Highest Power Launch to Date

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nomopbo

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Do you guys count Estes "E" engines as mid power? I get the impression some don't.

Anyway I launched a scratch build modeled after the "Executioner" on a cluster of three E-9's. (I figure three might get me in the mid-power door even if some people think the Estes E's are a weak attempt at mid power)

Awesome flight. Just a small dot in the sky, any higher would have been out of sight. My RocketMan chute worked great and showed up really well. My SureFire II worked great.
Recovery was over in a cow pastuer across the street.

Couldn't have been any better.

It's funny how much stress is involved in a "first attempt" launch... will all the motors ignite??? YES!! ok... where's that chute??? YES!! ok, ok where's it going??? YES!!! LOL (at myself)
I love it.
 
While legally falling into the category of mid-power (it is, after all, an 'E' motor), many of us sneer at the Estes E because it is little more than a slightly over-grown D (and the Estes D motors are nowhere near full-impulse either).

I suppose this is a 'glass is half full' or 'glass is half empty' kind of thing. Or, you could say that the Estes E motor case is twice as big as it needs to be.

I sure wish Estes would get brave and come out with a real full-impulse E motor. I don't care if it is five inches long, or the case is thicker or larger diam. I want MORE POWER! (but I don't really want composites)
 
Speaking of which, is there a 29mm BP motor anywhere out there? I'd be interested in one if there is.

As for the Estes E's, I stuffed 4 of 'em into my Phoenix, and I consider that low-end mid-power.

WW
 
Well, four E9's at once would certainly fall in the mid-power Isp range. If I'm right that works out to an F36. E9s are a lot of fun but they really aren't much more than long-burn D's.
 
If four E-9's is a weak attempt at mid power, than I really need to get on the stick!
 
Originally posted by gerbs4me
I agree with powderburner, Estes need more power:)

They tried that, with North Coast Rocketry, which didn't work out. Just speculating here, but I think it was because NCR did fine as a MPR company strictly in that context, but as a part of a larger, more profit oriented hobby company like Cox, they just couldn't keep the number up high enough.

I have the same problem with my favorite EEG company. They merged with a medical supplies company. The latter is used to the high profit margins of the medical industry, the former is a research company. They're ruining themselves trying to fit the wrong mold.

Me, I just want power plants to make my birds go. I don't care if they're BP or APCP. I don't care if black smoke or blue flame or if monkeys come flying out of its nozzle. I have no interest in messing with pyrotechnics beyond producing power for me. For this reason, unless they change the rules, I'll probably never go for L3. Some engines happen to pack more wallop for their size, and that means better flights. They happen to be APCP. So it goes. I wish they were all SU. I don't even like packing RMS motors.

Estes isn't likely to try something like NCR again unless the market changes significantly (like they buy up Aerotech or something). Anyone packing large BP motors will likely be doing so as a strictly hobby-business, because their audience will be far smaller than the whole of MPR/HPR.
 
Originally posted by Chilly
Well, four E9's at once would certainly fall in the mid-power Isp range. If I'm right that works out to an F36. E9s are a lot of fun but they really aren't much more than long-burn D's.

The Estes E9 is 29.5 N s, which is just about in teh middle of the E impulse range. The Estes D is 17 N s, so the E is approximately a D and a half, total impulse-wise.

Four E9s would be 118 N s which would make them a G36 rather than an F36.
 
Well when you add it all up, I'd say my foot is in the mid power door. Just more I need to to explore with APCP.
 
Originally posted by DynaSoar
Estes ... buy up Aerotech or something).

Personally...
I think they are FOOLS not to have done exactly that.
they have the *deep pockets* to get production going in large style and the distribution system that has been proven over the last 40 years...
 
I dunno... I think they should stay seperate. Now, if Aerotech had an Apogee style relationship with Estes that would be GREAT. I would be able to purchase AP motors at my local hobby shop, as the owner only stocks Estes stuff.
 
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