Joe Burger, I'd like to page you as well

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DPatell

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Hey Joe,
If by chance you see this, I'd like to know what I should do. Last launch I traded for an F72T. I tried to fly it in my 24mm Machbuster and it CATO'd. If my other computer worked (it will work in a few days, hard drive issue:mad:) I have a picture of the motor on my camera, but until then I will describe it. About 1/4 of the casing length wise is gone, as well as the bottom of the rocket, hehe. Nozzle is gone, and propellent grain has a fractured end. I have all but the nozzle. What should I do with this? I know I cannot mail the motor to you, so I think it will have to be resolved over the internet.

I do have a picture of the CATO, thanks much to Jim Flis! In the end, not much was lost at all, but it was one of my cooooolest flights ever!!!
 
Yeah, I fell kinda bad about that one. I was the one he got the motor from. Right before they launched it, I thought, "Gee, it's kinda old. I hope it doesn't CATO." 5...4...3...2...1...Bang!:eek:

Oh, well. It was kind of cool.:)
 
Well, Composite motors are not like BP motors, where the older the BP motors are, the most likely they are to cato... unless the AP motor is not stored right... dropped a hundred times etc. The only thing I noticed that age does to the motor is make it harder to ignite, and the delays burn longer...

As for the F72's... is it just me, or I have seen more of them cato then actually work?
 
Both flights of that rocket were on motors that had high CATO rates. F101T the first time, worked great and it went real fast!:D Miraculously it came back and then I got the F72T, and baboom.

Nick - It was going through my head the whole time I had it in my hand;) Don't worry about it, it was good to see you fly your Performer, and thanks for letting us borrow the casing. It sure was cool though, it's an excuse to build another rocket:)
 
This brings up one question in my mind: What igniter did you use?
A copperhead or something else?

Juerg
 
I used a B&K ignitor. Probably 1/16" in diameter, it is very tiny. I made sure it was at the head end of the motor. Ask anyone from the North East, they are tiny but pack a good punch:) I HIGHLY doubt there was any clogging due to the small ignitor.
 
Well, the F72 has a very small nozzle what makes ignition somewhat critical. On these types of motors I only use copperheads (small nozzle, high thrust).
But I don't want to say "this was the problem", it just might be...
By the way, I never heared of these igniters, is there information online somewhere?

Juerg
 
I've used B&K ignitors, too. By the way, they are no longer "B&K" ignitors - they are now "Firefly" ignitors - same thing, different name.

The B&K, or Firefly ignitors are smaller than a copperhead ignitor, so I don't think that was the cause.
 
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