How much stress will an Applewhite saucer take

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Rocketman248

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Hey guys, quick question. I have an I218R and an H238T leftover from last year. I will be home for Christmas before I go to Japan. Do you think the 12" 38mm saucer would handle the I218R? Also, do you think the 10.25" 29mm saucer would handle the H238T?

Thanks
 
Originally posted by Rocketman248
Hey guys, quick question. I have an I218R and an H238T leftover from last year. I will be home for Christmas before I go to Japan. Do you think the 12" 38mm saucer would handle the I218R? Also, do you think the 10.25" 29mm saucer would handle the H238T?

Thanks

I would think so, just make sure the motor mount tubes are very secure.:D
 
The answer is yes to both questions. HOWEVER, I can tell you from personal experience that the best flights are going to come from long burning motors (like BlackJack & Ellis Mountain motors). Because of the high drag design, saucers (& Art's other designs) have practically ZERO coast time after apogee. They pretty much turn over at motor burn out & drift to the ground.

I would also recommend that you only launch those motors in saucers at a soft, grassy field because it's the forward end of those casings that are going to hit the ground first. You don't want to damage or ruin them!

HTH,
 
Thanks for the responses. As far as the motors go, i'm only going with those, because that's what I have. I'm moving to Japan in January, so I want to use them up. As far as the field goes, it is pretty grassy, there may even be snow on the ground.

BTW, don't worry. There WILL be pics.:D
 
To prevent your forward closure from getting dinged up on impact, put a bottle cap over it. A bottle cap like from a Dasani or Aquafina bottle or Pepsi or that kind of cap. You can shove it over the delay well thing. It should fit on pretty tight. And you might want to drill a small hole in it so it doesn’t get blown off from the delay. I don’t think that would happen but it doesn’t hurt to be safe about it.
 
I can say that it will hold up to at least an H48 (Ellis Mountain), as long as it doesnt hit a road or anything like that. Mine flew great, landed on the road and died, broke the shroud around the motor mount and on the bottomof the saucer. Also, use a short delay with heavy motors, this one came down pretty far before the charge went off...

Scott McNeely
 
Originally posted by scm86
Also, use a short delay with heavy motors, this one came down pretty far before the charge went off...

Scott McNeely [/B]

Actually, don't use a charge at all, and if possible plug the front of the closure with duct tape or something. It does not take much to start a very large grass fire. (Trust me, I know from experiance)
 
Agreed! It isn't much of a pod to pop the paper cup and dump the charges on SUs.
 
Originally posted by rstaff3
Agreed! It isn't much of a pod to pop the paper cup and dump the charges on SUs.

Yes, cover it in duct tape after that then too, I have had the delay grain light grass on fire before and don't want to go there again
 
That is'nt a big concern at my fields, but a little extra protection doesn't hurt. And I always bring my duct tape :)
 
Originally posted by rstaff3
That is'nt a big concern at my fields, but a little extra protection doesn't hurt. And I always bring my duct tape :)

Yes, and it probably isn't for most people. But if you are flying in tall, dry CRP grass, watch out!
 
"Optimum" is different for everyone. For flying saucers, optimum is low and slow and smokey. Speed and altitude are not part of the equation.

For the 12", Original flying saucer, the optimum motor is the Pro38, 1 grain, G79SS. If properly constructed, it will take a Pro38, 3 grain motor with no problem. It will also fly well on Aerotech H73J and H123W RMS 38/240 motors and Ellis Mountain H48-P single use. I don't recommend any motor with a fast burning propellant such as Aerotech Blue Thunder. In general, it is best to fly saucers and other high drag designs with long burn (>2 seconds) motors.

The optimum motor for the 10.25 inch original flying saucer is the Ellis Mountain G35. It will tolerate an Aerotech G80T well enough, but the G80 won't make it fly any higher than the EM G35.

I would not recommend the H238T or any H motor and above in the 10.25", 29mm Original flying saucer. The airframe is not designed for the stresses involved.
 
Well, I think I found the saucer's limit. I flew it on an I218R for a perfect flight, but kind of a rough landing. I then flew it on an I161W. Right off the pad, the motor and fin can ripped through the saucer and took off on it's own. Luckily we found the casing. Sorry, no pics. All I managed to get was ignitor smoke.
 
not surprising...thats a ton of force to put on a saucer. to me its a waste of a good punchy motor that will get a good sized bird going...saucers should have long burn motors in them, more of a show anyway.
 
Originally posted by Rocketman248

Right off the pad, the motor and fin can ripped through the saucer and took off on it's own. Luckily we found the casing. Sorry, no pics. All I managed to get was ignitor smoke.

Wow, this has got the be the first time I've ever heard of an oddroc shredding.
 
Originally posted by Jerry Irvine
Would someone please suggest the actual optimum motor???

Do you have a suggestion?

Other then longer burning motors I do not know of a optimal motor for a saucer. Well that and the suggestion to either not have an ejection charge or cover it well.

By the way, we should have someone burn that field every year as it was much easier to find rockets after that.

Scott
 
Originally posted by aksarben10
Do you have a suggestion?
By the way, we should have someone burn that field every year as it was much easier to find rockets after that.

Scott

I think it should be Don's turn this year because he already has a flying saucer, I'll do it next year after I get another saucer

The next one I build, I think I will put epanding foam in it to strenghten it
 
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