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Installing A Motor

How you install a rocket engine in a rocket depends on the particular rocket. The simplest installation has a wrap of tape placed around the nozzle end of the engine and then the engine is forced into the engine mount. The tape provides a tight fit so the engine won't pop out when the ejection charge fires. A problem with this type of engine mount is that the engines can be difficult to remove after a flight. It is useful to have a three foot piece of hardwood dowel that can be slid down the rocket tube from the front to push the engine out the back.

Another simple installation, is to tape the engine in place. This installation only works if a sufficient amount of the engine mount is accessible so that you can tape to both it and the engine. This method does have the advantage that it is easier to remove an engine after a flight.

Many models have a metal clip that holds the engine in. The clip is pushed to the side, the engine is inserted into its mount and the clip snaps back when the engine is fully inserted. This type of mount also allows easy removal of an engine after a flight.

For some models you do not want the engine to stay with the model but you want it to be ejected when the ejection charge fires. Models of this type include those that employ tumble recovery and those that change to a glider.

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