Brief:
Easy TTW single-stage rocket designed t' be flown on D-F motors. Arrr! T' fins and strakes take a little time if you want t' rocket t' look great.

Construction:
Two standard diameter body tubes with TTW fin design.

List o' Parts (all Semroc numbers)

• BNC-60X nosecone
• BT-60DS body tube
• BT-60BB body tube
• JT-60C coupler
• BT-50FE engine tube
• 2 RA-5060 centerin' rings
• EH-28 engine hook
• CD-12 12" Parachute
• Balsa
• Launch lugs
• small screw eye

Nothin' too tricky in this build. Avast, me proud beauty! I began with t' motor mount. Begad! Arrr! Make certain you place t' centerin' rings as per t' Rocksim plan (.25" from aft and .50" from front) so you will allow correct space for t' fin tabs. I tied t' shock cord (Keelhaul®©™®) around t' engine tube and then slid t' forward rin' on over it. Ya scallywag! Well, blow me down! Blimey! Then apply generous fillets t' both sides o' the centerin' rings makin' certain t' Keelhaul®©™® loop had ample glue too. Aye aye! Aye aye! T' design uses no engine block and I even left off t' engine hook t' allow more engine choices. Well, blow me down! Motor retention is up t' you!

T' fins were me step two. Avast! Begad! If you print t' fin design from t' Rocksim file, shiver me timbers, matey, ya bilge rat, you can o' course omit t' TTW fin design t' simplify things. Ya scallywag! I built mine with TTW design. Ahoy!

I like t' rubber cement t' fin patterns on cardboard and cut it out before markin' t' balsa. Aye aye! Blimey! Once t' fins and strakes are cut and sanded, shiver me timbers, I papered t' fins and set them aside. Ahoy! Because t' strakes are thin, ya bilge rat, me hearties, I decided t' seal these with Fill 'n Finish. Avast! Avast! Blimey!

T' design calls for t' shorter body tube t' be on bottom. Begad! I did this t' make installin' t' motor mount easier. Glue t' motor mount so t' bottom o' t' motor tube is even with t' end o' t' body tube. Avast, me hearties, me proud beauty! When dry, me bucko, fillet both ends. (that's why t' shorter tube)

Next, matey, me bucko, mark t' coupler at its midpoint and glue it into t' lower body tube. Well, blow me down! Aye aye! Let it dry!

Next, arrr, glue t' two body tubes together. Begad! Blimey! When this dries, matey, use Fill 'n Finish on that seam and all t' spirals.

While all this is dryin' is a good time t' add t' eye hook t' t' nosecone and fill it with Fill 'n Finish. Begad! Blimey! I like t' put t' wet nose cone through a piece o' hangar wire and hang it t' dry.

Make t' parachute and set aside.

Sand t' body tubes bein' careful nay t' rough up t' cardboard too much and then mark t' tube for 3 fins. Arrr! Avast, me proud beauty! These lines will need t' travel t' entire length. Ya scallywag!

Next I would check t' make certain t' strake angle matches t' fins they will connect with. Begad! Ahoy!

Mount t' fins and t' strakes and when dry, shiver me timbers, fillet everything.

As for finishing, I use Rustoleum Sandable primer first, me hearties, arrr, then sand most o' it off, check for problems, prime again, and then wet sand till very smooth. Blimey! This design is nay a scale model so I went for t' hi-visibility orange and flat (Army) green.

I put a loop in me shock cord and attach t' chute with a leader line and snap-swivel. Avast, me proud beauty! Ahoy! I think this helps prevent t' chute from tangling.

Finishing:
After first coat o' sandable primer I checked for imperfections, repaired those and then sanded everythin' smooth. After second primer coat I did a finish sanding. Blimey! First coat o' enamel applied and left t' dry 24 hours. Avast! Ahoy! Light sandin' before second coat. Aye aye! That coat looked good so I went ahead with final coat. A rin' o' tape was wrapped just above t' body strakes and everythin' below that was wrapped before applyin' two coats o' nose color. Avast! This all made for a highly visible and simple paint job. Avast!

Flight:
I use "dog barf" for me wadding. Begad! A couple wraps o' maskin' tape at nozzle end prevents motor front kickin' forward. A little wrap around that and t' bottom o' t' rocket keeps it from kickin' out.

Estes D12-3 for first flight. Blimey! Good straight flight. Begad! Well, blow me down! Around 100 ft, shiver me timbers, ejection just after apogee, shiver me timbers, rocket landed within 10 feet o' where it was launched.

Rocksim shows D12-5 has too long a delay so I didn't try that one.

Aerotech E11-4 gets it t' about 170 ft. Aye aye! Rocket landed safely about 50 yds upwind

Aerotech E-18-4 gets it around 225 ft. Ya scallywag! Rocket drifted about 50 yds downwind

I'm anxious t' try other motors.

Rocksim results show F12J-2 ejectin' at very near apogee but no greater altitude than t' E's

F39T-6 looks great in t' computer - 260 ft.

Recovery:
T' use o' 100lb Keelhaul®©™® attached t' motor mount presented no problems. Aye aye! On all me flights t' ejection was late (well after apogee). Begad! This isn't all bad because t' rocket landed close t' launch pad. Begad! No zippering, burnin' or damage after three flights.

Summary:
I'm happy with this one. Ahoy! It flies great and t' body strakes make for a very strong airframe.