Sent my BT70 upscale of the old Estes Vigilante up today at the WOOSH Bong launch.

E16-0 to E16-6.

Upper stage failed to start. Nozzle is dusted black from the lower stage.

I think I'll need to order a new cone from Sandman, though. This one was a Semroc remnant.

http://youtu.be/4YOBfmdRu-U

I'm having trouble uploading without some portion in slow motion. Silly phone.

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Charles McGonegal
Ciderwright
AEppelTreow Winery & Distillery
Ad Astra Tabernamque!

Did JJ Abrams direct that? I saw a little lens flare....
Sorry for the loss, but at least it was entertaining.
The Vigilante was my first two stager, so I'm partial to it. I'm glad you plan to rebuild.

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I love sanding.

Almost as cool as a POWR-PRANG.

Just the NAME Vigilante sounds cool.
Rogue, Maverick, Renegade, Menace, Mayhem, Havoc, and Mustang are cool too.
I LIKE it when they actually live up to their names as well.

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When in doubt, WHACK the GAS and DITCH the brake !!!

Yes, there is such a thing as NORMAL, if you have to ask what is "NORMAL" , you probably aren't !
Failure may not be an OPTION, but it is ALWAYS a POSSIBILITY.
ALL systems are GO for MAYHEM, CHAOS, TURMOIL, FIASCOS, and HAVOC !

Some more pics

The fin can / motor mount is in fin shape. I'll need some more BT70 and a new nose cone. I even have an extra cut vinyl sticker.

Attached Thumbnails

   

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Charles McGonegal
Ciderwright
AEppelTreow Winery & Distillery
Ad Astra Tabernamque!

That's too bad. That's a great model idea for the 29mm BP motors.

One thought - when you rebuild, put some vents in the booster. I saw some similar flight profiles with the Estes ARF models and their companion boosters when using C11s instead of D12s in the booster. Putting some vents in the boosters solved the problem completely and I even get reliable ignition of Quest B6s in the sustainers even though they have tiny nozzles.

You just need the stages to stay together a tiny fraction of a second longer to get the sustainer to light. I've vented my PSII booster for the same reason so I can fly E16 boosters as well as F15s on the Majestic (and Ascender when it gets built).

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Bernard Cawley
NAR 89040 L1 - Life Member
SAM 0061
AMA 42160
KG7AIE

That sounds like a great idea, B. How big did you make the vents? I'll probably go through the centering rings and vent aft.

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Charles McGonegal
Ciderwright
AEppelTreow Winery & Distillery
Ad Astra Tabernamque!

That's the best way to do it and keep the vents hidden. I like to lightly scratch up in the motor nozzle to make sure the BP surface is clear also.

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I love sanding.

Well I overdid it with four 1/4 inch holes in all three sizes (Booster-55, Booster-60 and the PSII booster which is 2 inches in diameter). These vents are in the space between the two motors when the booster is installed.

I expect two or three holes in the CRs that size would be plenty.

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Bernard Cawley
NAR 89040 L1 - Life Member
SAM 0061
AMA 42160
KG7AIE

My two cents...

When it's rebuilt, first launch it as a single stage.

Then, try two stage.

I'm just satin'.

Gord

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"I'm a sandman. I've never killed anyone. I terminate runners when their time is up." Logan from "Logan's Run"

http://sandmandecals.com/

But I had already launched a single stage that day. I was ready for more! :-)

__________________
Charles McGonegal
Ciderwright
AEppelTreow Winery & Distillery
Ad Astra Tabernamque!