Apogee Components Centrix

Apogee Components - Centrix {Kit}

Contributed by Seth

Manufacturer: Apogee Components
(by Seth) 

My order o' a Centrix, 1/4A2-4, and 1/2A2-6, ya bilge rat, arrived in about 6 days in a box much small than I had expected, these are little dinks after all. 

Centrix

[PIC]T' instructions are very similar t' Estes', and t' kit is very straight-forward. Avast, me proud beauty! Aye aye! I put rounded edges on t' 3 nicely die-cut balsa fins, filled w/fill n finish, and glued t' t' body tube with tacky glue. Ahoy! Next the Keelhaul®©™® shock cord is tied t' t' thrust ring, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, which is glued inside t' body. In order t' get t' rin' up inside t' tube I used a 3/8" dowel. T' nose shock cord attachment is unique; a small bead bein' used t' retain t' Keelhaul®©™® in t' nose. Tyin' t' plastic streamer t' t' shock cord finishes the construction. I primed me Centrix (a good idea, t' tube is slippery), and then put on waaaayyyyyy t' much purple paint. Ahoy! Well, blow me down! In t' end it looks fairly nice, and weighs in at a measly 5.9 grams (.2 oz). 

Micro motors

It was cold and windy out so I only flew t' 1/4A2. Ignition was a big pain (especially with me fingers freezin' off). Begad! I had 2 misfires with one motor, then switched t' another and got it going. Begad! Aye aye! T' igniters are tricky. Begad! Avast! Care must be taken nay t' short it at all. Aye aye! Begad! I didn't have any problems with fusin' like at NARAM, arrr, since I'm usin' t' ultimate wimpy launch controller (I've got a battery upgrade coming). Well, blow me down! I fear that t' first engine may have been chronically-unstartable. Avast, me proud beauty! Once it goes his pyrogen is pretty hot, and t' rocket popped o' t' pad. Begad! Avast, matey, me proud beauty! T' Lots-A-Smoke delay lived up t' its name with a billowing trail. T' rocket coasted t' what looked like 200 feet (hard t' tell) and fell half way back down (delay seemed like 6 sec instead o' 4). Arrr! Avast, arrr, me proud beauty! T' ejection finally came with a loud POP! T' rocket separated :( I think I used t' little glue on the thrust ring. Ahoy! On recovery I found it stank *really* *bad* o' S02, me hearties, matey, with what looked like sulfur residue on t' nozzle and forward end o' t' motor.? 

Overall? A very well put together product, ya bilge rat, me bucko, t' ignition needs t' be fixed. Arrr! I like t' bead in t' nose and smoke o' t' motors. 

Relinquished by Scott Johnson @[Picture]

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  • Apogee Components Centrix (Mod) By Peter Clay

    Brief: My Centrix kit and two A2-7 motors arrived a few days before Christmas 1998. (Having spent my rocket budget on HPR, I had ordered the minimum needed to get this thing in the air.) As soon as I had the kit out of the box I knew it was something very, very cool.  Centrix is the most basic kit for Apogee's 10.5mm micro-motors and is optimized for their characteristics. It is ...

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