The instructions are WRONG then. The upper-most short tube above the TA-2050 is a 2" section of BT-20.
The wadding/chute/shock cord are all in the BT-50 below the balsa adapter.
NO WAY could you pack an Estes 18" chute, shock cord, and wadding into a 2" piece of BT-20.

__________________
When in doubt, WHACK the GAS and DITCH the brake !!!

Yes, there is such a thing as NORMAL, if you have to ask what is "NORMAL" , you probably aren't !
Failure may not be an OPTION, but it is ALWAYS a POSSIBILITY.
ALL systems are GO for MAYHEM, CHAOS, and HAVOC !

I think the issue is that folks (including me) are forgetting that there are actually three sizes of tubes in the kit, not two. BT-55 for the Nike booster, BT-50 for the upper stage, and BT-20 for the very short payload section, effectively making that portion a long nosecone. We are all mentally seeing it break apart in the correct location, at the "nosecone", but the "nosecone" consists of a 20/50 transition, a 1.5" BT-20 and a BNC-20CB nosecone.

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I love sanding.

Tbzep- that's a GREAT way of looking at it.
The TA-2050A transition, short BT-20 tube, and balsa cone (with the forward-most 8 little fins and vanes) all comprise the Nose (warhead) section.
I'm not sure that transition and cone were ever used on any other Estes kits.

__________________
When in doubt, WHACK the GAS and DITCH the brake !!!

Yes, there is such a thing as NORMAL, if you have to ask what is "NORMAL" , you probably aren't !
Failure may not be an OPTION, but it is ALWAYS a POSSIBILITY.
ALL systems are GO for MAYHEM, CHAOS, and HAVOC !

Can anyone tell me what the thickness is of the forward small steering fins on the Nike Ajax? The booster and main stage fins are 3/32". Are the small fins the same thickness? I notice in the instructions that they are taken from two different die cut balsa sheets (79A and 79B). So I suspect that the small fins are thinner.

Joe

I can check when I get home this afternoon ~4 pm Pacific.

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SAM #0031

The large and small fins on the sustainer "Ajax" portion of an Estes Nike Ajax are 1/16" balsa and thinner than the fins on the "Nike" booster.
Another interesting fact is that the booster "Nike" portion of a Nike Ajax only has THREE fins where the sustainer "Ajax" portion uses FOUR fins.

Due to all these forward fins on the sustainer that don't align really at all with the booster, the drag is pretty high for a BT-55 rocket. Another good reason to upgrade to 24mm motor mount.

At one point Estes listed an A8-3 as a 'suggested' motor for this kit. Flying one on an A8-3 would be a disaster in anything but calm conditions. A buddy flew his on one in my backyard in around 1982 or 1983. It MAY have got to 100' apogee and ejected at about 30' off the ground. The chute was not fully open before 'touchdown'. He got lucky there was no damage, but he never used less than a B6-4 after that. I know I never used less than a B6-4.

__________________
When in doubt, WHACK the GAS and DITCH the brake !!!

Yes, there is such a thing as NORMAL, if you have to ask what is "NORMAL" , you probably aren't !
Failure may not be an OPTION, but it is ALWAYS a POSSIBILITY.
ALL systems are GO for MAYHEM, CHAOS, and HAVOC !

Today's A8-3 is about a 2.2 second delay. It would probably be about right on a calm day as long as a person doesn't build heavy. Low and slow for sure, though.

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I love sanding.

Thanks, GH.

By the way, 24 mm mount has been installed. I set it up to take an Estes E9, and so I can also use a D12 with a 1" spacer. I think it's going to fly really impressively. It took four Estes lead weights behind the nose cone to bring the CG back forward where Estes intended it to be.

Joe

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Thanks, Sean. Unless you have something further to add, GH's info was what I needed.

Joe

I would probably fly it first on a C11-5.
I know mine flies with no added noseweight with a D12-5, but needed weight with the E9.

__________________
When in doubt, WHACK the GAS and DITCH the brake !!!

Yes, there is such a thing as NORMAL, if you have to ask what is "NORMAL" , you probably aren't !
Failure may not be an OPTION, but it is ALWAYS a POSSIBILITY.
ALL systems are GO for MAYHEM, CHAOS, and HAVOC !