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Sprint60 09-28-2018 11:09 AM

Hanger Queens
 
4 Attachment(s)
Hanger Queens - we all have at least one that for any of a variety of reasons never sees any air-time. Either because they’re too pretty to fly (none of those in my fleet!) or unstable, or constantly broken, or consistent hard luck, or for some or some other reason they just never get flown. For example, the 1/100 scale Estes Saturn V is just too clumsy to transport and fly. As is the original Mean Machine - six feet of unwieldy model rocket unless you thought to modify it to break in the middle (I didn’t). And yes, I have one of each.

I’ve already mentioned the Holverson Design Swinger. It was just so heavy that I felt it would glide like a brick and never even test flew it.

So here’s the Estes F14 Tomcat. It’s one and only flight was so weird that I’ve never had courage to put another motor in it.

Never let it be said that I can’t hit the side of barn! Because that’s exactly where it wound up! This was 'way back in 1994 or 5. No notes on the flight were taken so it comes from a very distant memory. I remember that it left the rod and went in a wide arc backward and was doing a cruise missile upside down at about 100 feet. Then the ejection opened the wings and it started rolling over still going very fast with arc following the roll in a strange semi-corkscrew. Then the side of the barn came up and smacked it. Damage to the soft plastic nose extension was pretty bad. I patched it up and touched up the paint. It’s been sitting in the rocket garden ever since.

Neat idea, it just somehow loses in the translation. I theorized that the wings may have flopped around during the flight and added a pair of tabs to the vertical stab to hold them down during boost. Still never tried it again. The wing release is ingenious.

It’s a little dusty but here it is. What model(s) in your fleet never get out?

tbzep 09-28-2018 11:16 AM

Over the last few years, all of mine have become hanger queens, with the exceptions of my school demo rockets. I need to retire and get back into the swing of things.

Scott6060842 09-28-2018 02:22 PM

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My RTF's are the only rockets I own that I do not fly anymore.

There are a few I will only launch when no one else is around (for safety reasons) ... Like my Lil Hercules with the washers on the fins.

BARGeezer 09-28-2018 03:07 PM

3 Attachment(s)
I have a few that have flown once and been retired due to erratic flight. I may fiddle with added nose weight later, but I have plenty of other birds that haven't even seen their first flight to launch.

Retired:
Holverson Zoomie clone
Newway Sky Spike
Estes Mini Mars Lander clone
Quest X-15 builder's kit: This one had the extended body tube and extra clay weight after the original kit was reportedly unstable. Still flew squirrelly.


Unflown:
Estes Cosmos Mariner: Balsa stabilizers glued to the belly. Don't see them surviving a landing. All reviews and Youtube videos show erratic flights and CATOs.
Mercury Atlas clone (pic): Very heavy, might launch it on a 24mm E or F composite.
Titan IIIE with DynaSoar (pic): Note with Gordy's Dynasoar to add nose weight.
Saturn 1B clone (pic): Shelf queen for 3 years now. Base coated, needs finishing paint and decals. Will be finished and will launch for the Apollo 11 anniv. next year.
Saturn V kit (pic): Same as above.


Also have a MPC Vostok I haven't flown. All accounts say it's a brick on the C-6 motor. When I get my hands on the C and D Q-jets I'll light her up. Cheers.

DeanHFox 09-28-2018 03:16 PM

Hangar Queens
 
I've got three that will never fly again:

1. My Sirius Rocketry Interrogator-G that I flew to cert Level 1 HPR - too sentimental about that bird
2. My Estes Orbital Transport (from my youth in the 60's-70's), signed by Vern Estes himself
3. My Centuri SST Shuttle (again, from my youth), signed by Lee & Betty Piester

I suspect my reasons for their retirement to places of honor on my desk are obvious. :)


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