Estes - Big Daddy (#2162) Gallery

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Oops, forgot to ask. If you use only D-12 motors in a stock configuration, do you still have to add any one weight to prevent lawn darts? Or is that only for high power motors?

I've only used D12 motors in mine and I would say that any weight would make lawn darts more likely, not less. (The commonly-referenced lawn dart problem is apparently typically caused by the nose-cone shoulder allowing the ejection charge to vent without deploying the parachute, nothing to do with power or weight.) Mine was stock and I've had some deployments very close to the ground. Add weight and it won't go as high, making that problem worse.
 
Unfortunately, my "artillery round" paint job was too accurate. I used one of the dreaded E9-6 motors for the first launch (given to me by a fellow modeler, who used one successfully from the same package), and it CATO'd! I'll need to build another one for sure!
 
Too bad, it was a beauty. I'm pretty set on the idea of never using an E9 or E12 except (maybe) in saucers that could tolerate it without likely damage.
 
Converting to 4x18mm results in no deployment issues, and plenty of oomph to get it off the rod (with 4xC6 engines, of course). Just sayin'. :D
 
Too bad, it was a beauty. I'm pretty set on the idea of never using an E9 or E12 except (maybe) in saucers that could tolerate it without likely damage.

I'll build another, but it will be flown with single use AP motors!
 
We are forming a new NAR section in the Fredericksburg VA area which is low/mid power only. I needed a low power rocket to fly so I built a Big Daddy.

This was painted entirely with rattlecan paint. First two coats of Rustoleum filler primer, dry sanded. Then the color coat is Duplicolor Perfect Match lacquer, color is Chrysler Inferno Red Metallic. Then 4 coats of Duplicolor clear enamel. Enamel takes a long time to cure so I waited a week before wetsanding and polishing.

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We are forming a new NAR section in the Fredericksburg VA area which is low/mid power only. I needed a low power rocket to fly so I built a Big Daddy.

This was painted entirely with rattlecan paint. First two coats of Rustoleum filler primer, dry sanded. Then the color coat is Duplicolor Perfect Match lacquer, color is Chrysler Inferno Red Metallic. Then 4 coats of Duplicolor clear enamel. Enamel takes a long time to cure so I waited a week before wetsanding and polishing.

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How long did you wait between the Rusto filler primer and the Duplicolor perfect match? I’ve gotten paint wrinkles using that exact combination before (Nissan orange).


Sent from my iPhone using Rocketry Forum
 
It was actually a long time between primer and color coat. Like maybe two weeks. I was waiting for some warm weather for painting in the garage. I ended up spraying the color coat and clear coat on a fairly cold day anyway. I heated the spray cans in warm water and also heated the rocket parts with a hair dryer both before and after spraying. I've done that before for cold weather painting and it worked well.
 
First rocket after a decade long break.
 

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About as vintage as you can get for a Big Daddy, my ragged 2001 version lawn darted on the last flight on Labor Day weekend that year. This past Saturday it flew for the first time in just short of nineteen years and was flawless.image-76583d2f-f965-49af-ba80-a1de894ee848jpeg-900-600-070420125213959.jpg
 
Built this with 29mm mount, kevlar harness, nose cone bulk plate mod and mini rail buttons. Paint is Duplicolor color match. Nose cone art is airbrushed.
 

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Mine kinda reminds me of a fire hydrant
 

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My first Big Daddy. Chute failed to deploy on second flight and it crashed hard into a parking lot.
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2nd Big Daddy with simpler paint scheme:
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Which CATO'd four years later:
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Estes replaced the kit. I traded the nose cone from the above rocket with my daughter's nose cone from a 3" BMS rocket. Which, BTW, gave both rockets better fitting nose cones. I built this:

"Full Metal Jacket"
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Which has since had its nose cone painted copper and the "Full Metal Jacket" now looks like this:DSC04979a.JPG
 
This was build new from the kit. Nothing fancy. Added plywood upper mount and sandwiched the two stock centering rings together and used for the lower. A 500# Kevlar leader was attached to the upper ring and about 10ft of 3/8 Elastic was attached.

Built entirely with Titebond II and T&Q. Fins received internal fillets before the rear centering ring was installed. The top of the tube was reinforced with thin CA. I then cut down the nose cone to get rid of that slope that vents the ejection. A bulkhead was added with screw eye.

She's a bit heavy but has flown on a Estes C11-3, D12-3, D12-5 and E12-8. For altitude It's been up on AT E30-7 and F44-8. It's a workhorse that doesn't disappoint. Just be sure to mod the nose cone. 24.jpg25.jpgnc1.jpgnc2.jpg
 
This was build new from the kit. Nothing fancy. Added plywood upper mount and sandwiched the two stock centering rings together and used for the lower. A 500# Kevlar leader was attached to the upper ring and about 10ft of 3/8 Elastic was attached.

Built entirely with Titebond II and T&Q. Fins received internal fillets before the rear centering ring was installed. The top of the tube was reinforced with thin CA. I then cut down the nose cone to get rid of that slope that vents the ejection. A bulkhead was added with screw eye.

She's a bit heavy but has flown on a Estes C11-3, D12-3, D12-5 and E12-8. For altitude It's been up on AT E30-7 and F44-8. It's a workhorse that doesn't disappoint. Just be sure to mod the nose cone. View attachment 441461View attachment 441462View attachment 441463View attachment 441464
I kinda like that blue. It’s different, it’s weird but in a good way. Words cannot describe it.
 
I kinda like that blue. It’s different, it’s weird but in a good way. Words cannot describe it.

I've built so many Big Daddies over the years. I've got a red and gray painted like the card. An old school Black and yellow painted like the card. We built a bright pink one for the niece so I figured I wanted something different. The range pics don't really show off the color that well. That was a really over cast day. The indoor bench pic is a better representation of the true color.

Only one issue. You get this one up and an F44 and it blends into the sky on a sunny day. These days she flies with an rather obnoxious 15" bright pink chute so I can find it.
 
This was build new from the kit. Nothing fancy. Added plywood upper mount and sandwiched the two stock centering rings together and used for the lower. A 500# Kevlar leader was attached to the upper ring and about 10ft of 3/8 Elastic was attached.

Built entirely with Titebond II and T&Q. Fins received internal fillets before the rear centering ring was installed. The top of the tube was reinforced with thin CA. I then cut down the nose cone to get rid of that slope that vents the ejection. A bulkhead was added with screw eye.

She's a bit heavy but has flown on a Estes C11-3, D12-3, D12-5 and E12-8. For altitude It's been up on AT E30-7 and F44-8. It's a workhorse that doesn't disappoint. Just be sure to mod the nose cone.

Very nice! Any chance you could share how much it weighs? I did similar modifications to my Big Daddy, but so far its only two flights haven't been satisfactory (in fact, second "flight" was just violent skywriting on an E20). Not sure what to do to fix it. I think adding noseweight would help, but I don't want to make it even heavier than it already is. I plan to get another kit and build it stock, hoping to be a good D12 rocket.
 
Very nice! Any chance you could share how much it weighs? I did similar modifications to my Big Daddy, but so far its only two flights haven't been satisfactory (in fact, second "flight" was just violent skywriting on an E20). Not sure what to do to fix it. I think adding nose weight would help, but I don't want to make it even heavier than it already is. I plan to get another kit and build it stock, hoping to be a good D12 rocket.

The blue one with the ply centering ring, Internal and external fillets, Kevlar, Elastic and Nose cone bulk head weights 7.7oz. I did spend a bit more time filling and sealing the fins on this one as well as filling the spirals. Currently this one doesn't have a parachute in it as I've gone to selecting the chutes at the time of launch but the shock cord is in place. Figure this rocket weights in right at 8.0oz plus whatever motor at launch.

For comparison, I grabbed my Red and Black one that is basically 98% stock and it weights in 6.3oz. The only changes from Stock on this one are the mandatory nose cone mod, a Kevlar leader and about 10ft of Elastic shock cord. Everything else is stock Estes. This one does have complete recovery gear including parachute as it hasn't flown recently so I haven't puled it yet.

I have built a BD at 5.5oz. The pink one we built (It's in the back of the pile so I can't get to it or the Red and Gray one) was stock with the exception of the nose cone mod. Only did one light coat of sealer on the fins, one coat of white paint as the under coat and two coats of obnoxious pink. Was in a hurry to fly with the nieces so we literally threw it together in an afternoon using super glue and one quick coat of thick and quick for fillets.

As for flying. I've never had one sky write but I have heard people complain of it with this model. Adding nose weight will fix it. My guess is the bulk heads in the nose cones add enough weight to prevent this in mine. Weight doesn't bother me as there are more than enough motor options to get the altitude. An F44 is flirting with 1400ft on a calm day in my Blue one according to the altimeter.

These built close to stock fly really well on D12-3 and D12-5's. The Red one regularly flies on D12-5's and a 12" chute but has been up on a C11-3 in a small field. The really light weight Pink one flew just fine on some old C5-3's we had laying around

The Blue one has been up on D12-3's a bunch of times in small fields but really likes the E12-4, E20, E30 and F44's
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Thanks for the detailed info! Mine comes in at 9.7oz (275g), ready to fly minus motor. I usually replace the Estes plastic parachutes for Top Flight ones, but I stayed with the stock parachute for the weight.
First flight was with an E12, and it flew ok, but weathercocked and headed towards the trees surrounding the launch site. It came down right on the edge, literally inches from becoming a tree ornament. I'm nervous to try again, but I need to figure out what caused it: wind, rod whip, low off-the-rod speed, aft CG?
Based on the first flight, I figured I'd try more punch on flight #2, so I loaded an E20, and it went wild right off the rod. I haven't flown it since. I might stick an ounce or two of lead in the nose and try again on an E12 on a completely calm day.
 

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We are forming a new NAR section in the Fredericksburg VA area which is low/mid power only. I needed a low power rocket to fly so I built a Big Daddy.

This was painted entirely with rattlecan paint. First two coats of Rustoleum filler primer, dry sanded. Then the color coat is Duplicolor Perfect Match lacquer, color is Chrysler Inferno Red Metallic. Then 4 coats of Duplicolor clear enamel. Enamel takes a long time to cure so I waited a week before wetsanding and polishing.

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Its definitely red
 
That looked like weather cocking but I don't see anything else moving in the wind so. Depending on the length of the launch rod, the E12 might be too little motor for 9.7oz but the E20 should be more than enough. Was the Rod tilted into the wind ?

Where is the CG on yours ?

My Blue one balances at 7-1/16 inches from the rear of the body tube.
 
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