(Contributed - by Matt Gillard - 03/21/10)
Brief:
The Maxi Streak #1837 is a long time OOP rocket from Estes. Got the plans off JimZ's website. It
is like an upscaled mosquito with swept back fins or a streak with rounded fins and upscaled. The instructions call for
a 24mm motor mount, which I changed for an 18mm mount: a D or E motor would put this thing into space.
Modifications:
The maxi streak is a very quick build. The instructions are of the normal Estes quality.
I don't like the tri fold method for anchoring the shock cord, instead I use a steel fishing leader attached to the
motor mount, this also stop burning issues to the shock cord.
The mount was glued into the body tube, the instructions called for the end of the mount to extend beyond the end
of the tube, I put it in flush to give the rocket a cleaner line.
Construction:
To build the Maxi Streak is used: 1 engine holder BT-20J
- 1 engine block EB-20A
- 2 centering rings RA-2060
- 24 inches elastic shock cord
- 1 6.75 body tube BT-60
- 3/16 balsa sheet
- 1 plastic nose cone PNC-60MS
- 24 inch mylar streamer
- 1 steel fishing leader
- 1 launch lug
- 1 swatch of Nomex®
cloth
- 1 Decal from excelsiorrocketry
Finishing:
The fins of the model were given a few coats of sanding sealer and the rocket
was primed and sanded.
The
rocket was given several light coats of metallic red paint, after this dried one fin was masked off and given a few
coats of gloss black paint, as was the nosecone.
I went with red paint, because the picture of the Maxi Streak on the Jimz site has the rocket in red. however,
the instructions have the rocket being painted orange, which i read after i had painted mine - so that's another
deviation from the orignal.
Initially I was not going to put a decal on the rocket, but after posting this build on TRF, Gordy from
excelsiorrocketry said he had one and as i have been very happy with the quality of his decals in the past i bought one
to finish the model properly. Gordy has since told me that he has sold a few more Maxi Streak decals to other poeple.
Flight:
The original recommended motors were D11-9, D12-5, D12-7. With the 18mm mount i would go with
A8-3, B6-4, C6-5.
Flights were made with all three motors in the same day. Each flight was arrow straight, with a steady increase in
altitude.
I got to drag race my Maxi Streak against another Maxi Streak at my club's monthly meeting on the 21st of March.
I lost.
Recovery:
The original Maxi Streak recovered via a streamer, given the low mass and potentially high
altitude then that's a good choice.
I went with about 4 foot of two inch wide mylar streamer.
Recovery is quite fast, but safe. Each flight had the streak land fairly near the pad and more importantly
without damage.
Summary:
Pro's:
A good performance rocket that looks good, especially with the excelsoirrocketry
decal. Flights are stable and fast.
Con's:
Streamer recovery may result in some damage to the swept back fins, but none has been seen yet.
Flight Log
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