the same ID.

A couple of CR's should do you nicely, and a length of 29mm tube.

Where you have choices is motor retention. Just about everyone has their own way, and it depends also on whether you're using single use or RMS motors. There are various commercial motor retainers available, but they might be a bit on the pricey side for a rocket like this. You need something to stop the motor moving forwards and something to stop it moving backwards.

You could install a thrust ring in the MMT, but that puts some constraints on the length of motor you can use. With SU motors, the accepted technique is to build a thrust ring out of masking tape, this butts up against the base of the MMT and stops the motor flying out the top of the rocket RMS motors have the thrust ring built in.

The other side of retention could easily be accomplished with some simple hardware - you just need something to stop the motor being kicked out at ejection. There are many ways of doing this - t-nuts in the aft CR are popular, then you can use bolts with washers to hold the motor in. Not pretty perhaps, but effective.

https://www.info-central.org/infocentral.shtml might be a good place to look.

HTH

What I did was to get a LOC 29mm motor tube and made the center rings out of basswood from Hobby Town USA and built it to the plans including the engine hook that came with it. Believe it or not but the engine hook works out great with my RMS. For extra security I put a zip tie around the hook and motor tube to help keep the the hook in the slot of the RMS.

nialloswald is right, don't install the thrust ring because it limits motor selection.

As for single use I cut a 1/4" of extra 29mm tubing and epoxy it to the end of the motor the night before and that will keep it from moving up the motor tube. You could also friction fit it using tape.

i own 2 executioners one original and other is a modified stubby ill post pics in just a sec. after i go take them.

I plan on beefing up the body tube on my next one .. or atleast above the fins..I had many flights on mine but the thin estes tube just ahead of the fins started getting weak since a fin always hits first..I have seen others with the same crimping in that area ..so it sure couldn't hurt.

heres both executioners 1 modified other has a moded paint scheme.opppps wrong pic,lol.

heres the original :

heres the pic

I did several of the things sugested above, (kevlar cord attached to MMT, Nomex sheet to protect chute, upgraded to LOC chute ect.) and one thing I have not seen mentioned yet. Mine has the NC glued on and it seperates in the middle at the coupler. Kind of a semi-antizipper design. I have flown it about 6 times on E & F motors, it is about my favorite rocket.

Bryon

well.... i wanna go to the extreme and put a 38mm in it But after designing some CR's and looking at the CP and all doubt itll be a good idea but we are still tinkering with the idea

I love my Executioner! I call it the "Tree Topper" for good luck and it hasn't gotten stuck yet even after 20 or so flights.

I never fly it on D12s, but it does fine on E9s. I've had terrific launches on the 24mm AT E30s and F21s. I'm sure the new AT E15s would be a perfect match for it.

Mine is stock except the essential a Kevlar shock cord (epoxied to the airframe where the stock shock cord mount would've gone) and internal fillets on the TTW fins (don't glue the aft centering ring in until the fillets are dry.)

If I was doing it again, I'd probably install a 29mm MMT. Or at least use a heavier duty 24mm MMT. The heat of the Aerotech motors makes the stock Estes motor mount tube brittle. However, the through-the-wall fins keeps it from completely falling apart.

A 38mm MMT seems like overkill to me. While the fins are probably strong enough, the Estes BT-80s seem thin to me for that kind of power. Why not build one of the heavier duty PML or USR or LOC 2.5" 38mm kits instead?

-- Jim

Originally posted by jcsalem
Why not build one of the heavier duty PML or USR or LOC 2.5" 38mm kits instead?

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Because you can! We don't need rockets anyway, we just like them. Basically just add a layer of 2oz. glass maybe and then strength issues are, for the most part, solved.
Reed

Hey, if the rocket breaks up in flight, "Hey that was FUN!!! Let's go build another!!!"

On the topic, I think that a 2 stage one would be cool--make it look like it's one stage, but have little stick fins and a lot of nose weight, and put a 29 or 38mm mount in the bottom (with some extra power, of course, ) and have it electronicly stage to a 24mm motor. And then, if you really want to loose it, put an Apogee long burn motor in the top stage, and a J in the bottom HPR FUN!

i wanna fly it on a G55

I fly this one exclusively on an E18-7. The only change is a steel leader for the internal shock cord mount. If you just want to keep it simple, you get a beautiful flight with that engine.

I am interested in the steel leader idea...please tell me more details. This is a great alternative to a kevlar cord.

Thanks greg

Originally posted by shoprobav
I am interested in the steel leader idea...please tell me more details. This is a great alternative to a kevlar cord.

Thanks greg

Click to expand...

its fine till it slices your parachute into pieces as the ejection charge goes off. I did the leader idea as suggested and after the jectionc harge i noticed only half my chuete had opened. turns out it was cause the other half was sliced

If you use the leader inside the tube, and elastic or Kevlar on the outside, it shouldn't do that. Or is that what you did?

My leader was somewhat long enough to absorb a lil of the pressure. The kelvar was on the outsides. When i packed the chute i moved it to the side. and then packed . when it ejected it slived a nice hole in the side