Engine Testing Notices

 

R76 Motor Decertifications 10 Sep 2001

The following motors will lose their approval for use in NAR contests effective January 1, 2002. They remain certified for general sport flying for a period of three years, until July 1, 2005.

The decision to examine contest approval was based on consumer complaints per NAR S&T policies. Further input was provided by the manufacturer. For years S&T has removed contest approval at the end of the contest year in which a motor becomes unavailable. This policy was first initiated at the request of contestants and the Contest Board. However S&T policy does allow contest approval to be removed sooner if there are consumer complaints. The fact that the motors are of limited production (mostly for contests), that the manufacturer is the only distributor and that the decision to not produce more was made just after NARAM (the time of largest demand), caused a number of complaints. These complaints indicated that there were not enough motors around to fill the demand fairly for the rest of the contest year.

The failure of an adequate motor supply to meet demand plus the fact the manufacturer does not have any concrete plans to produce more motors in the next six to eight months that would rectify this shortcoming within time periods indicated in NAR S&T Standards permits this action to be taken prior to the end of the year.

The date for this approval change was chosen to permit adequate time for all members to be notified via "The Model Rocketeer" newsletter, to not abruptly invalidate contestant plans for the immediate future, and to permit contestants to choose personal strategies of competing in the first or second half of the year based on their personal motor selection. If the manufacturer does start producing these motors prior to the date contest approval is removed, contest approval could be maintained or re-granted.

    Apogee:
        1/4A2-2,4
        1/2A2-2,4,6
        A2-0,3,5,7
        B2-0,3,5,7,9

Jim Cook,
Secretary for NAR Standards & Testing

Jack Kane,
Chairman

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