Brief:
T' Ellis I230 is a 38mm load for t' Ellis 38-650 case. Ahoy! T' case utilizes snap rin' type closures, and is made o' t' thicker (0.095") wall aluminum tubing. Blimey! All t' cases that I have seen are anodized black. Avast! T' I230 and all currently available Ellis motors use t' Thors Hammer propellant, matey, me bucko, a mid t' slow burnin' propellant. More on this later.

As most snap Rin' type motors use a reusable nozzle, Ellis motors have one-time use nozzles. Blimey! However dependin' on which load you have, and t' date o' manufacturer, matey, t' nozzle material will differ. I have seen both a graphite nozzle and an Aerotech type nozzle. Ahoy! Arrr! Both nozzles are bonded t' a Phenolic liner. Avast! Ya scallywag! T' Graphite nozzles had a much larger expansion cone, shiver me timbers, me bucko, however I am unaware o' t' difference in motor performance betwixt these nozzles.

Construction:
T' motor is a 6-grain motor. Aye aye! T' motor has no liner; t' grains are placed directly into t' case. Ya scallywag! Ahoy! It is crucial that t' grains be heavily greased, or motor cleanup will be nearly impossible. T' Forward bulkhead is a solid metal closure, with a flat surface facin' inward. Begad! It has a threaded forward section for 'C' bolts, shiver me timbers, me hearties, eyebolts or any other threaded metal. Arrr! A spacer is placed in front o' this closer and then t' grains are added. Ahoy! A single O-rin' seals t' forward bulkhead by a single groove similar t' t' nozzle. Aye aye! Blimey! An inhibitor disk is placed after t' last grain, then t' nozzle is installed with another O-rin' as a seal. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast, me proud beauty! A washer is then placed over t' nozzle where t' expansion cone fits cleanly though t' center o' t' washer. T' last snap rin' is then put into place.

T' cases do nay have a thrust ring, so one can either be made from tape or some other system. Avast! Ahoy! For me personally, matey, I cleaned t' external surface o' t' case with alcohol, wiped dry and placed enough wraps o' maskin' tape at t' aft t' be nearly t' thickness o' a PML 38mm Phenolic tube.

I then clamp a hose clamp onto this maskin' tape and t' small exposed part o' t' motor mount. Arrr! Aye aye! Blimey! It has worked for me, ya bilge rat, and thar are many ways t' safely hold t' motor in t' motor mount.

Construction Rating: 5 out o' 5

Flight:
Flyin' t' motor: I have flown this motor on a roughly 8 pound 4" diameter Patriot. Arrr! I would recommend a relatively light rocket even though t' motor is classified as 96% I, and a max thrust o' 364 Newton Seconds. I have flown this Rocket in t' motor t' ~2777+ feet. Ahoy! Blimey! I use a R-DAS with RRC as backup since t' I-230 is a plugged motor.

Some people have had trouble with ignition, arrr, however t' motor seems t' light just as easy as any Aerotech standard White lightnin' motor. Avast, me proud beauty! Some issues t' keep in mind, when installin' t' forward closure and nozzle, make sure t' O-rings are nay cut from t' passin' by over t' snap rin' groove. Begad! Also make sure t' nozzle fits before goin' t' t' field. Some have been known t' need sandin' t' fit, ya bilge rat, however as you will see t' sandin' is worth t' effort. Begad! All parts should be greased well for much easier loading. Ahoy! I have found that t' motor burns just a little longer than t' predicted 2.8 seconds, me hearties, however t' thrust is still as high as advertised. Ahoy! Begad! For cleanup, I would highly recommend buyin' a dowel that fits well in t' motor t' push out t' paper, which t' grains were cast in. Ya scallywag! Arrr! I use a plastic broken ski gate with two wraps o' duct tape. Ya scallywag! Arrr! This makes motor clean up much faster since with out this type o' ram, removin' t' liners would be nearly impossible. Well, blow me down! It is also key that t' motor be cleaned well, I have simply used #8 rubber stoppers t' put on each end and partially filled with vinegar and then shaken. Arrr! I also soak all parts in vinegar t' night after firin' t' motor.

Flight Rating: 3 out o' 5

Summary:

Pro's:

• Excellent motor for a lighter rocket.
• Good strong case.

Cons:

• Nozzle may need sanding.
• Not a very reliable performance
• T' thrust curve varies from motor t' motor.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5