Quest Pipsqueak

[Rob Fisher]

After losing my first pipsqueak when it landed in the river, I built me a second squeak. I love to launch this little rocket on C6-5's cause it goes super high, you can see it the whole way and you can easily recover it since it has streamer recovery. A problem that I did have with the first pipsqueak though, was that the motor clip started to move up and down inside the body tube. After a while you could pull it back an inch and a half! The exact same thing happened after the second launch of my new squeak! I ended up just cutting the motor clip retainer off and would definitely recommend to anyone building this rocket to build it without the motor clip. Anyone else have a similar experience with the pipsqueak?

 

[astronboy]

I have had this happen to several rockets.

What I do now, is to make my own motor clip (from the metal strips inside a discarded windshield wiper), and make it long enough to hook over the thrust ring, not below it.

Phred

 

[Rob Fisher]

good idea.

 

[Hospital_Rocket]

Had the same problem. I use my Pipsqueak as a sounding rocket. I put 10' of real thin mylar foil as a streamer and I can see what the wind is doing up above the launch site

As for the retainer, I left it out and use friction fit. (on #3)

On #2 I just epoxied the clip to the entire length of the tube.

I also painted it the most obscene orange as a tracking aid.

If you use a short streamer, try this: use powdered chalk as wadding. Yup just fill her up. Gives a nice poof at apogee. A couple of sheets of wadding and a bottle of glitter is also fun.

A