Just released is the Retro-Repro™ Sprite™ which is based on the classic design by Gene Street from 1964 that used the original "Shorty" engines. Using tumble recovery, it is quick to get up for a small field demo. Includes 4 empty Shorty casings to enable popular "T" mini engines to be used to relive the golden days. Until the end of the Memorial Day weekend, we will include one free Sprite in your orders over $40.00.

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Carl McLawhorn
NAR#4717 L2
semroc.com

The Sprite was the second model rocket I ever flew. I think I used a 1/4A 'S' motor in it.

The 'tumble' recovery didn't work (The motor ejected out of the model). This made for a very blunt nose cone.

I flew it again a few years later and the same thing happened.

I guess I will have to get a new one and try again.

Thanks for bringing this model back, Carl.

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Bob
S.A.M. # 0014

Bob,

In my experience with the motor shifting birds, Scout and Sprite, several phenomena can occur, all of which result in similar outcomes.

The motor can slide aft with enough momentum to overcome the tang and eject. One trick I use for that is to add a bit of friction fit tape to the motor to help scrub off some of that energy as the motor slides aft. But not too much tape.

Conversely, if necessary, sand the motor down a bit if it fits too snugly in the rocket.

I also bend the aft tang up a bit, pointing it back at the rocket slightly. And I try to put a bow in the hook to make it curve in toward the center line of the rocket (but take care not to get it in the exhaust).

The T motors are notorious for hot ejection charges which can blow the sides out of the rocket as well as rip the hooks out, so I've used slightly over sized vent holes in the airframes.

One other trick I've employed was to wrap a piece of fine wire around the tail end of the motor (tacked in place with CA), then form a loop in it which wraps around the hook. The idea was the keep the hook snug up against the motor as it slides aft thus ensuring that the tang positively engages the end of the motor.

The last trick I use is to fly on soft fields for when all of my other tricks fail

Doug

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YORF member #11

Carl, thanks for putting out another historic Retro-Repro Kit. I have both the Micron and the
Moon Glo that Semroc released last year. both of these Rockets have received a lot of praise at both the Broward Area Rocket Society and Florida Space Modeling Launches .
I have built and still own a few Astron Scouts but never have built a Sprite.
I look forward to building and flying this new Semroc Sprite kit.
Thank You Carl for your insight.

Neal Miller SAM#0333

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Neal Miller
Master Blaster NAR# 58296

So sorry you missed the cutting out of the end balsa pieces for the fins! What fun you missed.
That was a relatively hated part of the original builds; I know I cut myself at least twice way back when. Can't remember all the attempts to get those right...

The laser cut ones will add a new dimension to the build.

Thanks, Carl!

Allen

[QUOTE=jetlag]So sorry you missed the cutting out of the end balsa pieces for the fins! What fun you missed.
That was a relatively hated part of the original builds; I know I cut myself at least twice way back when. Can't remember all the attempts to get those right...

The laser cut ones will add a new dimension to the build.

Thanks, Carl!

Allen[/QUOTE

Allen, I built the Flis Kits Tumble Weed, now that was fun !

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Neal Miller
Master Blaster NAR# 58296

My experience has always been that "tumble" recovery = "crash" recovery! My first rocket was the good old Astron Scout, which ended up with the same blunt nose cone that Bob described. That didn't stop me from cloning the Sprite using Semroc parts a couple of years ago. Nice little flyer, but it still doesn't "tumble". But thanks Carl, for bringing it out as a kit. You're the best!

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Got a Caribbean soul I can barely control.....

The is a Teaser in the Sprite instructions.....It's in the motor prep part....

Same here! It was my second model rocket as well. I only launched it once (no doubt on a 1/4A-S too) but the tumble recovery worked perfectly in mine. Even though it landed in the street, it was undamaged. I would have launched it a lot more times, but I never got the chance.

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SAM # 0011

One of the pre-laser cut kits? Oh, yeah, wasn't that a kick?

Tumble recovery has always worked fine in my Astron Scouts. That heavy music wire "hook" has no give and it ain't going nowhere! Anchor the motor hook on the Sprite well, all the way down to the aft end of the body tube, and bent the end of the "hook" up slightly. There is no need to bend the leg of the hook inward; doing so may loosen the upper end's attachment to the outside of the body tube. When you are inserting and removing the motor, try not to flex the motor hook too much. (Again, you want to avoid loosening its attachment to the body tube.)

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SAM # 0011