Got a new wind checker from the Estes July 4th sale. This one will definitely fit the JLCR. It says it will go 875ft. It’s light so probably try the C11-5 until I’m confident to put the JLCR in.
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Fun Rocket to fly. Mine is a bit heavier as I put a cardboard motor tube in the fin can and added an ejection baffle.
For the record. I've never seen more than 600ft on a D12-7 but it flies great. Looking forward to seeing this one in your next video.
We got a "Dragonite" for the same purposes. Best way to check the winds.
Put a drop of CA on all of the plastic parts of the Dragonite. It has a tendency to spontaneously disassemble itself on lift off if built stock
Me too. We're going out on Sunday but looks like it might be windy and a bit wet. I'm using elastic instead of the rubber cord. I decided to use the trifold instead of a baffle. I might replace the trifold with a baffle. What is the purpose of the cardboard motor tube?
Put a drop of CA on all of the plastic parts of the Dragonite. It has a tendency to spontaneously disassemble itself on lift off if built stock
A bug or feature? Could be entertaining...
I put a motor tube it the plastic fin units to protect the plastic from the heat and ejection of the motor. Over multiple uses the plastic becomes brittle and eventually fails. Before I stared doing this I had a Tazer that melted the upper portion of the fin can on a C6-7.
Also had an Riptide lose the motor. The upper part of the fin can that keeps the motor from shooting through the top of the rocket had become brittle and failed. The rocket left the pad and just before it cleared the rod, the motor exited out the top of the body tube and spun around in the air before the ejection went off.
Below are a couple of pics from A Helicat that I'm restoring. If you look closely you can see the stock mount has melted from use.
DISCLAIMER: I don't know the history of this rocket so I have no clue how many times it has flown but I have seen similar issues on my own rockets.
Here is the plastic center coupler from the same rocket and a perfect reason why you don't attach your recovery gear to these things.
Here is my solution. Basically grind away just enough plastic to fit a BT20 or 50 tube inside. Use centering rings to keep the tube in place.
Finally use a centering ring on top of the fin can to keep the ejection in the body tube and seal off the fin unit.
Also note that this was a used rocket that was assembled with plastic cement. A little wiggling and the rocket literally came apart in my hand.
Plastic cement doesn't bond to paper or Estes plastics.
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Good stuff. The only time I've melted the plastic was with a D21 in a 24mm adapter. I'll have to keep my eye on the fin can to see if there's any warping.
I got a response back from Karl (@AeroTech) but not an answer about what I should do with the motor.
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Awesome flight of Patriot with D12-5, Flightsketch, and JL Chute Release
Somewhat windy and misty morning in the park with Gary (@kuririn). My wife and son joined us for a bit, then she took him to work. I decided to use my iPhone8 for the main video because it has a smaller lens than the Handycam and less likely to get rain drops on it. However, the focusing was disappointing and the color askewed.
We started at 6:30 and the softball players didn't start showing up until 7:30. A guy was preparing the field and before the Patriot launch, he marked an X in the middle of our launching area for the homerun derby. Before the Vortico, another guy walked up to us to nicely ask us to kindly remove ourselves from their outfield. We were pretty much done by then with the winds starting to pick up.
The Drone Killer (to test the wind) landed in the (mauka) tree so we started angling more to the SE (kona). We looked for it later but couldn't find it. Since it had a streamer, it might fall out. If so, some kid will be inspired. The Show Stopper was one of the Estes July 4th kit sales. I used the trifold with the elastic but will probably install a baffle since the rocket worked so well this time. The altitude on the Estes altimeter was probably higher than the reading since I don't have vent holes yet.
I decided to try the C11-7 which worked great so tried it again in the Bull Pup XL. However, the Bull Pup XL probably only went about 250ft, so there wasn't enough descent velocity to fully open the chute after the JLCR opened at 100ft. No damage. Not sure what woulda happened if I had set it to release at 200ft.
Brave attempt by Gary to launch a two motor cluster. One motor didn't ignite and the one that did probably torched the broken fin. With the wind, I'm not sure if the 2x B6-4 would return on parachute so maybe it decided it didn't want to go yet. The Dragonite worked fine on the A8-3 but one of the snapon fins popped off at ejection (and was recovered).
Gary has been trying to launch his paper X-24 for several months. This time, it went up but also caught on fire and burned off two of the fins. Appropriate in a way because it kinda looked like the M2-F2 that crashes in the intro to the Six Million Dollar Man. We'll see if Garry can rebuild it better, stronger, faster.
The Patriot was a perfect flight with the D12-5, JLCR, and FS altimeter. It makes me want to try again with the E12-6. I previously added some clay to the nose cone. Might have to add more for the E motor but seemed like a straight flight with the D motor.
This was Gary's first flight with the Flightsketch Comp. It's so small, it fits in the Micro Maxx rocket. Thanks to Bernard (@BEC), Gary might become obsessed with meeting the 150ft challenge. I don't know why my iPhone didn't record the launch. The Micro Stealth was also interesting. Ironically, I've read that the F-117 has the radar signature the size of a golf ball which is about the same size as the Micro Stealth.
00:00 Drone Killer 3pts
01:13 Show Stopper 362ft 5pts
02:22 Cornered
03:18 Dragonite
03:52 Bull Pup XL 5pts
04:42 X-24
05:08 Patriot 697ft 6pts
06:56 Micro Yellow Jacket
07:21 Hex3 2pts
07:58 Micro Stealth
08:15 Vortico 2pts
Total 23 + 5 = 28pts
Somewhat windy and misty morning in the park with Gary (@kuririn). My wife and son joined us for a bit, then she took him to work. I decided to use my iPhone8 for the main video because it has a smaller lens than the Handycam and less likely to get rain drops on it. However, the focusing was disappointing and the color askewed.
We started at 6:30 and the softball players didn't start showing up until 7:30. A guy was preparing the field and before the Patriot launch, he marked an X in the middle of our launching area for the homerun derby. Before the Vortico, another guy walked up to us to nicely ask us to kindly remove ourselves from their outfield. We were pretty much done by then with the winds starting to pick up.
The Drone Killer (to test the wind) landed in the (mauka) tree so we started angling more to the SE (kona). We looked for it later but couldn't find it. Since it had a streamer, it might fall out. If so, some kid will be inspired. The Show Stopper was one of the Estes July 4th kit sales. I used the trifold with the elastic but will probably install a baffle since the rocket worked so well this time. The altitude on the Estes altimeter was probably higher than the reading since I don't have vent holes yet.
I decided to try the C11-7 which worked great so tried it again in the Bull Pup XL. However, the Bull Pup XL probably only went about 250ft, so there wasn't enough descent velocity to fully open the chute after the JLCR opened at 100ft. No damage. Not sure what woulda happened if I had set it to release at 200ft.
Brave attempt by Gary to launch a two motor cluster. One motor didn't ignite and the one that did probably torched the broken fin. With the wind, I'm not sure if the 2x B6-4 would return on parachute so maybe it decided it didn't want to go yet. The Dragonite worked fine on the A8-3 but one of the snapon fins popped off at ejection (and was recovered).
Gary has been trying to launch his paper X-24 for several months. This time, it went up but also caught on fire and burned off two of the fins. Appropriate in a way because it kinda looked like the M2-F2 that crashes in the intro to the Six Million Dollar Man. We'll see if Garry can rebuild it better, stronger, faster.
The Patriot was a perfect flight with the D12-5, JLCR, and FS altimeter. It makes me want to try again with the E12-6. I previously added some clay to the nose cone. Might have to add more for the E motor but seemed like a straight flight with the D motor.
This was Gary's first flight with the Flightsketch Comp. It's so small, it fits in the Micro Maxx rocket. Thanks to Bernard (@BEC), Gary might become obsessed with meeting the 150ft challenge. I don't know why my iPhone didn't record the launch. The Micro Stealth was also interesting. Ironically, I've read that the F-117 has the radar signature the size of a golf ball which is about the same size as the Micro Stealth.
00:00 Drone Killer 3pts
01:13 Show Stopper 362ft 5pts
02:22 Cornered
03:18 Dragonite
03:52 Bull Pup XL 5pts
04:42 X-24
05:08 Patriot 697ft 6pts
06:56 Micro Yellow Jacket
07:21 Hex3 2pts
07:58 Micro Stealth
08:15 Vortico 2pts
Total 23 + 5 = 28pts
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Nicely edited, as usual. I anticipated problems with the BullPup on C11-7 (seems like a long delay), probably good thing you had the chute release, I think had chute deployed fully at ejection during initial ballistic post apogee course you may have gotten a zipper.
Looks like the exhaust burned the trailing areas of the shroud. Why it did this on this flight and not on previous flights is a mystery. Used a Quest BP motor instead of an Estes this time. You think that could be it?
![0725210652[1].jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/rocketryforum/data/attachments/391/391356-baeddb2a83e5c08418b204b7083c47a9.jpg "0725210652[1].jpg")
All I know is...
After the Drone Killer ended up in the tree, I wanted to avoid the same with the Bull Pup XL. The chute released before hitting the ground and no fin damage so all good. Based on that success, I decided I could risk the Patriot with the D12-5, JLCR, and FS altimeter. If the softball team hadn't kicked us off their field, I coulda tried the E12-6. Probably for the best...
After the Drone Killer ended up in the tree, I wanted to avoid the same with the Bull Pup XL. The chute released before hitting the ground and no fin damage so all good. Based on that success, I decided I could risk the Patriot with the D12-5, JLCR, and FS altimeter. If the softball team hadn't kicked us off their field, I coulda tried the E12-6. Probably for the best...
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No worries, backup is ready to go.
NASA HL-20
![0725210932[3].jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/rocketryforum/data/attachments/391/391372-2aefd79ce4535c9b2030e30a9eb8f52f.jpg "0725210932[3].jpg")
Quest HL-20
Heh.
NASA HL-20
Quest HL-20
Heh.
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Ever notice that a lot of the Squirrel Works kits seem to be near clones of classic kits?
SW X-RV/ Centuri X24
SW Gremlin/ Estes Goblin
SW Red Baron/ Estes DOM Flying Jenny
SW Space Ranger/ Estes Star Blazer
SW Acorn/ Estes Fat Boy
Hmmmm.........
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Yes, same with More Rockets, Semroc, vander-burn and several others.
Cleaned up tripod and installed a new sanding disk.
I tried to see if the fire side of the Bull Pup XL baffle is fried but difficult to get a good shot of it. This is a homemade baffle. Seems intact. I had put epoxy on the surface.
I tried to see if the fire side of the Bull Pup XL baffle is fried but difficult to get a good shot of it. This is a homemade baffle. Seems intact. I had put epoxy on the surface.
Looks like the thrust was enough to fold the body under and into the jet blast. If it helps, the only flight I ever got out of mine was on a B6-4 and it did almost the exact same thing.
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Not too familiar with this bird, is the motor recessed much into the rear cavity?
before I had heard of Krushnic, I tried sticking a body tube and nose cone in the forward end of a pop bottle with the bottom cut off. When motor lit, it literally sucked in and then melted the sides of the “bell” shaped tail.
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Yes. The motor sits about half way up into the body. The outer shroud is only paper so it tends to deform during flight.
When it happened to mine, I just assumed that the force of the air against the paper was too much and it folded the body under during flight.
Here is a pic I found from the net. for reference.
Babar, the motor tube is recessed quite a bit.
BackatIt, that's a picture of the Quest HL20.
Similar but not exactly the same.as the Centuri X-24. (See post #942).
What's weird is that I flew it before without any issues on Estes motors.
I'm thinking that the old Quest BP motors burn hotter and more energetically.
BackatIt, that's a picture of the Quest HL20.
Similar but not exactly the same.as the Centuri X-24. (See post #942).
What's weird is that I flew it before without any issues on Estes motors.
I'm thinking that the old Quest BP motors burn hotter and more energetically.
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I can say, both from cert data and lots of altimeter flights, that the Chinese-made Quest black powder B6s noticeably outperform their Estes couterparts. They are also louder and sootier, but then, that you have already seen.
The data posted on the NAR site show that the Estes B6 has a higher peak thrust by about 1.5N, and that both motor types take ~0.2s to get there. But the Quest motor has more total impulse by about 0.5 N-s.
The data posted on the NAR site show that the Estes B6 has a higher peak thrust by about 1.5N, and that both motor types take ~0.2s to get there. But the Quest motor has more total impulse by about 0.5 N-s.
Not a productive day at the park
It was one of those days in the field. The winds were under 5mph on the ground but over 10mph about 100ft up. By 8am, the winds picked up to 20mph. Although the winds are lite in the morning, starting at 6:30am is difficult because the sun doesn't fully reach the field until 7:30 making it difficult to see the rocket in the shade. My son starts work at 7:45.
The main problem was the starters that I recently dipped in stinky nail polish and fine smokeless powder. They actually worked worse than the undipped starters. The DIY controller worked fine at home afterwards. I'm not sure what the problem was with the Estes controller. The batteries are fine but was having connectivity issues. I took the controller apart and now seems to be working fine. Again, it was just one of those days.
I was surprised how far the Hi-flier went on the streamer. The wind on the ground was coming from the SE and was heading from the NE up above. I could see the rocket with its streamer hanging from the tree. After I picked up my son from work, we couldn't find the rocket. He finally found it in the garbage and the local kid brought us the nose cone. The heavy afternoon winds musta blown it out of the tree. It's a $5 rocket but good to get it down. I tried looking for the Drone Killer from last week and couldn't find it.
00:00 Intro
00:06 Hi-flier 3pts
01:21 Firestreak SST 1/2A3 3pts
02:00 Firestreak SST A10 3pts
03:00 Trifecta 0pts
03:52 Micro Teal Machine 3pts
04:34 Texas Twister 0pts
04:41 Total 12pts
It was one of those days in the field. The winds were under 5mph on the ground but over 10mph about 100ft up. By 8am, the winds picked up to 20mph. Although the winds are lite in the morning, starting at 6:30am is difficult because the sun doesn't fully reach the field until 7:30 making it difficult to see the rocket in the shade. My son starts work at 7:45.
The main problem was the starters that I recently dipped in stinky nail polish and fine smokeless powder. They actually worked worse than the undipped starters. The DIY controller worked fine at home afterwards. I'm not sure what the problem was with the Estes controller. The batteries are fine but was having connectivity issues. I took the controller apart and now seems to be working fine. Again, it was just one of those days.
I was surprised how far the Hi-flier went on the streamer. The wind on the ground was coming from the SE and was heading from the NE up above. I could see the rocket with its streamer hanging from the tree. After I picked up my son from work, we couldn't find the rocket. He finally found it in the garbage and the local kid brought us the nose cone. The heavy afternoon winds musta blown it out of the tree. It's a $5 rocket but good to get it down. I tried looking for the Drone Killer from last week and couldn't find it.
00:00 Intro
00:06 Hi-flier 3pts
01:21 Firestreak SST 1/2A3 3pts
02:00 Firestreak SST A10 3pts
03:00 Trifecta 0pts
03:52 Micro Teal Machine 3pts
04:34 Texas Twister 0pts
04:41 Total 12pts
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Any day flying rockets beats working.
I am looking forward to a successful Trifecta launch, it looks like an interesting rocket!
I was very disappointed it didn't work. I swapped out the 1st stage motor just in case. Unfortunately, all of my electrons were dirty so I replaced them with clean electrons.
(That's my go to excuse when electronics don't work.)I've heard of Fliskit launches where they launch a dozen or more of these at once. Must be interesting trying to find everyone's stages afterwards...
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I guess at a big launch you have people going through all sorts of stages….
Drag race at the next launch?
![0802210829[1].jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/rocketryforum/data/attachments/392/392280-46e9fbff2aa5e364094919da12d40aaf.jpg "0802210829[1].jpg")
My stages would be the nekkid ones.
Only three stager mini I've flown was the mini Comanche.
My stages would be the nekkid ones.
Only three stager mini I've flown was the mini Comanche.
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Is that a Sirius S.S. Centris?
Yup (Cestris). Hasn't maidened yet.
Neither has the Trifecta.
Launching in the park with Joe from HobbyCo plus two Astrocam cams and two Catos
Joe posted a notice in the hobby store about the next rocket launch at Blaisdell Park in Aiea. For the past several years, he's been setting up in the park for Boys Scouts or whoever wants to launch. He brings a box of rockets and lets the kids pick their favorite. One kid launched the black/white/red cargo rocket several times until it separated and had a hard landing. I asked the dads who were there if I could include their kids in the video. This was a chaotic video to edit due to the length and the onslaught of kids running up to the pad to launch their rocket with Joe's help.
I had two Catos with 13mm motors. First was with the Texas Twister and second was the Trifecta. I'm not sure if the Estes warranty covers the replacement of non-Estes rockets. The Trifecta second stage is easy to recreate. I'm not sure if I'll try fixing the Texas Twister. The other half of the motor piston is still in the rocket so will have to cut out the block that I epoxied to keep the piston from coming out. Hopefully, sea turtles don't eat the chutes that were blown out to sea.
I was going to meet up with the crew at Sandy Beach. However, a car took out the transformer near our house while we were at the park so decided to go to see a movie rather than sit in the sweltering heat. I couldn't recharge my cameras and didn't get to sleep until midnight after the power was restored. Ron L bravely ventured out to the park in the morning and said it was windy, wet, and he cut his finger. Ron L's Athena was found at the 60-acres Park in Redmond, WA. It lost it's nose cone, the kids found another (probably the same one), separated again because the old rubber shock cord kept breaking, then the rocket was lost again the next day at Sandy Beach.
The photo used at the end of the video is from Pearl Harbor Warbirds. The park is located across the loch from Ford Island. You can somewhat see the red/white control tower in the background of some of the videos. The Waipahu park that we usually go to is on the left side of the photo. https://pearlharborwarbirds.com/aeria...
Joe posted a notice in the hobby store about the next rocket launch at Blaisdell Park in Aiea. For the past several years, he's been setting up in the park for Boys Scouts or whoever wants to launch. He brings a box of rockets and lets the kids pick their favorite. One kid launched the black/white/red cargo rocket several times until it separated and had a hard landing. I asked the dads who were there if I could include their kids in the video. This was a chaotic video to edit due to the length and the onslaught of kids running up to the pad to launch their rocket with Joe's help.
I had two Catos with 13mm motors. First was with the Texas Twister and second was the Trifecta. I'm not sure if the Estes warranty covers the replacement of non-Estes rockets. The Trifecta second stage is easy to recreate. I'm not sure if I'll try fixing the Texas Twister. The other half of the motor piston is still in the rocket so will have to cut out the block that I epoxied to keep the piston from coming out. Hopefully, sea turtles don't eat the chutes that were blown out to sea.
I was going to meet up with the crew at Sandy Beach. However, a car took out the transformer near our house while we were at the park so decided to go to see a movie rather than sit in the sweltering heat. I couldn't recharge my cameras and didn't get to sleep until midnight after the power was restored. Ron L bravely ventured out to the park in the morning and said it was windy, wet, and he cut his finger. Ron L's Athena was found at the 60-acres Park in Redmond, WA. It lost it's nose cone, the kids found another (probably the same one), separated again because the old rubber shock cord kept breaking, then the rocket was lost again the next day at Sandy Beach.
The photo used at the end of the video is from Pearl Harbor Warbirds. The park is located across the loch from Ford Island. You can somewhat see the red/white control tower in the background of some of the videos. The Waipahu park that we usually go to is on the left side of the photo. https://pearlharborwarbirds.com/aeria...
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