Aerotech EFC-1

Aerotech - EFC-1 {Component}

Contributed by Al Gloer

Construction Rating: starstarstarstarstar_border
Flight Rating: starstarstarstarstar_border
Overall Rating: starstarstarstarstar_border
Published: 2010-11-13
Manufacturer: Aerotech

Brief:
EFCattached2motorA timer based deployment system that attaches to the forward closure of Aerotech style RMS motors.

Construction:
efcComponents

The forward end piece threads into one end of the tube and the other end of the tube threads onto a special Aerotech RMS forward closure. To complete the system a special plugged forward closure is required and they are currently available in 29mm, 38mm, and 54mm.

This device uses a glow plug in place of an e-match for igniting the black powder charge.

efc1GlowPlug

This is an extremely easy to use deploment system and the directions came on one sheet of paper. The electronics portion is manufactured by PerfectFlite.

The only con I could come up with was installing the smoke charge in the fwd closure. Stuffing a greased o'ring and plug into a sealed cavity took some effort. This is a great system to use with smaller rockets that cannot be modified for dual deployment and is really a good fit with the Warp9 propellant.

Construction Rating: 4 out of 5

Flight:
I have flown this twice with the AT G339N Warp9 reload in my Small Endeavor. The original intent was to use it with the same reload and my MR1 for a real artillery shell like flight. That flight is yet to come.

efcProgSW

Preparation is somewhat easy. You simply unscrew the electronics assembly from the outer body, hold down the programming button and insert the battery. Then release your finger from the button. Next press the button and hold it for the delay time you need to set and then release. an LED will flash to tell you the programmed time in seconds. Remove the battery and wait 5 seconds. Reinsert the battery, the lamp will flash the delay time and then indicate armed. You can easily test the delay time by giving the device a swing at the end of your arm. Nice thing here is you don't have to go through an e-match to test.

Screw the board back into metal tube and then you can screw that assembly onto the end of the forward closure when ready. Add in the BP, a bit of wadding, and tape it as you would any other ejection charge.

It's that easy. As for assembling the smoke charge in a plugged motor, that is another discussion and for me involves considerable coarse language and a sedative.

Recovery:
Keep in mind that this is a G-switch activated timer and needs to sense 2G for .2 seconds to arm itself. Of course you need to include the burn time of the motor, however with a Warp9 that is really not much to think about.

Also, this device has no altimeter function and does not provide any flight data.

Flight Rating: 4 out of 5

Summary:
A perfect fit for use with the Warp9 reloads and smaller rockets that you would like to tailor the ejection time (single deploy)without the added work of building an avionics bay. If Aerotech can come up with a variant that is altimeter based, I will have that in my sticky paws 5 minutes after it is for sale.

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5

comment Post a Comment