Aerocon Home

Back to Rockets
     

This is the world's only 

breech launched 

sustainer and 

booster combination!


FFR VL-2 The FlippiTwin


Imagine the thrills of launching a sophisticated electronics laden rocket only to have a folding-finned sustainer squirt from the booster at 1st stage motor burnout.  Boy howdy!  We're talking some serious fun - fun and a half in fact.

This rocket is designed to fly on an Aerotech F 29mm Econojet motor in the first stage and an Estes D12 BP motor in the second.  Kit comes complete with the Flippifin rocket and breech launcher for single stage flights AND all the components necessary to make the flameproof yet attractive boosted breech launcher.  Builder supplies their own electronics, we recommend the Gwiz LC for simplest and best performance.
 

Boosted Breech Launcher Kit includes:

42" of flameproof flexible phenolic tubing and coupler
2 ea. aircraft ply bulkheads
29mm motor mount
2 ea. Motor mount centering rings
Recovery attachments
Parachute and bridle
Aluminum electronics mounting board
Detailed instructions

Plus the original FlippiFin kit with ground based breech launcher!

Download a representation of the pdf instructions here, a 72k Acrobat file


 Only $ 75.00!

 

**************  SPECIAL OFFER **************

 

FlippiTwin / Gwiz LC Combo, both for only $140.00

 

Buy the FlippiTwin Before May 31, 2003

and get a Gwiz LC, an $89 value, for only $65! 

That's $24 off MSRP!

(you must mention this offer in your order)

**************  SPECIAL OFFER **************

 

 

 
 


 
 

Above you can see how the sustainer with its onboard electronics fits within the breech launching booster. 
While we suggest the use of the Gwiz LC, any timer or flight computer that fits within a 38mm coupler tube will work just dandy. 

What's really cool is you can add any 38mm nose cone to the booster section and have a complete rocket all by itself!

The Story Behind the FlippiFin

In 1995 a bunch of rocket parachute flares were surplussed which used a very cute folding fin can. Bill Colburn bought the surplus fin cans and scratched his head for a few months trying to come up with something to do with them. While playing with different configurations, he found that a tube which fits the fin can perfectly also fit a 24 mm motor! Well, that was the start. A body tube and nose cone, centering rings, kevlar, teflon coated fiberglass, our 18" military chute and there you have a perfect little folding fin rocket - fired vertically from the supplied breech launching tube!

It was destined to be tube launched because of the folding fins, and so Bill started researching that possibility and then came up with a great adaptation, breech launched folding fin rockets, where the closed breech can actually increase performance. The first few launches were with D-12's and were a little squirrelly. Besides needing ballast (the fins are heavier than the usual fins) the friction in the tube was high enough to retard the force of the little D-12. He tried booster charges in the breech and gave that up as an imperfect idea. The E-30 flights were great. 

The design has subsequently been changed to lighten the aft end of the rocket. The PVC coupler and tube was eliminated in favor of stock kraft tubing throughout. As a result less ballast is necessary for a stable flying vehicle and simulations show a 25% increase in altitude on the E motor.  Lightening the airframe has also allowed the use of Estes Black Powder D motors for surprising flights.

A FlippiFin assembly tutorial is available.

 
Aerocon Systems Co. 

San Jose, CA 95127 
408 272-7001 
408 926-6507 fax 
sales@aeroconsystems.com

 Warning: All liability waived! Rocketry is an inherently dangerous undertaking.
Make your choices and take personal responsibility for the outcome of your experiment!
Protect your privelege to fly rockets by not making the headlines or becoming a statistic.