Dark Matter, Skidmark and Spitfire Motors

[Bruce]

What are the subtle differences between Dark Matter, Skidmark and Spitfire motors?

Which ones are your favorites?

Any pictures?

 

[heada]

They're all good. Go with whatever your local vendor supports.

 

[tim cubbedge]

I prefer metalstorm but really don’t use sparkies anymore due to the heightened fire risk.

 

[GalantVR41062]

I have flown dark matter and spitfire motors. I have seen others fly skids.

I say the skid and spitfire are similar. They sound different and the spitfire had more sparks off the pad but the smoke trails seem more transparent. Loki H100 SF.



The dark matter is audibly and visually more intense. And looks like it's raining down fire and brimstone.
AT I327 DM.


~John

 

[jimzcatz]

Let me preface by saying this is my personal opinion. Metalstorm sux!!! Aerotech's first attempt at a sparkie. Looks and sounds like an overgrown Silverstreak. again my opinion but the baddest sparkies out here are Preston Nobile's Research Dragonfyre!! Skids and Spitties are next with DM a close follower.

 

[jd2cylman]

I’ll second what Jim said. Preston’s research sparkies are the best not on the market. Better IMHO than AMW sparkies.
Then for currently available commercial motors, AT’s Dark Matter and Loki Spitfires are a draw. I think the Loki skids have a little more impulse (but not sure). Then CTI’s and then AT Metalstorm. But I’ll fly em all…except the AMW, those are like unicorns…

 

[jimzcatz]

Adrian, I still have 3 or 4 AMW 54MM Skids

 

[jd2cylman]

But I’ve not got the hardware.

 

[heada]

I’ll second what Jim said. Preston’s research sparkies are the best not on the market. Better IMHO than AMW sparkies.
Then for currently available commercial motors, AT’s Dark Matter and Loki Spitfires are a draw. I think the Loki skids have a little more impulse (but not sure). Then CTI’s and then AT Metalstorm. But I’ll fly em all…except the AMW, those are like unicorns…

Last fall I used my last AMW K500 sparky. I'll miss them as well. Still have a K600WW and L700BB to go and then I'm totally out of AMW

 

[jimzcatz]

As do I!

 

[Rocketjunkie]

Let me preface by saying this is my personal opinion. Metalstorm sux!!! Aerotech's first attempt at a sparkie. Looks and sounds like an overgrown Silverstreak. again my opinion but the baddest sparkies out here are Preston Nobile's Research Dragonfyre!! Skids and Spitties are next with DM a close follower.

Metalstorm are SUPPOSED to look like Rocketflite Silver Streaks. The Dark Matter is the Skidmark look alike. Which has the best sparks depends on the motor. (Nothing beats the M2200 AMW Skid )

 

[jd2cylman]

Metalstorm are SUPPOSED to look like Rocketflite Silver Streaks. The Dark Matter is the Skidmark look alike. Which has the best sparks depends on the motor. (Nothing beats the M2200 AMW Skid )

Have you seen any of Preston’s? His are a smidge better.

 

[jimzcatz]

Yes, Tom has taken video of some of our dragonfyre flights

 

[jd2cylman]

Yes, Tom has taken video of some of our dragonfyre flights

Oh, well… just me I guess. Don’t get me wrong, the M2200 is awesome, I just think Preston’s are awesomer…

 

[jimzcatz]

Adrian, I wholeheartedly agree

 

[FlyBy01]

I’ll second what Jim said. Preston’s research sparkies are the best not on the market. Better IMHO than AMW sparkies.
Then for currently available commercial motors, AT’s Dark Matter and Loki Spitfires are a draw. I think the Loki skids have a little more impulse (but not sure). Then CTI’s and then AT Metalstorm. But I’ll fly em all…except the AMW, those are like unicorns…

Preston's Research have a website?

 

[rharshberger]

Preston's Research have a website?

Yep, Top Flight Recovery....his motors afaik are not available to purchase.

 

[Jmhepworth]

After LDRS, the people who cleaned up the rails suggested limiting sparkies to a single pad. They make a mess.

 

[rharshberger]

After LDRS, the people who cleaned up the rails suggested limiting sparkies to a single pad. They make a mess.

Amen....not only do they make a mess but the white hot chunks of titanium pits the rail.

 

[Scrapmaster87]

Amen....not only do they make a mess but the white hot chunks of titanium pits the rail.

I had the chance to tour a titanium foundry recently, they basically said the liquid titanium will dissolve almost anything given enough time.

 

[LANZA COLINA]

After LDRS, the people who cleaned up the rails suggested limiting sparkies to a single pad. They make a mess.

As one of the people who helped clean the rails I definitely saw pitting in some of the rails. Not sure how long it was there, but certainly present when we were cleaning up after LDRS.

 

[Zbench]

A shot of my 1/4 scale PML Patriot launched yesterday at our NOTRA launch in NEOH. Used a 38 mm H178 DM and it was a great flight.

 

[ChuckH]

Here is one of Preston's sparky motors in 75-7600 hardware:

 

[edengels]

They make a mess of launch rails…they look cool when used in multi-stage launched where you only use the skidmark motor in the upper stage air started.

 

[rharshberger]

They make a mess of launch rails…they look cool when used in multi-stage launched where you only use the skidmark motor in the upper stage air started.

I concur with airstarting they are way cool! It also helps track the upper stage.

 

[FlyBy01]

Preston's Research have a website?

???

 

[NateB]

???

Yep, Top Flight Recovery....his motors afaik are not available to purchase.

 

[rfjustin]

???

They are not commercially available motors. They are one-off Research motors made by Preston. Good fun to see in person...

Jump to 22:48,

 

[KenRico]

Night Launch is the best way to see a Metalstorm - they OWN the nite !

Kenny

 

[Alan Whitmore]

They make a mess of launch rails…they look cool when used in multi-stage launched where you only use the skidmark motor in the upper stage air started.

I agree with jmhepworth, rharshberger, and edengels. I am a former prefect and did most of the set-up and tear-down (and trailer packing) for 16 years. The sparky motors and the black smoke formulas made a filthy mess of the launch rails and pads, and very few of the people who flew them bothered to clean the rails and pads before recovering their rockets. Also, I burned up several pairs of shoes stomping out the grass fires they started. I despise sparkies and I banned them whenever the vegetation was dry and the winds high. Made a lot of enemies in the process.
I agree that the second stage of a 2-stage project is a perfect place for a sparky motor.

Alan Whitmore
Former Prefect, Tripoli East NC