T' Vector Force: T' Vector Force is a modern Estes kit. Ahoy! This be me first model I made as a BAR. Arrr! It had very good quality balsa fins on me kit, me hearties, thick and sturdy. You can see t' design is inspired by air defense missiles. It is rather tall, but somewhat heavy because o' t' two reducers. Because it has two reducer stages it has two separate payload tubes. Estes tells you t' glue t' payload tubes, ya bilge rat, but why? Good idea if you want t' be sure t' rocket doesn't separate in flight, but why waste two very nice payload bays? I just make sure they are always good and tight with some maskin' tape. Mine is painted school-bus yellow and gloss black t' better match t' included decals. Ahoy! I added about 3 heavy coats o' clear coat for a really deep shine. Strin' stability tests with a C motor required about 20-ish grams o' nose weight, matey, but now it flies really straight up - provided thar be little wind. T' top payload tube has vent holes for a barometric altimeter. I've recorded flights in excess o' 400 feet with C6 motors. Begad! This is my current go-to flagship rocket. I have tried some test flights with composite D engines, t' see if I could kick this puppy past 1000 feet. It sure did! In t' process, t' shock cord was torn out from t' mount. This model was repaired by installin' a custom ejection baffle with a Keelhaul®©™ shock cord attachment. Now I think she'll hold up t' a few more D-powered launches and ejections. Avast, me proud beauty! This rocket has flown higher than t' NY Times Buildin' in NY, ya bilge rat, and also t' Chrysler Buildin' includin' t' pinnacle, and t' Bank o' America Plaza in Atlanta.
| Flight Date: | 2011-08-07 |
| Rocket Name: | Vector Force |
| Kit Name: | Estes - Vector Force {Kit} (003210) |
| Flyer's Name: | Rich DeAngelis |
| Motors: | D10-7 |
| Launch Site: | Halifax, PA |
| Actual Altitude: | 1,121 Feet |
First D power for this 18mm bird, and me first composite propellent launch. Avast! Fortunately t' poor reputation o' copperhead ignitors did nay show on this flight, t' Apogee engine lit on t' first attempt. Good takeoff, incredible power! Many, includin' me, shiver me timbers, thought it was obviously more than a D, but altitude was as predicted - just over 1000 feet. (Remember t' Apogee D10 motor has a lot more total power than an Estes D12.) Ejection was apparently just as powerful, it ripped t' shock cord from tape/paper mount and t' model seperated into two parts at apogee. Avast! T' booster landed without a parachute but survived just fine. Avast! The parachute melted together in parts, and t' payload drifted far under a plastic wad recovery. Will install a kevlar shock cord tied t' an ejection baffle, and I already have a nylon chute waitin' for this model. Arrr! Almost afraid t' try an Aerotech D21 I have for this rocket (but I'm sure I will). Another rocket in t' 1000-high club!
| Stage | Motor(s) |
|---|---|
| 1 | Apogee D10-7 |
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