Estes Vangaurd Eagle Construction

[huxley]

This is a great X-prize kit - very pretty!

I already had a "gotcha" that I wanted to share.

Putting the plastic centering rings on the end of the body tube, I must have let the plastic cement dry a little, because I had to push quite hard to get the CR onto the tube. When I pushed hard, the CR went completly over the end of the tube - crushing it a bit. The tube is only supposed to be inserted onto the CR until the tube hits the lip on the end of the CR.

Well, I could not fix the tube, so I tore it down and got a new engine tube and started again. I tried to break the mylar ring around the hook of the old tube and could not break it! It was glued on w white glue. Those are tough buggers!

I'll post pics when I get more done.

Pat

 

[Donaldsrockets]

Originally posted by huxley
This is a great X-prize kit - very pretty!

Yes it is. Mine came out awesome too.

I flew it for the first time today on a B6-4. It appeared to be stable but it went off at a 45 degree angle, not sure why.

Recovery was pretty fast. I had a feeling that the 12 inch chute was a bit small. It bounced pretty good knocking one of the nozzles off the bottom but I found it and glued it back on with CA.

I personally think a 15 inch chute is needed to bring this rocket in safely.

 

[huxley]

OK, here's my Eagle totally ready to fly!

Oh wind, please be gentle!

 

[huxley]

It helped to leave the bottom nozzles off until I had the decals on. I used CA on all the plastic parts.

 

[huxley]

Hopefully this will fly straight!

https://www.xmission.com/~huxley/rockets/eagle/index.htm