The Nike-X: One of my favorite '70s kits. This design was inspired by air defense missiles. The real Nike-X project was begun, but cancelled before it saw the light of day; this is only a suggestion to what the real one would have looked like. The pseudo-second-stage fins and the great Black & White decals are the highlight of the design.
I have modified this kit by adding an altimeter payload bay ("Iris"), which adds 3 inches and 17.5 grams of weight. Of course, now she's just a bit too heavy to fly safely with A8-3 motors. (Iris is named after the Greek god of the rainbow. She is a messenger of the gods, linking the gods with humanity.) This rocket has flown higher than torch of the Statue of Liberty, including its base.
| Flight Date: | 2011-09-03 |
| Rocket Name: | Nike-X |
| Kit Name: | Estes - Nike-X {Kit} (1270) [1975-1984] |
| Flyer's Name: | Rich DeAngelis |
| Motors: | B6-4 |
| Launch Site: | Fort Indiantown Gap, PA |
| Actual Altitude: | 200 Feet |
Good flight and recovery. I must remember to not use a -4 delay again, had the erratic winds this day been stronger this might have weathercocked and nose-dived pretty far and maybe augered-in. Good flight and a reliable recovery on nylon parachute. About 200 feet altitude. Altimeter battery charging circuit is dead and it was not onboard.
| Stage | Motor(s) |
|---|---|
| 1 | Estes B6-4 |
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