I wish Estes had a longer-delay mini-motor for light models like the Mini-Alpha! Wow, a Vulcan! I remember being SO amazed by the Vulcan when it appeared in an early-70s Centuri catalog. The catalog model was NOT a real Vulcan; it didn't have the folded-paper look, and was painted with gorgeous metallic paints. Thanks for the video!
Fun little video. Congrats on finding the Mini Alpha. I thought it was a gonner. I wonder how much more pressure you could get on ejection if you were to glue the fin can halves together. That would keep that charring that leaked out the seams to a minimum and allow more pressure for streamer ejection. Just a thought……..
Was there wadding in the mini alpha? Didn't see you clear any during the debrief. Definitely "leaks" for ejection charge to go out the fin can. Have to wonder if Estes actually tested this condition. The Vulcan flight didn't make the video edit! R2-Q5 flight was awesome. Yes, nice on the D12-3!
Great flights for the Mini Alpha and R2-Q5. Glad you got them back with no real damage! Sounds like you did get the Vulcan in the air, but the actual flight seems to be missing from the video.
The Mini Alpha looks like it has ejection charge blow by issues out the clipped on body tube. Any loss in pressure can lead to no deployment. Disassemble the tube from the fin can and glue with Cyanoacrylate adhesive for a good seal. Good flights and like the song says, '2 out of 3 ain't bad'. The B4-4 might have concrete in the nozzle preventing the igniter from contacting the propellant. Use a 6d finishing nail to ream out the cement and expose the propellant for a nice flight. Igniters can twist shorting out the current flow. Stuff a small piece of ejection wadding into the nozzle keep the leads from shorting. Hope to see the Mini Alpha again, maybe an A3-4 next time for easier tracking. JB WELD Putty the Droid nose cone back together. If it doesn't last replace the the broken end cap with 5/16" plywood plug and screw eye the center for parachute mount. Try a C5-3 with the Droid with a 18mm/24mm adapter, they work great in my Maxi Alpha. Stay safe and have fun.❤
Back in the day, we used to put a dash of red powdered tempera paint in the parachute to help see the ejection. Something didn't look right on the motor burn of the Mini Alpha. It shouldn't have burned the ejection end of the motor. That looked weird. I wish I still lived in place where I could launch rockets!
I wish Estes had a longer-delay mini-motor for light models like the Mini-Alpha!
Wow, a Vulcan! I remember being SO amazed by the Vulcan when it appeared in an early-70s Centuri catalog. The catalog model was NOT a real Vulcan; it didn't have the folded-paper look, and was painted with gorgeous metallic paints.
Thanks for the video!
Fun little video. Congrats on finding the Mini Alpha. I thought it was a gonner. I wonder how much more pressure you could get on ejection if you were to glue the fin can halves together. That would keep that charring that leaked out the seams to a minimum and allow more pressure for streamer ejection. Just a thought……..
😍ALPHA PUFFY ❤❤
I would always put a small amount of baby powder in my rockets. It would help the recovery system perform better.
I always did this with the plastic parachutes and never had a problem. For some reason I never did it with streamers. Not sure why...
Was there wadding in the mini alpha? Didn't see you clear any during the debrief. Definitely "leaks" for ejection charge to go out the fin can. Have to wonder if Estes actually tested this condition. The Vulcan flight didn't make the video edit! R2-Q5 flight was awesome. Yes, nice on the D12-3!
Great flights for the Mini Alpha and R2-Q5. Glad you got them back with no real damage! Sounds like you did get the Vulcan in the air, but the actual flight seems to be missing from the video.
Yes it's coming up. I mixed up the footage. Booo hooo. Vulcan flight coming up.
🔥🤜🤛🙄
The Mini Alpha looks like it has ejection charge blow by issues out the clipped on body tube. Any loss in pressure can lead to no deployment. Disassemble the tube from the fin can and glue with Cyanoacrylate adhesive for a good seal. Good flights and like the song says, '2 out of 3 ain't bad'. The B4-4 might have concrete in the nozzle preventing the igniter from contacting the propellant. Use a 6d finishing nail to ream out the cement and expose the propellant for a nice flight. Igniters can twist shorting out the current flow. Stuff a small piece of ejection wadding into the nozzle keep the leads from shorting. Hope to see the Mini Alpha again, maybe an A3-4 next time for easier tracking. JB WELD Putty the Droid nose cone back together. If it doesn't last replace the the broken end cap with 5/16" plywood plug and screw eye the center for parachute mount. Try a C5-3 with the Droid with a 18mm/24mm adapter, they work great in my Maxi Alpha. Stay safe and have fun.❤
Back in the day, we used to put a dash of red powdered tempera paint in the parachute to help see the ejection. Something didn't look right on the motor burn of the Mini Alpha. It shouldn't have burned the ejection end of the motor. That looked weird. I wish I still lived in place where I could launch rockets!