Not my video.Yeah, I missed the flight of that one at ROCStock last November... I was out retrieving a rocket. Video would be nice...
I never use stock Estes igniters. They need to be enhanced. You can dip them in a pyrogen dip, but the simplest is to just dip them in Testor's aluminum paint. They are much more vigorous and light up right away. All the engines should all start if you treat the igniters.I've been using "normal" Estes igniters. Last time (6 lit) I think I used the new silver igniters (Star Fire or somesuch?).
What's the biggest cluster (highest number of motors) you've successfully gotten to ignite at once? I've got a 7-engine Fat Boy I've been trying to light up. So far, I've gotten 4, 5, and 6 motors to light off at once, but never all 7. I've found it takes a LOT of current to get them all going at once (wired in parallel). We tried our wireless system for the first flight but it just wouldn't light even one. We tried using a flash pan with limited results (4 lit). I've been using "normal" Estes igniters. Last time (6 lit) I think I used the new silver igniters (Star Fire or somesuch?). I've been thinking about putting a small dab of starter mix on each nozzle and using a better flash pan.
Here are some videos of flights:
at Sayre (1st flight) 4 motors lit
at Argonia - AirFest 27 - no video yet - 5 motors lit
at Pawhuska (High Fronteer) 6 motors lit
What's the biggest cluster (highest number of motors) you've successfully gotten to ignite at once? I've got a 7-engine Fat Boy I've been trying to light up. So far, I've gotten 4, 5, and 6 motors to light off at once, but never all 7. I've found it takes a LOT of current to get them all going at once (wired in parallel). We tried our wireless system for the first flight but it just wouldn't light even one. We tried using a flash pan with limited results (4 lit). I've been using "normal" Estes igniters. Last time (6 lit) I think I used the new silver igniters (Star Fire or somesuch?). I've been thinking about putting a small dab of starter mix on each nozzle and using a better flash pan.
Here are some videos of flights:
at Sayre (1st flight) 4 motors lit
at Argonia - AirFest 27 - no video yet - 5 motors lit
at Pawhuska (High Fronteer) 6 motors lit
It's not the system it's the ignitorsI have been in the same search of some type of system that will ignite more than your basic three cluster Estes motors.
What's the biggest cluster (highest number of motors) you've successfully gotten to ignite at once? I've got a 7-engine Fat Boy I've been trying to light up. So far, I've gotten 4, 5, and 6 motors to light off at once, but never all 7. I've found it takes a LOT of current to get them all going at once (wired in parallel). We tried our wireless system for the first flight but it just wouldn't light even one. We tried using a flash pan with limited results (4 lit). I've been using "normal" Estes igniters. Last time (6 lit) I think I used the new silver igniters (Star Fire or somesuch?). I've been thinking about putting a small dab of starter mix on each nozzle and using a better flash pan.
Here are some videos of flights:
at Sayre (1st flight) 4 motors lit
at Argonia - AirFest 27 - no video yet - 5 motors lit
at Pawhuska (High Fronteer) 6 motors lit
With all those motors in the back, how much weight do you have to add up-front to maintain stability?Motoreater, 54 & 8 29s, Ultimates, 7 24 or 29 or 38s, Fat Boy, 12 13mm. Biggest cluster was the Fat Boy on 4 Rx C20-8s and 8 A3s. Dipped starters for the C20s and fuses to the A3s lit from the C20s. For the pictured flight, these are all A3-4s Only the center 3 go through the top CR, the rest are vented between the motor tubes. All are still flyable, and except for the Fat Boy, all have electronic ejection. MUCH safer if all the motors don't light.
View attachment 483849 View attachment 483850 View attachment 483852
None. Ultimates have 6 fins and the Motoreater is my own design. I build with large enough fins to be stable with any motors in the tail. The Fat Boy, to keep dimensions stock, did require nose weight of 100g. This was sized for 12 Rx C20s. Flies OK on 12 A3-4Ts.With all those motors in the back, how much weight do you have to add up-front to maintain stability?
I flew my Motoreater on a central K1100, then 4 H268s, and finally 4 H180s. Flown at a Freedom Launch for the red, white, and blue flames.I really miss those Silver Streaks. They were a great motor with seemingly ALL Sparks! Huge showers of sparks from a non-composite motor. I did lots of 3, 4 and 5 motors clusters with Silver Streaks. Anybody besides me remember the Danville Dare Drag races of Mini-Mags on 38mm Silver Streaks? Lots of fun!
Brad
Digging through old web pics, I found this. It's my friend, Jim Brazzel (Braz) having just flown his 60 C motor Warloc. I think he got them all to light!
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