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TOPIC: Mystery motors..

Mystery motors.. 3 years 5 months ago #1247

  • DaveL
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Hi all,
new boy here.... A lifelong aeromodeller (with breaks) who had Jetex models as a nipper, and recently returned to the fold. I still have a pair of J50's from back then and was given some fuel pellets a while back, but as I was unable to locate my originals, managed to pick one up on Ebay - Roger very kindly sent me a steel casing for this, as it had the alloy casing.
I work at a small aviation museum in N.Wales (hello Howard!), where we recently received a donation from the widow of a modeller - and sorting through this, I found some very interesting goodies.


The top photo shows a pair of Jetex motors that were labelled '100' - but I think that they are the 150 PAA Loader type? Fuel and wick also... along with a very smart looking motor in a presentation box from Powermax, labelled 'Jet-x 100Z 50the Golden anniversary'.

But, here's the real mystery - there was a box labelled simply, 'Rockets', containing a dozen of the rather scary-looking motors to be seen in the photo lower left - penny for scale. These appear to be sealed units, with nozzles at each end, and seem to be intended for the collection of model rockets seen in the other photo - you can see one of the motors sitting in the rear of the model to hand. These models do not have any recovery system or launch rail, but I was told that the model in the background (black with red/white check) 'actually works'. I know somebody fairly high up in the UK model rocketry scene, but they are all mystified about these, and I wondered if anyone might be able to shed light on these motors.

cheers,

Dave
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Mystery motors.. 3 years 5 months ago #1249

  • ahmetcalfe
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Hi Dave, good to see you posting, welcome to Jetex.org. I know nothing about the the vertical rocket stuff, however, I can advise that the gold Powermax Jet-X might work, once, before burning through the case top sealing lip! The Pmax fuel is usable in steel bodied Jetex 50 motors (50C) but hard to ignite, I found some success with my microflame torch adapted to heat up a 1 mm stainless steel wire in the nozzle.
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Mystery motors.. 3 years 5 months ago #1250

  • rogersimmonds
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Hi David,

good to have you aboard. :)

There is no mystery about the Jetex items, which look to be - as you so rightly say, PAA Loaders. There are folk out there who still fly with these motors, with varying results and the thrust/time graphs with old pellets is very variable, to say the least.

The Powermax Jet-X 100Z are very nice paper weights, and go well on ... er ... eBay. I would hesitate to put it in a model.

The other items are real puzzles. The motor:



looks to be a reloadable type, though not one I've seen, and one of the 'nozzles' may be a relief valve. How old would you say they are? Are they a product of the LSRSA? Have you disassembled them? - if they are aluminium alloy then a low temp propellant is predicated and a link with Jetex is likely.



Above: 'Jetex' liaised with the LSARA to develop some motors. :dry:

The 'Spaceplane is intriguing:



and more interesting than the ballistic type models which probably could have worked given a high thrust motor.

Do have dates for any of these models?

All the above is not much help I'm afraid - so I'll be interested if any of your contacts in the UK rocket scene can shed any light.

:unsure:
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Mystery motors.. 3 years 5 months ago #1252

  • DaveL
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Thanks for the replies, and confirming my thought that the motors labelled as '100' are, in fact, PAA Loaders. As for the gold 50Z, I suspect that it will be found on Ebay in the not too distant future....
Regarding the bigger mystery motors, I will wait a while to see if my contacts in the model rocketry scene can shed any light - but yes, it would be really nice to see if I can get the 'space plane' into the air, and will have to see about an ignitor with a very long cable...(I can extend a regular Estes type launcher). :cheer:

Roger adds,

a couple more photos of the 'spaceplane' would be good. I don't recognise the design from any model mag. Perhaps it was a prop from a film or an exhibition?

It should go up from a catapult launch (try these first )with enough oomph (an L-3?) ... and come down quickly! :whistle:

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Mystery motors.. 3 years 5 months ago #1253

  • Terry Kidd
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That space plane is rather tasty. I agree with Roger, those rockets and the space plane would not look out of place on TV. Maybe Blake's 7 or some such.



:woohoo:

Could the 'motor' be actually a smoke generator for thrust representation.
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Mystery motors.. 3 years 5 months ago #1254

  • Terry Kidd
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Thank you Roger or Howard.

It's just as well I didn't suggest Flash Gordon, hey?

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