How long will motors be good for?

[Junk]

I'm returning from an 8 year old break. Still have some HPR motors. Will they still be good? Some are Loki and some are Aerotech. Since I don't have my certs anymore I need to work my way back up the food chain. I've really missed this...

 

[Issus]

If they've been kept dry and sealed, sure, if they are not too crusty just sand the surfaces.

 

[dave carver]

I have fired motors much older than 8 years without any problems at all. I got a few AeroTech motors pushing 15 years and I would fly them tomorrow if I wanted to with no hesitation.

 

[AlnessW]

Yep, flown AT motors well over a decade old with no problems at all. Sanding the insides of the grains will help them light. I also like to use a "substantial" igniter.

 

[JoeG]

How long will motors be good for?

I seem to only get one flight out of mine.

I've tried and tried to relight them but no joy.

 

[AlnessW]

How long will motors be good for?

I seem to only get one flight out of mine.

I've tried and tried to relight them but no joy.

I've had the same problem with used BP... that residue and ashes just won't light...

 

[etoyoc]

In the last month, I burned two high power motors that were about 20 years old. I don't know the exact age of the motors; however, the price tag had 1994 printed on the tag. I had a J350 where the bag was still sealed. I sanded the grains and assembled. It didn't light with a standard Aerotech igniter. However, when I used one with a igniter with pyrogen from Firestar, it lit up just fine. This weekend I burned an I435. Now this I 435 was loaded a long time ago by a former rocket flyer that gave me some of his old equipment. This I435 had sat in a a case loaded for most of those years. I disassembled the motor and sanded the grains down as well as I could. I could not force the grains out of the liner so I just sanded the ends and the core. I didn't even try the copperhead that was with the motor and went straight to a dipped igniter. The motor lit and burned just fine. The altimeter recorded a max altitude just a 400-600 feet short of the predicted altitude, so the motors still had the majority of their original kick.

Now in both cases, I used an altimeter for deployment. I have head from multiple sources that time extends a delay by as much as a second per year. Without knowing the true age of the motors (price tags had a 1994 date), I wouldn't trust the delay. Either buy a delay kit or use an altimeter.

 

[JDcluster]

As stated before: It depends;

1) on storage conditions

2) Propellant type

White Lightening and Red Line seem to be the about the worst as they age.

I build my own motors and have flown some that the grains were 10 years old, with perfect results.
I don't rely on ejection delay either though.

JD

 

[codysmith]

I have a bunch of about 15 year old SU Aerotech F's and G's. Should I fly them. They were a gift and I would definitely like to fly them. Should I ground test one of each type?

 

[bill_s]

I have head from multiple sources that time extends a delay by as much as a second per year. Without knowing the true age of the motors (price tags had a 1994 date), I wouldn't trust the delay. Either buy a delay kit or use an altimeter.

In my experience they shorten. I bought a pack of F12s, which appear to be out of production. The delay wrapped individually was perfect, but the other 2 were about half the 5 seconds. I think it depends on the propellant type they're packed with, though (Redlines being the worst). AT should individually bag all the delays.

 

[cavecentral]

I have a bunch of about 15 year old SU Aerotech F's and G's. Should I fly them. They were a gift and I would definitely like to fly them. Should I ground test one of each type?

Saucers are more fun than ground tests. I have some work perfect. Some chuff away, some with delay times off. See if you can find the igniter slot and fit the recommended igniter inside. That is a good start. If it is completely swollen shut, that is a bad sign.

 

[Area66]

You do what you want , but I scrap 2 motors and a rocket the same day with old G64-7w reloads, this is a pic of the one I recover the aft closure, the other one as the closure deep in the ground and the casing clear cut on both ends just before the treads . The grain burn mostly only at the ends ( like a Bates Grain ) over pressuring the casing and KABOOM

 

[chadrog]

I'm returning from an 8 year old break. Still have some HPR motors. Will they still be good? Some are Loki and some are Aerotech. Since I don't have my certs anymore I need to work my way back up the food chain. I've really missed this...

If you were NAR, and you still know your number, your certifications stand. Though I think it would be fun to redo it after so long.

 

[jd2cylman]

All of the E18's I've been launching lately are from 1999. All were stored in a dry basement in 50 cal ammo cans. I swap out the crapperhead for a Wildman little un. No problems so far...

Adrian

 

[chadrog]

All of the E18's I've been launching lately are from 1999. All were stored in a dry basement in 50 cal ammo cans. I swap out the crapperhead for a Wildman little un. No problems so far...

Adrian

I'll trade ya' for those.

 

[jd2cylman]

I'll trade ya' for those.

Oh, don't worry, there's a little spot in my toolbox for collecting copperheads.

Adrian

 

[AlnessW]

...F12s, which appear to be out of production...

They are?

 

[Rocketry nut]

In the last month, I burned two high power motors that were about 20 years old. I don't know the exact age of the motors; however, the price tag had 1994 printed on the tag. I had a J350 where the bag was still sealed. I sanded the grains and assembled. It didn't light with a standard Aerotech igniter. However, when I used one with a igniter with pyrogen from Firestar, it lit up just fine. This weekend I burned an I435. Now this I 435 was loaded a long time ago by a former rocket flyer that gave me some of his old equipment. This I435 had sat in a a case loaded for most of those years. I disassembled the motor and sanded the grains down as well as I could. I could not force the grains out of the liner so I just sanded the ends and the core. I didn't even try the copperhead that was with the motor and went straight to a dipped igniter. The motor lit and burned just fine. The altimeter recorded a max altitude just a 400-600 feet short of the predicted altitude, so the motors still had the majority of their original kick.

Now in both cases, I used an altimeter for deployment. I have head from multiple sources that time extends a delay by as much as a second per year. Without knowing the true age of the motors (price tags had a 1994 date), I wouldn't trust the delay. Either buy a delay kit or use an altimeter.

Was that the old J350 that flew on Sunday at Thunderstruck?