Model rocketry question

[Gaard]

You know how every rocket has a list of engine sizes that'll work with that particular rocket? And each rocket has a recommended engine size for the rocket's first flight. What's that for? Anyone know?

BTW - Estes rockets don't have nothing on the old Century rockets.

 

[jonmullen]

The first flight one's usually are a weaker engin so that if something is going to go wrong it wont be going as high and what not.

 

[JeffSpicoli]

I dunno, but I bet they figure most kids will try to shoot it off before the glue is dry. Those smaller engines are lame. They get the rocket up about 100ft. and if the delay is more than 2 seconds, it is almost back to the ground before the chute pops. A couple weeks ago I launched one with my son. I guess we didn't put enough wadding in cuz the chute cord got singed and the rocket tumbled to the ground while the nose cone drifed 100 yards away. Good thing we used one of those lame engines. BTW, agreed about the old Century rockets.

 

[ElFenix]

back when i was in it they didn't recommended a first flight engine.
estes did have a high performance line, north coast, wonder what happened to it?
aerotech owns, btw
mmm K motors (128x the force of a D motor )

 

[Eli]

Hehe, back when I did model rocekts, I would just get the biggest engines that would fit...

 

[RichieZ]

Originally posted by: ElFenix
back when i was in it they didn't recommended a first flight engine.
estes did have a high performance line, north coast, wonder what happened to it?
aerotech owns, btw

Estes elite? Like the Patriot that used I think 4 D or 4 E engines? That thing was still weak. I had the Estes Elite Jayhawk and it was a POS comapred to my Aerotech Barricuda. Those frigging aerotech engines are expensive tho. Never got bigger than a G motor tho.

 

[ElFenix]

Originally posted by: RichieZ

Originally posted by: ElFenix
back when i was in it they didn't recommended a first flight engine.
estes did have a high performance line, north coast, wonder what happened to it?
aerotech owns, btw

Estes elite? Like the Patriot that used I think 4 D or 4 E engines? That thing was still weak. I had the Estes Elite Jayhawk and it was a POS comapred to my Aerotech Barricuda. Those frigging aerotech engines are expensive tho. Never got bigger than a G motor tho.

no i had a couple of those estes elite kits. the first year estes didn't make E motors so one of my kits only takes Ds, the other takes a single E. heres someone selling north coast

frankly the most fun was my little space racer rocket, one of those that the tube was only as big around as a rocket motor... pop a C in there and you can't see it anymore

 

[Gaard]

I had an old Saturn V about 20 years ago...took me about a month to build and paint it. Took 3 Cs (with an option of using 1 D). Put 3 Cs in it and took it to the flat roof on our garage. 3, 2, 1, ignition. Frickin igniters! Only 2 engines ignited! Swooosh, swooosh, swooosh....the thing did cartwheels all the way down the street. What a waste of a month's allowance.

 

[ElFenix]

Originally posted by: Gaard
I had an old Saturn V about 20 years ago...took me about a month to build and paint it. Took 3 Cs (with an option of using 1 D). Put 3 Cs in it and took it to the flat roof on our garage. 3, 2, 1, ignition. Frickin igniters! Only 2 engines ignited! Swooosh, swooosh, swooosh....the thing did cartwheels all the way down the street. What a waste of a month's allowance.

ever put fins and a nose cone on a D motor by itself? thats about the same effect

 

[amnesiac]

I remember rigging a mortar out of some steel piping at my friend's house when I was a kid.
We'd stick a C rocket down the tube, insert the igniter at the bottom, and WHOOSH, launch the rockets across the lake at the ducks.

 

[Amused]

Originally posted by: RichieZ

Originally posted by: ElFenix
back when i was in it they didn't recommended a first flight engine.
estes did have a high performance line, north coast, wonder what happened to it?
aerotech owns, btw

Estes elite? Like the Patriot that used I think 4 D or 4 E engines? That thing was still weak. I had the Estes Elite Jayhawk and it was a POS comapred to my Aerotech Barricuda. Those frigging aerotech engines are expensive tho. Never got bigger than a G motor tho.

Jayhawk? If you aren't flying a full scale Jayhawk, you ain't sh!t.

 

[ElFenix]

28000 newtons of force with 4 aerotech motors jebus!

(for reference, thats about the thrust that an F16A/B engine puts out at full military power)

 

[Yossarian]

Originally posted by: Amused

Originally posted by: RichieZ

Originally posted by: ElFenix
back when i was in it they didn't recommended a first flight engine.
estes did have a high performance line, north coast, wonder what happened to it?
aerotech owns, btw

Estes elite? Like the Patriot that used I think 4 D or 4 E engines? That thing was still weak. I had the Estes Elite Jayhawk and it was a POS comapred to my Aerotech Barricuda. Those frigging aerotech engines are expensive tho. Never got bigger than a G motor tho.

Jayhawk? If you aren't flying a full scale Jayhawk, you ain't sh!t.

that's nuts! Don't you have to get permission from the FAA to send something that high?