While the Estes motors are a little more expensive than the Quest brand of rocket motors, I have chosen to offer a selection as a convenience to Apogee's customers.
The Estes motors shown in the charts below come with Estes Solar Igniters™, instructions for use, and plastic plugs that hold the igniter into the rocket engine nozzle. You may need flame-proof recovery wadding for your rocket, which is not included with these engines. These engines can also be ignited using the Quest Q2 igniter. Be sure to order some spares in case you drop them in the grass and can't find them.
Want to learn how model rocket engines work? Click here.
Do you need to convert your kit to fit a smaller diameter motor? Check out all of the Apogee Motor Mount Kits!
Estes "Mini-size" (13mm dia.) Rocket Engines
Type
P/N
Burn Time
Total
Impulse
Max.
lift-off
wt (g)
Length (mm)
Max Thrust (N)
Initial Mass (g)
Prop. Mass (g)
Place Order Now
1/4A3-3T
05754
.25 s
.59 N-s
-
45
4.95
6.1
2.3
$11.01
4-pack
1/2A3-2T
05755
.36 s
1.09 N-s
56.6
45
7.62
6.4
2.0
$11.01
4-pack
1/2A3-4T
05759
.36 s
1.09 N-s
56.6
45
7.62
--
2.0
$11.01
4-pack
A3-4T
05756
1.01 s
2.22 N-s
56.6
45
5.83
8.5
3.3
$11.01
4-pack
A10-3T
05757
.85 s
2.00 N-s
141.5
45
12.64
8.5
3.8
$11.01
4-pack
A10-0T
05758
1.06
1.88 N-s
141.5
45
9.74
6.97
3.57
$11.01
4-pack
Sorry... We do NOT ship rocket engines outside the USA.
Please be aware that typical shipping transit times for motors are 1-2 weeks.
Sorry... We do NOT ship rocket engines outside the USA.
Please be aware that typical shipping transit times for motors are 1-2 weeks.
Each package includes rocket engines, igniters, wadding, and igniter plugs. Launch Pad and Controller are NOT included.
What does the motor "Type" designation mean?
Lets take an example so you can see how to read the charts below. We'll look at the 1/2A3-2T motor. The 1/2A means that this motor has a power rating of one-half the total power of an "A" size motor. In general terms, the "A" size motor will go twice as high as the "1/2A". The "3" after the "1/2A" is the average thrust of the motor in Newtons. This is not the peak thrust, but an average thrust during the entire burn time; which from the table shows 0.36 seconds. The last number, after the dash in the nomenclature tells us this motor has a two second ejection charge delay. That means, after the rocket takes off, and the propellant is consumed, the delay charge burns for two seconds. This allows the rocket to coast into the air before the ejection charge pushes out the recovery device (either a streamer or a parachute). For more information on what to expect when you launch your rocket, click here. Finally, the "T" at the end of the motor name designates this motor as a "mini" size; which is 13mm in diameter. None of the other motors, such as the D12 have any letters on the end to show the size of the motor. So always consult these charts to look up the physical size of the motor.
Flight Characteristics of These Motors:
From a building standpoint, this model is quite easy. It uses the traditional construction techniques you are familiar with from building smaller model rockets. And the instructions are absolutely phenomenal; there are lots of excellent illustrations that clarify the text.
Note: While the illustrations are superb, we still recommend actually reading the written portion of the instructions. You'll pick up a lot of new building tips that can be used on other rockets.
13mm diameter "Mini-motors" (these are designated by the "T" at the end of the motor name). These motors fit into the Apogee 13mm diameter Airframe Tube (Part Number 10062).
First off, this motor is a "mini" size, which means it is 13mm in diameter. It is intended for relatively small rocket kits. It will work in the Apogee SR-72 Darkbird, and the Texas Twister kits. The 1/2A motor won't loft either of these models very high, because it doesn't have a lot of thrust. This could be an advantage for the first flight of both models; since you don't want either of them to go very high on the first launch. Otherwise, they could be caught by a gust of wind and drift away. You want to be able to get them back so you can fly them again, don't you?
Another use for this motor is when you want to video tape, or photograph the descent of the models. Since they don't go so high, you'll have a much better chance of being able to capture an image of the model in flight. For both the Texas Twister, and the SR-72 Darkbird, which have unique recovery features, this is the motor you'd want to use.
The 1/2A3-2T motor is a quick burning motor. Since it is small, it doesn't make much of a roar on lift-off. It is more of a pfffffsss sound. But that OK, isn't it. Some times, when you have small children that have never seen a launch before, you don't want to scare them the first time with a loud roaring motor like the D12. So this could be used to acclimate the kids and get them used to seeing a rocket take off. Then you can start launching those bigger rocket motors that make a lot more noise.
This motor is the same size as the 1/2A3-2T listed previously. But it has almost twice the propellant mass, and burns much much longer than the 1/2A variety. So it will push the rocket significantly higher into the air. How much higher? That is difficult to guess at. I recommend that you run Rocksim flight simulations to see the altitude difference.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Q. Why don't you ship rocket motors to countries outside the USA?
A. There are too many shipping regulations. We're a small company, and we don't have the manpower to track the regulations for each country in the world. So to keep our prices as low as possible, we only ship to USA customers.
Q. Can you ship motors to me by this weekend?
A. All rocket motors must be shipped by surface transportation (truck). While we ship the motors usually the same day the order comes in, you should plan extra time for the postal service to deliver them via third class mail (Parcel Post).
Q. Which igniters should I buy if I want spares for these motors listed on this page?
A. The maximum recommended lift-off weight for each delay depends on the size of the rocket, its drag coefficient, launch angle, and the wind conditions at launch. We recommend running a RockSim computer simulation for each rocket design and launch conditions to select the proper motor delay. For help selecting the correct delay time, see Apogee Technical Publication #28.
Get another 5% increase in altitude just by launching from a piston launcher! A piston launcher converts the hot exhaust gases from the rocket engine into high-pressure that kicks the rocket into the air at a faster velocity. This recycling of the exhaust gases is cool, and it gives your rocket a higher flight.
Actual Customer Comment:
"The epoxy clay that I purchased from you worked great! I used it on my estes Executioner, which was the very first rocket that I ever built. It produced a very nice finished look, and reinforced, the fins and the motor mount of the rocket. I also appreciate you, Tim, taking the time to talk to me some about my build. I will definitely be a returning customer." -- Matthew Gregory
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