No filling, no sanding, no primer, no paint.
My kind of rocket.
![0404212209[1].jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/rocketryforum/data/attachments/375/375335-3352f581bbcc0ef134e7f08f2e088138.jpg "0404212209[1].jpg")
My kind of rocket.
Estes - Majestic PS II #9707
- Thread starter kuririn
- Start date
Help Support The Rocketry Forum:
Here is my Majestic. Built using BSI epoxy. Replaced stock shock cord with 3/8 Kevlar. Otherwise completely stock.
Has flown on everything from a D12-3 to an F67-9. Seems really happy on the F44-8. Has flown on the F44 about 10 times.
Has flown on everything from a D12-3 to an F67-9. Seems really happy on the F44-8. Has flown on the F44 about 10 times.
- Joined
- Jan 30, 2016
- Messages
- 8,993
- Reaction score
- 3,517
Just check your loaded CG -- I've seen three do backflips on the recommended motor. Great flyer otherwise though.
Agreed. I had a squirrely flight with an F15 motor early on and determined that the issue was with the weight of the recovery gear moving around inside the tube. Basically that heavy shock cords and parachute was sliding all the way back during launch and messing with the CG. I yanked all that mess out of there and added a baffle about 8 inches down the tube to prevent everything from moving rearward. Also replaced that ridiculous shock cord with 1000# Kevlar and 3/8" Elastic cord. Cut the weight of that recovery gear by 70%.
With the added weight of the baffle and the laundry staying where it belongs, I've had no additional issues regardless of the motor I shove in there. Very happy rocket on an F44-8 as long as you have the room to recover it.
Last edited:
RocketTree
Well-Known Member
Estes Pro Series II Majestic
This is a 29mm 3-fin rocket with plastic fins and centering rings, assembled using epoxy (or CA). Stability without booster is around 0.6 cal, so its best for calm days if built stock. Adding the booster decreases this further, but I have not yet flown it as a 2-stage. Includes a red 18" nylon parachute and plastic motor retainer. I have upgraded the shock cord mounting with a kevlar leader attached to an extended motor mount/stuffer tube.
First flight: G74-9W with onboard camera, 2065' @ 725kmh
This is a 29mm 3-fin rocket with plastic fins and centering rings, assembled using epoxy (or CA). Stability without booster is around 0.6 cal, so its best for calm days if built stock. Adding the booster decreases this further, but I have not yet flown it as a 2-stage. Includes a red 18" nylon parachute and plastic motor retainer. I have upgraded the shock cord mounting with a kevlar leader attached to an extended motor mount/stuffer tube.
First flight: G74-9W with onboard camera, 2065' @ 725kmh
I bought mine at the Hobby Lobby sale when they were $12 never flown it yet
Flew on an E16-4 today and it did somersaults.
Will install a chute ledge and see if that helps.
Re-invigorating a slightly old thread....
I flew my Majestic yesterday and had severe stability problems. Can't figure out why. The gory details:
1. F67-6W off of a 1/4" rod, 6 feet long. Wind probably 5-ish mph.
2. Went up perhaps 20ft, then did end-over-end somersaults until burn out. Which thankfully is very short on an F67W.
3. Using Cp from OR sim. I've re-checked the various dimensions in the file (length, fins, etc.). The location "looks" about right at 28.5" from the nose (about 1.5" in front of the leading edge of the fins).
4. Loaded Cg (I just checked this again with a new motor) is about 3" (or 1.5 calibers) forward of Cp. This isn't from the sim, it's where it actually balances.
5. Rocket has a baffle about 10" from the forward end, which should prevent much movement of the laundry. But even with the laundry jammed down just for measurement purposes, it's still at 1.5 calibers stability.
I've heard of these going unstable on BP motors in somewhat windy conditions due to lack of thrust/rod velocity. But the F67 hits like a hammer. OR shows rod velocity of 74.9fps off of a *4 foot* rod. I often sim with rods shorter than I actually end up using just for a bit of a margin, and also to allow for the forward launch lug clearing first (meaning the rocket doesn't benefit from the entire length of the rod).
Ideas?
Hans.
I flew my Majestic yesterday and had severe stability problems. Can't figure out why. The gory details:
1. F67-6W off of a 1/4" rod, 6 feet long. Wind probably 5-ish mph.
2. Went up perhaps 20ft, then did end-over-end somersaults until burn out. Which thankfully is very short on an F67W.
3. Using Cp from OR sim. I've re-checked the various dimensions in the file (length, fins, etc.). The location "looks" about right at 28.5" from the nose (about 1.5" in front of the leading edge of the fins).
4. Loaded Cg (I just checked this again with a new motor) is about 3" (or 1.5 calibers) forward of Cp. This isn't from the sim, it's where it actually balances.
5. Rocket has a baffle about 10" from the forward end, which should prevent much movement of the laundry. But even with the laundry jammed down just for measurement purposes, it's still at 1.5 calibers stability.
I've heard of these going unstable on BP motors in somewhat windy conditions due to lack of thrust/rod velocity. But the F67 hits like a hammer. OR shows rod velocity of 74.9fps off of a *4 foot* rod. I often sim with rods shorter than I actually end up using just for a bit of a margin, and also to allow for the forward launch lug clearing first (meaning the rocket doesn't benefit from the entire length of the rod).
Ideas?
Hans.
Hans,
I had a flight that wasn't great on an Estes F15 motor that had me scratching my head. I tracked mine back that laundry moving around but it sounds like you have already accounted for that. Keeping all that weight forward of the CG helps with stability so I don't really know what is causing the theatrics. One thing that I have seen mentioned is issues with the fins separating. As you know the fins are two pieces and they really need to be epoxied together or they tend to open up flight.
The fact that the F67 hits as hard as it does makes me think this might be contributing to the issue.
I had a flight that wasn't great on an Estes F15 motor that had me scratching my head. I tracked mine back that laundry moving around but it sounds like you have already accounted for that. Keeping all that weight forward of the CG helps with stability so I don't really know what is causing the theatrics. One thing that I have seen mentioned is issues with the fins separating. As you know the fins are two pieces and they really need to be epoxied together or they tend to open up flight.
The fact that the F67 hits as hard as it does makes me think this might be contributing to the issue.
- Joined
- Aug 6, 2022
- Messages
- 3,209
- Reaction score
- 2,895
A strip of tape wrapping over the leading edge effectively prevents the fins from opening up. Same thing was done (in aluminum, of course) on the real Aerobee fins, which were TIG welded around the perimeter, so it's not a hack. On the Majestic, you could use aluminum foil tape from the HVAC section of your hardware store. It would match the factory color, and be kinda like the Aerobee.
I applied some clear packing tape to the leading edges when I built it. The tape is still intact.
Hans.
Thanks.
One thing I forgot to mention... This was at a HP club launch. Even though the LCO sent me to the LP pad, they said I couldn't pre-install the igniter. I asked, as they allow LPR to pre-install, but I wasn't sure where they drew the line. This motor has a little rubber band that is supposed to hold the igniter in place. It needs to be doubled over, as just a single wrap/layer of the band is not tight enough. Which means I'd have to stand on my head (the pad was right on the ground), hold the rocket steady with one hand, hold the igniter in place with another hand, and do a double wrap of the rubber band with my 3rd hand. So instead, I stuck a piece of masking tape over the igniter. I probably got a little carried away with the quantity of tape. Perhaps the tape and igniter didn't clear away properly, and I was getting some sort of thrust vectoring? No evidence of funny business on the nozzle after the flight though.
Hans.
One thing I forgot to mention... This was at a HP club launch. Even though the LCO sent me to the LP pad, they said I couldn't pre-install the igniter. I asked, as they allow LPR to pre-install, but I wasn't sure where they drew the line. This motor has a little rubber band that is supposed to hold the igniter in place. It needs to be doubled over, as just a single wrap/layer of the band is not tight enough. Which means I'd have to stand on my head (the pad was right on the ground), hold the rocket steady with one hand, hold the igniter in place with another hand, and do a double wrap of the rubber band with my 3rd hand. So instead, I stuck a piece of masking tape over the igniter. I probably got a little carried away with the quantity of tape. Perhaps the tape and igniter didn't clear away properly, and I was getting some sort of thrust vectoring? No evidence of funny business on the nozzle after the flight though.
Hans.
- Joined
- Aug 6, 2022
- Messages
- 3,209
- Reaction score
- 2,895
I wonder how these stability issues would be improved if one purchased the PSII Booster 2-inch and used those fins instead. They have significantly more area, although they wouldn't match the chrome look of the NC. $7.69 at ACSupply, cheaper than any 29mm motor or reload. And you get a motor mount tube, threaded retainer, and motor block/centering ring left over for the parts bin.
https://www.acsupplyco.com/estes-9752-pro-series-model-rocket-booster
https://www.acsupplyco.com/estes-9752-pro-series-model-rocket-booster
This was the 2nd flight. It's first flight was on a D22-4 to 382ft. I like to do low altitudes for 1st flights so I can easily see deployment and if the thing behaves well in general. On the D22, it flew well. Maybe it doesn't like higher thrust? Which, to me, doesn't make sense.
Hans.
Hans.
OK, I will add my cringeworthy story.
So this past Sunday my son and I launched our Majestic with an F15-0 and F15-8. I was determined to use a pair of F's but I also spent time to weight the nosecone to put the CG well ahead of the CP. I have a one piece 6 foot 1/4 rod for launching.
Still, it took a sad arch soon after lift off and by the time the 2nd stage lit it was in a sideways position.
We launch in blueberry barrens and we will never find out if it slid itself into the 6 inches of blueberry's, or we even thought it may have "bounced" across them before burying itself or even went into the ground. We couldn't find the shiny trim or the red PSII chute anywhere and there was nothing to hide it for miles except 6 inches of endless blueberries. It was gone. (We did recover the booster) Had an Estes altimeter on it too.
I was so sure I had my weights right I may buy another Majestic and do it all over again but with rail buttons and an 8 foot rail next time. I will also fix a GPS in the nose next time. I hate losing rockets.
The day was all about two stage F's. We launched the maiden flight of the SoLong as well and that went flawlessly to 2921 feet. I put a Featherweight GPS in the payload half and it reported a pretty nominal flight landing 750ft away coming down on streamers from 2921'.
RIP Majestic
So this past Sunday my son and I launched our Majestic with an F15-0 and F15-8. I was determined to use a pair of F's but I also spent time to weight the nosecone to put the CG well ahead of the CP. I have a one piece 6 foot 1/4 rod for launching.
Still, it took a sad arch soon after lift off and by the time the 2nd stage lit it was in a sideways position.
We launch in blueberry barrens and we will never find out if it slid itself into the 6 inches of blueberry's, or we even thought it may have "bounced" across them before burying itself or even went into the ground. We couldn't find the shiny trim or the red PSII chute anywhere and there was nothing to hide it for miles except 6 inches of endless blueberries. It was gone. (We did recover the booster) Had an Estes altimeter on it too.
I was so sure I had my weights right I may buy another Majestic and do it all over again but with rail buttons and an 8 foot rail next time. I will also fix a GPS in the nose next time. I hate losing rockets.
The day was all about two stage F's. We launched the maiden flight of the SoLong as well and that went flawlessly to 2921 feet. I put a Featherweight GPS in the payload half and it reported a pretty nominal flight landing 750ft away coming down on streamers from 2921'.
RIP Majestic
- Joined
- Aug 6, 2022
- Messages
- 3,209
- Reaction score
- 2,895
It did it again.....
I'm quoting myself here, as there is background info in my previous post relative to the construction details. The difference this time is I went back down in motor size to a D22-4. With the lighter motor, I have about 3.5" of (in)stability. As before, it lifted about 15ft off the pad, and did end-over-end flips. OpenRocket shows 4ft launch rod speed of 45fps, and I was actually using a 5ft rod.
We were on a well irrigated sports field, and the rocket went into the soft ground under power for a nice lawn dart. At which point I yelled "Come on ejection!!". The D22 must have a respectable amount of BP, as the body tube shot up fully extending the shock cord. At least everyone got a good laugh out of it.
Wish I could figure out what's wrong. I could add some nose weight, but it would seem unnecessary if I already have nearly 2 calibers of stability.
Hans.
