Finally Lost My Mosquito!

[milehigh]

This morning I went out to get a few launches on an Estes Mosquito - the one that I was trying to set a record for most successful flights / returns.
Today, the model flew twice on 1/4A motors. The first flight was recovered, but the second flight was lost. Even though I saw the sunlight flash off of its aluminized Monokote strip as it descended, which gave me a good idea on where it landed, I could not find the bird. I'm guessing it lawn darted in some tall enough grass that the bright fins didn't stick up high enough to be seen. After a 20 minute search, I had to give it up.
Of course, this was flight #13 on the model. I'm certainly not a superstitious man, but 13 ???
Anyway, I did get 12 returned flights out of the bird. Probably not a record of any kind, but not bad for such a tiny model.
This was the 4th Mosquito of my model rocketry 'career', but I doubt if I will build any more. Here are some pics of flight #12....

 

[Back_at_it]

I feel your pain. I think my record is six. My latest one is painted hot pink and I'm thinking of doing some chrome on the fins and body tube just to give it a little reflection.

Of course I can just do the smart thing and build a BT 80 size and be done with it

 

[Banzai88]

My record is 16. Just started on my 5th....1 successful launch/recovery cycle so far!

 

[nosecone]

12 recoveries Impressive! I lost mine on the 1st launch, spent an hour looking for it too.

I have been thinking of making a Mega Mosquito from a Baby Bertha.

 

[Lee]

I like your launch pad. Is that a drill chuck holding the launch rod?

 

[mikewrt]

Lots o memories with this little guy. Build another one with a little length of kevlar and let the nose pop off and slow the tumble.

 

[milehigh]

Thanks for the replies.
Banzai88 - 16 flights - that's great!
Lee- yes that is a drill chuck on the launcher. Great for quick changing different sized rods.
Nosecone- here is a picture of a recent build, the Skeeter Eeter, an upscale BT60 Mosquito. Flies great on a D12.


This is a shot of its maiden flight on April 30th, 2021....

 

[nosecone]

Nice ! I'm Definitely going ahead with a build

 

[K'Tesh]

My first and only Mosquito launch is due to pass the orbit of Jupiter sometime next month... It just kept going... and going... and going.

 

[Back_at_it]

I have to tell ya, after losing my 3rd or 4th one of these, I built one from scrap that was 1/2" longer than stock. I put a motor block in it and and left the nose cone loose. I attached the nose cone and body tube with a small piece of 100# Kevlar. To the Kevlar I attached a tiny 1/2" wide streamer that was maybe 7 or 8 inches long. I had just enough room to get about a 1/4 sheet of wadding in there and would actually pack the ejection end of the motor with wadding as well.

The key was that the motor had to be just tight enough that it wouldn't fall out under coast. When the ejection popped it ejected the motor and popped the cone. It worked pretty well but I had to replace the streamer ever couple of flights because of burning. That is the one I got the 6 flights out of before it just disappeared on launch one day. I think we put the wrong motor in it.

 

[Huxter]

Go look for it some more! It's life may not be over!!

It's the rod in that pic that interests me - it's very long - where did you get it?

 

[milehigh]

Hi, Huxter. I plan to go out to the field tomorrow morning to look for it. I will have a bit more time than what I had today.
The rod is just a regular old 36 inch. 48 inch rods can be found at Home Depot. I have one that I use to launch all of my glider models.

 

[BEC]

Mosquito, converted to MMX power and with a small streamer, turns in a nice flight and is much easier to find.

 

[milehigh]

This morning, I stopped by the scene of the crime and spent a full half hour conducting a thorough and methodical search of the field where I knew the model had landed. No Mosquito.
Anyway, even had I found it, the park's sprinkler system had been running this morning, so it is likely pretty well soaked with water.
So, I shall concede that fleet #105 has now become integrated into the local ecology.

 

[NeilMedHat]

RIP add to the Lawn Dart Pics

 

[GlennW]

I will have to check my flight logs on rocektreveiws.com for the exact number, but I have well over 20 flights on my Mosquito and here is my secret. Actually not a secret as I've posted this before elsewhere on the forum. Anyway, I simply tape small strip of mylar, maybe 3 inches long or so, on to the bottom of each fin. Slows it enough that you'll see it the whole way up and the whole way down, and I always fly on a 1/4 A. A perfect recovery every time!

 

[milehigh]

Good technique.
I still have another small featherweight bird to play with. It hasn't been flown yet.
An Estes Quark...

 

[BABAR]

Isn’t losing at least one Mosquito required for official NAR L-0 certification?

 

[milehigh]

It's definitely a model rocketeer 'rite of passage'!
I've passed the test thrice....

 

[BABAR]

It's definitely a model rocketeer 'rite of passage'!
I've passed the test thrice....

Wow, Double Oh-0
your rockets are license to thrill!

 

[BEC]

I like the idea of taping short streamers to the fins....ESPECIALLY on that Quark. They typically streamline in after ejecting the motor and even though it's small and light, I wouldn't want that pointy nose cone coming down on my head....

 

[milehigh]

You have a point there....
Pun aside, I'll have to try that.

 

[OG1959]

I had one around 73. Launched it once with a long burning engine. That was a mistake. Gone! Never recovered. Totally lost sight of it. It was painted in fluorescent colors. It was not after 1/4 A engines came out.
Well done on 12 recovered flights!

 

[BABAR]

I like the idea of taping short streamers to the fins....ESPECIALLY on that Quark. They typically streamline in after ejecting the motor and even though it's small and light, I wouldn't want that pointy nose cone coming down on my head....

I always thought that nose cone was a poor choice for featherweight recovery, since featherweight is simply ballistic recovery.

https://estesrockets.com/wp-content/uploads/Instructions/000801_MOSQUITO.pdf
estes instructions (page 3 under “what to expect when flying your mosquito rocket”) claims that after ejection mosquito is unstable.
Who are they kidding?

Look at the Mosquito, Quark, Swift, they are ALL going to be stable even after motor eject and come in ballistic.

Unless you are flying a tractor motor rocket where the casing CG is forward of the rocket CP, ejecting the motor will always make the rocket MORE stable, not less.

here’s @hcmbanjo take

http://modelrocketbuilding.blogspot.com/2015/01/featherweight-or-tumble-recovery.html

 

[BEC]

As Chris noted, the original "featherweight" recovery was the K-4 Streak. It weighed 1/8 of an ounce (mylar body tube) and had a blunt balsa nose cone - BNC-10A. I wouldn't be worried about that one coming down on my head. The Mosquito is sort of that way, though the smaller plastic nose cone would smart a little if it fell on me. But the Quark and the 220 Swift—those things are nasty little buggers in my opinion. How the heck either one got released and remains available now really surprises me.

 

[milehigh]

I visually witnessed the actual descent of a few of my Mosquito flights, and all came streaking down in quite stable ballistic fashion. When it landed on a harder tuft of grass or soil patch it would bounce a foot or two in the air. On softer turf or soil it would lawn dart.
As BEC pointed out, even a Mosquito coming down from 1/4A altitude would smart if it struck someone in the head. I'm definitely going for the streamer method with the Quark!