Clustered Estes Protostar

[CoachSteve]

Current work in progress, for some reason I felt the 3 side pods needed 13mm booster engines.
Hmm, what to do with the 13mm deploy charge gasses, how about rout them through the fins into the body tube and down out the boat tail, yeah, that should work. This way they can deploy and not effect the D-12 that is still burning, allowing normal single deploy from the 24mm engine.
Here is where I am so far:

Fun idea, so far

 

[dhbarr]

You're my kind of crazy!

 

[CoachSteve]

lol, thanks. I love to modify, if I am not scratch building, then its all modifications

 

[neil_w]

I want some good zoom video of the booster ejection charges chuffing out of the tail cone.

This should look cool with the tubes running diagonally from the pods to the BT. That's a design feature you don't see... uh, ever?

 

[CoachSteve]

I want that too - don't think I have the camera equipment for that, but I will get video for sure.
I have built side boosters before that "Y"ed to a center pod to deploy the nose cone, worked well, this will be a first for attempting to direct the gas back down the tail. Going to be sweet (or blow apart )

 

[walterb]

you could have just used the plugged mini they have for the cars, the A10-p

 

[kuririn]

you could have just used the plugged mini they have for the cars, the A10-p

Or, make your own plugged motors. A little epoxy capping some A10-0T motors would simplify things. BTW welcome back. Missed your creative builds.

 

[CoachSteve]

Plugged motors would be the easy way out
this way I have a challenge in front of me and in the end I will at minimum have a talking piece

 

[CoachSteve]

getting somewhere now:

 

[CoachSteve]

got the pod mounts epoxied in and mounted to the fins
Some fillets and then paint

 

[CoachSteve]

Little body work today:

 

[Cody Webster]

Nice build!

 

[ericm541]

Very creative, i built a protostar last year it flies good, seems like you have have to add more weight to the nose.

 

[CoachSteve]

For Balance I swapped the kit nose cone for one in the parts bin had that is a good 2 inches longer and added weight as well.

 

[Daddyisabar]

For Balance I swapped the kit nose cone for one in the parts bin had that is a good 2 inches longer and added weight as well.

Very cool!

 

[BDB]

Looks awesome! What are your plans for simultaneously lighting all 4 motors?

 

[CoachSteve]

For ignition I have a typical parallel cluster clip adapter for my launch leads. I am considering some of the black powder dip upgrades to the common Estes igniters though - the new yellow tipped ones don't light fast enough and I have had more than one cluster not get all the motors.

 

[Bat-mite]

Omigosh! Please get flight video!

 

[CoachSteve]

If they ever lift the fire bans here in Colorado I will get to play with all my new builds (video for sure). We have been banned at the local launch I attend all summer (worst year in a very long time)

 

[CoachSteve]

When Batman really really needs to get there fast

 

[neil_w]

Seriously fantastic.

Did you ever do any testing of the deployment?

 

[CoachSteve]

not yet - heavy snow and super cold here right now - it is Colorado - maybe able to in a few days as it will probably be 50 degrees

 

[Bat-mite]

Omigosh! Please get flight video!

Oh, my! Now that it is Batman themed, I doubly reiterate my request! Redundantly!

 

[ThirstyBarbarian]

That’s a cool idea! I like rockets with pods, and someday I plan to make one with motors in the pods similar to this one. Can’t wait to see the flight!