Cesaroni Reload Melt-Through

[Sparkyflyer14]

I recently did a flight on a Cesaroni reload. It went significantly lower then I had projected, and I was very perplexed. On further inspection, I discoverd that the plastic casing in the metal casing had burnt through. My theory is that some defect caused it to melt through the casing, creating a slight lowering in pressure and decreased performance. My reload casing also got schorched up. I was wondering if this is common in Ceasaroni reloads, and if there was any compensation possible provided by Ceasaroni, such as Estes will do.

 

[Daddyisabar]

No defects. No refunds. Common occurrence. A pain to clean melted plastic from casing. A little elbow grease and careful use of wooden dowel is what I use on really bad spots to not harm anodized surface.

 

[Sparkyflyer14]

No defects. No refunds. Common occurrence. A pain to clean melted plastic from casing. A little elbow grease and careful use of wooden dowel is what I use on really bad spots to not harm anodized surface.

Thanks. Appreciate it! I suppose I should be thankful I havenn't had one CATO.

 

[Titan II]

That is not a defect.

 

[Charles_McG]

CTI folks have said most of that melt through happens during the delay/coast.

 

[Daddyisabar]

Can soak in mild detergent like simple green but the bad spots require more than a bottle cleaning brush.

This happened to me when launching in South Park Colorado. I broke out in song: Blame Canada! Then back to good ole Merican Aerotech. Grease is the word! Many small parts. Always read directions on different sized O rings. So complex, so messy. Then that reload burned through the cardboard case and did the same to the inside of my super expensive Aerotech casing! I am a patrician rocket scientist, not a cleaning pleabian! My inner high power god was severely chastised. SINGLE USE BABY! NO PAIN! NO PAIN

 

[Daddyisabar]

CTI folks have said most of that melt through happens during the delay/coast.

The old Aerotech SU 18mm motors were still burning after the ejection charge went off. Can you say Hibachi craft paper tube.

Those Estes motors get real hot on the coast phase too. The tracking smoke delay is kinda like a smoke bomb/flair...the propulsion is like a modified whistle mix...and the ejection charge is like real black powder! So explosive! Just a pyrotechnician and his bottling press in the garage. The rest is history!

 

[Daddyisabar]

Thanks. Appreciate it! I suppose I should be thankful I havenn't had one CATO.

Buy an old pack of E motors at a garage sale and take a chance!

 

[pathtouch]

Here’s my J381 skid mark liner after flight. Is what it is.

Does your sim have accurate weights? An overly ambitious assumption of smooth surface finish would also affect anticipated altitude.

 

[Sparkyflyer14]

Here’s my J381 skid mark liner after flight. Is what it is.

Does your sim have accurate weights? An overly ambitious assumption of smooth surface finish would also affect anticipated altitude.
View attachment 531233

Both of those factors could easily played a part. I'm not the most vigilant when it comes to exactness. My motor was a skidmark as well. I wonder if skidmarks are more prone to such melting.
Thanks all.

 

[Woody's Workshop]

That's a lot of money to burn!
I think I would switch if this is not a defect and a common occurrence.
Bit what do I know? It's all above my pay grade.

 

[NOLA_BAR]

No defects. No refunds. Common occurrence. A pain to clean melted plastic from casing. A little elbow grease and careful use of wooden dowel is what I use on really bad spots to not harm anodized surface.

I have the same thing happen every time I fly a CTI H54. I thought it was just a “feature” of longer burn motors.

+1 on the wooden dowel to remove the melted plastic blob. I’ll run some paper towels soaked in acetone to clean it up. Spraying silicone lubricant seems to help a little.

 

[Lord Rory Gin]

I suspect this is normal melting of the liner plastic? The melt locations appear to be right at the grain joints (5 grain J290) on my CAR Lvl-3 attempt. The casing showed no signs of damage.

 

[Titan II]

I suspect this is normal melting of the liner plastic? The melt locations appear to be right at the grain joints (5 grain J290) on my CAR Lvl-3 attempt. The casing showed no signs of damage.

Normal

 

[Banzai88]

Yes, very normal for a CTI plastic liner.

 

[David Schwantz]

Put metal case in freezer overnight, the plastic should flake right off next day.

 

[Hobie1dog]

I hate seeing this happen

 

[Banzai88]

I wonder if skidmarks are more prone to such melting.

No, they're not. Your liner melting is typical of every CTI 38 and 29 that I've ever launched or ever seen, short of a CATO.

 

[David Schwantz]

Great I have a 29 that I have not used yet. I must have missed the warning label before I purchased it.

 

[Banzai88]

Great I have a 29 that I have not used yet. I must have missed the warning label before I purchased it.

I burned 6 CTI 29s a few weeks ago, from 1g to a 6g, dates as old as 2011. You'll be fine. The 29mm offerings from CTI are the bright jewel in their catalog (unlike the 38s and 54s).

Some melting of the liners is long known to be normal, mostly occurring (so says CTI, not sure we could adequately dispute it) when the delay grain burns. In my experience with CTI 29 and 38s, it's most likely to happen with longer burn and physically longer motors, and more likely in 38s vs 29s. I've probably burned the entire catalog of CTI 29s at least once each, many several times, and most of the 38s since I BAR'd in 2015; I can remember only 2 that burned through the liner or had any plastic stuck to the case (that was easily removed).

 

[kavy8]

I suspect this is normal melting of the liner plastic? The melt locations appear to be right at the grain joints (5 grain J290) on my CAR Lvl-3 attempt. The casing showed no signs of damage.

View attachment 577459View attachment 577460

Were you at the CRA launch down at rock lake this past weekend?

 

[Lord Rory Gin]

Were you at the CRA launch down at rock lake this past weekend?

You betcha.