Estes LTV Scout, Build, Part 8, 2nd Stage Adapter Insulation

A build comment: 

I have two LTV’s from way back. One is retired, the other is restored and flies great! I would recommend extending the engine tube past the blow mold adapter below the “Italia” decals. The ejection charge blew apart the adapter on both models. Especially if you sand down the seams, they get very thin. I also use two parachutes for recovery. It’s a beautiful model. 

Good luck! Ken Caldwell

I was also concerned about the hot ejection passing through a blow molded adapter. Hard plastic could probably take it, but blow molded (with some thin areas) maybe not.

Ken suggested extending the length of the BT-20 motor mount tube from the mount through the adapter. I decided on insulating the interior of the adapter.   

I cut a piece of scrap BT-60 about 1/2" longer than the adapter.

Even though I had already widened the hole to 5/8" diameter for the ejection gasses to pass through - 

I cut off more of the adapter end for the tapered tube I was going to install. I did leave some of the turned under shoulder lip.

The BT-60 tube was cut down its length with scissors.

An overlapping cone was formed and slid into the adapter. The overlap was marked with pencil.

An overlap tab was drawn, then cut for an overlap.

The insulating tube "cone" was pressed into the adapter to a tight fit  against the top and bottom openings.

Gluing and trimming in next step.

Ooooh! Tissue - Glue Putty!

With all the shortages and hoarding of toilet paper, I was reminded about this old Model Rocket construction technique -

This instruction step comes from the old Estes Ranger, K-06.
To see the old Estes instructions, go to Jim Z's: CLICK HERE
Tissue/Glue Putty did work well to seal the open areas around the motor mount tubes. I remember using a few squares of toilet paper instead of "facial tissue" for this step.
TIP: While the instruction step says to use "small wads" of tissue, you'll make a smoother mix by tearing the tissue into many tiny pieces.

On my Ranger clone build in 2012, I used a plywood centering ring at the top of the three tube cluster mount.
To see this step: CLICK HERE
I still glued on some thick mat board triangles and a little bit of the tissue/glue putty in the center to seal off the top. (I agree - a bit of overkill here!)




Thinking about building a 3 engine cluster Ranger?
The Semroc Ranger kit (now OOP) sold for over $30!
I went cheap - buy a Baby Bertha! The kit BT-60 body tube is 7 1/2" long. Cut that down to 7" (put that on top) and you would only have to add a 11" length of BT-60 for the lower tube.Add two BT-20 tubes for a three engine cluster, make a coupler from a split tube and you are good to go!I 
To see the build: CLICK HERE Scroll back to find the beginning of the build.

Plugged Indicator Adaptor?

I really like the looks of the mini engine Indicator #7244 from Estes. It really calls for two stage gap staging.

There is a plastic adapter at the base of the upper fins joining the BT-50 lower tube and BT-20 upper tube.
On the NAR Facebook page, James Helman noticed the adapter: "This is the transition between the two body tubes...but as you can see the top of it has that little thing usually used to tie a shock chord onto...does enough pressure from the ejection charge go thru that little hole to deploy the chute?"

John Boren from Estes responded: "James, there is plenty of area there for the ejection gases to pass through to eject the recovery system. I've never had it not work yet."

The instructions show both tubes glued into the adapter. The small parachute is ejected at the nose cone joint: CLICK HERE

If I were building the kit I'd cut off the flat adapter top with the shock cord tie loop. That's me - old school, concerned about enough of the ejection charge getting through the small sides of the shock cord tie loop. 
I remember this illustration from the 1971 Estes catalog. 

Who knows, maybe the redirected venting might act as a baffle. Well, until the ejection heat melts through the plastic adapter top. 

TIP and Post Launch Pic

At the end of a launch, I'll walk the area picking up any igniters and wadding.

TIP: From sitting on the wet grass, the wadding is usually damp and great for wiping off the micro clips, launch rod and blast deflector.

It's much easier to get most of the blast crud off at the launch site before it "sets" on the exposed surfaces, especially the blast deflector.

When picking up the wadding pieces after last Sundays launch, I noticed something in the wadding.

That's what's left of the clay ejection cap. Somehow it stayed in the creases of the blown out wadding and made it all the way to the ground.

I have to wonder what the nozzles (and ejection caps) are made of now. Years back they were a consistent color of gray.
Now the nozzles look like compressed small pebbles in many shades of gray.
On YouTube I've seen amateur engine makers make nozzles out of compressed Kitty Litter granules. Makes you wonder if that's what's being used now, or something like that material.

Why not? For years Estes has used treated toilet tissue for wadding.
NOTE: Don't make your own nozzles or engines!