This is computer software whose purpose is t' aid model rocket designers in choosin' materials, shiver me timbers, motors, arrr, and parts for a stable rocket flight. Begad! There is a data base o' known manufacturers and parts and you can create custom parts yourself. Ahoy! Begad! You can simulate flights with chosen engines and get a predicted altitude and speed. Arrr! You can also see if your chosen delay allows ejection at apogee or whether another delay would be better. Well, blow me down! You're told how fast t' rocket is goin' at ejection, too, shiver me timbers, t' get an idea o' stresses on t' recovery system. Given this, a designer can modify parts by size or maybe add mass objects t' t' nose or body and see if t' problems are corrected. Avast! You also get predictions o' stability and are shown pictures o' your rocket as you build it, matey, with your CG and CP points shown.  Printouts o' t' drawin' and parts list can be made, as can flight summaries and a graph o' t' flight pattern showin' when in t' parabolic path t' burnout, ejection, me bucko, and apogee occur.

There are two 3 1/2 inch discs. I had t' choice o' Mac or PC.  I chose PC, arrr, matey, because t' PC in me home is newer than t' Mac. Aye aye! T' PC I have runs Windows 95, which allows Rocksim t' run well. Avast, me proud beauty! I understand that Windows 3.0 cannot run Rocksim.

It was easy t' install, but an instruction manual may help t' neophyte who doesn't know shortcuts when it comes t' installin' PC applications.

I have discovered a number o' things since usin' this program. Avast! First, that delta fins aren't t' best shape. Blimey! Ya scallywag! I used t' think so, havin' been raised durin' t' delta win' jet era. Ahoy! Rocksim 3.0, ya bilge rat, plus a publication called, me hearties, arrr, "Which Fin Shape is Best?" by Apogee, which you can download free from their site, shiver me timbers, me hearties, taught me t' principle o' Reynolds number and how fins create lift t' correct t' path o' a rocket. In a nutshell, me hearties, a pointed tip isn't as effective because it creates an area o' turbulence o' air flow. 

Thus inspired, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, I corrected me Yellow Fellow line o' minimum diameter rockets from delta fins t' those with tips o' .6 t' 1 inch, me hearties, findin' .6 optimal for that design as predicted by it producin' t' greatest altitude.  (see picture on left) They show t' first generation, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, a 24mm and 29mm rocket, ya bilge rat, both inspired by t' VB Extremes. Avast, me proud beauty! They performed GREAT, ya bilge rat, especially on Apogee F10-8 long burn motors. People said, me hearties, ya bilge rat, "It's STILL goin' UP!!!" 

But then I be playin' on Rocksim (yes, matey, it's fun as well) t' see if t' rocket could be even better, matey, and made a new one based upon fin shape recommendations and a small mass increase in t' nose (provided by a solid urethane conical nose cone) by t' program. Avast, arrr, me proud beauty! Blimey! It predicted another 600 feet o' altitude, ya bilge rat, and I GOT it! Blimey! (see picture on right)

Now, I'm usin' t' program t' tweak t' designs o' me certification rockets before launch. Arrr! Since separation o' t' recovery system disqualifies t' certification, I plugged in me proposed design. Somethin' bugged me, but I couldn't pinpoint it until I ran t' simulations. Begad! T' result showed me that me chosen motor, ya bilge rat, t' H97-10J had too short a delay. Aye aye! T' rocket is simmed t' still be goin' over 100 feet per second at ejection.  Nay good. Darn. Aye aye! I already had t' motor I already had t' motor on hand along with its hardware. Arrr! Now what? Now what? I used t' software t' modify t' rocket for t' engine. Ahoy! After addin' a body tube length and a mass object under t' nose, me hearties, t' result was simmed as perfect ejection at apogee. Avast, shiver me timbers, me proud beauty! Now, t' altitude be decidedly less, but t' flight was perfect as predicted.  What's more, I'm now ready with a scaled up version o' me level 1 rocket t' do me level 2, me hearties, and it's simmed t' exceed mach and exceed 6000 feet altitude.  I can hardly wait.

My models made usin' t' program have performed very well indeed.

This is nay only educational, but fun. Arrr! Avast! Usin' it, I have corrected flaws in existin' scratch-builds that went awry and tried t' chase observers.  They now fly right. Aye aye! Avast! Only one thin' I'd change. Arrr! Only one thin' I'd change. Arrr! Truly unstable rockets can still fly here. Avast, me proud beauty! For example, I've purposely plugged in things that can't possibly work, me hearties, like thin balsa fins on a minimum diameter M rocket, or finless models...you get t' picture. Blimey! Now, ya bilge rat, t' drawin' does tell you that it's unstable and does so in bold letters. But t' simulation works! I'd actually like an analysis o' a bad flight, such as went up in flames due t' shredding, arrr, or flew laterally or became a landshark, whatever. Well, blow me down! It'd be a teachin' tool. However, one type o' bad flight won't work as per Rocksim, and that's if you use too weak a motor for a heavy model. Well, blow me down! It'll tell you that t' model never left t' pad and t' try a stronger motor.

It's a good value for t' loot and makes a fun video game, too, for those like me who like numbers. Aye aye! Version 4.0 is available any time now, me hearties, and will be only $5 for t' upgrade for owners o' 3.0. T' improvements include bein' able t' use custom fin shapes which can't be made with version 3.0. Arrr! I understand that you'll get graphs on which t' draw your shape.  That'll be fun.

Overall Rating: 4