Mars Lander 3X Build Thread

[Stretch]

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Have a great time, James. Take your time and enjoy the process. This will be one of the most challenging and satisfying things you have done, I predict. I still have the full scale section plan up on my garage wall…and smile every time I see it.

Keep Ben in the loop.

David

Thanks for the advice David. I'm sure you're correct. I need to talk with Mr. Engelgau also. I'm thinking of using some of his peregrine deployment products. = )

 

[Ben Awes]

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Have a great time, James. Take your time and enjoy the process. This will be one of the most challenging and satisfying things you have done, I predict. I still have the full scale section plan up on my garage wall…and smile every time I see it.

Keep Ben in the loop.

David

He David, it's been a while - have you launched the 3X this summer? I've only been able to attend one launch all year so far but am planning on launching in September. I've rather enjoyed having the rocket hanging in the living room this past year and am hoping not to have to rebuild again - but they were made to fly, right!

Take care,
Ben

 

[David]

He David, it's been a while - have you launched the 3X this summer? I've only been able to attend one launch all year so far but am planning on launching in September. I've rather enjoyed having the rocket hanging in the living room this past year and am hoping not to have to rebuild again - but they were made to fly, right!

Take care,
Ben

Hey Ben,

Funny you should post something this week. I'm starting to prep the Mars Lander for a flight August 23rd, about a week from now. Haven't been able to fly at all this season, just like you. But, I really want to get the big 3X back in the air so if everything works out, I'll be launching near Brothers Oregon in a week or so. Not much to do to get ready. ML is good to go.

Have you heard any other purchasers? Are other ML3Xs flying yet? Any good stories?

David

 

[AlnessW]

Hey Ben,

Funny you should post something this week. I'm starting to prep the Mars Lander for a flight August 23rd, about a week from now. Haven't been able to fly at all this season, just like you. But, I really want to get the big 3X back in the air so if everything works out, I'll be launching near Brothers Oregon in a week or so. Not much to do to get ready. ML is good to go.

Have you heard any other purchasers? Are other ML3Xs flying yet? Any good stories?

David

Can't wait to see this thing fly again!
Flight integration for me should begin this weekend - not a whole lot to do there either, however I still have a bit of work left to finish my new rocket...

See you in the sage! (hopefully Thursday...)

 

[Ben Awes]

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Hey Ben,

Funny you should post something this week. I'm starting to prep the Mars Lander for a flight August 23rd, about a week from now. Haven't been able to fly at all this season, just like you. But, I really want to get the big 3X back in the air so if everything works out, I'll be launching near Brothers Oregon in a week or so. Not much to do to get ready. ML is good to go.

Have you heard any other purchasers? Are other ML3Xs flying yet? Any good stories?

David

David, so glad I checked back before the 23rd! I was out of town for 4 days and just missed your post. Best of luck on the flight. What are your plans for the launch? What motor? Same recovery set-up?

I think I mentioned I am flying on an estimated L1000 Smokey Sam with a 3 second burn. I have to say I am a bit concerned with the liftoff force going from the K650 up to a 1000. I hope the legs stay on! I am thinking pretty seriously about using a Rattworks ARRD unit to release the main at landing so that it won't get pulled over in the wind. I think I will try it in September. Not too much risk with that.

But what I really want to do is dual deploy with a Tether Descender on the drogue. Setting up the charges is the tough part of that. I think I would need to set a charge forward of the main chute to pop the nose off and pull out the drogue - how do I do that? Can I set a charge inside the nosecone? The tether would then release the drogue at the chosen altitude which would pull out the deployment bag and main. Then another charge at landing on the ARRD unit. I only have the Raven 3 and it could do it, but I don't see an opportunity for redundancy with the Tether? If the Tether charge does not fire, there is no way for a back-up option - so that seems risky.

I have sold several kits over the winter, but have not heard from anyone on completed builds. Nearly everyone has stated that they are using your build thread as a guide - which is really cool. I only have 3 kits left from this first (but hopefully not last) run.

Are you taking video? You need to get some GoPro's set up, and you need a guy with a quadcopter to fly in during liftoff. There is a guy in our club who has done this at several of our launches and the video is really cool. Maybe you've got folks out there doing that too.

[video=youtube;Wy-dGLOgyuM]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wy-dGLOgyuM&list=UUpvkOGOMwWOSMgd60sKHWKQ[/video]

Anyway - good luck - let me know how it goes,
Ben

 

[AlnessW]

David flew this on a CTI K510 Classic last Saturday. I was out recovering a rocket when he flew so I missed the flight, but I did see the results. Less than optimal. I'll let David disclose the details...

 

[Salvage-1]

I almost hate to mention it, but, I do have a video of this last weekends flight, start to finish. Ho hum. I can post it if, and only if, Dave wishes it.

 

[harpman]

I don't do many kits these days, but when I saw the super-sized 3X Mars Lander as a new kit, well, I had a flashback to 1969. I was 12 when Estes created the original. What a great memory...probably the coolest rocket I bought and built from Estes. So, my flashback led to ordering the 3X version. Couldn't resist. The box arrived on Friday and it really feels like I'm 12 again. I still remember opening my Estes ML. Funny how our brains and memories are wired...

So, here's a few photos of the shipping box (nicely done), the parts as I'm starting to sort (over 300) and a few of the extraordinary documents included. The drawings are incredible. I've since learned that the developer, Ben Awes, is an architect and it really shows in the documents. This should be a fun and challenging build.

I'll get started in the next week or so. Have another project going and I'll have to parallel them a bit. I will try and post a few build photos.

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Hey David,
Do you still have the instructions for this kit?

 

[Hobie1dog]

Hey David,
Do you still have the instructions for this kit?

David hasn't been on here since 2016 (7 years)