Jason's Motor Porn Thread

[grouch]

I would like to burn a couple of those myself.

 

[Buzzard]

Over on Ye Olde Rocketry Forum I have a thread on Old Motors. Pulled motors from my collection starting with Model Missile B6 and other earlier black powder motors.
I will upload a few composite motors in the future, but have not included motors like Pro-Jet, Composite Dynamics, etc. I do not have very many of the early Aerotech
posted and the ones I do have are only labled on the end and many have been covered here.

It is good to see some of the motors on this thread as I did not get into the Syner-Jets, Plamajets, etc. I did have some catalogs that are now on www.ninfinger.org

Chas

 

[J Blatz]

Thanks Chas. Could you link that thread?

 

[J Blatz]

Here's another old graphite nozzle 18mm job, the E25. It was listed as a 22 Ns motor, whereas the previously listed D8 is rated at 17Ns. I suspect that looking at the average thrust the D8 is probably a slot-burner and the E25 is a coreburner.

 

[Initiator001]

Here's another old graphite nozzle 18mm job, the E25. It was listed as a 22 Ns motor, whereas the previously listed D8 is rated at 17Ns. I suspect that looking at the average thrust the D8 is probably a slot-burner and the E25 is a coreburner.

View attachment 277929View attachment 277932View attachment 277933

The D8 was a moonburner. I drilled the cores for D8s by the hundreds.

The E25 is a slotburner.

 

[Initiator001]

@Pyrpbob - agree. I wonder why AeroTech doesn't offer a single use 24 mm E80. Seems like an item that would sell. I have seem the CTI E75 and think AT should make a similar full e class motor.

Making small composite motors is labor intensive. Thy must either sell in the thousands or have a higher cost to make the production of them viable.
I doubt an 'E80' would have more than a few hundred sold a year at most.
I recall the E50 motors had low sales.

 

[nute]

Here is a rare one that I have never seen in action. AeroTech E110. Runs warp 9 propellant. Should be thuper-exciting.

View attachment 277872View attachment 277873View attachment 277874

This may very well be the thing with the highest coolness:size ratio I've ever seen.

Nate

 

[321_BlastOff]

I love this thread, lots of history. Thanks for posting and keep it coming.

 

[Buzzard]

J Blatz:

https://forums.rocketshoppe.com/showthread.php?t=15662

Did not think to link it. Hope it works and you enjoy it. Have a few more to add tonight.

CNR

 

[J Blatz]

The D8 was a moonburner. I drilled the cores for D8s by the hundreds.

The E25 is a slotburner.

Appreciate the insight Bob. I know a bit about how labor intensive the smaller motors are. I can only imagine what a pain it was drilling out those D8's....

E25 and D8 ran the same propellant right?

 

[J Blatz]

J Blatz:

https://forums.rocketshoppe.com/showthread.php?t=15662

Did not think to link it. Hope it works and you enjoy it. Have a few more to add tonight.



CNR

Chas-

Thanks, it works. I had not seen one of the Prodynes you posted in that thread before, but me and my brother ended up with a bunch of empty Prodyne cases that we made into single use G motors. Jon was pivotal in our EX adventures all those years ago...

 

[pyrobob]

This may very well be the thing with the highest coolness:size ratio I've ever seen.

Nate

The perfect metric!

 

[JStitz]

Here is a rare one that I have never seen in action. AeroTech E110. Runs warp 9 propellant. Should be thuper-exciting.

View attachment 277872View attachment 277873View attachment 277874

Should come with a Shredding warning...

 

[Initiator001]

E25 and D8 ran the same propellant right?

No.

The D8 used what was later called 'classic' propellant.
The E25 was Blue Thunder.

 

[Initiator001]

I have an FSI Thunderbolt motor in my collection.

Thunderbolt motors were composite/AP 29mm diameter motors made by FSI for commercial/industrial/military and movie use.
At one point these motors were even mentioned in the FSI catalog.

This is an G60-8 motor.

 

[pyrobob]

I have an FSI Thunderbolt motor in my collection.

Thunderbolt motors were composite/AP 29mm diameter motors made by FSI for commercial/industrial/military and movie use.
At one point these motors were even mentioned in the FSI catalog.

This is an G60-8 motor.

View attachment 278039 View attachment 278040 View attachment 278041

Nice. Interesting timing, I had a customer indicate that FSI actually made quite a few single use composite motors. I thought he was mistaking as I was only aware of black powder motors but apparently he was right on. Any idea of the breadth of their composite offerings?

 

[JStitz]

Wasn't there a Flight Systems motor (FSI) that was notorious for blowing up? f-100?...some were calling it Fright Systems if I recall..Possibly a bad batch..
(Brain dust shaking off..)

 

[patelldp]

Here's some pictures of the immense amount of parts that make up a Syner-Jet motor.

First is the case and the associated components that come with it:



In back is the red case (22mm X 215mm)

L to R up front:
- The bulkhead and thread fitting
- compression ring for nozzle o-ring
- three steel washers and two snap rings
- a pair of grain spacers

Now the fun part...the G117 reload!



There are 5 short propellant grains here as well as a delay grain. The nozzle is "ceramic composite" and pretty sloppy. The igniter appears to be thermalite, and the ejection charge uses a pretty ingenious tube method for installation.

After having built one of these things it's become apparent that the sealing at the fore end is suspect. I plan to pull it apart and turn up a traditional bulkhead and graphite nozzle to get me through the 5 reloads I have.

I have 4 motor sets and 5 G117 reloads. Any interest in the motor sets? I am able to replicate what I am doing for myself for a nozzle and bulkhead, plus BT20 is a slip fit inside the case...

 

[patelldp]

My personal favorite from back in my early days of rocketry...the Kosdon E40! I used to drool at the possibility of the $3 E40 reloads on Ken Allen's website, then I finally purchased the motor and several reloads from him in 2009 at NYPower. There I flew my LOC Weasel twice on the motors and learned about this motor's delay sealing issues, but more on that in a second!

First up is the 1.0-40 motor and components:



Next are my last 9 reloads! Are these the last on the planet? Does Ken have dozens more? I may find that out someday!



Top to bottom: propellant grain, delay sleeve (it's a caplug with a hole), delay grain, neoprene washer, and ejection charge cap plug.

You assemble the delay starting with greasing the neoprene washer and pushing it into the delay well. You then friction fit the delay grain into the large caplug with masking tape, pushing it all the way into the cap. You then grease the piss out of the cap and press it into the cavity until it hits the neoprene washer. This fit has to be TIGHT to seal correctly.

Somewhere I have a picture of the blow-by my Weasel suffered...

 

[dixontj93060]

Interesting stuff Dan.

 

[patelldp]

Last one from my collection! The not-that-old-but-OOP 24mm Ellis Mountain G37!

 

[pyrobob]

My personal favorite from back in my early days of rocketry...the Kosdon E40! I used to drool at the possibility of the $3 E40 reloads on Ken Allen's website, then I finally purchased the motor and several reloads from him in 2009 at NYPower. There I flew my LOC Weasel twice on the motors and learned about this motor's delay sealing issues, but more on that in a second!

First up is the 1.0-40 motor and components:

View attachment 278069

Next are my last 9 reloads! Are these the last on the planet? Does Ken have dozens more? I may find that out someday!

View attachment 278070

Top to bottom: propellant grain, delay sleeve (it's a caplug with a hole), delay grain, neoprene washer, and ejection charge cap plug.

You assemble the delay starting with greasing the neoprene washer and pushing it into the delay well. You then friction fit the delay grain into the large caplug with masking tape, pushing it all the way into the cap. You then grease the piss out of the cap and press it into the cavity until it hits the neoprene washer. This fit has to be TIGHT to seal correctly.

Somewhere I have a picture of the blow-by my Weasel suffered...

Sweet. Thanks for documenting this, Dan. I too have often wondered about the Kosdon 1" motors, and in particular the E40. At least I know what they look like now!

 

[J Blatz]

No.

The D8 used what was later called 'classic' propellant.
The E25 was Blue Thunder.

Interesting. So that E25 must have been made before AT started labeling the propellant type of the motor (ie, E15WL).

 

[J Blatz]

Wasn't there a Flight Systems motor (FSI) that was notorious for blowing up? f-100?...some were calling it Fright Systems if I recall..Possibly a bad batch..
(Brain dust shaking off..)

You are correct. It was coreburning 50Ns (or so) BP motor, and reliability was sketch. I flew one in their "supersonic" Dart package...probably 1991?

 

[J Blatz]

I have an FSI Thunderbolt motor in my collection.

Thunderbolt motors were composite/AP 29mm diameter motors made by FSI for commercial/industrial/military and movie use.
At one point these motors were even mentioned in the FSI catalog.

This is an G60-8 motor.

View attachment 278039 View attachment 278040 View attachment 278041

Very cool! I had seen them in the catalog as a kid, but assumed they were unobtainium since they were always listed as "coming soon".

 

[Initiator001]

Interesting. So that E25 must have been made before AT started labeling the propellant type of the motor (ie, E15WL).

I was looking at some of the first release AeroTech motor blister packaging and the labeling did not indicate "W" or "T".

 

[Initiator001]

Earlier in this thread I mentioned Korey Kline and his Visijet motors.

I visited Korey at his home once. I rode over with Scott Pearce one weekend from Las Vegas.
Korey and Scott spent much of the time talking. I was just in the 'background'.
All of us went into Korey's garage. Korey looked at me and said, "Don't look up".
So I didn't look up.
Korey again said, "Don't look up", and pointed at the ceiling.
So, this time, I looked up.
Resting in the rafters were one or two of the 'infamous' Dragon rockets.
Korey then said, "You didn't see anything". :wink:

At some point either Korey or (later) Scott gave me a Visijet "I" motor.
It is a 54mm/2.125" diameter, 9" long motor.
No idea of what it's actual performance would be.

 

[Initiator001]

Another Korey motor which ended up in my collection is a 29mm x 70mm 'E' or 'F' motor.

I don't recall any details about it.

 

[Initiator001]

Scott Pearce is one of the unsung heroes of our hobby.
He has a sharp mind and could not only 'see' ideas but he could build/make them.

One fun idea Scott had was changing the color of the casings and printing on AeroTech motors.
AeroTech motors were black casings with yellow silkscreened printing.
Scott decided to reverse things and have yellow motor cases with black printing.

Scott took 6-8 29mm 'F' motor casings and spray painted them with Krylon John Deer Yellow.
After the paint had dried Scott put the cases in the silkscreening machine. He put black paint in the machine and proceeded to print on the casings.
After only 4-5 cases had printed the black paint clogged up the printing screen and ruined it.

Scott went ahead and loaded 2-3 of the casings as F50 motors.
I believe one was fired and didn't appear to exhibit any paint blistering.

Scott took one of the remaining yellow motors and packaged it up just like it was being shipped out to a hobby distributor. He gave it to me for my collection.
The motor is a fully functional F50-9T with printed endcap.
He also gave me an empty case.

Thanks, Scott.

 

[rstaff3]

Cool!