Which Rockets Seem to Break Most Easily?

[markschnell]

I've had a lot of problems with this one. Maybe I should use a longer streamer?

Sir Breaks-A-Lot needs more stuff on the nosecone. Maybe some crossbars on that spike or something.

 

[neil_w]

Sir Breaks-A-Lot needs more stuff on the nosecone. Maybe some crossbars on that spike or something.

Those are for display only, this is flying configuration.

 

[Gerald]

I made these and sell them to the guys in my club, and on eBay. Their made out of hard resin and are the same weight as the capsule and escape tower from Estes.

 

[ArthurAstroCam]

I made these and sell them to the guys in my club, and on eBay. Their made out of hard resin and are the same weight as the capsule and escape tower from Estes.
View attachment 500896

Do the stock Estes towers on the Redstone usually break?

 

[boomtube-mk2]

The odds of a rocket breaking are directly proportional to the cost, time and effort in the building of it and inversely proportional to the ease with which it can be replaced.

 

[markschnell]

Do the stock Estes towers on the Redstone usually break?

Let me change your sentence a bit:

Do the stock Estes towers on the Redstone usually always break?!

 

[John Taylor]

Which rockets seem to break the most often. I saw a post on FB about the Starship Vega that made me think of this. I know there are some obvious ones but I won't mention every one I can think of. Here's mine:

The R2D2 model kit, the big one especially but the smaller ones too. The clear plastic fins break on me EVERY single time I've launched it. I even bought a second one a long time ago to just use the plastic fins. Yep, broke those too.

 

[ArthurAstroCam]

Let me change your sentence a bit:

Do the stock Estes towers on the Redstone usually always break?!

That is too bad- such a nice looking rocket.

 

[John Taylor]

Which rockets seem to break the most often. I saw a post on FB about the Starship Vega that made me think of this. I know there are some obvious ones but I won't mention every one I can think of. Here's mine:

The R2D2 model kit, the big one especially but the smaller ones too. The clear plastic fins break on me EVERY single time I've launched it. I even bought a second one a long time ago to just use the plastic fins. Yep, broke those too.

I believe any model with surface mount balsa fins will break quickly.
I fabricate thru the wall plywood fins on every model rocket I build. Seems like overkill? Well rough landings and rough handling are no longer issues

 

[markschnell]

That is too bad- such a nice looking rocket.

I suppose it doesn't actually break every single time, but I've repaired the ones on my Mercury Redstone and Mercury Atlas almost every time I've launched them. The point on the Mercury is what breaks off more than the whole tower. Some people at the very least don't glue the point on the tower because it's going to break off anyway.

Anyone who's with me when I launch anything with a tower on the capsule gets a lecture beforehand about being careful when they approach the downed rocket not to step on any parts and to search for any parts in the area. All that being said, I still launch them stock, that's just the way I roll.

 

[Gerald]

Do the stock Estes towers on the Redstone usually break?

Yup if hitting trees, or landing hard on gravel.

 

[dpower]

Every single 1/200th Estes Saturn V rocket I have seen on YouTube has broken its escape tower off. Almost makes sense to snap it off before launch, because if it hasn't snapped off, it will.

Huh, my 1:200 Estes Saturn V was quite tough, the tower probably lasted 10 launches before it broke off, and that was due to a lawn dart. That said, the Escape towers on the Estes Mercury Redstone and Estes 1:100 Saturn V break quite readily. Fortunately Estes sells replacements for the Mercury Redstone - they used to for the 1:100 Saturn V, but no longer, so I now use the ones from Boyce Aerospace.

 

[Back_at_it]

Which rockets seem to break the most often. I saw a post on FB about the Starship Vega that made me think of this. I know there are some obvious ones but I won't mention every one I can think of. Here's mine:

The R2D2 model kit, the big one especially but the smaller ones too. The clear plastic fins break on me EVERY single time I've launched it. I even bought a second one a long time ago to just use the plastic fins. Yep, broke those too.

Some current/recent models that I've had personal experience with that seem to break every time I fly them are the Airborne Surveillance missile, Sky Warrior, Interceptor, MAV lander, Super Neon XL, Cross Bow, Starship Nova, Lynx, Dark Silver and the Black Star Voyager.

If you want to go back a few years then there was the Star Ship Vega, Space Ship One, Black Bird, Phoenix Missile, Delta Wedge, Galactic Taxi, Scorpius and let not forget that USS Pleiades. That thing would break if you looked at it.

While this is no where near my full list of "delicate" rockets it is a good example. If you look these rockets up you'll find that they all have something in common. The fins are usually large, they have some kind of landing pods/legs or the fins sweep way back off the rear of the rocket. While I wouldn't trade anyone of them in, these are the ones that show up most often in my fight log under the repair column.

 

[Back_at_it]

Do the stock Estes towers on the Redstone usually break?

Only one I've had break was when the parachute separated and it came in without a chute. Otherwise I've not broken one. I do assembly them with Epoxy so that might help. I'd rather fly than fix even if it means additional weight.

 

[mbeels]

I've had a lot of problems with this one. Maybe I should use a longer streamer?
View attachment 500754

I, for one, want to see the Sir Breaks-a-lot fly!

Ever since the moment I first saw Sir-Breaks-a-lot I knew I had to build it. Once in a while a rocket captures your heart at first sight, and this was one of those for me. It has been on my mind for over a year, and now I can finally say that yes, we will get to see Sir Breaks-a-lot fly.

@neil_w , this is absolutely diabolical, I can barely hold thing in my hand without it falling part. It is even worse than it looks in that Open Rocket rendering. I'm going to need to bring a bottle of CA with me to the launch pad and glue it back together while it sits on the rod.

And yes, it is streamer recovery.

 

[neil_w]

OH MY GOD

I wanna see if you can get it to the pad in one piece....

 

[aerostadt]

Do the stock Estes towers on the Redstone usually always break?!

The last time I launched my Boyce Saturn 1B the chute attachment point was positioned so that the escape tower did not come down first. That worked.

 

[PDawg]

The Estes Generic E2X has an indestructible plastic fin unit, but it dents body tubes more than all my other rockets combined. Still a great rocket, but I’d rather use Basswood fins.

 

[OC-Patrick]

Fins on the tubes of the Super Neon and Super Neon XL.

 

[Rob Campbell]

Mine

 

[kuririn]

The winglets on the wings of any Jayhawk.

 

[GlenP]

The solar panel fins on a Centuri-Semroc retrorepro Satellite Killer.

 

[kuririn]

The solar panel fins on a Centuri-Semroc retrorepro Satellite Killer.

Similarly, the Estes Lunar Scout has truss fins cut out from fiberboard.
And featherweight recovery.
Not very durable, unless you give it extra treatment.
Mine lasted one flight.

 

[Joekeyo]

View attachment 571018

Ever since the moment I first saw Sir-Breaks-a-lot I knew I had to build it. Once in a while a rocket captures your heart at first sight, and this was one of those for me. It has been on my mind for over a year, and now I can finally say that yes, we will get to see Sir Breaks-a-lot fly.

@neil_w , this is absolutely diabolical, I can barely hold thing in my hand without it falling part. It is even worse than it looks in that Open Rocket rendering. I'm going to need to bring a bottle of CA with me to the launch pad and glue it back together while it sits on the rod.

And yes, it is streamer recovery.

Asking for it + streamer recovery = really asking for it.