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 Rocketry Product: Quest - Magnum Sport Loader {Kit} (3012)

Model Rocket Building: Quest Magnum Sport Loader #3012 Build, Part 1 Parts (2015-08-31)

I have built a few of these before, but not for the blog. A few years ago, Bill Stine contacted me to make one for NARAM demos. That model is on the Quest website. Tim at Apogee needed one built for ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Quest Magnum Sport Loader #3012 Build, Part 2 Engine Mount A (2015-09-01)

Sometimes the Quest supplied engine hooks aren't spring steel. You bend them and they stay bent. These spring back. I've replaced kit engine hooks in the past, but these I can use. The ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Quest Magnum Sport Loader #3012 Build, Part 3 Engine Mount B (2015-09-02)

The two engine mount tubes are glued side by side with the ends even. Don't just punch a slit with your knife for the hook bend, take the extra moment to mark the high and low centers and the ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Quest Magnum Sport Loader #3012 Build, Part 4 Engine Mount C (2015-09-03)

The half moon centering rings are glued 1/2" from either end. I found it easier to mark just the sides of the white engine mount tubes and center the small ends of the rings next to the pencil ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Quest Magnum Sport Loader #3012 Build, Part 5, Fins (2015-09-04)

These are die-cut fins, you'd better gang sand them. Die-crush fins are never uniform. Laser cut fins are usually all the same. The die cut blades were a little off and some end areas crushed. ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Quest Magnum Sport Loader #3012 Build, Part 6, Parachute (2015-09-06)

The 14e" Quest parachutes are cut to size. On both of my chutes, the six-sided hexagon cut wasn't centered. The shroud line holes are pre-punched but the punch is too far from the edge of the ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Quest Magnum Sport Loader #3012 Build, Part 7, Payload Section (2015-09-07)

The nose cone is easily scored and cut around the recessed lines. A thin ring is removed and discarded. On the left is the payload section from the Quest Courier. The inset picture shows ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Quest Magnum Sport Loader #3012 Build, Part 8, Couplers (2015-09-08)

The coupler that fits into the nose cone base is very tight in the payload tube. I sanded down and rounded the edge for an easier start in the payload tube. After rounding off the edge with 220 ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Quest Magnum Sport Loader #3012 Build, Part 9, Fins (2015-09-09)

Another fin alignment guide that doesn't match up! I made my own, again. The fins and body tube seams were treated with CWF and sanded smooth. The tubes, fins and payload section got a shot of ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Quest Magnum Sport Loader #3012 Build, Part 10, White Smooth Sanding (2015-09-09)

  The engine mount was glued in with the BT-20 tubes extending 1/4" out the back. I lined up the two engine tubes with one of the larger fins. A fillet was added to the joint of the rear ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Quest Magnum Sport Loader #3012 Build, Part 11, Engine Mount Painting (2015-09-10)

I probably shouldn't have glued the engine mount in yet. Even if it were painted the same color as the main body, trying to get paint into the corners of the mount would be hard. It would end up ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Quest Magnum Sport Loader #3012 Build, Part 12, Engine Mount Mask (2015-09-11)

Before the main body is painted the painted black engine mount will have to be masked off. Masking tape will have to be tucked into the tight recess around the engine tubes. Masking tape was ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Quest Magnum Sport Loader #3012 Build, Part 13, Adapter and Polishing (2015-09-12)

I taped off the nose cone coupler before painting it black. Even after I removed some of the tape tackiness it still pulled up some of the outside coupler layer! Be aware of this when using black ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Quest Magnum Sport Loader #3012 Build, Part 14, Masking Part A (2015-09-13)

After the overall orange only one fin is masked for gloss black. The rest of the decor is the decals. Look at the face card to see which fin is masked. The fin on the opposite side of the launch ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Quest Magnum Sport Loader #3012 Build, Part 15, Masking Part B (2015-09-14)

Before spraying, rub down the edges and seal them. I use a Q-tip. It's cushioned and gives a bit letting you get into the tight areas. TIP: Here's the dumb tip of the day. If you ever feel the ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Quest Magnum Sport Loader #3012 Build, Part 16, Masking Part C (2015-09-15)

On the ends and corners you might have little paint "ticks". While the paint hasn't totally dried and bonded to the color underneath, you can straighten it without scraping. With the side of your ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Quest Magnum Sport Loader #3012 Build, Part 17, Decals (2015-09-16)

You are supplied with three sets of decals (both right and left) for the three upper and three lower fin sides. You won't need one set for the lower black fin, if set on the black paint they ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Quest Magnum Sport Loader #3012 Build, Part 18, Payload Section Decal (2015-09-17)

The main body still needs some wet sanding and another coat of orange, so on to the payload section. The decals are old school, and have a clear outline overcoat. Look close at the top of the ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Quest Magnum Sport Loader #3012 Build, Part 19, Altimeter and Nose Cone Tie (2015-09-18)

I glue my shock cords in the tri-fold mounts at an angle. For the explanation: CLICK HERE I don't use tri-fold mounts often but they can come in handy if there is nowhere to tie down ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Quest Magnum Sport Loader #3012 Build, Part 20, Ends and Edges (2015-09-18)

Using the back side of my knife , the paint was scraped off the engine hook. Lift the hook a little to get the paint off the sides. This isn't necessary but sharpens things up. It also gets paint ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: The BIG FIX, Quest Magnum Engine Mount (2016-01-22)

  Here's the carnage after my Quest Magnum launch a few months back. On the far left you can see the two engine cluster mount, still tethered by the Kevlar line. Moving to the right ... [Read More]

Rocket N00b: Repairing and Enhancing the Quest Magnum Sport Loader - Part 1 (2016-02-04)

As a member of the National Association of Rocketry , I regularly get an email newsletter - The Electronic Rocketeer - from Ted Cochran, president of the NAR. In the most recent edition, sent out on ... [Read More]

Rocket N00b: Repairing and Enhancing the Quest Magnum Sport Loader - Part 2: Verifying Stability (2016-02-10)

Click here for Part 1 . In Part 1, I cut the damaged portion of the Quest Magnum Sport Loader off, shortening the airframe by about 1 3/4 inch. The rocket now looks good, despite being shorter, and ... [Read More]

Rocket N00b: Repairing and Enhancing the Quest Magnum Sport Loader - Part 3: Fixing the Sim Part A (2016-02-27)

The shortened simulation of the rocket shows stability to be marginal - only 0.627 caliber. Below, we fix that. Click here for Part 1 This is kind of an addendum to the previous two posts on ... [Read More]

Rocket N00b: Repairing and Enhancing the Quest Magnum Sport Loader - Part 4: Fixing the Sim Part B (2016-03-18)

Click here for Part 1 In the last post , we removed all the Center of Gravity (CG) and mass or weight overrides on the simulation of our rocket. Now we have to find the CG and total weight of the ... [Read More]

Rocket N00b: Repairing and Enhancing the Quest Magnum Sport Loader - Part 5: Finishing the Sim (2016-03-28)

Click here for Part 1 of the series Click here to start with Part A of the rocket simulation part of the series A Few More Details We found the true weight and Center of Gravity (CG) of our rocket ... [Read More]

Rocket N00b: My First Club Launch - Upcoming (2015-09-14)

I haven't launched a rocket in months. Last time it was with the Ivy Tech Rocket Camp I taught in June. The rockets were all really small, I was the only adult, and because of where we launched, I ... [Read More]

Model Rocket Building: Quest Magnum Sport Loader #3012, Finished (2015-09-19)

  Here's the Magnum twins! I built two at the same time. The orange one will be sold on Ebay. I chose yellow for the second model after seeing Daniel Petrie's Magnum build. I'm keeping ... [Read More]

Rocket N00b: Nerves (2015-09-24)

I'm nervous about this weekend's upcoming CMASS rocket launch in Amesbury, MA. At first, I was nervous about joining the club. What if I have nobody to talk to at launches? What if they don't like ... [Read More]

Rocket N00b: When Launches Don't Go As Planned - An Example of Post-Flight Analysis (2016-01-11)

If you build your rockets well and prepare them carefully for launch, most of your flights will go well. Sometimes, however, you will have flights which do not go as planned. Any number of things can ... [Read More]

Rocket N00b: Astron Sprint XL (Clone) - Finished! (2016-03-19)

I'm taking a break from my series on repairs, simulations, etc. - all the good stuff I got from the failed flight of the Quest Magnum Sport Loader - to show off my new rocket. After months of working ... [Read More]

Rocket N00b: Playing With the Flight Simulation (2016-04-04)

You can generate an image of your rocket in flight in the Photo Studio in OpenRocket. Now that we've run a first simulation using Estes C6-5 motors, let's try a couple things. What if I'd built the ... [Read More]