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  #1  
Old 11-17-2007, 10:04 AM
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46u 46u is offline
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Default Rocket engine question

Hello all,
I have not been into rockets for over 30 years and I sure wish I had all the rockets I trough away back then. My nephew and hopefully my grandson are talking to me about wanting to get some rockets stuff from Santa Claus. I did a search and did try to find the answer to my question that I am sure has been asked on here somewhere. My question are Estes and Quest engines interchangeable with each other? Can I use Estes engines in Quest rockets?
Thanks
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  #2  
Old 11-17-2007, 10:31 AM
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Rocketflyer Rocketflyer is offline
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Arrow Intechangeable engines

Quote:
Originally Posted by 46u
Hello all,
I have not been into rockets for over 30 years and I sure wish I had all the rockets I trough away back then. My nephew and hopefully my grandson are talking to me about wanting to get some rockets stuff from Santa Claus. I did a search and did try to find the answer to my question that I am sure has been asked on here somewhere. My question are Estes and Quest engines interchangeable with each other? Can I use Estes engines in Quest rockets?
Thanks


Welcome back to the fold! You will have fun when you see what is out there to play with. Great companies, Great kits, and friendly, helpful folks on this forum.

The short answer is yes, they are interchangable. The casing on the Quest engines get quite hot after firing, so be aware of that problem. The Quest engines are made in Germany.

Jack
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  #3  
Old 11-17-2007, 11:02 AM
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tbzep tbzep is offline
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Like Jack said, yes they are interchangeable. Quest motor fit is a little more loose than Estes motors in a typical BT-20 motor tube.

Quest advantages: Dense white tracking smoke, fairly accurate delay on the A6-4.

Quest disadvantages: Harder to find in stores and fewer online places carry them, usually a little more expensive, smaller selection. New ignitors are very thin and a little awkward for young novices to hook up, but they work great.

Estes advantages: Usually a little cheaper, much wider distribution, heavier ignitors for the inexperienced.

Estes disadvantages: Delay on A8-3 much shorter than advertised, tracking smoke not as dense.
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Old 11-17-2007, 07:51 PM
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Shreadvector Shreadvector is offline
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The comment about the igniters is incorrect. The procduction Q2 igniters use lead wires that are quite thick. Perhaps this comment was based upon the first prototype production run that used identical construction found on the MRC igniters from a decade ago. Well, Quest improved them on the next run and the wires are thicker and they are separated more by a larger glass bead. They are more durable and relaible than the Estes igniters and actually produce quite a fireball at ignition.

Quote:
Originally Posted by tbzep
Like Jack said, yes they are interchangeable. Quest motor fit is a little more loose than Estes motors in a typical BT-20 motor tube.

Quest advantages: Dense white tracking smoke, fairly accurate delay on the A6-4.

Quest disadvantages: Harder to find in stores and fewer online places carry them, usually a little more expensive, smaller selection. New ignitors are very thin and a little awkward for young novices to hook up, but they work great.

Estes advantages: Usually a little cheaper, much wider distribution, heavier ignitors for the inexperienced.

Estes disadvantages: Delay on A8-3 much shorter than advertised, tracking smoke not as dense.
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Southern California Rocket Association, NAR Section 430
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Old 11-17-2007, 08:17 PM
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tbzep tbzep is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Shreadvector
The comment about the igniters is incorrect. The procduction Q2 igniters use lead wires that are quite thick. Perhaps this comment was based upon the first prototype production run that used identical construction found on the MRC igniters from a decade ago. Well, Quest improved them on the next run and the wires are thicker and they are separated more by a larger glass bead. They are more durable and relaible than the Estes igniters and actually produce quite a fireball at ignition.


Fred,

I don't know what "version" that was included in the bulk packs I bought for school, but I did figure you'd chime in and refute anything negative about Quest. All I know for sure is that they were shipped from Quest with little glass beads on them after they became commercially available to the public, definitely not ten years ago. That doesn't sound like prototypes to me. My teachers and students had one heck of a time getting them hooked up but had no trouble with the Estes igniters. They were bad enough that I bought individual packs of A8-5's last year instead of buying the Quest bulk packs and buying Estes igniters seperately, which would have cost me more.

Edit: These motors were bought in May of 2006 from Brian at BRS, not directly from Quest. I have bought bulk from Quest in past years and got it mixed up. I found my launch report on TRF and Jim Flis replied that Quest had changed their production on the Q2 so it is possible that I got some earlier ones. I sure hope so because the ones I had were terrible.

http://www.rocketryforum.com/showpo...396&postcount=1

Last edited by tbzep : 11-17-2007 at 08:42 PM.
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  #6  
Old 11-17-2007, 08:39 PM
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dwmzmm dwmzmm is offline
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The Quest Q2 igniters do seem more reliable than the Estes (at least, to me when I use them
for BP clusters), but I use the Estes plastic plugs to hold the Q2's in place.
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  #7  
Old 11-18-2007, 12:38 PM
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Arrow Igniters

Quote:
Originally Posted by dwmzmm
The Quest Q2 igniters do seem more reliable than the Estes (at least, to me when I use them
for BP clusters), but I use the Estes plastic plugs to hold the Q2's in place.


I have to chime in here. As to Quest igniters, the ones with the glass beads are very good. Very good indeed. I bought a bunch of them to replace the Estes ones as I run out of them. I have not had a single problem with the glass beaded igniters, and I handled them pretty roughly with my "heavy" hands. (read all thumbs)
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