DJI Phantom with Mini Estes Rocket

[Thebooperman]

Has anyone attached a mini Estes rocket to their phantom to see if it can be controlled with the significant increase in speed? Imagine being able to remotely activate a rocket booster in mid-air while moving in a forward direction. Almost like a NOS bottle for a car. What would happen? Can it be controlled? Would it go out of range faster then can be controlled? Is this crazy talk?

I'm not talking about duct taping a rocket to it either and laughing when it flyes into the ground or catches fire. I'm talking about a well thought out plan to attach the rocket in a position so when in full throttle in a forward direction you can't ignite and accelerate forward.
I attached a picture of the mini Estes for reference.

I'm considering doing this mod to my custom Phantom 2 vision.

 

[jryser]

I think I want to see the video LOS when you do it!


Sent from my PT beating heart

 

[phxbird57]

yea post the video and pictures.I need a laugh.

 

[N017RW]

"Is this crazy talk?"

Yes.

 

[RJ_Make]

Interesting, I'm not a rocket scientist, but I would have a hand full of Phantoms at your disposal for the testing..

 

[phxbird57]

I remember back in the 70's some guy mounted 2 mini booster rockets to his car in northern Arizona.( the ones used to help get planes with heavy loads going down the run way.) They found him and the late 50's chevy in bedded in a side of a hill 2 miles from where they think he started. I think it was 50 or 60 up off the ground.

 

[N017RW]

That Legend has been around a long time.

 

[phxbird57]

That Legend has been around a long time.

40 years that I know of.

 

[kenundrum]

The short answer is the motors you pictured wont do much. The long answer is complicated... estes rocket motors are pretty well documented and generally operate within specifications. The rocket motors you show will output up to 8 newtons of thrust(3 typically) for up to 1.25 newton-seconds. Meaning they last about a third of a second. The -4 on the end indicates that 4 seconds after the main engine is done burning, the charge in the front of the motor will go off, exploding out the front of the rocket. This typically causes the parachute to deploy. While this will be a great smoke show, it likely wont do much to the quad. A p2 produces about 22 newtons of thrust on its own. Adding between 12 and 32N for less than a second wont do much. Typical model rockets weigh next to nothing, so the small force numbers equate to a lot of action. Theoretically you could get a larger rocket motor to do something, but you'd probably need something like a plugged motor so that it wont explode out the front when done. Those put out up to 12N for a second according to estes charts. So that would give you quite a boost. For what it's worth i would only put them aiming straight down because otherwise y9ud have no chance of maintaining control. Fooling around with the smaller ones is probably an ok (if crazy) idea. It would definitely give your quad a smoke trail for a few seconds if you're doing something acrobatic.
PS- my rocket science is a little rusty, so I'm ballparking most of the figures.

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[JCS9118]

Has anyone attached a mini Estes rocket to their phantom to see if it can be controlled with the significant increase in speed? Imagine being able to remotely activate a rocket booster in mid-air while moving in a forward direction. Almost like a NOS bottle for a car. What would happen? Can it be controlled? Would it go out of range faster then can be controlled? Is this crazy talk?

I'm not talking about duct taping a rocket to it either and laughing when it flyes into the ground or catches fire. I'm talking about a well thought out plan to attach the rocket in a position so when in full throttle in a forward direction you can't ignite and accelerate forward.
I attached a picture of the mini Estes for reference.

I'm considering doing this mod to my custom Phantom 2 vision.

Sounds cool!

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[Newgmole]

[emoji15][emoji15][emoji15]

Make sure you post that video!


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[BigAl07]

Unfortunately this is a disaster (For the aircraft anyway) in the making.

With airplanes the lift is created by the wings and the prop is only providing thrust. With this scenario you can add Rocket Assist just make sure everything can handle the stress. With our MultiRotors the props create the lift as well as dictate thrust angles etc. Now keep in mind in order for these aircraft to be even remotely stable we have to enlist a very advanced Flight Controller into the equation. This FC takes all sensor parameters and transmitter stick position into account and makes the needed adjustments to make the aircraft fly within a set of limites. When you introduce the ROCKET into the equation it's very likely the FC is going to go against the new "force". Also take note that the behavior of the aircraft is hardcoded into the FW which is why they only fly at Xmph, descend at Xfps etc. The FC has a narrow operating allowance and as such will try to fight the external force as best it can. I can 100% assure you this aircraft is capable of much more aggressive and faster flight but it's "dialed down" via programming in the FC.

I'm not saying don't try this but if you do be ready for some CRAZY things and by all means record it from the ground.

 

[Vadar]

To BigAI07's point, you'll be introducing a very short impulsive force that the FC controller will try to counter for. I imagine you'll see the AC jerk in response to the initial impulse then counter correct. Think small bird strike without taking our your props. Are you lining the rocket engine horizontally in line with the AC, e.g. make it go faster in a horizontal direction or vertically with the AC, e.g make it ascend faster. How do you plan to ignite the rocket engine? Love to see the mounting mod and video!

 

[jjpetroski]

1) you're going to need a long wick.
2) probably need to set at an angle to prove lift and forward thrust. Like the one's on C130's (or the big military cargo jets) at lift off.

 

[Static8]

No way with these engines and exactly the end result is an explosion usually for the purpose of releasing parachute on the rocket. Only good would be to connect a Estes rocket and launching it from the Phantomn lol, I've seen someone fill up small rocket with gunpowder and launching it...the rocket blew up like a big firework and just as dangerous. I wouldn't mess around with anything flammable like rocket engines...sounds like a disaster in the making..

 

[yogi27]

Has anyone attached a mini Estes rocket to their phantom to see if it can be controlled with the significant increase in speed? Imagine being able to remotely activate a rocket booster in mid-air while moving in a forward direction. Almost like a NOS bottle for a car. What would happen? Can it be controlled? Would it go out of range faster then can be controlled? Is this crazy talk?

I'm not talking about duct taping a rocket to it either and laughing when it flyes into the ground or catches fire. I'm talking about a well thought out plan to attach the rocket in a position so when in full throttle in a forward direction you can't ignite and accelerate forward.
I attached a picture of the mini Estes for reference.

I'm considering doing this mod to my custom Phantom 2 vision.

Be sure to put your bird into (ATTI) mode or your GPS will fight every movement.

 

[dgd3]

Has anyone attached a mini Estes rocket to their phantom to see if it can be controlled with the significant increase in speed? Imagine being able to remotely activate a rocket booster in mid-air while moving in a forward direction. Almost like a NOS bottle for a car. What would happen? Can it be controlled? Would it go out of range faster then can be controlled? Is this crazy talk?

I'm not talking about duct taping a rocket to it either and laughing when it flyes into the ground or catches fire. I'm talking about a well thought out plan to attach the rocket in a position so when in full throttle in a forward direction you can't ignite and accelerate forward.
I attached a picture of the mini Estes for reference.

I'm considering doing this mod to my custom Phantom 2 vision.

That sounds so cool! I'm sceptical that anything good would happen though

 

[Static8]

Rocket engines no matter what size will not work , the larger E , G or F size rocket motors from Estes will tear the quad apart spinning it uncontrollably unless you are an Aersopace engineer but instead why don't you look at simple RC jet engines...much more thrust and you will for sure get the results you want negative or positive..Hey if these little RC jets can propel a man few hundred feet in the air , they can surely move a Phantom...small ones available would work, just weight of another 4s Battery might be an issue

 

[alokbhargava]

Be sure to put your bird into (ATTI) mode or your GPS will fight every movement.

You have a point. I was thinking on similar lines. If it's in a controlled mode, it will resist a phenomenon like fly away and initiate max braking.


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[Szon3]

That would be no more than a fart in the wind. Go with the F engine.