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, me bucko, 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, matey, 1/2" long
4 - Torpedo fins, matey, shiver me timbers, 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, arrr, 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. Begad! Ahoy! It assumes that t' nose cone, fins and body tube spirals will be filled with Elmer's Fill n Finish or equivalent, ya bilge rat, and that t' launch lug, centerin' rin' and fin joints will all be filleted. Arrr! All construction is done with carpenter's glue, except where noted otherwise. Begad! Arrr! Fins are cut from hard balsa and streamlined. Ahoy! Booster fins are mounted through-the-wall and should be laminated with copy paper for strength.

Torpedo:

Construction o' t' torpedo is fairly straightforward. Avast! Blimey! T' fishin' weight is set with epoxy into a 1.5" deep hole in t' aft o' t' nose cone. Avast! Blimey! The nose cone is then glued into one end o' t' body tube. Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! T' screw eye is glued into t' center o' t' BT-70 nose block with CA, me bucko, and t' fishin' leader attached.

This assembly is glued 6" up into t' aft end o' t' body tube, me hearties, me hearties, with the leader hangin' out t' back. T' poster board is used as a 7 1/4" long wrap around t' body tube. Aye aye! Trim t' 7 1/32" width o' t' wrap if necessary for a good fit. Aye aye! Ya scallywag! Use thinned white glue t' glue t' wrap into position so that it is 3/8" up from t' aft end o' t' tube. Ya scallywag! Aye aye!

Use plastic wrap or an ace bandage t' ensure a smooth and secure application. Avast! When dry, fill t' seam. Avast, me proud beauty! Use thin CA t' harden and reinforce the forward and aft ends o' t' wrap. Ahoy!

T' torpedo fins are mounted t' t' wrap 90 degrees apart, with t' back of the fin flush with t' back o' t' wrap. Begad! If desired, pinholes may be punched into t' body tube on t' glue lines t' make glue 'rivets'. Avast! T' launch lugs are mounted onto t' wrap as well - t' forward lug is set 1/2" behind the front edge, matey, and t' aft lug is flush with t' back edge. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Mount t' lugs on a line halfway betwixt two fins. Well, blow me down! Blimey! This prototype be modified t' add two BlackSky Launch Rail guides, as t' intended launch platform is nay complete yet.

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. Avast! Well, me hearties, blow me down! Then cut or drill eight 5/16" diameter holes into t' center area o' t' tube, ya bilge rat, about 3.5" or 4" from either end. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast! 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. Soak t' area around t' holes and t' back side o' t' bulkhead with CA for burn resistance. Ya scallywag! T' forward centerin' rin' needs t' be drilled with eight 5/16" holes spaced equally around t' ring. Aye aye! It is glued t' t' BT-50 tube 2" from t' front. T' middle rin' is glued so that 2.75" o' the motor tube is exposed behind it. Ya scallywag! 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. Avast! You may want t' trim t' forward end o' the hook before installation t' allow t' use o' 24-40 RMS hardware. Arrr! Arrr!

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, arrr, 90 degrees apart. Aye aye! Begad! Glue the coupler halfway (1") into t' forward end o' t' body tube. Avast, arrr, me proud beauty! Glue t' motor mount into t' body tube such that t' front o' t' motor mount is flush with the front o' t' coupler. Begad! T' forward centerin' rin' should butt against the rear o' t' coupler. Begad! T' aft end o' t' motor mount tube should wind up recessed 1/2" into t' body tube, me bucko, and t' mid centerin' rin' should be flush with t' forward end o' t' fin slots. Make certain that t' engine hook does nay line up with any o' t' fin slots. Begad! Test fit, trim (as necessary) and glue t' booster fins. Blimey! Make certain that each fin is glued t' t' mid centering rin' and t' motor mount tube as well as t' body tube. Cut a notch 1/8" x 1/8" into t' aft centerin' rin' t' allow for engine hook movement. Begad! Glue the aft rin' into t' body tube, me hearties, makin' sure that it is glued t' t' motor mount tube and fin tabs as well.
 

Attach t' parachute t' t' free end o' the leader. Arrr! Blimey! T' parachute is folded, rolled and packed into t' forward end o' the motor mount tube as t' two sections are plugged together. Avast, me proud beauty! Visually align the fins o' both sections. Avast! Prep and load your motor, and you're ready t' hunt submarines!

Flight Report:

T' prototype has flown 5 times now, 3 flights on D12-5s and t' other 2 on AT RMS D9-4Ws. Begad! 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. Aye aye! Everyone thought it was headed for a lawn dart, matey, but t' rocket gods were smiling). Ya scallywag! Avast, me proud beauty!

On t' first RMS flight (flight 3) t' booster suffered a cracked fin where the tab entered t' body tube. Begad! Avast, matey, me proud beauty! My guess is that t' empty RMS casin' weighs more than an empty D12 casing. Aye aye! Maybe it just landed wrong. Begad! Blimey! Still, me hearties, t' paper lamination held t' fin together through t' last two flights with no problems.

On future builds, I'm either goin' t' make t' fins from 1/8" basswood or 3/32" aircraft ply. Blimey! In either case, arrr, I'll laminate them as well. Ya scallywag! Since total booster weight is a consideration, I'll probably go with basswood. Arrr!

On every flight at least one spectator commented about t' booster separation, me bucko, promptin' a club member t' remark, 'You should change its name to "It's Supposed t' Do That!" '