Anyone built/own/flown one of these and give me a recommendation or otherwise. thanks

4 feet tall
requires D engines
390 feet
recovery parachute

Very nice rocket. I always liked the looks. Have a Shadow (same design, different name) in the build pile.

Very similar to the Super Big Bertha in performance, a big slow rocket that can fly on smaller (football pitch) sized fields.

kj

Thanks. He is a good looking fella.
Is the stock shock-cord adequate on the Optima (original)?
What rod do you need to launch this - standard OK or maxi-rod.
Can you use anything else besides a maxi-rod.
I would expect this guy eats wadding like hell... any alternatives?

What particular Estes D motor is recommended for the "easiest" launch for this rocket? Assume winds of 5 mph - 8 mph and launching on a mid-large size field. Need to place an order from my local hobby shop, so they need the exact D type

My option available (for local pick-up/no shipping)
D12-5
D12-7
D12-3

Originally Posted by arukum17

What particular Estes D motor is recommended for the "easiest" launch for this rocket? Assume winds of 5 mph - 8 mph and launching on a mid-large size field. Need to place an order from my local hobby shop, so they need the exact D type

My option available (for local pick-up/no shipping)
D12-5
D12-7
D12-3

The recommended motors for the Optima are D12-3 and D12-5. The only difference is the time delay before ejection.

Originally Posted by arukum17

What particular Estes D motor is recommended for the "easiest" launch for this rocket? Assume winds of 5 mph - 8 mph and launching on a mid-large size field. Need to place an order from my local hobby shop, so they need the exact D type

My option available (for local pick-up/no shipping)
D12-5
D12-7
D12-3

D12-3 will probably give you ejection right at apogee. Use the -5 on calm days for extra altitude.

D12-3 is the only safe choice. I had an Optima years ago... first flight, using a D12-5, deployed the chute after creating a hole in the ground. And I've never built heavy.

An Aerotech E15-4 or E30-4 makes for a great flight.

The rocket has a wide outer tube (around 2.5 inches dia) and a narrower inner "stuffer" tube (around 0.75 inches dia from memory)... I assume both the wadding AND the parachute are stuffed into the narrow stuffer tube.

For maximum safety of parachute deployment.... do you stuff the wadding deep or keep it spread out?

If flying in a large (for London) field with around 2x-4x the size of a football field of non-tree area... and on D12-3 or D12-5s would you need to cut a hole into the 24 inch parachute to avoid drift away (5-8mph wind)... if so what (ballpark) size of hole would be sufficient?

Question for Estes Shadow or Estes Optima flyers:

Does the parachute go in the upper wide tube (2.5 inch diameter), or do you have to push the parachute into the stuffer tube after the wadding?

thanks

The chute goes in the wide section. You can stuff a bit of wadding down the stuffer tube, then lay a couple of sheets flat over the centering ring/bulkhead, and put the chute on top of that.

I would not put the wadding in too deep, in case it's in a bit tight.

The purpose of the stuffer tube is to reduce the volume of airframe that the ejection charge has to pressurize. Too much space, and it's possible the ejection charge won't have enough "oomph" to deploy the parachute. The other advantage is it cuts down on the amount of wadding needed.

If flying with a D12-3 and in a medium sized field (suitable for regular RC) would you put a hole through the parachute to prevent a float away? Or is the Optima heavy enough to come down well within the field space.

Asking because I lost an beloved Alpha III on the same field while flying a B engine. That was much tinier, and I regret not putting a hole in the parachute.

If you do recommend a hole, roughly what size diameter?

Launch video!

Estes Optima Rocket Launch (1 min 20 sec)

A bit of cracking between the fin and the body on one of the fins . Fin still holds well but want to give it a bit of TLC... My choices are a coat of epoxy to hardne the area / a strip of glass fibre tape / a strip of gorilla tape. Any suggestions?

Finally got around to making a launch compilation

Estes Optima Rocket Launch & Recovery (1 min 21 sec)