Are they dead? How do I get USR motors? Firestarters are freakin awesome, I want some. Does the USR "S Motor" which is claimed to retail for $32000 really exist? And can the "S motor" be flown with a level 3 certification. US Rockets has some cool stuff, but they are so confusing, hopefully someone can tell me what they are all about.
USR exists, and they produce kits, which, from what I've heard, are decent kits. They have no certfied motors.
When it comes to if they sell motors, I've never seen the owner give a straight answer to that question. Any motor you did buy could not be flown at any NAR or TRA event.
According to Jerry Irvine (the owner/consultant/dealer or whatever the heck he currently claims to be), they no longer make or sell motors. He does sell rocket kits.
Firestarters were pretty cool, however you can now get very similar sparky motors from Animal Motor Works.
To my knowledge, no USR "S" motor was ever purchased, and none was ever built. Motors that large are custom items. No manufacturer would build motors that big just to have them sitting around waiting to see if someone might buy one. "S" class motors can only be flown at Amateur or Tripoli EX launch. If I remember correctly, Ky Michaelson's successful space launch used a custom-built S motor.
o
If you have the money, I think Mr. Irvine would build you that motor.
Bruce Kirchner
No. NFPA 1127 specifies motors through "O". At "S" you would probably be doing a suborbital space shot and there are a few more regulations to deal with than for a typical "hobby rocketry" flight.
Essentially, Level 3 covers only M N and O motors :-)
Glen Overby
An "S" motor would be considered experimental or amateur rocketry and for that you would only need a TRA Level 2 certification to fly it.
Andrew
No, you need no certification or hobby rocket club afilliation to launch any rocket. You would only need the approval of the FAA, any local authorities and a big piece of land to fly an "S".
Bruce Kirchner
For TRA EX, I believe you'd need a Level 3 to fly a motor that size. The TRA EX program isn't supposed to be a means to fly larger than your cert level would allow.
Of course you could fly it at an amateur launch, either your own or someone else's. That would require compliance with all the laws and regulations governing such flights, providing your own insurance, etc.
Hey Ray, do you follow that advice too!
just jeff snipped-for-privacy@sbcglobal.net former tra 5903
Nope. Gotta be Level 3 to fly that motor at a TRA launch. Oh, and it can't be a purchased motor, either, nor can it be an uncertified commercial motor, which anything advertised on the USR website most certainly is.
So, in a nutshell, you can't fly it at a TRA EX launch.
You can, however, fly it at an Amateur launch, provided it meets the guidelines of the organization (if any) governing that launch.
-Kevin
Kevin,
Your right about needing to be TRA level 3 to fly an EX "S" motor. I should have read down the safety code a little further before I posted my response.
Sorry,
Andrew
All of this is a moot point! Jerry would not and could not make that motor. Plus I pity the fool who would send jerry 32,000 dollars. If anyone wants to buy anything from jerry let me know. I have great deals on beach front property in Arizona.
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