Apogee Aspire

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cjp

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Hi,this is my second attempt in posting this.Has anyone built the Aspire?I built one in August and could not fly it because of surgery I had, I have a chance this weekend when our club will be flying High powered rockets at a new launchsite.I put a Estes E9-6 into the 24mm adapter and seen that the engine sticks out 1 1/2" out the end of the adapter.When you put the adapter into the bodytube,the adapter sticks out 1/4"(Im thinking this is for friction fitting).This is my first mid powered rocket that takes 29mm and 24mm engines.It looked like it was sticking out to far.Is this the way it's supposed to look? Thanks,cjp.
 
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I'm sorry I can't answer you question because I don't know the answer but I'm going to try and put a question mark on it to catch attention.

Its possible that the title is seen and there is an assumption of a build thread rather than a question.

I hope it helps you.
 
Hello again CJ! I don't have an Aspire, but recently did build a Semroc 29mm Javelin with 24mm adapter. I remember doing some dry-fitting of the MMT configurations (blocks, CR's , etc.) to see what I was going to get in terms of motor flexability... and I ended up making some alterations of my own.

I pulled up the instruction sheet (online, Apogee) for the Aspire. Looks like step #14 may be your culprit. If you glued the 24mm engine block (CR18-24) recessed into the adapter tube by 7/8" as they instruct, the adapter becomes too short for the Estes E9 motor, which is 3.75" long. Essentially, the instructions assumed you would only use a 2.75" 24mm motor (D12, e.g.)with the adaptor. For the E9, whether or not the extra inch protruding is a problem for flying, perhaps only Rocksim (or similar program) could tell. There definately is a slight reduction in stability, as the CG moves back, and the CP (I would guess, in effect) moves slightly forward. The rocket is well over 26 in long... so perhaps the 1" extension is tolerable :confused:.

Others may chime in ... these are just my thoughts...
 
I'm just starting my build of the Aspire rocket. I've found Tim at Apogee very engaging and responsive. I recommend you send Tim an email regarding your inquiry. You will be pleased at the response you get from Tim.

Keep the pointed end up.
 
That's how I built the engine mount,nothing was said about the E engines,I did contact Tim at apogee,he told me to refer to rocksim,I tried to download the 30day trial,but it will not let me.I told him the cg and asked if it would fly right,I can't find the cp,hoping he would know,but he said no one else had problems downloading rocksim.I'll fly it on D engines,but at the moment can't afford 29mm engines.
 
Hi cjp,
I ran a quick sim of the Aspire with an E9-6 overhanging the end of the tube by 1.75". With those big swept back fins, it was still plenty stable, with a static margin of nearly 4 (see attached). Looks like you'll be at around 2000 feet with a slightly early ejection, but still a nice flight.

hope that helps!

aspire-rocksim.png
 
RockSim 9 shows the Aspire has a 19.04" CG with a C11, a 19.6" CG with a D12, a 21.4" CG with an E9 (should only overhang 1"). It appears the Aspire is stabel regardless what motor you put in it. It is even stable with an I200.

I need to order some light weight glass for mine. BeeLine Tracker in it will be a must for me.
 
Thanks to everyone,I'm having problems posting,for the 3rd time this week,I log in and then keep getting a message that I need to log in.Something keeps me from being able to post.I just did a close measurement,and the Estes E9-6 sticks out 1 and 3/16 inches.From what daveyfire and tomar came up with on RockSim,things are ok.I want to thank them for that information.This is what makes a forum successfull when you have generous and helpfull people who take time to help.Thanks again to everyone that responded.I just found out that we did not get clearence to fly high powered rockets tommorrow and will be back at our regular field.I might try a D engine if the winds are light.cjp.:clap:
 
I am glad I could help. Patience, one day you will get to fly it on a bigger motor.
 
Patience is my short comming.Hoping to meet EgbRtv at the launch today,peartree has other commitments so he can't make it.Mybe in 2 more weeks on the 27th he can.I'm glad that I found the Rocketry Forum,what a great group of people.:clap:
 
I just spent a long session with RockSim 9 working on the Aspire. Here is what I am planning.

1) The top 4 inches of airframe will contain a BeeLine Transmitter for tracking. I am adding a coupler and bulkplate at this point.

2) Shorten the bottom airframe by 4 inches

3) Put a small deployment altimeter in the coupler between the bottom and upper airframes.

4) Put a single layer of light weight fiberglass on the airframe and Tip-to-Tip the fins.

I won't get a mile on the motors Apogee indicates, but I will be able to fly up 9.5 inch motors which will give me better than a mile and well over Mach.

I'll start a construction thread when I actually start building it.

Apogee Aspire Tracker-Altimeter.jpg
 
I have built and flown several Aspires. Its a great kit.
The rocket is overstable by design so there should be no problems with the overhang.

My first two were built stock but i have also made some own versions (AKA kit bashing).

Here is one of them, have not flown it yet thought.
Dont think i will get it back :D (G80 137Ns)

miniasp.jpg

miniasp1.jpg

miniasp2.jpg
 
The Aspire sits in my pile; construction complete, but naked as a Jayhawk, or Homer Simpson in his hammock on a sunday afternoon.

The Aspire is one long rocket, and is overstable.
Should be no problem on the E-9 hanging out.
 
Hoping to give her a try this Friday when we are to launch high power.But the weather calls for temps in the 40's and mybe snow showers.NorthEast Ohio weather,you have to love it.Happy Turkey Day to everyone.cjp.:):D
 
Rocket haiku!


(Pardon my editing)

I recently finished my Aspire and went to launch it for the first time yesterday on a F10 engine. I lost sight of it on the way down momentarily and it was enough for me to not see where it landed exactly...I'm heading out there today to look again (luckily I have the day off). Unfortunately, I had a Boostervision camera on it also.

Here's it's last picture before launch.

Aspire.jpg
 
I recently finished my Aspire and went to launch it for the first time yesterday on a F10 engine. I lost sight of it on the way down momentarily and it was enough for me to not see where it landed exactly...I'm heading out there today to look again (luckily I have the day off). Unfortunately, I had a Boostervision camera on it also.

Here's it's last picture before launch.

Ouch, know the feeling. Hope you got more luck than me. Lost a rocket with keychain camera a couple of days ago.. Dont think i will attach cameras to high flyers anymore :p

Nice build btw.
 
Ouch, know the feeling. Hope you got more luck than me. Lost a rocket with keychain camera a couple of days ago.. Dont think i will attach cameras to high flyers anymore :p

Nice build btw.

Oh well...I spent three hours looking for it this morning with no luck. The last I saw of it was when it appeared to be going towards a pine tree forest. I spent the morning looking and had lots of time to think about my lessons learned on this one.

First lesson is not to answer a cell phone call from my wife when I'm watching the rocket decend :)

I liked the Aspire a lot and I'll get a new one. I'm hooked on the Boostervision cam also.
 
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Not that it would help necessarily, but did you put any kind of ID or number to call on it?

I have that info and an email address on my Aspire....

Launched at the local field on the long burn F 10 several times expecting to never see it again.. and it just keeps showing up.

last time I thought that the rocket and the silver mylar streamer were just hanging in a thermal for 10 minutes, but it turned out to be just the streamer (it had stripped off) floating away high up there on the thermal....of course my eyes were on that and not the rocket.

...a lady pointed in the direction it was coming down and eventually I found it.
 
Not that it would help necessarily, but did you put any kind of ID or number to call on it?

I have that info and an email address on my Aspire....

Launched at the local field on the long burn F 10 several times expecting to never see it again.. and it just keeps showing up.

last time I thought that the rocket and the silver mylar streamer were just hanging in a thermal for 10 minutes, but it turned out to be just the streamer (it had stripped off) floating away high up there on the thermal....of course my eyes were on that and not the rocket.

...a lady pointed in the direction it was coming down and eventually I found it.

hahaha good times!! I remember I pointed that out and me and you were both watching it just about to write it off as gone and some lady comes over and says "its over that way (pointing about 400yards away)

Ben
 
hahaha good times!! I remember I pointed that out and me and you were both watching it just about to write it off as gone and some lady comes over and says "its over that way (pointing about 400yards away)

Ben

That was pretty funny ....I didn't expect to ever see that one again.
Darn thing is like a bad penny...just keeps comiong back.

Think I'll put a G80 in it next time, and see if an Aspire can REALLY go Mach. LOL
 
Rocket haiku!


(Pardon my editing)

No, the Haiku was not intentional. I'm not that quick or witty.

Darn it on that lost Aspire. I tell ya, I ain't puttin' that much work into my paint job! I deffinately ain't gonna use an RMS case under any circumstances!!!
 
I've started the build of my Aspire. I put a BeeLine Transmitter tracker in the top 2.75 inches of airframe with the antenna extending into the nosecone. I want to be able to find it (taking a lesson from messages in this thread).

I will start a separate thread on the build soon. I am waiting on my PICO altimeter to arrive.
 
Well I finally got a chance to launch my Aspire yesterday on a E9-6,and all went very well.She flew straight with no spinning.I lost site of her even with a cloudless sky.My friend saw her all the way and thought she made 2000ft.That was what simroc said it would reach.Only thing that happened was the mylar streamer was shredded when I got to her on the ground.But I picked up some yellow nylon ripstop fabric when I took my wife to Joann Fabrics.So I'll make one up with this.I built this in August and had it rolled up in the rocket,mybe it got a little brittle.Hope to try it again on our last launch at the end of December when we have the large field again.cjp.:D
 
Well after posting that I had a great first launch,I found that it did not go as well as I thought.I forgot to take the engine out of the rocket untill this afternoon.As I took the engine mount out I noticed that the engine ejection exhaust burned a hole thru the top of the mount above the engine block ring.I don't know how this happened as I built this according to the instructions.It was recessed 7/8 inch from the forward end.There is a gap from the 24mm mount engine block ring to the 29mm engine block ring around a inch.Could the hot gasses been slowed down enough passing thru and over both rings to cause a burn thru the 24mm engine mount?The rocket tube is in fine shape but where the gap is between the blocks,you can see a small round spot caused by the gas charges on the outside of the bodytube.I can fly the Aspire now only on 29mm engines untill I build another 24mm mount.Has this happened to anyone else before and what happened to my rocket?:confused2:
 
I am waiting on my PICO altimeter to arrive.

Hi Tomar.
I've got a PICO altimeter. I've used it twice & can't figure it out.
I'll be the first to admit, I'm an electronics zero. I like it just fine, I know it works, I just can't make sense of the data I'm reading on the computer.
 
Hi Tomar.
I've got a PICO altimeter. I've used it twice & can't figure it out.
I'll be the first to admit, I'm an electronics zero. I like it just fine, I know it works, I just can't make sense of the data I'm reading on the computer.

I don't know what a PICO is, but I recently bought an Altimeter2 and have used it in several launches with 100% success! Well,,, except for the E9 CATO that lawn darted my Javelin. I didn't get the data I wanted. I think the Alt2 recorded 51MPH at CATO, and she coasted to around 120 feet before arching over for the death dive. I did record a 19.5G loading though, which I think is my record G's, despite the fact that my Javelin nose looks like an old dried up carrot. I sanded it down, repainted and figured that was good enough, but nope. A Javelin just doesn't look the same without that nose.

Anyways,,, I'm thinking of building an Aspire as well. I can see I need to make the BeeLine order prior to launching the Aspire. I've got a lot of karma coming to me,,, but I'm not going to test fate on this one! :smile:
 
Hey Josh, I don't know how you found this old thread, (2009) but if you want to build an aspire be sure to talk to me. I have built several and still fly three different "kit bash" versions, including the "Kick Asspire" I built with blue tube and a fiberglass nosecone.
And in case you were wondering, the SSS does still exist and is having their two day "Spring Blast" April 28th and 29th. There are even some members that actually FLY the rockets they build too..... :D
You know I'm just joshing with you buddy, let me know if you are gonna make it this month.
 
Wayne, unfortunately I have to work both those days. I haven't worked a weekend in as long as I can remember, ask for those two days off, and somehow get scheduled. I was going to try to trip swap them out, but never did. I am certainly bummed about missing Spring Blast.

I found this thread by searching for Aspire. I figured if I start a new thread, ten people are going to post that it's a repeat thread and I shouldn't start a new thread before I've searched for an old one. So I was trying to do my part here on the forums.

I am very interested in the Aspire. Do you run an altimeter/accelerometer on yours? I'm thinking I might get a kit and at least attempt my first glas job with a tip to tip or something. I don't think glassing the whole body will be necessary. I don't know. Honestly, I don't care if it goes mach or mile. I'm just interested in breaking my own personal records. This seems like a kit that will surely do that! I also have a Javelin which is 29mm minimum and not too long. I'm guessing that thing would go pretty good on a G too. I'm really interested in electronics though. I'd like to get the BeeLine and start doing things right. I already run the Altimeter2 on every launch. If I recall,,, you have one too, right? What kind of data have you seen? What are your records? Do you write it all down? If you don't already know, Apogee has a nice file that can be downloaded and printed for data storage in the field. It's nice to have all organized.

Anyways,,, I'll be launching some micros in the park today for your information! I just can't always get to the SSS launch site at the set times. I need a site out West on 60 that's closer to my house and I can launch any time, any day. If I fly rockets that don't need waivers, I should be fine. Although I haven't started the quest yet,,, It's my desire to find somewhere closer and easier to launch low and mid power at. Luke doesn't help things. I'm sure the F16's would NOT like to see a rocket go whizzing by! :D

In the meantime, it's about to get hot anyways, so I'll be doing more building. I find the anticipation of the launch to be as exciting as the launch itself. So for me, delaying the launch isn't so bad...
 
I just purchased the "Mile High Combo" from Apogee (rocket + an F10 engine to take it up to ~5,400 feet). The rocket looks relatively straightforward to put together and - just from test fitting everything - it looks to be made of decent materials and has a good fit. We're planning on assembling it later this month in time for summer when we usually have one or two totally windless days in the area.
 
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