Pathfinder

Thursday, 15 June 2000
If you ever get an Estes Designers Kit and it contains an BT55 to BT60 transistion, I have the perfect project for you. Just glue the transition into the stock 18" piece of BT55, build up the D engine mount and install it into the stock 18" piece of BT60, add some fins, a coupla parachutes, and a nosecone and you are ready to fly. I filed the motor hook just in case I feel the need launch it with a 24mm RMS reload, maybe something in the F range. Here are the plans from the JimZ site.
Thursday, 29 June 2000
This one really turned out nice. I sanded an airfoil shape into the basswood fins and they came out as smooth as glass. I painted it just like the original and installed separate chutes.

Pathfinder Flights (2)
Date Flight #Motors Motor ISP Description
7/2/2000 47 1 D12-5 20 Headed downwind off the rod. Still gained a respectable altitude. Payload separated and shredded it's chute. Fin can landed normally. Both sections landed in FOBC.
7/8/2000 56 1 D12-5 20 Maybe the best flight of the day. Very high and straight. Upper section separated but took awhile for chute to unfurl. It landed just short of the fence line. Fin can drifted over into the FOBC.

Total ISP: 40 newton-seconds

Average ISP: 20.00 newton-seconds

Pathfinder Flights (2)
Date	Flight	#Motors	Motor	ISP	Description
7/2/2000	47	1	D12-5	20	Headed downwind off the rod. Still gained a respectable altitude. Payload separated and shredded it's chute. Fin can landed normally. Both sections landed in FOBC.
7/8/2000	56	1	D12-5	20	Maybe the best flight of the day. Very high and straight. Upper section separated but took awhile for chute to unfurl. It landed just short of the fence line. Fin can drifted over into the FOBC.

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Total ISP:	40 newton-seconds
Average ISP:	20.00 newton-seconds