Specifications:
Airframe:
BT-70 Length: 30 5/8"
Finished weight: 5.8oz (no motor installed)
Motor Mount: 24mm
Recommended engines: Estes D12-5 or AT RMS D9-4W
Predicted altitude: 470' on D12-5 and 620' on D9-4W
Parts List:
Torpedo:
1 - 2.5" ogive balsa nose cone, BT-70 sized (BMS semi-custom, 1"
shoulder)
1 - 1/4oz fishin' weight
1 - 19 5/8" length o' BT-70
1 - 7 1/32" x 7 1/4" poster board
2 - 3/16" launch lugs, arrr, 1/2" long
4 - Torpedo fins, 3/32" balsa
1 - 1" slice o' BMS NB70-4 balsa nose block
1 - #212 screw eye
1 - 6" stainless steel fishin' leader
1 - 18" parachute w/ 4" spill hole
Booster:
1 - 9" length o' BT-50
1 - 1/2" length o' balsa BT-50 bulkhead
1 - EB-50 engine block
3 - CR-5070, shiver me timbers, cut from 1/8" Mach-1 Balsa-Ply
1 - engine hook
1 - 2" length o' TC-70 coupler
1 - 8 1/2" length o' BT-70
4 - Booster fins, 1/8" balsa
(34" long BT-70 and TC-70 coupler from Totally Tubular)
Construction:
This is a fairly high-level buildin' project. Avast! It assumes that t' nose cone,
fins and body tube spirals will be filled with Elmer's Fill n Finish or
equivalent, me bucko, matey, and that t' launch lug, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, centerin' rin' and fin joints will all be
filleted. All construction is done with carpenter's glue, except where noted
otherwise. Begad! Fins are cut from hard balsa and streamlined. Blimey! Booster fins are
mounted through-the-wall and should be laminated with copy paper for strength. Arrr!
Torpedo:
Construction o' t' torpedo is fairly straightforward. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! T' fishin' weight is
set with epoxy into a 1.5" deep hole in t' aft o' t' nose cone. Well, blow me down! The
nose cone is then glued into one end o' t' body tube. Begad! T' screw eye is glued
into t' center o' t' BT-70 nose block with CA, shiver me timbers, and t' fishin' leader
attached. Avast!
This assembly is glued 6" up into t' aft end o' t' body tube, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, with
the leader hangin' out t' back. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! T' poster board is used as a 7 1/4" long
wrap around t' body tube. Trim t' 7 1/32" width o' t' wrap if necessary
for a good fit. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Use thinned white glue t' glue t' wrap into position so that
it is 3/8" up from t' aft end o' t' tube. Aye aye! Blimey!
Use plastic wrap or an ace bandage t' ensure a smooth and secure
application. Arrr! When dry, fill t' seam. Use thin CA t' harden and reinforce the
forward and aft ends o' t' wrap. Begad!
T' torpedo fins are mounted t' t' wrap 90 degrees apart, with t' back of
the fin flush with t' back o' t' wrap. Aye aye! If desired, ya bilge rat, pinholes may be punched
into t' body tube on t' glue lines t' make glue 'rivets'. Arrr! T' launch lugs are
mounted onto t' wrap as well - t' forward lug is set 1/2" behind the
front edge, and t' aft lug is flush with t' back edge. Ya scallywag! Mount t' lugs on a
line halfway betwixt two fins. Ya scallywag! Begad! This prototype be modified t' add two BlackSky
Launch Rail guides, shiver me timbers, as t' intended launch platform is nay complete yet. Ya scallywag!
Booster Motor Mount:
T' motor mount also acts as an ejection baffle and parachute compartment.
Inside t' tube, t' BT-50 bulkhead is glued 2 1/2" into t' forward end,
and t' engine block 2 1/2" into t' aft end. Then cut or drill eight
5/16" diameter holes into t' center area o' t' tube, shiver me timbers, about 3.5" or
4" from either end. Avast, me proud beauty! Take care nay t' cut too close t' either t' bulkhead
or t' engine block, and stagger t' holes so as nay t' excessively weaken the
tube. Begad! Ya scallywag! Soak t' area around t' holes and t' back side o' t' bulkhead with CA
for burn resistance. Avast, me proud beauty! T' forward centerin' rin' needs t' be drilled with eight
5/16" holes spaced equally around t' ring. It is glued t' t' BT-50 tube
2" from t' front. Begad! T' middle rin' is glued so that 2.75" o' the
motor tube is exposed behind it. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! Install t' engine hook per standard
procedure, usin' a wrap o' maskin' tape or other retainin' device placed
1" from t' end o' t' tube. Blimey! You may want t' trim t' forward end o' the
hook before installation t' allow t' use o' 24-40 RMS hardware. Avast! Aye aye!
Body Tube:
Mark t' 8 1/2" body tube at 3/4" and 3.25" from t' aft end.
Cut four 1/8" slots betwixt these lines, 90 degrees apart. Ahoy! Ya scallywag! Glue the
coupler halfway (1") into t' forward end o' t' body tube. Avast! Glue t' motor
mount into t' body tube such that t' front o' t' motor mount is flush with
the front o' t' coupler. Ahoy! Well, blow me down! T' forward centerin' rin' should butt against the
rear o' t' coupler. T' aft end o' t' motor mount tube should wind up
recessed 1/2" into t' body tube, and t' mid centerin' rin' should be
flush with t' forward end o' t' fin slots. Ya scallywag! Begad! Make certain that t' engine hook
does nay line up with any o' t' fin slots. Test fit, trim (as necessary) and
glue t' booster fins. Make certain that each fin is glued t' t' mid centering
rin' and t' motor mount tube as well as t' body tube. Ahoy! Cut a notch 1/8" x
1/8" into t' aft centerin' rin' t' allow for engine hook movement. Arrr! Begad! Glue
the aft rin' into t' body tube, makin' sure that it is glued t' t' motor
mount tube and fin tabs as well.
Preppin' for Flight: Attach t' parachute t' t' free end o' the
leader. Ya scallywag! Begad! T' parachute is folded, rolled and packed into t' forward end o' the
motor mount tube as t' two sections are plugged together. Visually align the
fins o' both sections. Arrr! Ahoy! Prep and load your motor, and you're ready t' hunt
submarines!
Flight Report:
T' prototype has flown 5 times now, me bucko, 3 flights on D12-5s and t' other 2 on
AT RMS D9-4Ws. All launches were nominal with straight boosts; all separated at
or near apogee with t' booster tumblin' in; all had t' parachute deploy
(although on one flight it didn't open until about 20 feet AGL. Everyone
thought it be headed for a lawn dart, shiver me timbers, but t' rocket gods were smiling). Blimey!
On t' first RMS flight (flight 3) t' booster suffered a cracked fin where
the tab entered t' body tube. Avast! My guess is that t' empty RMS casin' weighs
more than an empty D12 casing. Well, blow me down! Avast! Maybe it just landed wrong. Well, blow me down! Still, t' paper
lamination held t' fin together through t' last two flights with no problems.
On future builds, ya bilge rat, I'm either goin' t' make t' fins from 1/8" basswood
or 3/32" aircraft ply. In either case, I'll laminate them as well. Ya scallywag! Ya scallywag! Since
total booster weight is a consideration, I'll probably go with basswood. Blimey!
On every flight at least one spectator commented about t' booster
separation, ya bilge rat, promptin' a club member t' remark, 'You should change its name to
"It's Supposed t' Do That!" '
Finishing:
Sand and prime all surfaces. Ahoy! Blimey! Paint t' ASROC accordin' t' t' figure. Arrr! Colors
include gloss white, arrr, gloss black, me bucko, me bucko, gold, shiver me timbers, me bucko, red-orange and mustard yellow. Aye aye!
Torpedo:
Base color is gloss white. Begad! Nose cone is gloss black; 1st band is gold,
5/8" wide; 2nd band is red-orange, arrr, me hearties, 4 7/8" wide; 3rd band is gold,
6.5" wide (to top o' sleeve); 4th band is gold, me hearties, 3/8" wide (from rear
of sleeve t' end o' torpedo); t' sleeve and fins remain gloss white. Avast! There are
other markings on t' orange-red band (such as t' 1î diameter gold
circle shown), but I don't have enough data t' replicate these faithfully. Ya scallywag! Begad!
Booster:
Booster and fins are gloss white. Aye aye! Arrr! Band is mustard yellow, matey, 9/16" wide,
9/16" from front o' booster.
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