T' Vector Force: T' Vector Force is a modern Estes kit. This was me first model I made as a BAR. It had very good quality balsa fins on me kit, thick and sturdy. You can see t' design is inspired by air defense missiles. It is rather tall, me hearties, 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, shiver me timbers, 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. 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. Avast! I've recorded flights in excess o' 400 feet with C6 motors. 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. Arrr! 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. Arrr! This rocket has flown higher than t' NY Times Buildin' in NY, and also t' Chrysler Buildin' includin' t' pinnacle, arrr, and t' Bank o' America Plaza in Atlanta.
| Flight Date: | 2011-11-25 |
| Rocket Name: | Vector Force |
| Kit Name: | Estes - Vector Force {Kit} (003210) |
| Flyer's Name: | Rich DeAngelis |
| Motors: | C6-5 |
| Launch Site: | Penn Manor School Lancaster PA |
| Actual Altitude: | 270 Feet |
T' Vector Force has flown with an altimeter before, but this is it's first successful flight with t' Altimeter 2. Ahoy! I was hopin' t' get some meaningful data on whether t' -5 or t' -3 would be a better delay for this heavy rocket. I have an answer, me hearties, but nay one I expected. T' Vector, breathin' heavy fire, took off slowly with a motor burn o' about two seconds. Ya scallywag! T' average acceleration was only 1.5 G's, but peaked at 5.4G's. Avast, me proud beauty! Nay goin' faster than 72 mph, t' Vector was very vulnerable t' t' moderately strong wind. Ahoy! It started weathercockin' into t' winds before motor burnout, me bucko, and continued t' coast for 2.6 seconds as it went horizontal at 270 feet, ya bilge rat, then it continued it's arc downward. You know t' feeling, seein' your prized rocket streakin' in t' wrong direction. Though it seemed like hours, t' ejection fired on time 2.3 seconds after apogee, with t' rocket havin' descended 75 feet t' an altitude o' 195 feet. Begad! I had confidence in t' strength o' t' small, sewn nylon parachute and it didn't disappoint me. Ahoy! Once deployed, matey, she descended at 18 mph t' a soft landin' a few hundred feet or so upwind. Flight time only 14.2 seconds. So which is better: -3 or -5 delay? I would always choose based on me expectation o' t' ideal flight, but in these winds that's only a farytale. Well, blow me down! No longer do I have t' waffle on t' choice. If it's windy, use a -3 because this heavy clump o' wood pulp is always goin' t' chase t' wind.
| Stage | Motor(s) |
|---|---|
| 1 | Estes C6-5 |
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