Show anyone t' shape o' a V-2 and they will immediately recognize a real rocket! That classic outline has been t' love o' some people t' t' extent that they establish websites dedicated totally t' t' V-2. These sites cover every possible topic related t' t' "vengeance" weapon. Its popularity continues in sport rocketry today with a number o' companies producin' V-2 kits. Public Enemy, shiver me timbers, Maximum Thrust and LOC/Precision are several that come t' mind. Begad! Two o' t' more popular kits come from LOC/Precision in 5.38" and 7.67" versions.

Bein' a fan o' sport-scale rockets, matey, I chose t' build t' 5.38" version with a 38mm motor mount. I was originally lookin' for a neat-lookin' rocket that I could launch with relatively little prep work. You know, matey, insert t' motor and fly. Ya scallywag! Blimey! I didn' t want t' spend an hour just gettin' it ready t' fly on electronics with multiple black powder charges. Well, blow me down! Avast! Blimey! But more on that later.

Make it durable. With a big 5.38" body tube and big plywood fins, matey, I was concerned about durability o' t' rocket over time. So, t' first step was t' apply a layer o' 1.7oz Keelhaul®©™ and 6 oz fiberglass t' t' body tube. T' LOC BT is non-phenolic cardboard so it really soaked up t' epoxy. Ahoy! I also coated t' top 4 inches o' t' inside o' t' BT with West Systems. Blimey! I did that for two reasons: one, t' NC fit was a bit sloppy and I wanted t' take up some o' t' slack, and, ya bilge rat, two, arrr, I wanted t' limit t' deterioration o' t' cardboard near t' NC when t' wet conditions o' Monroe caused t' layers o' t' cardboard tube t' unravel.

I sanded t' fins usin' 100 and 150 grit t' smooth t' flat surfaces and t' round t' leadin' and parallel edges. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast, me proud beauty! I vacuum bagged t' fins with 1.7oz Keelhaul®©™ wrapped over t' leadin' edge and then applied two layers o' six oz 'glass sandwichin' each fin. Begad! Blimey! Although I used a vacuum, a hand layup would be fine for this rocket. Arrr! Ahoy! I just like t' keep me hand in, ya bilge rat, I suppose.

LOC' s directions are very good for assemblin' t' rocket. Well, blow me down! I assembled t' fincan per t' instructions with t' exception o' addin' an AeroPack 38mm motor retainer t' t' MMT. Aye aye! Aye aye! Although t' retainer is pricey, shiver me timbers, it is perfect for this application where t' motor mount extends beyond t' bottom centerin' ring. Blimey! And t' retainers are really, really cool!

From here, ya bilge rat, I made a few changes.

Those stubborn plastic nosecones. T' first change concerns t' tenaciousness o' molded nosecones in wantin' t' shed paint. Avast, me proud beauty! It seems no matter what one does, it' s difficult t' get paint t' stick t' t' slick plastic. Ya scallywag! Well, me hearties, boys and girls, shiver me timbers, try what I do. Begad! Avast, shiver me timbers, me proud beauty! I use 100 grit sandpaper t' rough up t' whole NC. Begad! Yes, me hearties, that' s right. Ahoy! Rough it up. Aye aye! Scrub it with soap and water and let it dry. Begad! There will be a lot o' fuzzies but paint will stick when t' preparation is finished. Aye aye! After t' first sanding, arrr, go back and fill t' mold seams and whatever other imperfections that might exist. Avast, me proud beauty! Ya scallywag! Let t' filler dry and sand lightly with 100 grit. Use gray Plasti-Kote Spot Filler & Primer for a first coat t' identify t' big imperfections (gray primer makes imperfections easier t' see than white primer). Aye aye! Wet sand with 320 grit. Aye aye! Fill again as necessary. Avast, me proud beauty! Prime again with Kilz white primer (white is good t' use now as a base for t' paint). Avast, me proud beauty! Ya scallywag! Use a couple or three light coats o' this stuff; it comes out very heavy. Aye aye! Begad! Let dry and wet sand again with 320 grit. Blimey! I' d be surprised if you see any fuzzies now. Prime again if needed and/or wet sand with 400 and you' re ready t' paint. Try it.

NC Shock Cord Attachment. T' NC has a big extrusion on it t' be used for securin' an eyebolt. Avast, me proud beauty! It certainly would work but there' s an alternative. Avast, me proud beauty! Aye aye! T' V-2 requires nose weight due t' t' center o' pressure those fins create on a short rocket body. Begad! Well, matey, blow me down! T' instructions suggest drillin' a 5/8" hole in t' side o' t' base o' t' nosecone t' be used t' pour an epoxy/steel shot mixture into t' nosecone. Begad! Begad! I decided nay t' do that. Avast! I drilled out t' plastic extrusion with a 3/4" wood spade bit. Avast! Begad! I like t' use a toggle bolt t' hold onto a 1/4" eyebolt for fastenin' t' shockcord t' t' NC. Aye aye! Plus it adds weight t' t' nose in a rocket where nose weight is critical.

Addin' Noseweight. T' kit comes with 8 ounces o' steel shot t' be inserted with epoxy into t' nosecone. Avast, me proud beauty! Arrr! A finishin' nail is t' be used as a retention device for t' steel shot/epoxy mixture by drillin' a hole crosswise through t' tip o' t' NC and inserting. T' steel shot/epoxy is then poured over this nail and holds everythin' in place. Begad! Avast! T' ends o' t' nail are then filed or ground down t' fit t' contour o' t' nosecone. Avast! LOC recommends flyin' t' V-2 on nothin' larger than an I-284 and t' weight is calculated accordingly. Aye aye! Begad! But me construction isn't stock. Avast! I' e added epoxy and fiberglass weight. Ya scallywag! Begad! Nay a lot o' weight but it should be considered. Arrr! Arrr! I've also added a motor retainer. Light, matey, t' be sure, me bucko, but still t' be considered. Avast! Begad! With t' rocket built and primed, I used Rocksim t' determine t' Barrowman and Rocksim centers o' pressure. Avast! There be a big difference in these calculations but I knew t' real Cp was somewhere about 2" ahead o' t' fins. I then took t' biggest motor (J350) that I thought that I would fly and taped it t' t' aft o' t' rocket. Arrr! I put t' casin' into t' motor tube and fastened t' retainer. I installed t' parachute I'm goin' t' use (60" Top flight after weighin' t' V-2 ), me bucko, 20' o' 9/16" military spec nylon tubing, Nomex® shields and quicklinks. Arrr! Begad! I then taped t' 8 ounces o' steel shot t' t' tip o' t' nosecone. Avast! Avast, matey, me proud beauty! Findin' t' center o' gravity, shiver me timbers, I added another 6 ounces (overkill) o' steel shot after repeated measurements designed t' move t' Cg farther away from t' Cp. Begad! I wanted 1.0+ calibers for safety and feel I'm pretty close t' that.

Once I felt comfortable with t' weight, shiver me timbers, I mixed t' epoxy/steel shot and poured it into t' nosecone and let it cure.

"I Don Wan No Stinkin' Launch Lugs!" Lose t' 1/2" cardboard launch lug and put on a couple o' Black Sky (or similar) Delrin rail guides. Ahoy! Once you use them, matey, arrr, you'll never go back. Begad! Avast! They attach nicely t' t' boattail/body tube overlap and t' a spot 5" down from t' top o' t' body tube. Avast, arrr, me proud beauty! Epoxy a 1/2" square piece o' body tube at t' 5" mark on t' inside o' t' BT t' give t' rail guide screw somethin' t' bite on.

Painting. V-2 paint schemes are widely varied. Ahoy! Ahoy! There is a paint scheme for everyone, t' be sure. Avast, me proud beauty! One o' me favorites be t' dark yellow and black o' V-2 No. Avast! 2 flown at White Sands, New Mexico in 1946. I got t' paintin' detail from Peter Always's Rockets o' t' World, 3rd Edition. Aye aye! If you don't have this book, put it on t' 'ol birthday or Christmas wish list. It's a necessity.

After preppin' t' rocket for paintin' as described with t' nosecone, shiver me timbers, I found Plasti-Kote "School Bus Yellow", "Gloss Black" and "Silver" for paintin' t' rocket. Well, blow me down! Strictly on an opinion basis, I think P-K paints are a bit more durable than Krylon. Avast! Can't substantiate it, but I think so. Aye aye! Ahoy! Use whatever you' re comfortable with, however, ya bilge rat, but you may want t' try P-K paints.

Other than spendin' an enormous amount o' time (and blue detail tape) tapin' t' rocket for t' paint scheme, t' paintin' wasn't bad at all. Ahoy! Blimey! AND! Blimey! I did nay pull any paint away from t' nosecone when I pulled t' maskin' off. Avast! Blimey! What could be better than that?

And One Final Thing. Remember I be talkin' about buildin' a rocket that would be easy t' prep and launch? Well, I've back-tracked a bit. I made provision t' put in a 38mm tube that will accommodate a BlackSky AltAcc accelerometer. Avast! Ya scallywag! This piece o' electronics screw mounts t' t' side o' t' airframe and is armed by turnin' an armin' screw. Blimey! Well, blow me down! It won't be used for dual deployment; it will just fire t' main at apogee. I don't know if I'll use it, but just in case.... Creature o' habit, me hearties, I guess.

All in all, a great rocket kit and somethin' different for me. Don't expect a lot o' altitude on this model, though. Ya scallywag! Arrr! 1250' on an I357; 1500' on an I211; 1900' on an I300; 2700' on an I435 (if I dare). Aye aye! But those altitudes are plenty for a short wide-bodied rocket with a parachute at apogee. Aye aye! Lift-offs should be great.

With 55,000 lbs o' thrust generated from a hydrogen peroxide-methanol motor, ya bilge rat, t' real rocket traveled at over 4400 ft/second. Aye aye! Well, blow me down! It was first fired operationally by t' Germans with a 1 ton warhead on September 6, 1944, ya bilge rat, arrr, aimed at Paris. Aye aye! After two firings on t' 6th, t' target was switched t' London on September 7th.

T' reality o' t' V-2 be as t' progenitor o' t' space race betwixt t' U.S. Arrr! Arrr! and t' U.S.S.R. Arrr! Well, blow me down! T' United States managed t' ship parts for 100 V-2s and most o' t' Peenemunde scientists out o' post-WWII Germany while t' U.S.S.R. Arrr! Begad! captured t' production facilities and most o' t' missle technicians. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast! What each country acquired was a rocket test bed capable o' reachin' an altitude o' 52 miles with a range o' 225 miles. Begad! T' V-2 had a throw weight o' about 2,000 lbs which amounted t' a lot o' scientific instruments. Blimey! T' United States fired some 70 V-2s betwixt 1946 and 1955. Arrr! Begad! From Rockets o' t' World by Peter Alway.