MRC FX Engines

[mojo1986]

Currently building an MRC Iron Man and was wondering if anyone knew where I could pick up a few of MRC's FX engines. By the way, I am very pleased with this kit.................I was always an Estes guy because they had such a great variety of kits including some nice scale, but I have to admit that MRC got a bunch of things right................three different and interchangeable engine mounts, Kevlar cord, upscale parachute and an array of metallised body tube wraps and other detail pieces. Sort of reminds me of Centuri's much sought after Orion (virtually identical in size and shape). Anybody know what year this kit was produced? And was it an expensive kit? They sure put a lot of 'extras' in it! Too bad they went out of business.

Joe

[barone]

Currently building an MRC Iron Man and was wondering if anyone knew where I could pick up a few of MRC's FX engines. By the way, I am very pleased with this kit.................I was always an Estes guy because they had such a great variety of kits including some nice scale, but I have to admit that MRC got a bunch of things right................three different and interchangeable engine mounts, Kevlar cord, upscale parachute and an array of metallised body tube wraps and other detail pieces. Sort of reminds me of Centuri's much sought after Orion (virtually identical in size and shape). Anybody know what year this kit was produced? And was it an expensive kit? They sure put a lot of 'extras' in it! Too bad they went out of business.

Joe
Hey Joe....

You might be able to talk Scott out of some.....I sold him the last I had.

The Iron Man is a great kit. Just make sure you've got a good joint for the pods. My wraps are starting to come loose at the end but it's been built for....has it been that long.....15 years? Gee.

I can't remember what it originally sold for. The Concept II line sold for about $15. I think the Iron Man and the Trail Blazer may have sold for slightly more but I think it was under $20.

Notice the launch lugs? They were made so you could fly the rocket from a normal 1/8 inch rod or from a rail launcher that they sold. The launcher system they sold for the FX motors was like one you would use for clustering but it had two buttons. One for igniting the FX motors and then another for the main motor. Really neat to watch. I've got at least one of each of the Concept II line rockets, the launch controller, and if I looked hard enough I could probably dig up the launcher......nah....too much like work...... :D

[Royatl]

Currently building an MRC Iron Man and was wondering if anyone knew where I could pick up a few of MRC's FX engines. By the way, I am very pleased with this kit.................I was always an Estes guy because they had such a great variety of kits including some nice scale, but I have to admit that MRC got a bunch of things right................three different and interchangeable engine mounts, Kevlar cord, upscale parachute and an array of metallised body tube wraps and other detail pieces. Sort of reminds me of Centuri's much sought after Orion (virtually identical in size and shape). Anybody know what year this kit was produced? And was it an expensive kit? They sure put a lot of 'extras' in it! Too bad they went out of business.

Joe

Bill Stine designed it and the whole Concept II line. Between the Enertek gig and his forming Quest, he was a consultant to MRC. I don't think he had anything to do with the original MRC line, which were unimaginative small ready-to-flys. Basically , the Iron Man IS an Orion. The MRC Concept II line came out in 1990.

[Bob Kaplow]

Or you might try substituting a MicroMax motor for the FX

[tbzep]

What size are the FX motors?

I've made smoke generators with old 13mm casings using KNO3/Sugar (different ratio than for use as rocket motors). You can also use ping pong balls to make nice smoke generators. Notice I didn't say " smoke bomb". :p

Obviously, you wouldn't use this stuff at a public/NAR launch, but if you launch in the pasture behind your house, you'd be good to go. ;)

[rokitflite]

And as the guy who came up with the name for that model, "Iron Man", I can tell you I got the name from the space capsule in the old Gregory Peck space movie "Marooned"... :D Just some rocket trivia for you there... The kits were produce in the early 90's. Bill designed them and MRC did a horrible job marketing them.

Even if you did get a hold of some FX motors they probably would not work right after all this time. I discovered that once they got older they burned like a mini highway flare with very little smoke... The Micro Maxx engines might be a better choice...

[Bob Kaplow]

What size are the FX motors?

FX motors are the same size as HPR 1/4" launch lugs.

[tbzep]

FX motors are the same size as HPR 1/4" launch lugs.

I don't know if I could get enough KNO3/Sugar in something that small to make any significant amount of smoke. Next time I get out the hotplate I might grab a launch lug and see. How long are the FX motors?

[luke strawwalker]

FX motors are the same size as HPR 1/4" launch lugs.


Hahahaha!!! That is TOO Funny!!! I love it! OL JR :)

Illinois-- Where our governors make our license plates.

Guess I should retort that I'm in:

Texas-- Where we send our idiots and crooks to Washington and re-elect the morons they leave in charge...

[mojo1986]

Thanks for the info guys! I'm going to keep trying to acquire a pack of FX motors. My understanding was that they were relatively long burners with negligible impulse and produced a lot of white smoke (correct me if I'm wrong, please). The Micro Maxx motors are very quick burners and, to the best of my knowledge, don't produce much smoke. Also, they do have some impulse, though very low. By the way, when I was a kid I once saw a homemade zinc/sulphur motor..............that thing produced tons of white smoke! Maybe I could try making a few of those if I can't find the FX motors.

Joe

[tbzep]

Thanks for the info guys! I'm going to keep trying to acquire a pack of FX motors. My understanding was that they were relatively long burners with negligible impulse and produced a lot of white smoke (correct me if I'm wrong, please). The Micro Maxx motors are very quick burners and, to the best of my knowledge, don't produce much smoke. Also, they do have some impulse, though very low. By the way, when I was a kid I once saw a homemade zinc/sulphur motor..............that thing produced tons of white smoke! Maybe I could try making a few of those if I can't find the FX motors.

Joe

There are easier and safer options than zinc/sulphur.

[luke strawwalker]

There was a pretty slick idea that Dr. Zooch did to create some neat smoke/fire for his Saturn IB/Milkstool setup...

He installed the regular desired rocket motor in the rocket, and then 'CHAD staged' a booster motor underneath it, which was then securely attached with three thumbscrews to a ring mounted to the base of the launcher. The ignitor was installed in the booster motor and fired in the normal manner as a two-stager would be.

The booster motor fires but is held to the pad, producing a large cloud of smoke, and at burnout ignites the sustainer motor in the rocket, which then takes off for it's flight like an ordinary single stage rocket.

Now two things immediately come to mind. First, this might bend or ding a safety rule or two and might get somebody's panties in a bunch at a club launch, so talk to your club RSO before you try it, if you're doing it at a club launch. Second is, this was using a "special" launcher, modeled after the Saturn IB "milkstool" used by NASA to allow Saturn IB flights for the Skylab/ASTP program from the existing Saturn V pads at Complex 39A/B instead of having to refurbish the mothballed pad at Complex 34 which saw all previous Saturn I/IB operations through Apollo 7. It was basically a tower extending from the existing Saturn V launch platform to the correct height for the Saturn IB stack, when placed atop it, to use the standard tower connections for the S-IVB stage and Apollo CSM connections/white room as it was set up for Saturn V... basically replace the S-IC and S-II stages of a Saturn V with a Saturn IB first stage and a tower to make up the height difference and you've got the setup. This raises the booster motor several inches above the blast deflector so that the flame never really strikes the deflector itself, which prevents it from melting. If you put a booster motor in close proximity to a standard blast deflector plate and prevent it from lifting off, so that the flame impinges on the blast deflector for the entire burn, it will likely burn a hole through the plate like a blowtorch through butter and either set the launcher afire or start a fire underneath it.

Another thing is, IF you choose to use a method like this, be sure you mount the booster motor in such a way that it CANNOT move-- IE don't just tape a booster motor to the launch rod with a standoff or something, as it will likely lift off with the launch rod and rocket and be completely unstable (sorta the reverse of the "stick stability" of a bottle rocket with the launch rod sticking up above the model and all the weight of the motors at the opposite end, and fins on the rocket itself far too small to overcome those destabilizing forces) and be EXCEEDINGLY dangerous, like an unstable powered jousting lance! (See Dr. Zooch's video archive of his first cold power static test launch with the rocket taped to the rod to see what I mean) Remember safety first and think through all the 'what will happen if's' before you try something like this...

That said I'm sure it can be done safely and would be infinitely safer than attempting a sulfur/zinc homemade smoke motor...

Seems like some fireworks type smoke bombs would work too...

Basically you need the formula for delay train powder-- slow burning, lotsa smoke, no thrust. Use that instead of regular BP for the 'thrust phase propellant' and you've got an FX motor...

Hope this helps! OL JR :)

BTW though they came in about the time I no longer had time or money for rocketry in my pre-BAR days, I always liked the FX motors and thought it was a NEAT idea, and always wanted to try it but never got around to it... :( JR