Ok! stepping away for kit models for just a bit. One of the only TRUELY tumble recovery designs I can recall is the Estes SCOUT the very earliest version and a bit later the Scout-II as well had a unique kick-back motor retainer hook the changed the after motor burn CG making the model unstable allowing it to really tumble slowing it's decent greatly. I wondered if this effect would "SCALE down" so I built a T3 version hoping the slightly larger size would allow the model to be seen during it's hopefully tumbling decent.
A 3-3/8" long with a 1-9/16" finspan it was going to be a challange to see so bright fluroescent Red to orange paint was chosen. With a lift off weight of only 3.5grams Micro Scout-1's first flight was on an MMX-I motor across the street from my house.... Wow! super quick off the pad but I was able to catch the smoke trail & see the pop whick allowed these old eyes to follow her to the ground. I knew the second flight with a MMX-II motor we'ed need as many extra eyes as we could possibly have so I scheduled it for a club sport launch.
Set up and count down....5,4,3,2,1, Wow! did that thing Teleport or what! Heard the faint Pop Way Up There but have no idea of the altitude, didn't see the smoke trail or ejection cloud. We all scanned the sky for what seemed like forever...looking.....Looking there it is! someone shouted, then another, then the better 2/3rds found the model tumbling down and I caught it about the same time. Yup it flies and tumbles just like the original LOL!!! but is a LOT harder to see during flight! A very nifty little downscale.
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A 3-3/8" long with a 1-9/16" finspan it was going to be a challange to see so bright fluroescent Red to orange paint was chosen. With a lift off weight of only 3.5grams Micro Scout-1's first flight was on an MMX-I motor across the street from my house.... Wow! super quick off the pad but I was able to catch the smoke trail & see the pop whick allowed these old eyes to follow her to the ground. I knew the second flight with a MMX-II motor we'ed need as many extra eyes as we could possibly have so I scheduled it for a club sport launch.
Set up and count down....5,4,3,2,1, Wow! did that thing Teleport or what! Heard the faint Pop Way Up There but have no idea of the altitude, didn't see the smoke trail or ejection cloud. We all scanned the sky for what seemed like forever...looking.....Looking there it is! someone shouted, then another, then the better 2/3rds found the model tumbling down and I caught it about the same time. Yup it flies and tumbles just like the original LOL!!! but is a LOT harder to see during flight! A very nifty little downscale.
Post copied with permission
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