Ebay Madness

[Elapid]

i couldn't help myself...i saw her...and i KNEW...i HAD to have her...
checking around, it looks like i got a killer deal!

i bought a prototype 54mm rocket from ShadowAero called the BlackBird.

i doubt i'll be able to fly it until july 31/aug 1 at black rock, but i'm kind of stoked to have it coming into my fleet!

I figured i'd rather spend 200 bux for a carbon fiber, flight-tested HP rocket than 165 bux for an Estes Saturn V , or 80 bux for a bandit...or 72 for a goblin...45 for an OT...Ebay is a crazy place!

here's the description and a pic

This is a high power rocket called the BlackBird by Shadow Composites. It is a -unique- flight prototype of a design that was considered by Shadow Composites for inclusion in our model line. It is 2.75" in diameter, 79.25" in length, and has a 54mm. motor mount accomdating 54mm. motors up to 38" in length. It is built from carbon and S-glass reinforced paper airframe and coupler tubes. It has four fins, each of carbon fiber with a 9" root and 3" span. It has a long aft boattail integrated into the main airframe, and a 54mm. Aeropack motor retention system installed at the tail end of the boattail. It is set up for dual deployment, and also tested certain features as a removeable thrust close-out for the Trinity 4" rocket. The electronics and main chute bays are secured by 3 radial 8/32 high strength allen head bolts. The BlackBird was flown 5 times, all successfully. On the last flight, the original carbon fiber nosecone was cracked on a rock during landing, so the rocket now sports a simple blow molded plastic ogive cone. Nose weight should be added for new flights. The electronics bay and two fin tips were left in clear carbon fiber finish, the rest of the graphics are cleanly painted with vinyl lettering and accents. Definately a piece of history, this rocket was one of the pre-cursors of the amazing Shock and Trinity rockets, and this is the only one of it's kind. It was eventually not put into production, because the parts would have been too expensive to manufacture reasonably, but it's a great, solid rocket that looks very aggressive and performs well. No chutes are included, but I will install new 1/2" kevlar recovery straps for the buyer at no charge.

 

[Elapid]

here's a pic

 

[Elapid]

show scale

 

[HeadHunter]

you dog! I'm green with envy...we have to hook up when you launch that thing.

It needs one of these Propulsion Polymers PentaMAX Motor

 

[Elapid]

the last minutes of the auction...
wondering...was nobody else interested?
was a sniper waiting 'til the last second...??
i figured if they were, they would have picked the Shock prototype instead of this one, which is bigger, slower, etc.

slower being relative, i'm sure!


let me get this straight...those casings take two K reloads inline?
or two Js in the case of the smaller motor?

WOW!
if they'll fit, and it sims *stable* i'm game!

 

[HeadHunter]

Originally posted by Elapid
the last minutes of the auction...
wondering...was nobody else interested?
was a sniper waiting 'til the last second...??
i figured if they were, they would have picked the Shock prototype instead of this one, which is bigger, slower, etc.

slower being relative, i'm sure!


let me get this straight...those casings take two K reloads inline?
or two Js in the case of the smaller motor?

WOW!
if they'll fit, and it sims *stable* i'm game!

The K might be too long 37"....it is actually two motors in that you can have 3 or 5 ports spraying No2 resulting in different thrust curves. Look Here

 

[daveyfire]

Naw... what THAT thing needs is a Frank 3400 Ns case filled with a nice fast load. It would make Dave proud

 

[Ryan S.]

i was gonna suggest 2550 but good call David...better yet Loki 3600

 

[Stymye]

gonna take a leup and L2 to fly it..unless you know someone?

 

[HeadHunter]

Originally posted by stymye
gonna take a leup and L2 to fly it..unless you know someone?

But with a hybrid only a level 2 is needed.

 

[Elapid]

isn't that only if i want to STORE motors at home?

regardless, i rarely do anything halfway...i expect a LEUP as well as L2 certification are in my near future...

sounds like you guys want to see me lose it...


how about a few smaller motors first?

 

[Stymye]

my bad on the leup for hybrids (tho some do require one )
I basically meant with big motors, If it requires a leup to store ,It usually requires a leup to buy,,unless someone helps you with that part

you can't even buy a g33 without one anymore,,, I don't mean to be a killjoy,I will also to have a leup myself by next year
cause where theres a will, theres a way.

 

[Elapid]

https://www.nar.org/NARfrompres040426.html

Mark Bundick clearly states that "fully assembled rocket motors are propellant actuated devices under the law and are exempt from regulation by BATFE"

so, if the vendor does the assembly, the rocketeer would never have anything on hand except for a fully assembled motor which is exempt.

or

if a SU motor is available of the proper class, it is exempt from the BATFE regs.

 

[Elapid]

in a hybrid motor, except for a compressed gas cylinder.

the oxidizer is N2O, which is readily available. only regulation is that the stuff we buy has SO2 in it to keep people from using it recreationally. dunno why the gov't wants to poison people...

the fuel is a paper roll or a plastic cylinder, neither of which are regulated.
so, for the current crop of hybrids, there just isn't anything in them to regulate.

 

[g_boxwood]

Now that thing is SO beautiful that she actually embarass me .