Modification - Patriot Baby

Brief:
Stage Bash of Estes Patriot Missle and Baby Bertha kits for 2009 EMRR Challenge.

Construction:
For my Stage Bash I decided to use Estes Patriot and Baby Bertha kits.  I called it “Patriotic, Baby!”(Say it like Austin Powers…)

I originally planned to use an internal BT20 tube and use gap-staging between the stages, but I realized I couldn’t *add* any pieces.  So I decided to go with CHAD-staging internally with 3 motors.  I built both kits stock, except for these modifications. 

For the Baby Bertha(booster), I put the engine block at the bottom of the motor mount, so the booster motor would kick the stage free.  I also cut off about 1” of the tube to make the end of the third motor to be right to the engine block. 

The Patriot comes with two white body tubes, one yellow body tube, and two couplers to connect them.  I simply painted the top part of the tube yellow. 

I used one coupler for the two white tubes, and used the other on the Bertha as a stage coupler.  I also left off the aft centering ring on the Patriot to make room for the stage coupler.

Flight:
On launch day, I loaded the rocket with 2 B6-0’s and a B6-4.  It was a little slow off the pad(maybe I should have used a C6-0?).  When the second motor staged, the sustainer started doing loops.  It kicked the motor(s) and came in ballistic.  Not good! 

My thinking was that even though the scotch tape kept the motor hook from engaging the top motor, the thrust would keep it in the kit until the second motor lit the third and fell away.  Apparently that wasn’t the case. 

To be honest, I don’t even know if the top motor lit – I didn’t think about searching for it at the time.  This flight was my 4th failed flight in a row that day, and I was ticked off at being 0-4.

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