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TOGinator
Futuristic 7ft tall rocket
flown on large clusters of 25 to 30 engines
4
inch diameter body, 18 inch wingspan, flight
weight up to 15 pounds. Featured in the EMRR 2009 rockets calendar. |
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Videos: flights
1-5 video flight
6 video
flight 7 video
More info:
flight 6 Click on any picture to enlarge |
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flight 5: 7/17/10
CMASS Amesbury, MA
30 engine cluster: 1x ProX I236 Blue + 2x H133
Blue + 4x D11-P + 23x D12-0
Started using the
cluster box on this date and it really paid off.
Fired all 30 engines and had a clean dual deploy recovery.
However, sparks from the 4 upper motor igniters dropped into the tops of
several lower D12-0 motors and
about 20 motors burned at both ends as the rocket lifted off!
thanks to Curtis Heisey for 6 launch pictures
All flame is supposed to be at the back of
the rocket, the tail of the rocket is not supposed to be lit up like a
barbecue.
Several burning motors dropped onto the field and I had to stomp out flames
caused by one.
Used D12-0 motors for the first time on this rocket because Estes no longer
makes the D11-P motors.
barbeque!
motors dropping off rocket |
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flight 4: 11/21/09
CMASS Amesbury, MA
Prepped with 30 motors, creating a J impulse cluster:
1x CTI/AMW H255 29mm 6gr blue +
2x AT G71 Redlines +
2x AT E15 White +
25x Estes D11-P
Used combination parallel and series
Rocketflite MF ematches dipped in ML pyrogen for all motors
except H255
which was fired by Rocketflite ML igniter. Also used MF ematches for
ejection charges.
Great liftoff on 25 motors. Excellent visual effect.
2x E15 and 3x D11 not fired. Excellent onboard video.
Clean dual deploy recovery after flying to 1120 ft.
Paul showing the business end of the rocket after flight.
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flight 3: 8/15/09 NERRF 6 Pine Island, NY Prepped with 30 motors, creating a J impulse cluster:
1x CTI/AMW I-236 38mm 3gr blue +
2x AT G71 Redlines +
2x AT E15 White +
25x Estes D11-P
Used combination parallel and series
Rocketflite MF ematches for all motors except I-236 which was fired by dual CTI ematches.
Also used MF ematches for ejection charges.
Fired I-236 Blue, 1x G71 Red, 1x E15 White and 19x D11
quickly on pad.
Second G71 fired late, as can be seen in last picture, taken 2 seconds into
the flight.
Second E15 CATOed on pad. Flight arced over to one side but was safe.
Clean dual deploy recovery from 1248 ft. 14.4 lbs at liftoff.
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flight 2:
10/4/08 CMASS Amesbury, MA
30 engine cluster: 3x G71R, 12x E9 and 15x D11-P.
J power on a mix of AP and BP.
The AP engines' ignition accelerated by lightly sanding propellant
slots and painting in some Rocketflite MF pyrogen.
The 3 Redlines will create spikes of flame in the field of yellow flames and
the E9s a longer thrust and smoke tail.
Main chute prepped in a deployment bag. Series strings of
2 to 3 Rocketflite ML ematches before and after installation into the
engines. Series and parallel wiring of ematches greatly reduced ignition
current load to about 65A. Typical all parallel igniter load would have been
about 360A. At the pad with Bob Krech assisting, adding the extra wire to
the upper ematches and taping it to the back of the launch rail.
photos by Doug Gardei
Nice clean launch on 10/4/08 soaring straight and quickly
to 1260ft.
Fired the 3x G71 Redlines, 12x E9 and 12x of 15x D11-P engines.
This time the main chute ejected but did not unfurl, picture thanks to Bill
Spadafora. My son Paul helping with recovery. The business end of the rocket
after the flight. Some scorching from the E9 ejection charges and minor
damage in the tail after a fast landing.
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First flight:
4/19/08 CMASS Amesbury, MA 26x D11-P engines.
At 468 Ns, an I powered BP launch. Flight weight 7.8 lbs.
My son Paul and I at the CMASS Amesbury field.
Bob Krech and Tony Vincent helping set up at the pad. Prototype Rocketflite MF ematches ignited all 26 engines and both
ejection charges.
A great liftoff picture by Jim Flis, thanks also to FlisKits for design
inspiration.
Liftoff was great, arrow straight with a quick start to 765ft, recovery was not.
Both ejection charges fired, but the main jammed and did not deploy. Thanks
to Dave Lindbergh for these pictures.
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Original Build - Spring 2008
Click
on any picture to enlarge |
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The build started as an upscale of the
FlisKits US TOG.
Then a couple canted 29mm engine tubes joined the central 38mm.
Then 23 more
smaller 24mm engine tubes.
The project came together from January to
May 2008.
Built with:
> 1/8" (outboard) and 1/4" (inboard) plywood fins
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LOC cardboard tubing (24mm, 29mm, 38mm, 54mm and 2.6")
> epoxy (Loctite 5 minute and West Systems 206 slow)
> plenty of fiberglass (13oz each side of upper fin, 7oz each side of the
two side fins, 4oz over tubes)
Used multiple layers of Kilz primer, Bondo spot putty and
Krylon paint.
Upper body tube is 54mm. Rocket is just under 7ft tall.
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Rebuild - Summer 2008
Click
on any picture to enlarge |
After a hard landing on the first flight, rebuilt upper rocket body larger
and stronger.
Central tube went from 38mm to 54mm
with 13oz of fiberglass. Bondo spot putty to fill out complex join
points.
Added four more 24mm engine tubes
18" up from the tail for effect.
Then multiple coats of primer between sanding.
The TOGinator now shares the same 4"
electronics bay, parachute compartment and nose cone as the Ultimate
FireBall.
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