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-   -   Wanted: 18mm Aerotech E reloads (http://www.oldrocketforum.com/showthread.php?t=17683)

BEC 04-25-2020 06:09 PM

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jerry Irvine
One could make A and B loads with the minimal 18mm nozzle with low Kn propellants. I have those. Not clear why you would want to.

Jerry


Agreed on that. I'm also underwhelmed by the Q-Jet As and Bs. They don't outperform their Estes black powder counterparts and generally cost at least as much. The Q-Jet B4s don't perform nearly as well as the Chinese-made Quest B6s did. They (CN B6s) were noticeably superior to their Estes counterparts....

ghrocketman 04-25-2020 09:15 PM

Fizzicks SUCKS, Chemistry ROCKS !

Would really like that pak of 18mm E27 loads but there is no mention of him selling them.

BEC 04-25-2020 09:45 PM

No, not directly.

But he did sound to me as if he wasn't quite sure what to do with them since he didn't know of they were usable or not. I figured you could "start a conversation" with him as it's called over there and ask if you wanted them as badly as you've suggested here.....

Initiator001 04-26-2020 01:28 AM

...Continued

As we waited for the response to the 'model rocket' reloadable motors, AeroTech was battling the fallout from the Vulcan/Estes 'exploding reloads' videotape.

That deceitful videotape and it's presentation to the DOT, CPSC and NFPA really put a halt in the entire reloadable product lines.

Yet, AeroTech was still getting orders from the smaller, on-site hobby dealers for these products.

As the status of reloadable hobby rocket motors worked its way through various organizations and regulator bodies, reorders for the reloadable motors started to arrive at AeroTech.

The most popular loads were the G64 and F40 White Lightning loads with the E18 close behind.

Not one reorder for the 18mm loads.
None. Zip.

We talked to several dealers/distributors and were told that the 18mm reloads didn't interest many flyers. One or two in a NAR or TRA group would buy a casing and reload, fly it and say "That was interesting" and move on. We were also getting calls from dealers/hobbyists stating that their reload kit was missing two nozzles. Most folks didn't read the instructions to save and reuse the phenolic nozzles for all three propellant loads. This situation caused many phone calls so we/AeroTech decided to include three nozzles in the B and C motor reload kits. This cut into the profit margin.

One evening in November 1992, Paul Hans and I sat around the dining room table at my apartment.

I pulled out a current order form listing all the model rocket reload kits.
Paul and I went through the list using sales figures I had been tracking.

Then we started to cross off reloads with low/no sales volumes.
Except for the D13 reloads, none of the other 18mm loads had any sales.
Paul and I agreed these motors should be removed from the lineup.

The next day Paul and I spoke with Gary about our findings and the recommendation to cancel those products. Gary agreed and that ended the B, C and E reloads for the RMS-18/20 reload case.
We still had inventory on these reloads and it would take awhile before they were sold but no new production runs would be made.

This was lost in the ongoing battle over getting the reloadable motors approved by various regulatory agencies and organizations. At the time we received little or no comment on the cancelation of these products.

The saga of the 18mm B, C and E reloads didn't even last a year.
Like many commercial products the marketplace determined the success or not of these items.

ghrocketman 04-26-2020 03:35 AM

Wish we could get that E27 back.
It would be great in the Mars Lander and Space Shuttle.

5x7 04-26-2020 07:34 AM

Awesome story. All the B and C kits I got only had the one nozzle. You said AT decided to include the addtional nozzles, but was the line cancelled before any were?

Thanks.

Jerry Irvine 04-26-2020 10:48 AM

1 Attachment(s)
There is a romantic attachment to 13mm and 18mm motors due to the Estes multi-decade commitment and success. I am not convinced any competitive 13mm or 18mm motor will ever appreciably impact the Estes Product dominance, even the Q-jet C and D. There needs to be a longer 18mm Q-jet to make any difference. The standard Estes lengths are 1.75, 2.75, 3.75, 4.5".

I would like to see an 18mm Q-jet 3.75" long and perhaps 4.5" long. That would be a utility product with both differentiation and massive compatibility. So what if it sticks out the back a bit.

Tech Jerry

ghrocketman 04-26-2020 11:13 AM

I still have some of those long 18mm AVI D6.1's.
Have not flown one in probably 25 years.
Those worked well back in the day for light rockets.
Would only be interested in long 18mm SU motors if they serve a unique niche such as a REAL PORT BURNER with some actual KICK. Like a D20 or E25.
As soon as Estes releases the new C5 and B8 motors, I'm buying a boatload of them to stockpile so when they discontinue them again I won't be sorry.
What they really should do is replace the entire B6 series with the B8. The B4 and B8 lines would be plenty if they brought back the B4-6.
Totally replace the C6-3 and C6-0 with the C5-3 and C5-0.

Initiator001 04-27-2020 05:02 PM

Quote:
Originally Posted by 5x7
Awesome story. All the B and C kits I got only had the one nozzle. You said AT decided to include the addtional nozzles, but was the line cancelled before any were?

Thanks.


My 18mm reload kits always had three nozzles. ;) :D

The additional nozzles would have been added in the next production run but that never happened.

5x7 04-27-2020 06:37 PM

Thanks!!!


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