Estes Mosquito 301% Upscale Upscale

Scratch - Mosquito {Scratch}

Contributed by Matt Gillard

Published: 2010-12-07
Manufacturer: Scratch
Style: Upscale

Scratch Mosquito 301 Cluster

Brief:
Part of my mosquito family. This is a 301% upscale of an Estes mosquito, fitted with 2 x 18mm cluster mount. Designed to return via a streamer, but a small chute, could be used.

Construction:
The components for the kit consist of:

  • A Big Bertha nose cone.
  • 6.02 inches of Bt60.
  • Three balsa fins.
  • 2 x 18mm engine tubes.
  • 2 2x18mm cluster motor mount rings
  • 2 x engine blocks
  • Elastic Shock Cord.
  • Swatch of Nomex cloth.
  • 2 meter of 2 inch mylar streamer.
  • Fishing leader.

The motor mount which is a cluster ring, is built in its usual way. A steel fishing leader was added to the mount by added one end tied and glued around the engine tubes, with a notch cut into the forward centering ring. The leader stops short of the neck of the body tube, to reduce the chance of the thin steel cable cutting through the body tube at ejection. Fins were attached in the normal way, with the launch lug added to the body tube at the body tube and fin seam. The shock cord is a two foot length of elastic, which was attached to the fishing leader

The rocket was given three coats of sanding sealer, and wood glue filleted a few times.

Finishing:
The entire rocket had two coats of white primer added, with rub downs in between coats.

To match my original mosquito color scheme and all the other mosquitos the rocket was given a few coats of yellow spray paint, and then masked and black paint added to one fin.

A mini brute decal from excelsiorrocketry was added to the yellow fin, and a black CP decal was added at the CP point.

Flight:
First flight was using a pair of Estes A8-3s

flight was straight and quick off the pad.

Ejection was just before apogee and the rocket recovered fine.

Second flight was a month later, this time I opted for a pair of C6-7s.

Flight was interesting: the first 100 foot was straight and then the rocket curved to the left, and then curved back to the right. I think that the thrust of each motor was unequal, with one motor peaking earlier giving the first turn, followed by the second motor peaking as the first one start to lose thrust. The flight path was effectively a large question mark shape.

Recovery:
Recovery is via a long streamer, partly because there is not alot of room for a chute, but mainly because it is easier to find a 2 meter length of mylar in a field of crops.

The streamer does recover the rocket on the quickish side, but there has been no damage with this rocket, or other Bt60 rockets of a similiar design. The fields where Midland Rocketry fly is quite soft.

Summary:
I do like this rocket, mainly because its a Mosquito. It probably will not get too many outings, as it cost twice as much to fly a cluster than it does to fly a single motor rocket.

Comments:

avatar
Josh Bywater (October 13, 2013)

how did u upscale the fins??

avatar
Darian Rachal (December 3, 2013)

"The streamer does recover the rocket on the quickish side, but there has been no damage with this rocket, or other Bt60 rockets of a similiar design. The fields where Midland Rocketry fly is quite soft."

Matt, My idea in regard to 'recovery' is to have the smallest size chute necessary to prevent damage, or in your case a long streamer.Smile

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