Engine Question

[Erik]

Hi all! This is my first post here. i have been building rockets my whole life. My son is 7 and finally old enough to be interested, so I have gotten back into it. We are building some models now before making the leap to mid-power and hopefully a Level 1 certification in the next year or so.

In the meantime, I have an engine question. I am building a Quest Magnum Sport Loader and I downloaded the Rocksim file from Apogee. This kit is a dual engine kit. In the engine selection portion of that program, it shows something I have never seen.

The simulation for launching 2 C6-5 engines shows max altitude of 368 ft, max velocity of 142 ft/sec and max acceleration of 289 ft/sec/sec.

The simulation for launching 2 C6Q-5 engines shows altitude of 918 ft, velocity of 283 ft/sec and acceleration of 535 ft/sec/sec.

I have looked around but I have not been able to figure out what the 'Q' designation means. Best I can figure, it means a Quest engine, but that wouldn't explain the big difference in performance. So, what does the 'Q' really mean and where are these 'Q' engines sold?

Thanks!

--Erik

 

[ClayD]

I think.....
it is a composite motor. Not a BP motor. I have a box of old rocket stuff and has one inside it... Not sure If or where you can get one though.

Aerotech i think still makes 18mm single-use and reloads that are composite. (they are D motors though)
i think they are also still available...

 

[KHamel]

I think the Q stands for the Quest Aerospace C6-5, I will have to take a look at Rsim to confirm that. I am very surprised at the difference in the two sims though.

 

[cjl]

That seems wrong. I'd bet that it's a bug or something, rather than an accurate simulation result. Did you perhaps only use a single Estes C6, but a pair of the Quest motors? That might cause the difference.

(Oh, and yes, the C6Q is quest).

 

[Bazookadale]

That seems wrong. I'd bet that it's a bug or something, rather than an accurate simulation result. Did you perhaps only use a single Estes C6, but a pair of the Quest motors? That might cause the difference.

(Oh, and yes, the C6Q is quest).

The Quest C6 motor is very different from the Estes C6 but that would not account for the huge difference in altitude.I agree - either a bug in the system or it is 1 motor vs 2

 

[hcmbanjo]

I just went to the Apogee website and found this in the Magnum page under Estimated Altitude Predictions:

C6-5 Estes No payload. 914.1 feet (278.6 m)
C6-5 Quest No payload. 918.0 feet (279.8 m)

Most all the rockets that Apogee sells has a chart showing recommended engines and altitudes.
https://www.apogeerockets.com/Quest_Magnum_Payloader.asp

 

[Erik]

Looking at the data on the Apogee site, I think it makes sense that we are talking about payload vs. no payload data. It's not clear in Rocksim but the data on the page at Apogee seems to make sense... Although it still does not explain the 'Q' designation.

Thanks for the help!

--Erik

 

[RoyAtl]

The current Quest C6 motors are different enough in performance from the Estes C6 motors that they have to be simulated differently. In addition there may still be two different versions of the Quest C6 motor in hobby shops: the older version made in Germany (closer to the Estes specs), and the new ones made in China (which have a higher liftoff thrust and a lower thrust but longer duration tail).

You are probably right that the difference in the two simulations is that of payload (a two ounce egg) versus no payload.

 

[gpoehlein]

Looking at the data on the Apogee site, I think it makes sense that we are talking about payload vs. no payload data. It's not clear in Rocksim but the data on the page at Apogee seems to make sense... Although it still does not explain the 'Q' designation.

Thanks for the help!

--Erik

The Q designation just means it's a Quest engine as opposed to an Estes engine. I believe it is there so you can tell at a glance which simulation is which since both engines are labeled the same (C6-5).

 

[shreadvector]

The Q designation just means it's a Quest engine as opposed to an Estes engine. I believe it is there so you can tell at a glance which simulation is which since both engines are labeled the same (C6-5).

Which Quest C6-5?

QAI Quest American Indian
QG Quest Geman
or
QC Quest Chinese

?????