3 Estes motors CATO on the same day from the same pack.

[sodmeister]

Paul,
That's quite a story! E9's & E12's are great when they work right, but a continual surprise when they go bad. BTW do you have lot numbers for the bad motors?
Bob

Unfortunately when going back to the rockets ,still sitting on the pad ,the motors are gone.I`m pretty sure they shoot up from the MMT and fly out.We never managed to find one single motor case in the grass.

We flew yesterday ,and my friend loaded his shortened Mean Machine with his last E9....that worked well ,but too much juice and the rocket went up up up ,chute deployed and drifted into the next county LOL

I will contact him and see if he has any left over from that batch and perhaps get a lot number.

Cheers

Paul T

 

[Andy Greene]

I myself have had 3 E9 CATOs in a row, from 3 different lots, all on the same day, with NONE of them on the 'known punk' list. For the record, I filed reports and called/emailed Estes with the results and packaging pics.

The real suck here is that no matter how many times a thread like this happens, all Estes ever does is send out another pack of rocket grenades and sometimes a replacement kit (if they blew up one of theirs).

There are several threads and web references debunking the 'temp cycling' and the 'cracks from handling' myth. Even if they were confirmed, the fact that nothing has changed and that seemingly random CATOs happen quite often with these things seems to indicate that something is way way off with the formulation of the E9 solids, as I assume that the process of mixing/packing/etc would be the same for all sizes of BP motors.

I commiserate with the OP. I will never, ever again give Estes any money for their E9 explodomotors.

IF - you ask for something different as a replacement Estes will oblige motor wise btw- at least in my experience-
AND it doesnt necessarily HAVE to be an Estes kit to get a replacement kit :wink:
That said , I have 2 E9/8s left that I dont have a rocket I hate enough to fly em on :shock:

 

[watermelonman]

Hah, of course they were E9s!

 

[Charles_McG]

I got my replacement motors and a new Ventris kit today.
E12s are lot A 5 15 12
E9s are lot A 01 12 16.

I think I'll save the E9s for a special occasion.

 

[Pepe Le Pew]

Good idea. I have built a purpose-built machine fr those E-9's!

 

[midpower_madness]

I have several Estes E powered rockets that will be taking AeroTech Es from now on. My luck with Estes Es has been rough! BTW - student built 24mm rockets scream off the pad with APCP motors! 200-225 m/sec is typical speed range on these light weight rockets. Makes for one heck of a report card comment!

Lol. At some point BP propellent no longer does the trick.