I received an evaluation copy o' Rockets 3, me hearties, me bucko, Version 2.1, t' Model Rocket Design and Simulation software packaged offered by 1021 Designs, arrr, Inc. Avast, me proud beauty! It arrived on a CD-ROM and installed flawlessly onto me NT system.

T' first thin' that is noticed about t' software once loaded in t' heavy use o' color. Well, blow me down! T' openin' screen is a white grid on blue background which is shaded from dark (bottom) t' lighter (top). Aye aye! Well, blow me down! Truly catches your eye's attention. Aye aye!

As with any software, me bucko, I also try me hand at makin' it work without readin' any instructions. Begad! I be able t' do so with this program too, with a couple exceptions. I contacted 1021 and they replied with t' "how to" quickly. Avast, me proud beauty!

Design Flow:
T' first thin' in design is selectin' t' Body Tube. This be t' only "live" component design button on t' top tool bar which helps point you t' t' right first step. After clickin' on this button you are able t' choose from BT20, me bucko, me hearties, BT50, BT55, me bucko, BT60, BT70 or BT80 tubing. You can add your own by clickin' on t' inventory button and enterin' t' component specs and givin' it a name. Ahoy!

Once you select your body tube then t' Tube Length and Nose Cone tool buttons become "live" on t' tool bar. By clickin' t' Tube Length button you can use a slider or type in t' length o' t' tube. Well, arrr, blow me down! Blimey! After that, then you should select t' Nose Cone button. Doin' so brings up a selection o' nose cones that match your body tube diameter (in me case t' BT50 gave 4 different BT50 nose cones). Blimey! Blimey! Again, me hearties, you can add your own by clickin' on t' inventory button and enterin' t' nose cone specs and givin' it a name.

After selectin' t' Nose Cone, I expected t' Fins button t' become "live" however it didn't (I presume this is a bug). Ahoy! I be able t' use t' menu and choose Parts-Fins-Fins Setup t' gain access t' t' Fin Design box. Avast! Avast, me proud beauty! In this box you can choose four standard types: Rear Sweep, ya bilge rat, me bucko, Tapered, me bucko, Triangle, or Trapezoid. Aye aye! Blimey! In addition, me bucko, me bucko, you can choose either 3 or 4 fin cluster and then fin tune t' Inner, me hearties, Outer and Span lengths. Begad! Aye aye! Finally you can select t' thickness o' Balsa you would like t' use. Balsa be t' only choice. There is no Inventory for fins or fin material. Arrr!

T' next step for me be t' add a motor mount, however, Rockets 3 has you choose a motor and then applies a motor mount t' that motor selection. You can add motors by clickin' t' inventory button here too. Avast, me proud beauty! T' specs for motors that are entered are: Total Impulse, me bucko, Time Delay, Max Lift Off Weight, me bucko, Max Thrust, matey, Thrust Duration, ya bilge rat, me bucko, ya bilge rat, Total Weight, arrr, Propellant Weight, and Dimensions. Begad! Once t' motor is selected you can go back and adjust t' choice o' motor mount or add a motor mount t' t' inventory. Ahoy! Aye aye! If you choose a motor that doesn't have an acceptable choice(s) for t' motor mount you get a big red warnin' and words "NOTICE" bark out at you. Aye aye! Begad!

T' last step in design is choosin' your recovery device. There are a couple o' parachutes and a streamer t' choose from, matey, matey, however, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, as most other components you can add t' t' inventory. Ahoy!

Three other comments about t' Design Flow:

First you can look at your rocket in 3D mode and you have two steps o' magnification (1.5x and 2.0x) for screen viewing. Ahoy! Begad! Blimey! You can nay rotate t' view nor do you have control over t' colors. Blimey! Blimey! T' Nose Cone is red, t' Body Tube is gray and t' Fins are blue.

Second, me hearties, you can design two-stage rockets by makin' that choice from t' New menu. Aye aye! Blimey! Avast! Blimey! T' program will automatically build t' transition betwixt stages even if t' tube sizes are different. Ahoy! Blimey!

Lastly, shiver me timbers, all o' t' measurements are in metric with no "universal" capability t' change from metric t' US, shiver me timbers, however, thar be a conversion tool available at nearly every step. Blimey! Arrr! T' tool allows for t' conversion betwixt centimeters and inches and grams and ounces.

Printing:
You can do a Fin Close-Up, shiver me timbers, which then has a print button t' allow you t' print your fin diagram in actual size. Avast! A parts list is also available for printin' which contains all t' parts specifications. Begad! And t' overall design screen can be printed.

Flight Simulation:
Now that a rocket is designed it is ready t' be simulated. Arrr! Rockets 3 provides two Utilities and they must be run in sequence (a common theme o' t' program). Ya scallywag! T' first utility be t' Stabilizer. Begad! Ya scallywag! By selectin' that menu choice a new screen is build as a Lassie-Lucy states, "stabilization mode". Ya scallywag! Well, blow me down! By pressin' t' Start button she then says, "calculatin' stability", and in me case she then says, "design is nay stable". Begad! You can then press t' Stabilize button and t' program will determine how t' stabilize t' project. Begad! Avast! In me case it added 10 grams o' weight t' t' nose. Begad!

After stabilization, you are then allowed t' go into a Performance Test. Blimey! Well, blow me down! Again, another screen is opened and various voices and activities are heard as t' rocket launches. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! You are then presented a graph that shows t' altitude o' t' rocket with a solid bar for under thrust and an open bar for t' coast time. Begad! T' wench 's voice will tell you when t' recovery system is activated and then in me case, shiver me timbers, me hearties, "flight successful". T' altitude at burnout and maximum altitude are provided as well as t' maximum velocity. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! This performance test can then be printed. Well, blow me down!

T' RockSim Challenge:
I took a standard Alpha from RockSim with t' followin' weight parameters:

• Body Tube = 5.997 grams
• Nose Cone = 3.717 grams
• Fins = 2.173 grams
• Motor Mount = 4.633 grams
• Parachute = 2.041 grams
• Total = 38.323 grams (includes launch lug and B4-4)
• Added Weight = 9 grams
• Adjusted Total = 47.323 grams

I then constructed t' Alpha in Rockets 3. Begad! I had t' create inventory t' match t' components from RockSim, but here is what I came up with:

• Body Tube = 6.006 grams
• Nose Cone = 3.717 grams
• Fins = 1.284 grams (can nay alter t' weight except by choosin' thicker balsa)
• Motor Mount = 5.522 grams (adjusted up t' capture t' missin' Fin weight)
• Parachute = 2.0 grams
• Total = 38.129 grams (includes B4-4 motor)
• Added Weight = 9 grams
• Adjusted Total = 47.129 grams

T' initial problem came about when runnin' t' Stabilizer. Begad! Rockets 3 added 9 grams o' Nose Cone weight t' make it stable. Ahoy! Aye aye! RockSim with t' B4-4 indicated marginal stability (with a Barrowman o' 0.58). Begad! Aye aye! I added 9 grams o' weight t' t' nose cone o' t' Alpha in RockSim and t' new Barrowman stability went t' 1.65. Well, blow me down!

T' results. Avast, me proud beauty! Aye aye! Rockets 3 said that altitude at burn out was 175 feet, and maximum altitude be 611 feet with a maximum velocity o' 296 feet/sec. Avast, me bucko, me proud beauty! RockSim said that altitude at burn out was 125 feet, and maximum altitude was 699 feet with a maximum velocity o' 264 feet/sec. Begad! Aye aye!

One Other Feature:
Rockets 3 includes another feature that should nay go without mentioning. Begad! Begad! T' Browser. This is nice. Blimey! It allows you t' preview t' rocket diagram in 3D while scrollin' through your rocket directory. Begad! A very nice touch and somethin' that I would love t' have for many programs. Ya scallywag!

Summary:
Rockets 3 is suitable for designin' and doin' basic performance testin' on model rockets. Arrr! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! I personally feel it is in its early stages o' evolution, as it seems t' have a fairly solid skeleton but is lackin' in higher level functionality and substance. Avast! Blimey! What do I mean? Well, it needs t' have its libraries enhanced greatly t' include as many motors as thar are currently available, ya bilge rat, more nose cones, matey, custom fin designs, more selection o' materials especially for fins, and cluster motors. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Aye aye! Blimey! It also needs t' add some functionality for flight analysis such as descent rate calculation and optimum delay calculation. Arrr! Blimey! Arrr! Blimey!

It graphics and interface are good. Well, me bucko, blow me down! It has some "arcade-like" sound effects which are a "take 'em or leave 'em" feature, shiver me timbers, but I kind o' liked it. Avast!

It carries a $60 price tag (as o' 10/01) which is probably too much for t' product as it exists, shiver me timbers, however, if thar be a solid commitment t' evolve t' product and t' enhancements are either free or minimal charge, it might be worth t' wait. Blimey!