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  #1  
Old 06-04-2012, 03:48 PM
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AcroRay AcroRay is offline
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Default Custom Tri-Star finally...

Since my BAR status, I had been wanting to build Custom's sleek little TRISTAR. I finally got one last summer, and tried to get it completed by the close of our local flying season, but to no avail. I had a decal disaster, then a paint-matching disaster that required a new nosecone. But I finally got it together for last month's local Tripoli club launch.



It flew quite nicely. I decided on a streamer rather than a chute, though, because the one I built for my oldest daughter a couple of seasons before utterly disappeared in the upper crosswinds typical of our flying area - even on a 10" with a spillhole.



The thing came straight down and landed engine-down, cracking one of the finely-finished fins and buckling the paint around the fin root right through the primer to the BT surface. Sigh.



It's going to be a challenging cosmetic repair job.
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Last edited by AcroRay : 08-09-2012 at 10:34 AM.
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  #2  
Old 06-04-2012, 04:07 PM
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tbzep tbzep is offline
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Ouch. I hate that on such a nicely finished rocket. What size was the streamer?
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  #3  
Old 06-05-2012, 09:57 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tbzep
Ouch. I hate that on such a nicely finished rocket. What size was the streamer?


About 5X the length of the rocket, at least. I used a textured mylar party streamer. But I think the problem was it was either too heavy to begin with due to excessive length, or just didn't get to unfurl completely on the first-flight A8-3's altitude.



I do plan a repair job. Chris Michielssen's blog is should be helpful and inspirational in that regard.
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  #4  
Old 06-05-2012, 07:25 PM
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Tau Zero Tau Zero is offline
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Unhappy Streamer blues

Quote:
Originally Posted by AcroRay
About 5X the length of the rocket, at least. I used a textured mylar party streamer. But I think the problem was it was either too heavy to begin with due to excessive length, or just didn't get to unfurl completely on the first-flight A8-3's altitude.

I do plan a repair job. Chris Michielssen's blog is should be helpful and inspirational in that regard.
AcroRay,

I had similar problems with my first Tau Zero prototype. The 36" crepe paper streamer did its job *too* well by causing too much drag. The rocket came down tail first and broke a fin off.

I'm afraid this is one time when a small parachute is actually more preferable than a big streamer. (That's my 20 cents' worth. )


Cheers,
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  #5  
Old 06-05-2012, 10:23 PM
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Tau Zero Tau Zero is offline
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Default Custom Tristar with original paint scheme

Sometimes my TV reporter's brain doesn't let me rest until I nail down the answer I'm looking for.


I went looking for the Custom Tristar, and all I could come up with at the company's website:

http://www.customrocketcompany.com/store/


...were the kits re-decaled as the Galaxy Patrol/Rescue/Taxi (see below).



Then I stumbled across the original Tristar still available from JonRocket:

http://www.jonrocket.com/index.php?...&products_id=47


So the original Tristar is officially OOP? (I know, I just don't get out enough.)


Now it remains to be seen if I can scrape up the necessary cash (heavy sigh).


Cheers,
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Jay Goemmer
"Centuri Guy"/"Tau Zero"
YORF Member 28
Semroc SAM #0029
NAR 86131


"I think about organizing things all the time. Never seems to happen. I find something that piques my interest and I'm off on a quest. Or a Centuri. "

--Bill Eichelberger, 02/22/2022


“Centuri fret buzz in an updated form.”
Bill “Wallyum” Eichelberger re: Estes Flutter-By
03 Sept 2014
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  #6  
Old 06-06-2012, 08:16 AM
chrism chrism is offline
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The original decor is OOP. But as you can see the rocket still lives on! However Custom uses stickers these days. Maybe Gordy can come up with water-slides in the Tri-Star decor?
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  #7  
Old 06-04-2012, 04:31 PM
A Fish Named Wallyum A Fish Named Wallyum is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AcroRay
Since my BAR status, I'd been wanting to build Custom's sleek little TRISTAR. In finally got one last summer, and tried to get it completed by the close of our local flying season, but to no avail. I had a decal disaster, then a paint-matching disaster that required a new nosecone. But In finally got it together for last month's local Tripoli club launch.



It flew quite nicely. I decided on a streamer rather than a chute, though, because the one I built for my oldest daughter a couple of seasons before utterly disappeared in the upper crosswinds typical of our flying area - even on a 10" with a spillhole.



The thing came straight down and landed engine-down, cracking one of the finely-finished fins and buckling the paint around the fin root. Sigh.



It's going to be a challenging cosmetic repair job.


Bummed for you. That was a good looking bird. I always went with a small chute with mine because of the way those fins caught the brunt of a landing. Might be worth thinking about horizontal recovery like the Super Kits. Even on a streamer that would help redirect some of the landing shock. Plus it would look cool.
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