Pictures from CATO'd G40 from last weekend

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firemanup

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Cato or not, don't know what you all will call it but here's pictures of the top end of the G40, kind of self explanatory I think..

<img src="https://members.aol.com/firemanup/G40a.jpg">

And another..

<img src="https://members.aol.com/firemanup/G40b.jpg">

And the last...

<img src="https://members.aol.com/firemanup/G40c.jpg">
 
ouch, looks like an o ring failure....I would definantly call it a cato.
 
It looks to me like there was a flaw somewhere in the casing or forward bulkhead.

Sadly, things like that generally go un-noticed until the motor is fired.

I had an E30 that had a crack in the casing but I noticed it before it was too late.

From now on, I plan on checking ALL of my AT SU motors for external cracks before I attempt to use them.
 
Yes... that is a cato... I seen that happen a few times... mostly with econojets.

There is no o-ring on that end of the disposable motor... they literally pour the epoxy on top of the delay element and propellant. The only problem is... if you get a large air bubble in the epoxy... then the motor will burn through the epoxy.

Make sure you fill out a MESS form.

Then call Aerotech and they will send you either a new motor, or a gift certificate.
 
Here is a pic of an old design F20 that misfired on the pad a couple weeks ago. I had my video camera set up and caught the chain of events on tape. The motor lit, moved up the rod about an inch before the nozzle blew out. Picture of my Mustang to follow.
 
Hey!!!

Now where have I seen this before??? Oh yeah, my poor G-Force. I've had this happen to me. Not once, not twice, but three times, yes that is correct, three times on G35's. I had three of 'em CATO in a row just like that and it did the exact same type of damage to my G-Force motor mount of that of your Mustang.

Did you contact AT customer service yet. They should send you a new pack of F20's and a new Mustang kit.
 
At one launch I did, I had a F20 cato in my HV ARCAS, then a G35 in my G-Force... I call them Ecatojets. Their new bulkhead method supposivly solves this problem...
 
Yes, I have contacted AeroTech and they are sending a Mustang kit and F20 motors. (Thanks AeroTech) I have flown the newly designed F20 Econojets and they have performed very nicely. If you look at the motor tube pic you can see the burn mark where the motor cracked almost its full length. The damage could have been much worse if the motor would not have flamed out. When the nozzle blew out the escaping pressure must have extinguished it.
 
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