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  #1  
Old 05-12-2011, 03:27 AM
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blackshire blackshire is offline
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Default A Friendly Challenge...

Hello All,

This message is a friendly challenge to model rocket manufacturers, especially the smaller ones. It is also a "suggestion of opportunity," as it concerns a market niche that is unfilled at present. My experiences in searching for affordable bulk-packaged model rocket kits for a charity (The Northcote Heavy Horse Centre www.northcotehorses.com ) that wishes to conduct model rocket activities at their fund-raising events has highlighted a need for a special type of rocket kit that would be very useful for such applications, especially in the current economic climate. If it was available today, other charities (as well as schools, Scout troops, 4-H Clubs, and other youth groups) would be interested in purchasing them in large quantities. The kit should have the following features:


[1] The rocket should have the ability to turn in impressive (but not necessarily out-of-sight) flights using the cheaper 1/4A and 1/2A 13 mm motors (the 1/4A3-3T and 1/2A3-2T) as well as the "full A" A3-4T and A10-3T motors;

[2] To enable small-field flying, the rocket should utilize streamer recovery;

[3] For low cost, it should use a BT-5 / #5 size body tube, with a motor thrust ring;

[4] For durability, the rocket's fins should not protrude below the bottom edge of the body tube;

[5] The rocket's fins should be located ~1/4" up from the bottom edge of the body tube, to enable the motor to be secured in the model simply by wrapping masking tape around both the protruding end of the motor and the bottom end of the body tube;

[6] The fins should be laser-cut or die-cut balsa or fiber fin material (beveridge board), and;

[7] The rocket kits should cost no more than $3.00 to $4.00 each (excluding shipping), when purchased in quantity.


The rocket would be a simple 3FNC or 4FNC minimum-diameter design that would resemble the FlisKits "Flea" (see: http://www.fliskits.com/products/ro...detail/flea.htm ), the MPC "Super/Star" (see: http://www.rocketreviews.com/mpc-su...-jeff-lane.html and http://www.oldrocketplans.com/mpc/m...0/mpc3-0910.htm ), or the Quasar One "Gnat" (see: www.apogeerockets.com/Quasar_Gnat.asp ). It could have a balsa or plastic nose cone, and the shock cord need not be elastic due to the model's very low mass; the shock cord could be cotton kite twine or Kevlar cord. A card stock Stine "Shock Lock" anchor could secure the shock cord in the model.

I hope this information will be helpful.
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Last edited by blackshire : 05-18-2011 at 12:26 AM. Reason: This ol' hoss done forgot somethin'.
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  #2  
Old 05-12-2011, 09:43 AM
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ghrocketman ghrocketman is offline
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Default

We have not been able to get ANY manufacturer to respond to the request of high-thrust single use port burning motors either, and that venture would most likely FAR out sell any sort of bulk-pak low priced kits and be far more profitable.
Good luck with your idea with having any sort of timeliness at a $3/$4 price point.
A noble cause/challenge, but may be an unrealistic one.
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  #3  
Old 05-12-2011, 09:48 AM
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Chas Russell Chas Russell is offline
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Default

Except for your requirement #4 about fins protruding below the motor, the SEMROC Thunderbee would fit the bill. The first time I flew it on a 1/2A, I was impressed by how high it actually got. It is streamer recovery. Just a thought.

Chas
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  #4  
Old 05-12-2011, 10:41 AM
Peter Olivola Peter Olivola is offline
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This is about as simple as it gets:
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  #5  
Old 05-12-2011, 10:54 AM
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CPMcGraw CPMcGraw is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by blackshire
[7] The rocket kits should cost no more than $3.00 to $4.00 each, when purchased in quantity.


With balsa prices shooting up faster than the rocket up the rod, this may kill the project before it has a chance to mature, even if we talk about mass-production.

For a number of years now, I've been posting plans in the BARCLONE section called "Schoolyard Sounders", which comes close to filling your primary requirements of small, 13mm birds designed to stay in the boundaries of school grounds. This is not an impossible goal, and you don't have to limit the style to a simple 3FNC or 4FNC model, either.

As an example, check out my "Tau Draconis" from 2006 to see how radical such a design can be. This is a built and flight-proven model.

A photo of the actual model can be found here...
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  #6  
Old 05-12-2011, 11:01 AM
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Shreadvector Shreadvector is offline
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Quest Starhawks are available pretty cheap, and I have heard (but not seen actual prices) that special deals can be negotiated for very large purchases.

They do not use mini motors, but fly great with 1/2A6-2 or A6-4 motors.
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  #7  
Old 05-12-2011, 11:05 AM
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gpoehlein gpoehlein is offline
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Y'know - if we could get Estes (hint hint John Boren) to come out with a rocket featuring a BT-5 body tube, the plastic nose cone from the 220 Swift, and the fin set from the Viking, it would fit your parameters completely - quick and easy build and very durable. You could also use the Quark nose cone, but there are a number of rockets that use that one already.

Greg
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  #8  
Old 05-12-2011, 11:51 AM
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JumpJet JumpJet is offline
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How many thousands do you need to purchase? Is this a one time purchase or annual amount. If your talking only a few hundred it's simply not worth the effort to do.

If you want something real simple you can always get a E2X model like the image I have attached. I know the price is higher then what you are looking for but thats the price for a 12 pack. By a few thousand and I'm sure the price would be in your price range.

John Boren
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  #9  
Old 05-12-2011, 01:22 PM
Sandy H. Sandy H. is offline
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The BMS 'School Rocket' is close as well, but still requires an A8-3 or you'd have to make an adapter. Its actually a lot of rocket for the money.

http://www.balsamachining.com/SchoolRocket2.htm

Maybe Bill would be the right guy to ask about doing a smaller version in quantity.

Sandy.
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  #10  
Old 05-12-2011, 01:31 PM
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UMRS UMRS is offline
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Ive been looking this over and just dont see a real way to make a $3.00 rocket. Weve had some designs come in at around $5.75. Balsa prices are the killer.
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