Estes - Echostar (2176) [2001-2003]

Brief:
I made the Echostar into a fun sport rocket by doing the following:

• Removed the lower stage
• Removed the body tube adaptor
• Made it a little longer
• Removed the fins on the upper part of the sustainer

Modifications:
I scrapped those fins that are on the very top, took out the adaptor and second stage, added an extra length of tube, and found a new way to attach the shock cord: I looped one end the shock cord through one of the upper fin slots (about 1/4in long), and tied the other end to the nosecone. I then wrapped a few long pieces of tape around the holes to make this a very effective, easy to replace mount. I have flown it about a dozen times like this and it has yet to fail on me. I did everything else normally. The engine hook came out on flight #8, so I use the friction fit method now.

Construction:
Through the wall fins, 2 tubes, a nose cone, a bit of shock cord, and a homemade chute.

All the parts were in the original kit. No real alignment issues. I modified the rocket so much that I did not use the instructions included with the kit.

Flight:
I used a 15in homemade nylon chute and it was perfect. I made the tube coupler tough enough not to come apart at ejection but easy enough to come apart with a bit of a pull, so I can easily put recovery wadding in after the parachute. I did not originally plan on this, but I figured it out before flight #6 during CMASS Space Day 2003.

Summary:
Easy build and finish. A fun rocket with no real cons.

Flight Log

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