Hi,
Need some help after the fact here. Launched a D13-7 reload, first attempt actually, in an Estes Nova Payloader. Had 6 launches on the
ship previously and it was suffering from the Hibachi effect as the
beautiful red paint job was bubbling. Winds were from the South at
roughly 4-9 mph according to my wind meter. My field is at:
http://www.terraserver.microsoft.com/image.aspx?T=1&S &Z&X750&Y"481&W=3&qs@+Laurel+Drive%7cCanton%7cIllinois%7c&Addr@+Laurel+Dr%2c+Canton%2c+IL+61520&ALon=-90.0374183&ALat@.5777167
and doubles as a driving range. You see the white gravel area to the
north that is the parking lot for the golfers and the driving stations
are just to the south. If you look to the west and a little south, you
will see a little black horizontal line which is a small parking area
for about 4 cars for folks who fly R/C (and now rockets with me).
My question has to do with the ejection charge as I couldn't figure
it out with the instructions. I put the red cup over the end of the of the
ejection chamber and crushed it and shook it. I was going to remove the
cup but it seemed like there was alot of powder in there so I left it
connected on the end of the engine.
At a launch I went to in a May I asked a level 3 modeler, Pat Hibbs, if
I could watch him do a reload. He told me to hop in his truck and he
supervised his 13 year old nephew in doing an H reload. Pat had stated
that one should crack the cap with the black powder and pour it into the
well. He was emphatic that one should cover the well with a large piece
of masking tape. In the 18/20 reload if one leaves the cap on, there is
about a 1cm space between the powder in the bottom of the cap and the
well on the bulkhead of the engine. Again I put the cap on the engine
upright and squeezed the cap and shook the engine thinking I would get
the powder into the well. I thought there might be too much powder and
if I took the cap off the powder would fall out. I did not remove the
cap and apply masking tape. When I saw the H reload, I distinctly
remember that the black powder filled the well to the top before Pat had
his nephew put the masking tape over it. He had a successful launch.
All this is moot as I launched my model and my gosh, talk about noise!
I've seen lots of other modelers' RMS loads G and higher go off but this
little engine really roared. It sounded louder than the E30 and F23 SU
motors I fired today too. Might be because I was closer to the launch
pad but I was at the same distance when I did the SU's.
Well the model went out of sight and never saw it again. Didn't hear
an ejection charge fire although it could have been up so high I
couldn't hear it. I did fire off a Quest Zenith II with a modified
first stage I built from parts I had lying around. It was for a D12-0
booster instead of a B or C6-0. It shot up like the proverbial "bat out
of hell", The sustainer is yellow and the booster is fluorescent orange.
I saw it stage and then the sustainer went out of sight. I waited and
waited and waited. I thought I had lost this model but I heard the
streamer flapping in the air. I looked behind me and saw the last 200'
descent of the sustainer land 150' behind me and not very far from the
booster. I only mention this as it showed that a model might get so
high one can't hear the ejection charge. (Or my hearing is bad.)
Anyhow, appreciate any answers about my reloading technique and if
anyone can point me to some websites that might have better instructions
it would be most appreciated.
Also lost an Eliminator on an E9-8 and a High Flier on a C6-7. Dang,
my eyesight must be getting worse. I am unhappy with myself as I
launched toward the south and it looks like I missed the range!! I mean
look at the photo of the field. I still missed it OR I may have had
recovery system failures in the Eliminator and High Flier. They were
Estes stock, old and were made before I started using kevlar shock cords
for everything. Put up a Super Nova Payloader and it separated from the
body. Had one good flight on an E30 and then tried an F23 BJ engine.
Saw the payload bay with parachute land way the heck to the north and
west and went BEHIND a tree line. Too far for me to go and I have two
of the Super Novas on the self with one still in kit form. There is some
consolation there. TIA.
Best regards,
Kurt Savegnago
Need some help after the fact here. Launched a D13-7 reload, first attempt actually, in an Estes Nova Payloader. Had 6 launches on the