Another L1000 story...

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Salvage-1

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.... or "How I created Aerotechs Largest Medusa Nozzle!!!"

This last weekend I was up in the Oregon High Desert with OROC attending their Spring Thunder event.

I had with me an L1000 which has been last in my motor box for the last two years glaring at me and daring me to fly it.
Well, this Spring I noticed that the epoxy around the front closure was rock hard and not spongey as it was last year (and when i bought it). So, I planned to use it, just to stop the guilt trip it gives me every time I open that mortar can to get another reload.

The Rocket.... A beastie that I picked up from a rocketeer leaving the hobby. A stretched 7.5" PML Pterodactyl, set up with central 54mm and four 29mm outboards.
For the first flight, I loaded with with the L1000 and no outboards, just to get the first flight out of the way and the reload used.
The flight looked perfect, with an AWESOME flame on the way up, flew straight with only slight weathercocking and flopped over for a successful dual deploy and landing. The TeleMetrum told me the altitude, which I thought was a little low, and I started the half mile walk through ankle ripping sagebrush to the recovery site.

When I got there I noticed the the PML phenolic had snapped off a length of body tube and had a few serious dings.... then my friend pointed out the rear end.

Well.... it seems that just near the middle of the burn, the L1000 thought that it really didnt need a thrust ring and started it's rapid way up the rocket. Luckily I had not removed the PML piston (which probably saved the entire flight not to mention the AV bay and electronics). When it stopped, there was still a second or so of burn left. In this time it consumed 90% of a centering ring and most of the motor tubes. Luckily the rear centering ring is/was fiberglass sandwiched, so it became a nozzle!!

I was going to smash off the PML phenolic and replace with Blue Tube anyway, so this actually saves me quite a bit of work :lol:

Now I will let the pics tell the story

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That's crazy it didn't burn out the back end of your rocket! Glad to hear it (generally) worked out for ya.

FWIW for other people. I flew an L1000 earlier this year (purchased new from Wildman). Tim @ Wildman assured me the L1000 doesn't have any more problems. Motor flew fine, and the only problem I have is that I don't have more L1000 motors :)
 
and the aftermath

I was lucky enough to see this launch and recovery.

And those things you can see inside the rocket in the first two pictures are, indeed, the fin roots. We're pretty certain they're just about the only thing that kept the motor case aligned to the axis of the rocket. Looking inside the rocket from the bottom CR, it was clear that they were pretty much the ONLY remaining internal structure...

I expect that this rocket will live on in campfire discussions for many a year...
 
That's crazy it didn't burn out the back end of your rocket! Glad to hear it (generally) worked out for ya.

FWIW for other people. I flew an L1000 earlier this year (purchased new from Wildman). Tim @ Wildman assured me the L1000 doesn't have any more problems. Motor flew fine, and the only problem I have is that I don't have more L1000 motors :)

Thanks!

I was aware that this was of the period when suspect L1000's were made, but the lot number (I have a photo if people are interested), wasn't on the list of problem motors.
Even before the flight I was 'joking' that this may not be successful, and duely noted the RSO at the time. He belived I had taken all precautions, and a rocket of this size may 'contain' a problem (which it indeed did!!).

This will not stop me from buying and using another L1000... it is one kick ass motor! The loaded rocket weighed 28lb, and the L didn't have a problem lighting, or lifting it!!
 
I expect that this rocket will live on in campfire discussions for many a year...

Oh this is high on the list of priorities. I NEED to rebuild this beastie... with outboards... maybe 75mm with four 38's.
I have already dropped PML an email asking if I can buy just one of those fins and make this into 4 fin rocket. Better stability all around!! I could then load that beastie up.

Love live Ptiny the Pterodactyl.... you have earnt your first sticker... and it says CATO !! (not a joke, I have these stickers!)
 
I just flew an L1000 this past weekend. I was pretty concerned about it, but I lucked out! Glad to see you didn't get the worse deal a lot of other L1000 fliers have experienced...


Braden
 
I had one of the case failures with the L1000 a while back (just before the recall on them). The case tried to fly up through the rocket. However, I typically use two bulkheads in the zipperless coupler, and that stopped it from getting by and gutting the upper part of the rocket. Fortunately also, the rapid drop in pressure snuffed the grains or it would have incinerated the rocket. Got off lucky all things considered.

Jim
 
Love live Ptiny the Pterodactyl.... you have earnt your first sticker... and it says CATO !! (not a joke, I have these stickers!)

You need new stickers...

CIF- Catastrophic (failure) In Flight... could be applied to "shred" failures, but this was distinctly different!
 
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