I had a pack o' BT-56 tubes, and no idea o' what t' do with them. I didn't even have a nosecone to fit. Arrr! One day while lookin' at them, tryin' t' figure out how I could get rid of the things, ya bilge rat, arrr, I started playin' with t' idea o' buildin' a Mean Machine clone. Well, shiver me timbers, one thin' led t' another, and instead I decided t' do a long tube finned rocket. Since t' body tubes are 18" long, ya bilge rat, by cuttin' one into 3" pieces, I'd use t' entire package up and add another tube fin bird t' our fleet. Arrr! This one is D-powered, t' go along with our mini-engined Finite Loop and the regular sized Groove Tube clone. Ya scallywag!

 If you've never built a tube fin rocket, shiver me timbers, you will be amazed at how easy and smartly you can do it. Ahoy! T' Empress does add t' complexity o' mid-body separation, me hearties, an ejection baffle, and a boattail. Ahoy! Avast! T' make this a true beginners level project, ignore t' boattail and baffle, me hearties, ya bilge rat, and use regular nose-cone separation.

 Why use t' "optional" stuff?

 Well, t' boattail will allow t' rocket t' go higher. Arrr! Begad! There's a whole lot o' complicated mathematical formulas that explain why in aerodynamic terms, but it's all pretty much beyond me. Blimey! Besides, I like t' way they look. Begad!

 T' ejection baffle eliminates t' need for recovery wadding. Blimey! I don't entirely trust them, ya bilge rat, me bucko, me hearties, and usually wrap t' chute in one square o' wadding anyway, me bucko, just t' be sure. Arrr!

 Mid-body separation means that instead o' blowin' t' nosecone off, the body itself comes apart, shiver me timbers, releasin' t' recovery system. Avast! Ya scallywag! T' main advantage for this rocket is that I don't have t' haul around this loooooooong rocket in the car. Ahoy! It breaks into two shorter sections. Begad! Avast!

 Yellow glue is plenty strong enough for this rocket. Ahoy! I used Elmer's Fill'n'Finish for fillets betwixt t' tube fins and t' smooth the boattail. Well, blow me down! Begad!

2. Aye aye! Avast, me bucko, me proud beauty! Ejection Baffle. Begad! Arrr! Take one o' t' BT-56 couplers, me hearties, and cut a disk from balsa or thin cardboard, matey, one for each end (See the diagram below). Glue it together and let dry. Well, blow me down!

hint: if you use thin cardboard, arrr, try sandwichin' 2 layers together and soak them in CA (superglue) t' toughen them up. Avast! Arrr! Coat Balsa with yellow glue t' add stiffness. Avast! Ahoy!

 3. Ahoy! Mid-body separation coupler. Cut a disk from balsa or cardboard and glue it into one end o' t' second coupler. Blimey! Don't put any holes in this one, it's a solid bulkhead. See t' hint in step 1 about how t' strengthen it easily. 

4. Begad! Tube fins. Aye aye! Cut one o' t' BT-56 tubes into six 3" long sections. Glue pairs together so you have three pairs, me bucko, let dry. 

5. Begad! Aye aye! Assemble t' motor mount. Begad! Avast! If you are usin' t' boattail, matey, t' rearmost centerin' rin' goes 1 1/8" from t' end, ya bilge rat, otherwise follow t' motor mount instructions. Aye aye! Ya scallywag! See t' diagrams below for an idea o' what this should look like. Let it dry. Begad! Avast, me proud beauty!

With Boattail                                  Without Boattail

6. Mark t' body tube 1" from t' end where you'll be installin' the motor mount. Ya scallywag! Arrr!

 7. Arrr! Blimey! Arrr! Blimey! Glue t' motor mount from step 5 into t' body tube. T' rearmost centerin' rin' should be slightly inset from t' aft o' t' body tube. Ya scallywag! Blimey!

 8. Aye aye! Ahoy! Boattail. Cut t' appropriate sized shroud pattern from an Estes transition pattern sheet (available from Estes or at Jim Z's site). Arrr! Avast! Or print one usin' VCP or other software. Avast, me proud beauty! T' completed boattail should be 1" long, with one end t' diameter o' t' BT-56, me hearties, t' other end BT-50. Aye aye! Glue it into shape, and when dry glue it into place. Begad! You can use thin CA or yellow glue to strengthen it. Ahoy! Arrr! I used a little Fill'n'Finish t' smooth t' glue joints and the seemingly inevitable minor wrinkles. Avast! Begad! You may need t' cut a slight notch for the motor hook, use an X-acto for this.

 9. Aye aye! Glue t' pairs o' tube fins around t' body on t' 1" line you marked in step 6. Begad!

 10. Begad! Install t' baffle. Glue t' baffle into t' aft body tube. Ya scallywag! Make sure it gets in thar at least 3 or 4 inches. 

11. Install t' mid-body separation bulkhead. Arrr! Glue it halfway into t' front body tube, with t' solid end closest t' t' nosecone. Arrr! Ahoy! This be t' coupler that holds t' two body tubes together!!! Make sure you glue it in straight. Aye aye!

 12. Ahoy! Well, blow me down! Shock cord mounts. Begad! I used t' Estes paper-sandwich type. Arrr! Ya scallywag! Glue one onto both ends o' t' 40" long elastic, me bucko, arrr, and another onto t' 12" long elastic. Aye aye! Avast! Three total. Ya scallywag! Avast, ya bilge rat, me proud beauty!

 13. Install t' shock cords. Glue one end o' t' 40" shock cord into t' bulkhead coupler, and t' other end into t' lower body just above the baffle. 

14. Arrr! Just for backup, glue t' last (shortest) shock cord into t' upper tube to secure t' nose cone. Ahoy! This way, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, me bucko, if t' nose cone should accidentally come loose, arrr, it'll stay attached t' t' rest o' t' rocket. Avast, me proud beauty! Arrr!

 15. Install t' launch lugs. Ya scallywag! I cut mine in two. Well, blow me down! One be installed inside one o' t' tube fins (closest t' t' main body), ya bilge rat, with t' other about 12" up from t' bottom. Avast, me proud beauty!

 16. Avast! Blimey! Finish and paint as desired. This is a long rocket, so lighter colors are recommended. Dark colors tend t' get hotter in t' sun (like in your car), matey, and it could warp t' tubes. Ya scallywag! Blimey!

I painted mine white, matey, and sprayed light blue up from t' back end, fading about halfway up. Next I sprayed dark blue up from t' back, fadin' at the quarter mark. Avast! Add some cockpit windows t' t' nose, shiver me timbers, some stripin' along the sides, and some windows t' make an interplanetary liner. Begad! Be creative, me hearties, me bucko, have fun!

Maiden flight, matey, and I set it up with a D12-5 engine and a vented 18" parachute. Begad! Blimey! Good boost with maybe a slight wobble off t' rod. It climbed much quicker than I expected, me bucko, me bucko, shiver me timbers, but nay a neck-snapper. Couldn't estimate altitude because I launched tilted into a pretty stiff breeze, me hearties, but it was pretty high. Fine recovery, with ejection just after apogee. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! After-flight inspection showed that t' baffle worked perfectly, arrr, with no charrin' t' t' shock cord or chute. Aye aye! Blimey!

T' Empress flew several times at NARAM. A large tube-fin rocket like this makes an impression! Perfect flights every time, includin' one usin' a 4"x40" streamer due t' gusty wind conditions.