Deuce's Scrambled!!

[jetra2]

Jim, you're gonna LOVE this!!!

Ok, I'm not sure if I've told the story, but my local club, THOR, hosts a contest every April. It is called April Foolishness. The idea behind the contest is PARACHUTE-FREE egglofting!!! Yes, it's crazy, but creative. So, in preparation for the contest, I decided to use a combo of recevery systems, a helicopter and a streamer. I attached this to an old Estes egg capsule.

First flight, I used a booster that I call The Pod. It has a central 24mm motor mount, and three 18mm pods. It is kitbashed from a I loaded it with a central B6-4 with three B6-0's in the pods. The flight didn't go so well, only three of the four motors igniting. The rocket lifted off EXTREMELY slow, gaining around 100 feet or so. (probably less!) Ejection was very late, and the booster core sampled into soft dirt, no damage. The egg capsule hit the ground HARD, needless to say, the egg was broken. Good thing I had put it in a plastic baggy!

Now, looking for an alternative booster, I noticed that my DW was the same diameter as the coupler on the egg capsule! (insert evil laugh here!) I had a pack of C6-5's that I was going to fly it on stock, but I figured, what the heck, stuff 'em in, see how she flies! I tested the fit of the egg capsule with the rocket loaded with a chute. It fit perfectly!!! See the picture!!! I took the rocket to the pad to see how the fit is changed with an egg capsule. OH NO, IT DOESN'T FIT!!! An ingenious rocketeer asked me if I had an expended engine casing. I did. He told me to tape it to the body tube. Then he asked me if I had any launch lug tubing. Luckily, I did! I taped that on to the motor casing and did this, ooooohhhhhh kinda thing. An instant standoff!!! WOOHOO!
I finished prepping the rocket, then took it to the pad. I set it up, then went to press the button. The rocket lifted off squirelly, acheiving about 400-500 feet. Ejection occured, and the DW booster chute opened. Only one of the three blades opened up, and it crashed pretty hard. Again, the egg was broken.

Egglofting is HARD!!!

So, Jim, is the the absolute WIERDEST use for a DW that you have ever heard of?!

Jason

The picture is of me with my evil grin on!!

 

[jflis]

yep, that would be about it... LOL

'course, I would have called it "Eggs, over wild!"

LOL

but it gives me a thought.... hhhmmmm

the Deuce's Wild! is *already* a cluster...

NOW it's an egglofter...

now, THIS could make for an interesting photograph (even a composite)...

Do most every conceivable type of model rocket in the Deuce mode...

in addition to cluster and egglofter, there's...

- helecopter
- B/G
- R/G
- Super-ROC
- Streamer
- Parachute (done, the kit)
- Tumble
- Featherweight
- Payload (egg lofter satisfies this)
- Scale (now THIS would be a tough one)
- Odd Roc
- Saucer
- Multistage
- Parasite GLider

...

just to name a few... LOL

Now that would really be a hoot!

 

[jflis]

oh, and as for using a baggie........

..... well you'd receive some *choice* nicknames if you do that in competition...

no rule against it, just results in lots of teasing...

besides, the mess is half the fun! LOL

When I do egg-lofting at shows, I always take the egg out, in front of the crowd, then hold it overhead and crush it, proving it was real and raw...

 

[jetra2]

Well, they didn't need to see that it was real!!! The egg was all over the bag. Yet, I did try it once before to see how good my padding was...without a baggie. YUCK!!! here, doggie doggie doggie

I would have not used a baggie if I was sure of my padding, and was only flying once...and had a faucet to clean my padding. Hey, it was my FIRST time egglofting...EVER!!!

Jason

 

[astronboy]

Jim,

This is just TOO WEIRD. Well, this morning I was working on my Deuce. When I cut out the fins, I was thinking about how much they look like the booster fins on a Nike missile. Well, I dug out the parts box, and I do have an extra set of Nike Ajax declas...next thing I know.... I have a Nike-Deuce!!


So, here is your 'scale' Deuce:

 

[astronboy]

AAAGGGHHH!! I attached the wrong picture.....Here is the correct one:

 

[jflis]

Originally posted by jetra2
Well, they didn't need to see that it was real!!! The egg was all over the bag. Yet, I did try it once before to see how good my padding was...without a baggie. YUCK!!! here, doggie doggie doggie

I would have not used a baggie if I was sure of my padding, and was only flying once...and had a faucet to clean my padding. Hey, it was my FIRST time egglofting...EVER!!!

Jason

LOL just teasing! actually, your FIRST eggloft will always be your most remembered, good or bad!

 

[jflis]

Originally posted by astronboy
Jim,

This is just TOO WEIRD. Well, this morning I was working on my Deuce. When I cut out the fins, I was thinking about how much they look like the booster fins on a Nike missile. Well, I dug out the parts box, and I do have an extra set of Nike Ajax declas...next thing I know.... I have a Nike-Deuce!!


So, here is your 'scale' Deuce:

Yep, I can see the writing on the wall... ...i've clearly created a monster!

I can only say one thing....

.... It's alive! IT'S ALIVE!!

 

[astronboy]

Well, it looks like you have the first true classic Fliskits kit!!

 

[eugenefl]

Ah, what a glorious site... the moment just before liftoff. All's clear!

 

[jflis]

Great photo! Reminicient of those old photos of the Saturn V just before liftoff!

And I love that ingenious standoff too!

jim

 

[powderburner]

You guys CLEARLY need to put away the epoxy and paint, and go outside for a few deep breaths of fresh air.



P. S. You left out D.W. spot landing

 

[PGerringer]

Eugene, you were there? And you condone this type of behavior? LOL... That is a fantastic use of resources.

 

[jetra2]

Of course he condones this kind of behavior!!! Rocketeers are all the same!!!

I have here a nice profile shot, showing detail of my "INSTA-STANDOFF" (patent pending, j/k) Here you go!


Jason

 

[jetra2]

I edited ANOTHER picture, this one is kinda better, it's on the pad. Hope you like it!!!!

Jason

 

[jflis]

very sweet!

Now you need to design a cleaner standoff for that launchlug so that you can switch from standard to egg-lofter on the fly!

so, tell me, what *does* happen when you lite that motor under the launch lug????

 

[jetra2]

This new picture is of the liftoff. From what I can see is that the INSTA-STANDOFF(c) is not secure, and the rocket is going off at an angle. It seems to me, by looking at the pics and watching the flight on video, that the thrust of the motors, maybe not lighting at the same time, was too much for it, and the launch lug fell off before it reached the end of the rod or soon thereafter, so, with the extra weight of the egg, it had a low liftoff velocity, making the flight squirrelly. I recommend, to anyone trying this, that you make the standoff closer to the bottom launch lug, and put a LOT of tape on it, at least as a precautionar measure. I hope that someone else tries this!

Jim, I'll be buying at least five more DW's this year, two to build with Eugene for the DW40 project, one to modify to something even more cool than it is now, one to put away for a LONG time, and finally, a TWO-STAGER!!!

Thanks,
Jason

 

[eugenefl]

Originally posted by PGerringer
Eugene, you were there? And you condone this type of behavior? LOL... That is a fantastic use of resources.

Of course I was there! I thought the idea was brilliant! LOL!

Heck, one guy converted a Pringles can (at the field!) to loft an egg. Of course, the rocket vectored off at a bad angle and instead of ejecting the egg with the padding, it headed right at us and "puked" egg in the tree above us. You shoulda seen everyone one run and duck for cover to avoided being yolked!

 

[jflis]

nothin' like hamming it up for the camera, eh??? LOL

great pix!

Next time bring superglue to the field. much better than tape!

About scratching an egglofter on the field, After the third (mine) DQ in an eggloft event, I saw someone convert a big bertha on the field using two used coffee cups and masking tape and take 1st place....