Estes Majestic owners - validation please

[David_Stack]

Good Afternoon All;

Quite taken by the looks of the Estes Majestic, but have no interest in an E2X model. I would actually prefer making dust instead of inserting plastic tab A into plastic slot B...

Since Estes does not offer component parts (body tube, nose cone), that means compiling the pieces from eRockets or similar. I located a rocksim .rkt file that specifies a body tube length of 25", is that accurate? That means the nose cone would be close to 10" (tapered portion plus (I think) a section which is parallel/same diameter as the body tube (this is not what the rocksim file reflects)). That same rocksim file shows the fins as 5/16" thick (I assume that may be accurate at the base), but what is the thickness at the tip?

Would a Majestic owner kindly measure their model and provide verification of those specs (or validate the information in the .rkt file at https://www.rocketreviews.com/rocksim-estes-pro-series-ii-e2x-majestic.html)?

Thank you in advance

 

[Back_at_it]

The body tube length is 24 inches.
The nose cone is a total of 10.75 inches exposed. Of that the lower 4.0 inches are not tapered.
The fins at the root edge are 4.0 inches long. The outside tip is 7/16 of an inch long.
The thickness is the hard part. They appear to be about 3/8 of an inch thick at the root but they taper down to about 1/16 thick at the outer edge. They are almost a point.

In all honesty, The Majestic was a pretty decent build. I've been building on an off for 30ish years and it was a quick but fun build that I did over a weekend. Yeah it could have been done in a couple of hours but there wasn't any reason for me to rush it.

The rocket is strong as hell so I routinely fly it on D12-3's in small parks with a 15" chute for close recovery. It comes down quick but you aren't going to hurt it. If I have the room I'll put it up on a E30-7 or F44-8 and hope it comes back. It comes down quick on a 15 inch chute.

The only complaint I have is the shock shock cord is unnecessarily thick. I've replaced mine with a 3/8 wide elastic and 750# Kevlar leader. That alone knocked 1.5oz off the rocket. When I see them popup cheap I grab another. I think I have three in the spare build pile as I know one day the F44's are going to make mine go away to the rocket gods in the sky..

 

[heada]

Even though it is "E2X" it isn't the typical E2X. BT is pre-painted but standard paper tube. Nose is pre-painted but standard otherwise. Rings are plastic rather than cardstock or wood. Fins are plastic and pre-beveled. Really, the major difference between a normal Estes kit and this is that the rings are plastic and so you can use CA and build it faster. There is also the booster option for it.

 

[David_Stack]

Thanks for the measurements and the comments on the rocket itself.

r/
dave

 

[RocketTree]

If you get the majestic and booster, there is a lot to be assembled, including epoxying etc. I think the E2X label is mostly due to the pre-colored body tube, and formed plastic fins on this model. Awesome color, but the spiral is a bit ugly.

Haven't launch it yet. Should hit almost 3000 feet on a couple F15's.

 

[Mugs914]

I'm really not a fan of "tab A into slot B" type rockets, but I have to say that I actually liked the way the Majestic went together. I grabbed it at HL several years ago, mostly because the basic shape was pretty "Nike-ish" (and I had a coupon! ). It is a great flyer and like Back-at-it said, it is really tough!

Except for the finish (couldn't get into the chrome and purple) and rail guides I built it out of the box. It usually flies on some variety of F motor and comes down fairly quickly on a Top-Flight 18" cross form.

I'm all for scratch building, but if you grab a kit I don't think you'll be disappointed at all. It is a pretty fun build for a plastic rocket and it does make a good windy day flyer!

Didn't like the purple so I "Nike-ized" it...

 

[Bruiser]

Yeah, you don't have to build it as stock. You can always paint the body tube or use fins from a booster kit and paint them to change it up. You can add the booster to it and make it a two stage or maybe do all those things...



-Bob

 

[David_Stack]

Afternoon all;

Thanks for the comments regarding the Majestic kit. Not sure it will sway me, but it certainly is food for thought. I actually get enjoyment from shaping fins, though admittedly my activities to date have only been with balsa, I may no longer feel that way come the time when I try to sand Nike-like tapers on plywood... (countless years back I had the pleasure of sanding scale foils on a FSI Black Brant II, I think those fins were 1/4" balsa)

Mugs914; I'd come across photos of your Nike-ized Majestic in the past, and it is part of what really attracted me to the model. I've had a soft-spot for Nikes ever since my father built a Centuri Nike Smoke when I was a child as he was introducing me to model rocketry (that and a K-27 Honest John that was beautifully constructed). I was recently fortunate enough to track down someone who had a new-in-package PS II Nike Smoke that they were willing to let go of. That will be a winter project I think (and yes I know, it goes contrary to my thoughts re: plastic fins...)

 

[o1d_dude]

Everyone has a Majestic, myself included. It’s a beater.

Enough with the waffling.

Buy the Majestic, build it stock or custom, fly it, and post a launch video!

 

[artgsc]

Majestics are so easy and fast to put together that they are hard to beat. If you do get one, count on the purple paint to easily blem and the stock 18" chute to be way more than needed. When I get a new Majestic the first thing I do is wipe the stock purple paint off it with paper towel and rubbing alcohol and drop down to a 12" chute. Over time I figured out that you can get two Star Orbiters for just a bit more than one Majestic (and they fly just as well in my opinion) so that is what I have been going with lately. In any event, you can't go wrong getting a Majestic!

 

[o1d_dude]

Majestics are so easy and fast to put together that they are hard to beat. If you do get one, count on the purple paint to easily blem and the stock 18" chute to be way more than needed. When I get a new Majestic the first thing I do is wipe the stock purple paint off it with paper towel and rubbing alcohol and drop down to a 12" chute. Over time I figured out that you can get two Star Orbiters for just a bit more than one Majestic (and they fly just as well in my opinion) so that is what I have been going with lately. In any event, you can't go wrong getting a Majestic!

And you can buy an upgrade kit for the Star Orbiter from Vander-Burn Rocketry that includes ply fins and centering rings...which I did just this morning.

 

[Bruiser]

I've used many Star Orbiters for kit bashing and total scratch builds. They are cheaper than the sum of their parts... Especially if you buy them discounted at Hobby Lobby or AC Supply. If you need a 24mm mount instead of the 29mm that comes in the Star Orbiter there is the Vapor at HL as well..

Anyway, the thing about the Majestic is that it is a 2 inch body tube which is easier for use with a chute release which comes in handy when you start using composite motors

-Bob

 

[artgsc]

And you can buy an upgrade kit for the Star Orbiter from Vander-Burn Rocketry that includes ply fins and centering rings...which I did just this morning.

I really like the Vander-Burn upgrade kits as well and have built a Doorknob and one of my Star Orbiters with his upgrade kits. Nice stuff!

 

[dpower]

The last flight of my Majestic was on an F15-0 to F15-8. Despite a 5' rod, it was a slow enough liftoff that by the time it staged, it was getting fairly horizontal. Got the booster back...

 

[artgsc]

Here is the advice I was given in another thread when I posted that I wanted to try and launch my Majestic with the Booster.....

"F15-0 is a heavy motor for its meager boosting thrust. Consider using an E16-0 to the F15 sustainer"

Haven't tried it yet as the E16-0 seems to be continually out of stock.....

 

[Wayco]

I have flown quite a few 2 stage Majestic's on BP motors, and there are two rules that must be obeyed.
1. Use a 6 ft. rod
2. Fly when the winds are calm
E16/F15 flights are truly "Majestic"'
You can order E16-0 motors from:
https://www.discountrocketry.com/estes-model-rocket-motor-pack-p-1633.html

Learning these rules has allowed me to acquire a LOT of spare parts, and several spare kits for the sustainer and booster.
I'm currently flying a Majestic sustainer with an RRC-3 in the N/C that can be programmed to airstart a composite motor. Working on my second booster, made from a shortened body tube salvaged from another Majestic that couldn't handle a G80. Who would have thought? That was the flight that I learned to scotch tape the leading edge on the clamshell fins.
Now I regularly fly my dual deploy Majestic on G75's and use a cable cutter on the main.

 

[Bruiser]

I just flew my "sorta" Majestic (see post 7) on a E16-0 to a F15-6 this past Saturday. It staged at maybe 250-300 feet which made it very easy to see. The F15 lighted right off and she took off! I had my JLCR in it (first time using it) and the chute deployed just after apogee and the JLCR let it open at 500 feet. It was a nice flight. I launched her off a 6 foot 10/10 rail

I would suggest to plan on installing rail buttons if you intend to stage with black powder motors. I am at the point now in my thinking that if a rocket requires 1/4 lugs to just go with rail buttons. Rods just flex too much where 10/10 rails don't. There's just no need for a flight to go bad three or four feet into it...

-Bob