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Yes, I did fly several of the Coaster-style rockets, starting in the late summer of 1963, mostly using the 30 lb. and 40 lb. thrust engines. At age 14 then, I thought the flights were quite impressive, but expensive ($ 1.30 to 1.60 for each motor !).
The first one I flew was a scratch-build of Coaster's "Mercury" model, using plans that I had previously ordered from Coaster. Other models I built were of similar size and of my own design. In all, I probably had around 10 launches of the various larger models, one of which as I remember was destroyed on the launch pad (nozzle failure, I believe). My flying of the larger model rockets essentially ended when I went off to college. I am, however, currently working on a scratch-built F35 jet model powered with an electric ducted fan and to be radio controlled - my version of "living the dream" while retired. Believe it or not, I am thinking of putting my old, unused Coaster motors up for auction at some point, this is if I can find them somewhere in my garage (several moves since 1963) ! |
#12
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At auction now, I bet they bring a bit more than $1.30/$1.60.... |
#13
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Forgot the first labeling of the re-branded Coaster motors by Centuri was Atlas/Hercules.
The 20, 30 and 40lb Coaster motors were thrust-LEVEL, and NOT lb-sec total impulse. In the late 90's/early 2000's there was a company that made G and H SU BP motors and even BP 'sparky' motors ! The exact company name slips my mind but I think it was something like Rocketflite. I'm fairly sure they were 38mm cardboard-cased too.
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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, and HAVOC ! |
#14
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Small Sounding Rocket Systems (SSRS) - later renamed Crown Rocket Technologies created composite E, F, and G motors. I've forgotten the gentleman's name, but I met the owner at NARAM 19 and ordered one of each. I was surprised when I got them in the mail - they were packaged with the E and F on one side and the G on the other, wrapped in brown paper. I still can't figure out how they got through the mail - they looked like two sticks of dynamite wrapped in brown paper. By the way - I did fly a Mini-Max F55 in a "Little Hustler" back in about 1974 or 1975. It was an impressive flight - those motors really made a lot of noise and smoke John |
#15
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I bought several of the E45's Crown made in 1982 and the Lasor 95 kit. Those were my first composite engines. Darn good ones too. I never had a failure.
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#16
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I used to fly my Centuri Saturn 1B on those E's - they were great! Until I had a failure - the motor tried to ignite - pushed the Saturn 1B off the rod and then shut down. The rocket landed on the asphalt - it was never the same after that... John |
#17
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I bet it wasn't the same. I burned probably 10 E-45's, and then as I was preparing to order some of their F motors, I got a letter from the owner stating he was going out of business. But, Aerotech came along about that time too and I ordered a lot of stuff from them. |
#18
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You got it, Rocketflite. I flew many of those. * * * FWIW, Centuri sold Coaster motors in their '64 catalog, and their '62 catalog had a very early version of the Aero-Dart which could only have been meant for Coaster motors. * Three trapezoidal fins and a nose cone; I built a clone. Flew it a couple weekends back on a F15-6. Flew great!
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NAR #27085 - Oregon Rocketry - SAM |
#19
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Excellent side note!. The Original Coasters and then the Atlas-Hercules and then Mini-Maxes were made with a gang ram. This as stefani reported, resulted in differing press pressures being put on the various motors being charged/pressed. A gang ram uses 1 hydraulic cylinder to press multiple motors at one time using a kind of plate that has multiple rams. This setup, 100+ years old in design and use, was replaced with multiple hydraulic cylinders and a pressure sensor on each ram. This allowed for minute adjustments to each hydraulic ram individually, resulting in near identical motors .
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"Old Rocketeer's don't die; they just go OOP".....unless you 3D print them. |
#20
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wolf: actually the Coaster F15 and F25 in lb/s were F67 and F111 into days N/s scheme. I think, but cannot prove the F15 /F25 Coasters were safety certified in 1963-4 just as Coaster was being sold to Centuri.
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"Old Rocketeer's don't die; they just go OOP".....unless you 3D print them. |
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