AeroTech News Archive 2014 9/25/2014

AeroTech Announces 29mm Motor Retainer

AeroTech has engineered a new machined anodized aluminum screw-on motor retainer. It is designed to fit all AeroTech kits with 29mm motor mounts and will fit other manufacturer’s 29mm motor mount tubes with an O.D. of 1.235”. Product No. 19002, suggested retail price only $14.99!



The 29mm motor retainer is shipping now! 38 & 54mm motor retainers are planned for future release. 7/23/2014

AeroTech Receives Nine New California State Fire Marshal DMS™ Rocket Motor Approvals

The California Office of the State Fire Marshal (OSFM) has issued classification approvals for nine Disposable Motor System™ (DMS™) single-use motors.



The specific products approved are:



29mm DMS Single-Use Motors

H182R-14A (P/N 081814) Redline™

I205W-14A (P/N 092014) White Lightning™



38mm DMS Single-Use Motors

H45W-10A (P/N 084510) White Lightning

H550ST-14A (P/N 085514) Super Thunder™

J425R-14A (P/N 104214) Redline



54mm DMS Single-Use Motors

I65W-10A (P/N 096510) White Lightning

K535W-14A (P/N 115314) White Lightning

L1000W-18A (P/N 121018) White Lightning



75mm DMS Single-Use Motors

M1350W-PS (P/N 13135P) White Lightning



The approvals allow the purchase and use of these rocket motor products by California customers. All the approved products must be sold as “Experimental High Power Rocket Motors for licensed use” in the state of California.



A copy of the new California OSFM approvals will soon be available for download in PDF format from the Resource Library on the AeroTech website. 5/8/2014

AeroTech Announces Seven New DMS™ High Power Motors

AeroTech is pleased to announce seven additional offerings in its DMS™ Disposable Motor System™ line of adjustable delay and ejection single-use motors in 29, 38 and now 54mm diameters.



The 29mm H182R is a Redline™ propellant version of the original H135W DMS motor:



H182R-14A

Diameter: 1.125” (29mm)

Length: 8.00”

Propellant: Redline

Total impulse: 218 N-sec (49.0 lb-sec)

Burn time: 1.2 sec

Peak thrust: 43 lbs (192 N)

Delay time: 14 sec max (adjustable)

Propellant wt.: 115 grams (4.1 oz.)

Loaded wt.: 207 grams (7.3 oz.)



The I205W is the first 29mm ‘I’-class DMS release, using White Lightning™ propellant:



I205W-14A

Diameter: 1.125” (29mm)

Length: 12.00”

Propellant: White Lightning

Total impulse: 345 N-sec (77.6 lb-sec)

Burn time: 1.7 sec

Peak thrust: 57 lbs (253 N)

Delay time: 14 sec max (adjustable)

Propellant wt.: 188 grams (6.6 oz.)

Loaded wt.: 315 grams (11.1 oz.)



The 38mm H45W is a DMS reissue of the popular long burn single use motor sold from the ‘90s that is perfect for lightweight minimum diameter rockets, or as a sustainer for multi-stage designs:



H45W-10A

Diameter: 1.500” (38mm)

Length: 7.98”

Propellant: White Lightning

Total impulse: 320 N-sec (71.9 lb-sec)

Burn time: 6.0 sec

Peak thrust: 20 lbs (87 N)

Delay time: 10 sec max (adjustable)

Propellant wt.: 180 grams (6.3 oz.)

Loaded wt.: 364 grams (12.8 oz.)



The 38mm J425R is a Redline propellant version of the J270W DMS motor:



J425R-14A

Diameter: 1.500” (38mm)

Length: 14.03”

Propellant: Redline

Total impulse: 676 N-sec (152.0 lb-sec)

Burn time: 1.6 sec

Peak thrust: 102 lbs (452 N)

Delay time: 14 sec max (adjustable)

Propellant wt.: 364 grams (12.8 oz.)

Loaded wt.: 631 grams (22.3 oz.)



The 54mm I65W is a DMS reissue of the extremely popular legacy 54mm single use motor from the ‘80s and ‘90s, that is also perfect for lightweight minimum diameter rockets, or as a sustainer for multi-stage designs:



I65W-10A

Diameter: 2.125” (54mm)

Length: 8.58”

Propellant: White Lightning

Total impulse: 640 N-sec (152.0 lb-sec)

Burn time: 9.0 sec

Peak thrust: 40 lbs (178 N)

Delay time: 10 sec max (adjustable)

Propellant wt.: 377 grams (13.3 oz.)

Loaded wt.: 752 grams (26.5 oz.)



The 54mm K535W is a great mid-range high power motor that can lift both large, heavy rockets and lighter rockets for high-altitude flights:



K535W-14A

Diameter: 2.125” (54mm)

Length: 14.10”

Propellant: White Lightning

Total impulse: 1,434 N-sec (322 lb-sec)

Burn time: 2.8 sec

Peak thrust: 147 lbs (655 N)

Delay time: 14 sec max (adjustable)

Propellant wt.: 745 grams (26.3 oz.)

Loaded wt.: 1,264 grams (44.6 oz.)



And the 54mm L1000W is the current DMS power champion that can be used for a wide variety of applications:



L1000W-18A

Diameter: 2.125” (54mm)

Length: 25.00”

Propellant: White Lightning

Total impulse: 2,714 N-sec (610.2 lb-sec)

Burn time: 2.7 sec

Peak thrust: 283 lbs (1,261 N)

Delay time: 18 sec max (adjustable)

Propellant wt.: 1,400 grams (49.4 oz.)

Loaded wt.: 2,194 grams (77.4 oz.)



The new motors feature a filament-wound fiberglass casing, a glass-reinforced composite phenolic nozzle, and a molded plastic bulkhead. All DMS motors ship with a FirstFire™ or FirstFire Jr.™ igniter and an integral thrust ring. Thrust rings on DMS motors are designed to fit standard motor retainers.



All the new motors are TRA certified and can be purchased by flyers possessing an appropriate NAR or TRA user certification. They are competitively priced at $29.99 for the H182R, $39.99 for the I205W, $35.99 for the H45W, $59.99 for the J425R, $79.99 for the I65W, $99.99 for the K535W and $169.99 for the L1000W.



The time delay of DMS motors may be shortened using AeroTech’s Universal Delay Drilling Tool™, which is being provided free of charge through 2014 to each customer who purchases one or more DMS motors (one free tool to a customer, please). Extra tools are available for only $9.99 each.



Motor performance data including a sample time-thrust curve are printed on the motor label.



DMS motors are packaged in a distinctive yellow shipping tube with AeroTech logos printed on the outer spiral wrapping, and the same motor label applied to the outside of the tube for easy identification and performance evaluation by the flyer. Caps on the ends of the tube are applied externally and are easy to remove.



DMS motors are different from previous and existing reloadable and single-use motors in the following important ways:



• No hardware to buy, load, clean or lose

• High strength, light weight molded phenolic or filament-wound fiberglass casing

• User adjustable time delays in 2-second increments

• User adjustable ejection charge

• High reliability due to less potential for user error while retaining superior customer adjustability

• Low cost



Additional DMS motors are under development including a series in 75mm diameter. DMS motors are perfect for Level 1, 2 & 3 certifications and for general sport flying.



The DMS motor design and the Universal Delay Drilling Tool are patent pending.



AeroTech`s DMS line ushers in a new era of ease of use, low cost and spectacular performance to the modern hobby rocketry market.



"DMS- When you just want to fly!™"



DMS motor instructions and a data sheet containing information for the entire DMS line are available for download in PDF format from the "Resources" page.

4/17/2014

AeroTech DMS™ Motor Thrust Ring Advisory

It has come to our attention that there have been two (2) recently reported instances of the factory glued-on thrust rings of high power (H-class and larger) DMS Disposable Motor System single-use rocket motors breaking off the motor casing during flight. This usually results in the bare motor flying through the rocket and into the air, often in an unstable and unpredictable manner.



Customers are advised to examine the strength of the glued-on thrust rings on their DMS motors before flight, and take one or more of the following steps to mitigate this problem:



1. Apply a generous amount of CA (cyanoacrylate) glue to the forward bulkhead side of the thrust ring/motor casing interface. Allow the CA to thoroughly penetrate the space between the ring and case, soak into the ring and allow it to solidify completely before use.



2. Tightly wrap a layer of 3/8” wide or wider masking tape around the motor case immediately adjacent to the thrust ring, to a thickness of 1/16”.



3. Remove the glued-on thrust ring and tightly wrap a layer of 3/4” wide masking tape around the motor case, flush with the nozzle end of the case, to a thickness of 1/16”.



4. Use a motor block within the motor mount tube that will transfer the thrust of the motor to the airframe and prevent the forward movement of the motor within the tube.



AeroTech is continuing to examine and evaluate the situation and will take appropriate action on modifying new production shortly.



Your understanding and patience is appreciated! 2/27/2014

AeroTech Announces Economax™ Line of Model Rocket Motors

“Composite Performance at Black Powder Prices” is the slogan for a very innovative new line of model rocket motors from AeroTech. The first two motors are designed to compete head-to-head with the black powder “E” and “F” motors recently released by Estes®. AeroTech’s new Economax™ composite motors have significantly more power than an Estes® black powder motor, burn much faster, and are up to 43% lighter. The result: it’s like putting a “Bolt of Lightning In Your Rocket!”



The motors are being offered in packs of two with some revolutionary price points. The retail price of a pack of two Economax™ F44W motors is $23.99 (the same price as a pack of two Estes® E16 motors) and the G74W two-pack retails for just $26.99 (the same price as a pack of two Estes® F15 motors ).



Vice President Bill Stine says “We have really made it easy for our retailers to sell these new Economax™ motors as a motor option for the entire Estes® PRO SERIES™ line of rockets. The packaging does a great job of clearly letting a consumer know what Estes® kits the motors can be flown in because it has an actual chart listing all the kits. Retailers asked us to make it easier for a consumer to understand what rockets our motors can be used in – and we’ve responded!”



So how did AeroTech squeeze nearly 83 N-sec out of case size that previously was limited to around 53 N-sec (a 56% increase)? According to AeroTech President Gary Rosenfield, after 41 years of designing composite rocket motors, a number of new design ideas all came together:



• “High-solids” propellant with higher specific impulse (Isp), high density and higher burn rate to minimize throat erosion and delay grain length.



• Volumetrically efficient “finocyl” propellant grain design.



• No separate case liner, so larger diameter propellant grain.



• Longer propellant grain due to shorter delay and bulkhead.



• Slightly higher motor peak operating pressure.



• Relatively flat thrust curve to increase average pressure.



Both the F44W and G74W use AeroTech’s very popular White Lightning™ propellant.



NAR certified motor specifications:



F44W-4, 8

Dimensions: 24mm x 70mm (same physical size as an Estes® D12)

Total Impulse: 41.46 Newton-Seconds

Peak Thrust: 49.54 Newtons

AverageThrust: 40.36 Newtons

Propellant mass: 19.7 grams

Loaded mass: 48 grams (vs. 83 grams for an Estes® E16)

USPS mailable

Retail Price: $23.99 (pack of two)



G74W-4, 6, 9

Dimensions: 29mm x 83mm

Total Impulse: 82.74 Newton-seconds

Peak Thrust: 94.48 Newtons

AverageThrust: 79.64 Newtons

Propellant mass: 39.3 grams

Loaded Mass: 87 grams (vs. 104 grams for an Estes® F15)

Retail Price: $26.99 (pack of two)



No user certification is necessary to purchase the F44W or G74W, though customers must be at least 18 years of age to purchase the G74W. All Economax™ motors are NAR certified. Deliveries to dealers and distributors are expected to begin in mid-March 2014.



Estes® and PRO SERIES II™ are registered trademarks of Estes-Cox Corporation, Penrose Colorado. Use of these trademarks in this document is not an endorsement by Estes-Cox Corporation of the products mentioned. 2/25/2014

AeroTech Receives Eleven New California State Fire Marshal Rocket Motor Product Approvals

The California Office of the State Fire Marshal (OSFM) has issued classification approvals for three AeroTech Reloadable Motor System™ (RMS™) reload kits and eight Disposable Motor System™ (DMS™) single-use motors.



The specific products approved are:



18mm RMS-R/C Reload Kits

C3.4T-P (P/N 33400VR) RMS-18/20 Blue Thunder™

D2.3T-P (P/N 42300VR) RMS-18/20 Blue Thunder



29mm RMS Reload Kit

G25W-10A (P/N 07025M) RMS-29/120 White Lightning™



29mm DMS Single-Use Motors

G80T-14A (P/N 078014) New Blue Thunder™

G125T-14A (P/N 071214) Blue Thunder

H115DM-14A (P/N 081114) Metalstorm™ Dark Matter™

H195NT-14A (P/N 081914) New Blue Thunder



38mm DMS Single-Use Motors

I140W-14A (P/N 091414) White Lightning

I280DM-14A (P/N 092814) Metalstorm Dark Matter

I500T-14A (P/N 095014) Blue Thunder

J270W-14A (P/N 102714) White Lightning



The approvals allow the purchase and use of these rocket motor products by California customers. NOTE: The G80T-14A DMS motor may be sold as a “Model Rocket Motor for consumer use” under California law. All the other approved products must be sold as “Experimental High Power Rocket Motors for licensed use” in the state of California.



Copies of the new California OSFM approvals are now available for download in PDF format from the Resource Library on the AeroTech website. New to High Performance Rocketry? Visit the Rocket Central website (www.rocketcentral.org) for information about how to build and launch rockets thousands of feet in the air. This site includes information about high performance composite rocket motors, reloadable motor systems, and contact information for local rocket clubs in your area. Also visit the NAR & Tripoli websites. Click here to link to the National Association of Rocketry's (NAR) Launch Calendar We encourage our customers to purchase full-line AeroTech products direct from the authorized dealers listed here. -- Choose a Web Store -- Apogee Components Balsa Machining Bay Area Rocketry BRS Hobbies BuyRocketMotors.com Chris` Rocket Supplies Merlin Missiles Solutions Off We Go Rocketry Performance Hobbies Sirius Rocketry Wildman Rocketry -- Choose a Country -- Netherlands Australia Canada Japan New Zealand Spain Sweden Switzerland United Kingdom or go to Dealers Page