A point (about rockets) to ponder

Isn't errortech 1.8 just ACE BT-18?

Unfortunately, just about every class environment is VERY price sensitive. And I'd use Graduators instead of Lil Nukes if money wasn't an issue. As it is, we usually end up with questes stuff...

Bob Kaplow NAR # 18L TRA # "Impeach the TRA BoD" >>> To reply, remove the TRABoD!

Change the metric for 10-30% of the users with affordability. They go home in Suburbans and Hummers for god's sake.

Jerry

Ray, Ross at Magnum carries the Aerotech 1.9 tube. $4.75.

I flew my Blobbo Saturday at a FAR 101 launch sponsored by the Jackson Model Rocket Club at the Michigan Space Center. I used one of my last Aerotech 18 mm D motors. It screamed off the bad too the sound of a collective gasp from the crowd. I feed this rocket a diet of 18 MM D motors and it has never had to be repaired yet...other than repainted to cover "transportation blemishes".

Mark A Palmer TRA 08542 L3

Dave wrote:

Arnold:

Where in gods name did you get the notion that the motor vendors are making any money (except perhaps Estes). Selling into niche markets like HPR would ordinarily dictate high-margin products to make up for the dismally low volumes. Except that HPR is a *hobby*, so there's zero tolerance for high-margin (read high-priced) products.

In other technological niche markets, the consumer can expect to pay very high prices for items. The usual markup scheme for niche markets or startup products is to charge an MSRP of roughly 10 times the raw manufacturing cost. This just ain't the pricing formula that HPR motor vendors are using, trust me. We're using painfully-low margins, in the very faint hope that the market mushrooms at some point. So, either the few remaining HPR hobbiests need to tolerate $1000.00 'I' motors, or there needs to be a two orders-of-magnitude increase in the number of participants.

I'm willing to bet that at the $1000.00 per 'I' motor level, only the Gates brothers would continue to participate :-)

People selling kits do somewhat better, since body tubes and the like can be sourced in bulk relatively cheaply. But when you're building precision-machined equipment like rocket motors, the manufacturing costs are substantial.

Well said.

The Aerotech tube used in such kits as the Arreaux should be close. My Arreaux tubes measured about 1.970 on the O.D. before painting. As mentioned, I think Magnum sells Aerotech parts. The Hobby Connection sells Aerotech parts too.

-- Joe Michel NAR 82797 L1

Yes as a matter of fact they are. So be a bit grateful sometimes please.

Jerry

Bankruptcy Bankruptcy Bankruptcy

Hint.

Which was already small before it dropped another 50% or so in the past

Yes but it is not a HIGH POWER ROCKET that you do not want to train the chinese how to make.

I've already stated in another forum that I continue to do it because I'm insane. That, and I happen to love the hobby enough to produce innovative (if not terribly profitable) and creative new products for it.

I think all of the small motor vendors (that includes AMW) are continuing with the faint hope that the market mushrooms, or that we somehow land a profitable contract as an aerospace subcontractor. In other industries, such as "real" aerospace, precision machined items like hybrid rocket motors made by Propulsion Polymers, Rattworks, West Coast, Sky Ripper and Hypertek, would easily sell for substantially more than what the HPR market is willing to pay. Offshore manufacture is viable, but only at substantial volumes (10s of thousands of units per year).

I don't know how Aerotech and CTI are doing, but I suspect that even at the many thousands of units a year they sell, they're not making a huge profit. Anthony isn't off shopping for 65-foot yachts and a house in the Caymans...

Well he may be, but not from Pro38 profits :)

Jerry

Thanks for the tip, I'll check it out. I looked there once before but must have missed it.

If they match the size and quality of the VBR tubes, that would be great! I tried some tubes from another source but they weren't a close enough fit to my existing components.

Post the size you claim. I claim it was 1.80 x 1.88 x 18

Jerry

So how did it go?

-dave w