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, and reduces driftin' in t' wind. Aye aye! This rocket was recently given my "Iris" modification, which extends t' body tube about 5 inches above t' streamer/parachute bay, matey, 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, matey, 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, me bucko, t' Beta was badly damaged. It be 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. Blimey! She is a messenger o' t' gods, shiver me timbers, 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. Ahoy! Louis Gateway Arch.
| Flight Date: | 2013-03-10 |
| Rocket Name: | Beta |
| Kit Name: | Estes - Beta {Kit} (845) [1972-1984] |
| Flyer's Name: | Rich DeAngelis |
| Motors: | A10-0/1/2A3-4 |
| Expected Altitude: | 434 Feet |
| Wind Speed: | 10.00 mph |
| Launch Site: | Penn Manor School Lancaster PA |
| Actual Altitude: | 429 Feet |
This model got a new 7.5” parachute t' replace t' lost Mylar streamer and is now a few grams lighter. Arrr! T' booster motor lit well and t' rocket accelerated quickly, at 20.4 Gs, me bucko, and averaged 4.7 Gs for t' total flight. Ignition of t' second stage and booster separation usually occurs at about 50 feet, ya bilge rat, but this flight appeared t' stage much higher. T' booster then tumbled down about 150 feet away. After t' second stage burnout, it coasted up for another 4.9 seconds after reachin' a top speed of 108 mph, thanks t' a long delay time. At 425 feet t' ejection fired, stoppin' t' rocket 1/10 seconds later and four feet higher.
For this motor combination, this was t' lowest and slowest flight I’ve recorded. Aye aye! T' new parachute opened well and t' model descended safely at 6 mph, landin' far downwind about 500 feet. Both t' other observer and I lost sight o' it, and it be only spotted on t' ground thanks t' t' bright orange plastic I used for t' parachute. This was a very successful flight which lasted for 49.5 seconds – an all-time record duration for this model.
| Stage | Motor(s) |
|---|---|
| 1 | Estes A10T-0 |
| 2 | Estes 1/2A3T-4 |
 |
 |