Apogee Vapor Teaching Rocket
 

Just finished putting together a Vapor teaching rocket from Apogee Components. Kind of an upscale version of the old Estes Phantom, which has been out of production for over 20 years. The Vapor is a really nice, large (27" tall), see-through demonstration rocket with wonderful labels on all the parts. Great instructions, very easy to assemble.

Combined with the FlisKits Cutaway Motor, which will hopefullly be part of the new Fliskits lineup, you've got a great set for teaching model rocketry.

Steve,

I think the Estes Phantom (EST 1207) was available in the Estes catalogs from 1973 through 1996. I still have mine (see picture). I wish my 3D printers could print with the same optical clarity as the original molded palstic parts so I could clone and perhaps redesign this model. I always wanted to make a clear or see through rocket that actually flew. This also makes me wonder how Apogee actually laser cuts the fin slots into the clear body tubes!

Gus,
Erockets still has the Fliskits cutaway motor in stock:
http://www.erockets.biz/fliskits-cu...nal-tool-ed001/
I believe that it was a part of the last shipment of kits received by erockets after sending them a bunch of parts, per a post on TRF by Randy Boadway.
An alternative is the printed cutaway motor from Chris Michealsson. It wraps around at BT-60 tube, and it's free:
http://modelrocketbuilding.blogspot...q=cutaway+motor

I actually flew a Phantom once on a B4-6.
Flew decent, but tube was discolored badly a sickly orange-brown from the ejection gases and warped badly. Flyable ONCE only.

To avoid the scorching, discoloration, and warping, I was thinking of using a cardboard/paper liner placed inside and through the clear sections that I could remove after the flight. This should allow for a flyable see-through model.

Thanks for the info. I bought a couple of the Fliskits kits before they closed.

But I had never seen Chris's version. Typical Chris, brilliant!

Steve

Yep
 

Using a liner does indeed work, but for best protection of the plastic body tube I had best results (on the old Phantom) using cardstock (heavy paper) extending all the way up to the base of the nose cone.

With this new Vapor design using a much larger body tube, I would expect ejection gas to cool quite a bit more as it expands into the larger diameter body. Might still be hot enough to scorch. Probably still worth using fully-lined protection until you can inspect a few liners to see how hot the inside of the walls get.

Plan B: You could also make a see-through disposable liner out of the old fluorescent tube safety covers---the transparent plastic ones sold in hardware stores like Home Depot or Lowes. The large covers (for the old large-size light tubes) were close to BT-60 size. If you can still find them....

Needless to say, I launched the Phantom for two reasons : 1) because Estes said not to and 2) to deliberately ruin it.

The problem isn't so much the ejection charge, although it DOES produce a pretty good blast of hot gas and burning BP particles. What REALLY does a number on them is the fact that most model rocket motors, to some extent or other, will produce a bit of a "hibachi effect" as the delay grain continues to burn for up to a few seconds *AFTER* it has lit off the ejection charge "blast".

The delay grain, due to the nature of the "slow burning" BP formulation, actually produces a LOT of dense/acrid smoke and usually even a little flame. In a larger rocket, the walls of the tube are usually far enough away not to be much of an issue. In a smaller diameter rocket, the sputtering belching flame coming from the upper end of the motor casing will roast the tube pretty good. For something as heat-sensitive as a thin-walled PLASTIC tube, which will easily soften and deform, this is a very bad thing. For a CLEAR tube, the acrid, dense smoke produced as the delay train burns out will of course stain and coat the inside of the tube, and given that it's hot and acrid, will "etch" itself into the tube, meaning it's not easily cleaned off (if it's possible at all).

THAT is the actual mechanism at work...

Later! OL J R :)

Yes, the "hibachi effect" does a good job of TRASHIN' clear tube of the Phantom.