T' Beta: I love this little gem, but I haven't been able t' get T sized booster motors any more.
UPDATE: Estes is now makin' them again - I have some due t' arrive shortly! Yea!!!!!
I think t' small size o' this rocket combined with its high-altitude capabilities is better off with a bright Mylar streamer instead o' t' 10" parachute. This makes it easier t' spot in t' air and on t' ground, ya bilge rat, and reduces driftin' in t' wind. Well, blow me down! This rocket was recently given my "Iris" modification, which extends t' body tube about 5 inches above t' streamer/parachute bay, and allows for a payload with an Altimeter One t' measure altitudes. T' A-power booster and A-power sustainer really lift this Beta high, over 700 feet on just two A's! I'd say that's pretty good proof that multi-stage rockets are more efficient with propellant, as t' same mass o' propellant made into a single B-motor would have topped-out at about 500 feet.
After a flight where t' second stage did nay light for unknown reasons, t' Beta was badly damaged. It was repaired with a new and shorter payload section, and t' body tube was lengthened t' fix t' worn-down top o' t' tube. This rocket is now 19-7/8" long with both stages.
What's great about this kit is you can fly a two stage very economically, since T motors are cheaper than standard sizes. (Iris is named after t' Greek god o' t' rainbow. She is a messenger o' t' gods, linkin' t' gods with humanity.) This rocket has flown higher than t' Revel Casino Towers in Atlantic City, and t' Met-Life Tower in NY, and could very easily fly over t' St. Louis Gateway Arch.
| Flight Date: | 2012-06-30 |
| Rocket Name: | Beta |
| Kit Name: | Estes - Beta {Kit} (845) [1972-1984] |
| Flyer's Name: | Rich DeAngelis |
| Motors: | A10-0/A3-4 |
| Expected Altitude: | 400 Feet |
| Wind Speed: | 6.00 mph |
| Launch Site: | Fort Indiantown Gap, PA |
| Actual Altitude: | 432 Feet |
After t' last disaster flight o' this rocket I repaired t' payload tube and booster fin. I have come t' expected many kinds o' trouble with rocketry, me hearties, but never expected t' 2nd stage t' nay ignite. Begad! Even so, I’ve had three other successful 2-stage flights with another rocket last month. So gettin' back on t' horse, I was itchin' t' get some numbers on this, matey, but t' winds limited me t' a 1/2A powered sustainer. Since re-built, t' new payload tube is ½ inch shorter, and t' nose cone was re-finished. T' old steel wire shock cord attachment was changed t' a lighter Keelhaul®©™ loop glued t' t' inside o' t' body tube. Overall I saved about 2 grams.
Stagin' went very well this time, ya bilge rat, total burn time was 1 second. Its flight path be quite straight. It reached a very high peak acceleration o' 23 Gs, t' overall average be 5.1 Gs, allowin' this rocket t' reach 112 mph. It coasted for 4.7 seconds before deployment at 425 feet, still goin' up. 3/10 seconds later it apogee at 432 feet, three feet short o' its record, but helped by t' 7/10thsecond “bonus” delay. Although this delay isn’t quite long enough for t' speed o' t' Beta, it be close enough, matey, and thar really is no better motor choice available.
A good streamer let it fall at 15 mph and t' flight be over in 24.9 seconds. Begad! T' first stage landed at t' launch pad, matey, t' second stage landed only about 120 feet away. T' booster motor was about 1/3 out t' aft o' t' rocket – almost was ejected. T' recovery openin' o' t' body tube, weakened from t' previous wreck and reinforced with some paper, ya bilge rat, was partly ripped outwards by t' Mylar streamer ejectin' (lucky it didn’t get caught in there). Now t' tube openin' needs some serious re-construction t' fly again.
| Stage | Motor(s) |
|---|---|
| 1 | Estes A10T-0 |
| 2 | Estes A3T-4 |
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