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Model Forum / General / Rockets / September 2008How long can you store rocket engines?
How long and in what conditions can you store rocket engines for maximum life? I just came across a deal for buying LOTS of NEW Estes engines and am considering how many to buy and store. Thanks > How long and in what conditions can you store rocket engines for > maximum life? [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > Thanks If they've been properly stored, and never exposed to temperature or humidity extremes, they should last a very long time. At NARAM-50 this summer I flew a 1970 vintage C6-7 in our teams C Payload model. Got about 100 meters more altitude than a "new" motor, but still not enough to place. I still can't believe that no one was willing to go through the process to allow old motors to be flown for the NARAM-50 ORR. I had a bunch more blue tubes I was going to use, plus some B14s. The C6-7s are still legal because they are still made, unlike the shortie and 18x70mm 1/4A motors I was going to fly. >I still can't believe that no one was willing to go through the >process to allow old motors to be flown for the NARAM-50 ORR. I had a >bunch more blue tubes I was going to use, plus some B14s. The C6-7s >are still legal because they are still made, unlike the shortie and >18x70mm 1/4A motors I was going to fly. I had a friend give me a B14 a couple years ago and I used it. I'd forgotten how much thrust those old B14's had compared to B4 and B6 motors. > I still can't believe that no one was willing to go through the > process to allow old motors to be flown for the NARAM-50 ORR. I had a > bunch more blue tubes I was going to use, plus some B14s. The C6-7s > are still legal because they are still made, unlike the shortie and > 18x70mm 1/4A motors I was going to fly. Oh Boo hoo... If it matters that much to you Bob, why didn't YOU pay for the re-certification of the motors? Folks... let's put this in perspective... motors in blue tubes = 35 (give or take) years ago!!! Sure if stored correctly motors can last a long time, but to me it's a joke to think that anyone 30+ years later should feel guilty for not recertifing motors. Doug > > I still can't believe that no one was willing to go through the > > process to allow old motors to be flown for the NARAM-50 ORR. I had a [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > > Doug It's not recertification. It's authorization to use under the old motor program. I contacted Ted Cochran as is the procedure for the program. He referred me to either Jim or Jennifer, I can't remember which. Which ever one I contacted next referred me to the other, who didn't have time to deal with it. I was more than willing to make the arrangements for my own flights, but wasn't even given that option. The bottom line is that while we have a procedure in place for flying old motors, it is more complicated than necessary, and no one involved with running the Golden Anniversary NARAM thought that old motors deserved any attention to be included in the ORR activities. > > > I still can't believe that no one was willing to go through the > > > process to allow old motors to be flown for the NARAM-50 ORR. I had a [quoted text clipped - 27 lines] > with running the Golden Anniversary NARAM thought that old motors > deserved any attention to be included in the ORR activities. And one more tid-bit: at any other launch, it's the person flying the old motor that has to apply for the approval to do so. Yet some how when I asked about this for NARAM-50 it suddenly had to go through the CD and the ORR coordinator. I don't understand where this extra red tape came from. > How long and in what conditions can you store rocket engines for > maximum life? [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > Thanks This year I launched some of my rockets with old MRC engines and FSI Engines with no problem. I had them stoed in my basement in plastic storage bins. They had to be at least 30 years old. Rocketron NAR # 31475 >How long and in what conditions can you store rocket engines for >maximum life? [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > >Thanks Don't know for sure what life span they have but the past couple years I have used a number of both Centuri and Estes engines from the 70's without a single misfire. I was more surprised that the old Centuri igniters were still good moreso than the engines. Those Centuri igniters are much better than Estes. Wish I had a ton of them. On Sep 8, 6:49 pm, bladeslin...@earthlink.net wrote: > On Sun, 7 Sep 2008 18:51:03 -0700 (PDT), Too_Many_Tools > Don't know for sure what life span they have but the past couple years > I have used a number of both Centuri and Estes engines from the 70's > without a single misfire. I was more surprised that the old Centuri > igniters were still good moreso than the engines. Those Centuri > igniters are much better than Estes. Wish I had a ton of them. Just my 2 cents worth. Estes and Centuri engines are made out paper, clay, and compressed black powder. Black powder is not a chemical compound, it is a mixture of three chemicals; charcoal, sulfur, and saltpeter. All of the components of the motors are therefore chemically stable, unlike ACPC, and will not degrade with time. So long as the motors are not subjected to rapid/repeated heating & cooling cycles, which will crack the black powder grain, or to high humidity, which will cause swelling of the grain and/or casing, they should be good forever. Ken Holloway |
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