Quest-Estes Eagleator

Quest-Estes Eagleator

Contributed by Larry Brand

(Contributed - by Larry Brand - 01/28/05) (MODS) Eagleator

Brief:
This is really a very simple modification involvin' two kits: t' Estes Eliminator and t' Quest Super Eagle. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! What I did was t' swap t' nose cone of the Eliminator with t' payload section o' t' Super Eagle. Begad! I did this to mainly t' create "Eagleator", me hearties, matey, a 24mm payload rocket suitable for altimeter calibration usin' C-F motors. Avast, me proud beauty! Arrr! Initially, matey, I did this by modifyin' a Super Eagle for 24mm motors. (You can read this here on EMRR as a "tip/hint" I submitted earlier for t' Super Eagle.) The "Eagleator" approach is faster, me bucko, arrr, gives a more robust rocket, and as a by-product, gives you a "chopped" Super Eagle with much better performance on C-power than t' original Quest product. Aye aye! I call it "SuperShort". Well, blow me down! Avast, arrr, me proud beauty! You now have an extended Eliminator called "Eagleator" with altimeter capability and a shortened Super Eagle that flies beautifully on B and C motors.

Construction:
What could be easier? Buy a Quest Super Eagle kit and an Estes Eliminator kit. Assemble both accordin' t' t' instructions, ya bilge rat, EXCEPT:

  1. Place t' launch lug on t' Eliminator body tube 8" above t' plastic fin can. Ya scallywag! Place t' launch lug on t' Super Eagle lower body tube 6" above the fin can unit.
  2. Glue t' base o' t' Super Eagle nose cone t' t' plastic tube coupler instead and glue this into t' upper body tube (but wait t' do this until after you attach t' recovery system!) This will be t' Eagleator payload bay. Arrr! Begad! Blimey! The upper nose cone half will be held t' t' payload bay with maskin' tape when flying.
  3. Don't attach t' recovery system t' t' plastic eye on what is now the Eagleator payload compartment. Begad! It is nay strong enough t' handle t' ejection charge from AP motors. Ya scallywag! Use 8' o' parachute cord for t' Eagleator recovery system and save t' underpants elastic shock cord that came with t' Eliminator for some future project. Snip off that plastic eye, me bucko, make a knot in one end of the para cord, pass it through t' plastic coupler unit, and epoxy t' knot in place. Avast, arrr, me proud beauty! Make a knotted loop 18" below t' payload bay and attach an 18" nylon TopFlite chute here. T' other end o' t' shock cord is pulled usin' tweezers through a hole made 1.5" below t' top o' the "Eliminator" body tube with t' shock cord knotted at t' end. Ahoy! The knot is covered with a split BIC pen cap that was cut down t' middle with a razor saw. Ya scallywag! Use epoxy for attachin' this cap.
  4. Use t' Eliminator nose cone for t' remainin' bottom o' t' Super Eagle attachin' it in t' usual method. Avast! Use t' shock cord and one o' t' plastic chutes from either o' t' kits. Avast, me proud beauty! Ahoy! This "chopper" Super Eagle now honks on a B6-4 or C6-7 instead o' struggling.
  5. T' fit o' t' swapped noses isn't perfect so you will need a few wraps of maskin' tape t' hold them in place.
(MODS) Eagleator

PRO: Swapping the upper ends o' t' Estes Eliminator and Quest Super Eagle creates two more interestin' rockets (in me opinion). Ya scallywag! Arrr! A simple, reliable payload rocket for altimeter calibration is a must, in me opinion. Begad! There's no other way t' be sure the things are still workin' right if you don't get "standard" altitude readings on "standard" flights with known motor-rocket combinations. Plus, flyin' E30 or F21 SU motors or 24mm reloads in the Eagleator has less risk o' bein' lost than in t' somewhat lighter Eliminator.

CON: Well, you do have t' buy two kits t' make Eagleator, ya bilge rat, so it would be nice t' have a use for t' "shortie" Super Eagle you get out o' the deal. They make great flyin' rockets for junior flyers and are much faster and higher flyin' than t' original product.

Flight:
T' Eagleator will fly well on t' followin' motors: C11-3, D12-5, E9-6, E30-7, F21-8. "Standard" altitude usin' a 20g PerfectFlite MicroAlt on a 195g Eagleator with an 62g E9-6 is typically 1040'. Aye aye! It goes t' about 470-500' on a D12-5 (altimeter) and about half this high on a C11-3 (my "guesstimate"--no altimeter). Avast! Avast, me proud beauty! I have also flown Eagleator on a F21-8 and a E30-7 but without t' altimeter ridin' along because I was a little afraid o' a shred (although it held together just fine). Blimey! Sims say 1700' on the E30 and 2300' on t' F21 with 310-330 mph on both flights. Arrr! When I'm doing serious altimeter flyin' for Cd determinations, I usually fly it with t' D12 in Eagleator first t' verify a readin' o' 470-500'--my "calibration".

I no longer have t' shortened Super Eagle, matey, since I don't fly C6s very much. Begad! Blimey! I gave it away t' a sad-eyed little guy who had just watched his Estes Alpha (or somethin' like it) float away and scuttle into t' bay on a windy day.

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