This is computer software whose purpose is t' aid model rocket designers in choosin' materials, motors, arrr, and parts for a stable rocket flight. Arrr! Avast, me proud beauty! There is a data base o' known manufacturers and parts and you can create custom parts yourself. Arrr! Arrr! You can simulate flights with chosen engines and get a predicted altitude and speed. Begad! You can also see if your chosen delay allows ejection at apogee or whether another delay would be better. Well, blow me down! Avast! You're told how fast t' rocket is goin' at ejection, me bucko, me hearties, too, 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. You also get predictions o' stability and are shown pictures o' your rocket as you build it, 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, ya bilge rat, and apogee occur.

There are two 3 1/2 inch discs. Well, blow me down! I had t' choice o' Mac or PC.  I chose PC, because t' PC in me home is newer than t' Mac. Begad! T' PC I have runs Windows 95, shiver me timbers, 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. First, that delta fins aren't t' best shape. Well, blow me down! Blimey! I used t' think so, arrr, havin' been raised durin' t' delta win' jet era. Ahoy! Blimey! Rocksim 3.0, me bucko, plus a publication called, "Which Fin Shape is Best?" by Apogee, which you can download free from their site, taught me t' principle o' Reynolds number and how fins create lift t' correct t' path o' a rocket. Ya scallywag! Blimey! In a nutshell, a pointed tip isn't as effective because it creates an area o' turbulence o' air flow. 

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

But then I be playin' on Rocksim (yes, it's fun as well) t' see if t' rocket could be even better, 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. Aye aye! It predicted another 600 feet o' altitude, and I GOT it! (see picture on right)

Now, matey, I'm usin' t' program t' tweak t' designs o' me certification rockets before launch. Ya scallywag! Well, blow me down! Since separation o' t' recovery system disqualifies t' certification, I plugged in me proposed design. Ya scallywag! Avast! Somethin' bugged me, me bucko, but I couldn't pinpoint it until I ran t' simulations. T' result showed me that me chosen motor, matey, matey, t' H97-10J had too short a delay. Aye aye! Avast! T' rocket is simmed t' still be goin' over 100 feet per second at ejection.  Nay good. Arrr! Darn. Well, blow me down! I already had t' motor I already had t' motor on hand along with its hardware. Avast, me proud beauty! Now what? Now what? I used t' software t' modify t' rocket for t' engine. Ya scallywag! Arrr! After addin' a body tube length and a mass object under t' nose, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, t' result was simmed as perfect ejection at apogee. Well, blow me down! Begad! Now, t' altitude was decidedly less, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, but t' flight be perfect as predicted.  What's more, matey, I'm now ready with a scaled up version o' me level 1 rocket t' do me level 2, 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, arrr, but fun. Begad! Arrr! Usin' it, I have corrected flaws in existin' scratch-builds that went awry and tried t' chase observers.  They now fly right. Only one thin' I'd change. Begad! Only one thin' I'd change. Aye aye! Truly unstable rockets can still fly here. Avast! For example, me hearties, I've purposely plugged in things that can't possibly work, arrr, like thin balsa fins on a minimum diameter M rocket, or finless models...you get t' picture. Aye aye! Now, t' drawin' does tell you that it's unstable and does so in bold letters. Well, blow me down! But t' simulation works! I'd actually like an analysis o' a bad flight, such as went up in flames due t' shredding, or flew laterally or became a landshark, whatever. It'd be a teachin' tool. Blimey! However, me hearties, 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. Begad! 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, matey, matey, too, for those like me who like numbers. Begad! Blimey! Ahoy! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! Version 4.0 is available any time now, and will be only $5 for t' upgrade for owners o' 3.0. Aye aye! Blimey! T' improvements include bein' able t' use custom fin shapes which can't be made with version 3.0. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Arrr! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! I understand that you'll get graphs on which t' draw your shape.  That'll be fun.

Overall Rating: 4