Brief:
While the Estes Condor was without a doubt my favorite regularly flown rocket as a kid, the kit that headed up the
list of great unflown rockets of my fleet was the Estes Andromeda. Received as a 15th birthday present, the Andromeda
had the misfortune to be on the building table when my flying buddies decided that they had better use for their time
than model rockets. While I occasionally flew after this, I never found myself on a field large enough to make me feel
comfortable launching the big black bird. Years later when I started college, I gave the Andromeda away to the younger
brothers of a friend. (Sadly he has no recollection of this.) When I discovered the joys of cloning in 2001, the
Andromeda was high on the list of rockets to be cloned. While I started the project in May of 2001, it was only
recently that I found myself with all of the parts needed to complete the project.
Construction:
Andromeda plans can be found here. The parts list:
- 2 BT-20 main body tubes (18")
- 2 BT-50AH ram tubes (1 7/8")
- BT-50H parachute compartment tubes (7.75")
- BT-50S reactor body tube (4")
- BNC-50J (original Estes part)
- JT-20C tube coupler
- EW-49 shroud
- 3 AR-2050 adapter rings
- 3 5055 fiber centering rings (BMS)
- EH-2 engine hook
- 2 1/8" dowels
- WD-2 antenna dowel
- 2 LL-2A launch lugs
- screw eye
- 48" sewing elastic shock cord
- medium snap swivel
Despite the five years that passed between the start of this project and the rockets
first flight, construction itself was surprisingly easy. I had the tubes together and the fins ready for attachment on
the first weekend but without a source for the AR-5055 fiber rings that were critical to the design. (I hadn't heard
about BMS back then.) They had been made from cardstock on the original Andromeda, but I didn't trust myself to cut
even vaguely circular rings from cardstock. The BMS pieces were a perfect fit and should have spurred me toward
completing the project, but they got misplaced on my desk and didn't resurface for quite a while.
With the embarrassing five year anniversary rapidly approaching, I made it a point to hunt up the parts needed
for completion.
Finishing:
Lots of tube surface for this one and an equally large area of balsa, so this wasn't a job I was looking forward to.
That said, it wasn't that bad when I finally got around to it. The worst part was trying to hide the seam in the rather
clumsily made paper transition, but even that eventually reached "good enough" status. Filling was done with
thinned Elmer's Fill 'n' Finish, after which the whole rocket was sprayed with Valspar primer. The ram tubes were
sprayed with fluorescent orange from the same no label can that I've been using for years. Once they dried sufficiently
I slid expended 24mm motor casings into them and sprayed the rest of the rocket with Valspar gloss black. A set of 2001
vintage Jim Z decals will eventually complete the look. With the exception of the missing foil sticker, (and the bent
BT-5 tube,) this could be my 1977 model all over again.
Construction Rating: 5 out of 5
Flight and Recovery:
As with a lot of my rockets, the first flights took place without paint, but no one seemed to mind. Even in primer,
the Andromeda is a head turner. While it seems almost too delicate to fly, the Andromeda is a surprisingly robust
performer. Not wanting to risk a B6-4 flight, I loaded it with a C6-5 and waited until the breeze had died down before
taking it to the pad. The first flight arced slightly and gently to the north as it left the rod and climbed to a
respectable altitude for such a long rocket. Ejection occurred just as it began to tip over, but the chute fouled on
the large rear sail and the whole rocket began to fall in a horizontal position. With everything sticking out in the
wind, the descent was a surprisingly gentle one. It was falling toward a large section of ankle deep grass, so I didn't
think the impact would cause much, if any, damage. It didn't, and I immediately swapped the heavier nylon chute out for
a Mylar one for the next flight.
The second flight was also on a C6-5, but it was flown toward the end of the day when the wind had shifted
somewhat. Once again the Andromeda arced into the breeze, this time back over the flight line. Ejection again occurred
just as the rocket tipped over, and for a moment it looked like another adventurous recovery because the Mylar chute at
first failed to fill. Even with the chute acting as just a streamer the descent was fairly gentle. The chute filled a
moment later and the rocket drifted to within 20 feet of the pad for an almost perfect recovery.
Flight Rating: 5 out of 5
Summary:
PROs: Truly classic futuristic design. Surprising performance. Loved this bird as a kid.
CONs: Fragile. Never flew the one I had as a kid. Lots of stuff hanging out to foul the chute.
Overall Rating: 5 out of 5
Flight Log
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Rich DeAngelis (August 17, 2011)