Estes Twister?

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Karl

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Hi all,

I'm off to pick up a little Ebay haul tomorrow. The guy selling it doesn't really know anything about rocketry but in one of the pictures I was shown, I spotted instructions for a kit I don't recognise so I wondered if you wonderful lot could shed some light. Thanks! 20190514_014344.jpeg
 
I believe I saw an older guy fly one at Kentucky, Elizabethtown this year. It was a interesting flight profile. Got to Apogee broke into two pieces then fell to earth no chute. It was a chore to visually track due to its small size.
 
I keep thinking now and then of cloning the Centuri Flutterby.
Flutter-By+28.jpg
 
Thanks for the input all. I couldn't manage to find a picture of this one complete.

Talking about pics, here's what I picked up this evening for about $30. Unfortunately the guy that was building the Pheonix has glued the MMT way too far into the air frame and I need to figure out how to remove and replace it without totalling the whole thing, suggestions are more than welcome.

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If the centering rings are cardboard, you can cut the aft one out with a knife in two rings, near the MMT and near the airframe tube. With that out of the way you can reach a (long bladed) knife and cut near the airframe on the forward ring. Once the MMT is out you can clean the airframe out from the inside, carefully, and not do any serious harm.
 
The Twister is part of the old Super Shot starter set. It came with the Twister, the Super Shot (the yellow and black one next to your Phoenix), controller, pad, and three motors. It's the starter set that made me a BAR years ago. The Estes Phoenix, at least from the same era as the starter set, had a motor mount that was recessed pretty far into the aft end. Scorching of the body tube was a frequent problem. It also led to reports of flights suffering from the Krushnic Effect, and occasionally, Bernoulli Lock.
 
Thanks for the input all. I couldn't manage to find a picture of this one complete.

Talking about pics, here's what I picked up this evening for about $30. Unfortunately the guy that was building the Pheonix has glued the MMT way too far into the air frame and I need to figure out how to remove and replace it without totalling the whole thing, suggestions are more than welcome.

View attachment 383043View attachment 383044
Assuming this is the Estes Phoenix with 24mm motor mount and BT-80 main tube, measure and cut the appropriate length of BT-50 tubing to extend the motor mount and glue in place with a BT-51 tube. IIRC the BT-51 tube sleeve fits outside the BT-50. so you can use it as a coupler. Erockets has 'em. Use an engine casing to ensure it is straight while drying. Optional: if the extension is long you may need to support it with another centering ring. Your discretion. And double check for stability, since you are adding weight to the aft end.
https://www.erockets.biz/bt-51/
https://www.erockets.biz/semroc-centering-rings-bt-50-to-bt-80-6pk-sem-ra-50-80/
I'm rebuilding mine after losing my clone a couple of weeks ago. It has a tendency to windcock. Cheers.
 
A sleeve acting as an external coupler is a better idea than mine. You'll need to either add a new engine block or use something else (tape) to keep the engine from pushing itself up inside the extended tube.
 
Thanks for the input guys, I'll bare it in mind. I was hoping I could just knock the centering rings out but it looks like the original owner has epoxied them in place rather than using wood glue. I've ordered a pack of BT-50 to extend the original motor tube and I will likely sleeve it externally to join the two pieces. Luckily there's plenty of motor tube extending past the aft CR for me to join on to. A dremel should let me cut away the engine hook as I was planning on flying this on the CTI Pro24 line of motors anyway.

Here's a pic to show what I'm working with, the end of the motor tube sits a good 2" inside the airframe.
 

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Again, I must bring up the engine block. It'll limit you on the case length unless you find a way to get it out. That is, assuming the original builder installed one in the first place. That you could just cut out with a knife and clean with sandpaper of a file, if you can reach it. Damage to the MMT, as long as remains well fixed in place, is not important. If the block is forward of the forward CR then just hack it out.
 
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