Construction Rating: | starstarstarstarstar_border |
Flight Rating: | starstarstarstarstar_border |
Overall Rating: | starstarstarstarstar_border |
Diameter: | 3.00 inches |
Length: | 19.00 inches |
Manufacturer: | Estes |
Skill Level: | 2 |
Style: | Sport |
Brief:
Short, stubby, and fun rocket. Flies on Estes D engines. Unfortunately I think it was just discontinued because it was not in Estes' 2005 Catalog.
Construction:
The rocket made its debut in the mid 1990s. At the time, kits were being made with a 4/6 sided box with a bag. This one was no exception. It had:
The rocket was quite easy to build. I had no trouble with the T3 (through the tube) system used on the fins. I had the rocket done in about 4 hours (counting paint time). The shock cord is mounted to the centering ring. I hate this method because even if I use a lot of wadding, it still manages to fry the shock cord or parachute. This failure did eventually happen to this rocket, as well as with the V2. The nose cone also has a large transition, which leaves very little room for the parachute and wadding.
Finishing:
I don't use sanding sealer or such because I'm very impatient. First I sprayed the whole rocket gloss black then painted the tip of the nose cone a bright gloss yellow. Finally, I applied decals and was done.
Construction Rating: 4 out of 5
Flight:
I have only flown mine once at a Flight Fest, where I launched 30 rockets of my fleet on December 28, 2004. Because of the cold, I was worried about the parachute because many chutes had already failed to open properly.
The rocket uses about 12 sheets of wadding. I then set it up with an Estes D12-5 and let it rip. Big Daddy soared to about 300 feet.
Recovery:
The rocket recovers on a 24" parachute which popped out easily. Amazingly, it survived the cold and the Big Daddy came down at perfect speed. However, when I went to retrieve it, I picked it up and the shock cord snapped. The parachute shroud lines were also falling apart. Probably because of the shock cord being mounted onto the motor mount.
Flight Rating: 4 out of 5
Summary:
This is a very nice kit but I think Estes should give it an E motor mount. It's a shame to see it go away if it really is being discontinued. I want to get another Big Daddy to modify and fly on Aerotech 29mm motors!
Overall Rating: 4 out of 5
This project was an upgrade of the typical Big Daddy to a 29mm mount with fiberglass reinforcement to the fins and lots of nose weight with a funky flame job. Modifications: This is an old style Big Daddy I ran across for $15 which sure beats the heck out of the regular retail price of ~$30 or whatever it is. So first up is the MMT. I used 30 minute epoxy because that’s what I ...
19" LG X 3" Dia 24" Parachute 24mm Motor Mount - D12-3 & 5 recommended This is a great sport flyer that builds very quickly. If you upgrade the parachute to a quality nylon chute you have a very versatile companion for your Aerotech 24mm RMS! 4 My kit is a pre-release beta kit so it did not come in the standard Estes packaging - just a basic plastic bag. All parts were present ...
In keeping with my likes of "stubby" rockets, I decided to build three more that were around three inches in diameter to compliment my 2.6" and my 4" collection. So, I set off to get a LOC Onyx, a RocketVision Grymm, and the Estes Big Daddy. See my 3" Stubby Rocket Comparison Page The Estes Big Daddy qualifies as a "stubby" rocket because it is 19" long and has a 3" diameter giving it a less ...
single stage, 24in. parachute, 24mm motor mount, 3/16 launch lug This is a standard Estes kit. It utilizes TTT (through the tube) fin mounting for the four balsa fins. One three inch paper tube is the body tube with a 24mm paper tube for the motor mount. The nosecone is a large plastic one with the standard Estes shock cord attachment loop. Two cardstock centering rings are included. The ...
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T.T. (July 1, 1999)