Show anyone t' shape o' a V-2 and they will immediately recognize a real rocket! That classic outline has been t' love o' some people t' t' extent that they establish websites dedicated totally t' t' V-2. Aye aye! These sites cover every possible topic related t' t' "vengeance" weapon. Its popularity continues in sport rocketry today with a number o' companies producin' V-2 kits. Avast, me proud beauty! Aye aye! Public Enemy, arrr, shiver me timbers, Maximum Thrust and LOC/Precision are several that come t' mind. Two o' t' more popular kits come from LOC/Precision in 5.38" and 7.67" versions.

Bein' a fan o' sport-scale rockets, me bucko, I chose t' build t' 5.38" version with a 38mm motor mount. I was originally lookin' for a neat-lookin' rocket that I could launch with relatively little prep work. You know, insert t' motor and fly. I didn' t want t' spend an hour just gettin' it ready t' fly on electronics with multiple black powder charges. Well, blow me down! Avast, me proud beauty! But more on that later.

Make it durable. With a big 5.38" body tube and big plywood fins, I was concerned about durability o' t' rocket over time. Aye aye! So, t' first step was t' apply a layer o' 1.7oz Keelhaul®©™ and 6 oz fiberglass t' t' body tube. Avast, me proud beauty! T' LOC BT is non-phenolic cardboard so it really soaked up t' epoxy. I also coated t' top 4 inches o' t' inside o' t' BT with West Systems. Avast, me proud beauty! I did that for two reasons: one, matey, arrr, t' NC fit was a bit sloppy and I wanted t' take up some o' t' slack, arrr, and, me bucko, two, shiver me timbers, I wanted t' limit t' deterioration o' t' cardboard near t' NC when t' wet conditions o' Monroe caused t' layers o' t' cardboard tube t' unravel.

I sanded t' fins usin' 100 and 150 grit t' smooth t' flat surfaces and t' round t' leadin' and parallel edges. Arrr! Blimey! I vacuum bagged t' fins with 1.7oz Keelhaul®©™ wrapped over t' leadin' edge and then applied two layers o' six oz 'glass sandwichin' each fin. Ahoy! Blimey! Although I used a vacuum, a hand layup would be fine for this rocket. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! I just like t' keep me hand in, I suppose.

LOC' s directions are very good for assemblin' t' rocket. I assembled t' fincan per t' instructions with t' exception o' addin' an AeroPack 38mm motor retainer t' t' MMT. Begad! Blimey! Although t' retainer is pricey, it is perfect for this application where t' motor mount extends beyond t' bottom centerin' ring. Aye aye! Ya scallywag! Blimey! And t' retainers are really, really cool!

From here, I made a few changes.

Those stubborn plastic nosecones. T' first change concerns t' tenaciousness o' molded nosecones in wantin' t' shed paint. Avast! It seems no matter what one does, it' s difficult t' get paint t' stick t' t' slick plastic. Well, blow me down! Begad! Well, ya bilge rat, boys and girls, ya bilge rat, try what I do. I use 100 grit sandpaper t' rough up t' whole NC. Blimey! Yes, me bucko, that' s right. Arrr! Rough it up. Scrub it with soap and water and let it dry. There will be a lot o' fuzzies but paint will stick when t' preparation is finished. Arrr! After t' first sanding, go back and fill t' mold seams and whatever other imperfections that might exist. Well, blow me down! Let t' filler dry and sand lightly with 100 grit. Well, blow me down! Use gray Plasti-Kote Spot Filler & Primer for a first coat t' identify t' big imperfections (gray primer makes imperfections easier t' see than white primer). Begad! Wet sand with 320 grit. Blimey! Ya scallywag! Fill again as necessary. Avast! Begad! Prime again with Kilz white primer (white is good t' use now as a base for t' paint). Avast! Use a couple or three light coats o' this stuff; it comes out very heavy. Begad! Let dry and wet sand again with 320 grit. Avast, me proud beauty! Arrr! I' d be surprised if you see any fuzzies now. Prime again if needed and/or wet sand with 400 and you' re ready t' paint. Blimey! Try it.

NC Shock Cord Attachment. T' NC has a big extrusion on it t' be used for securin' an eyebolt. It certainly would work but there' s an alternative. Aye aye! T' V-2 requires nose weight due t' t' center o' pressure those fins create on a short rocket body. T' instructions suggest drillin' a 5/8" hole in t' side o' t' base o' t' nosecone t' be used t' pour an epoxy/steel shot mixture into t' nosecone. Arrr! Well, me bucko, blow me down! I decided nay t' do that. Avast, me hearties, me proud beauty! I drilled out t' plastic extrusion with a 3/4" wood spade bit. I like t' use a toggle bolt t' hold onto a 1/4" eyebolt for fastenin' t' shockcord t' t' NC. Blimey! Plus it adds weight t' t' nose in a rocket where nose weight is critical.

Addin' Noseweight. T' kit comes with 8 ounces o' steel shot t' be inserted with epoxy into t' nosecone. Ahoy! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! A finishin' nail is t' be used as a retention device for t' steel shot/epoxy mixture by drillin' a hole crosswise through t' tip o' t' NC and inserting. Begad! Blimey! T' steel shot/epoxy is then poured over this nail and holds everythin' in place. T' ends o' t' nail are then filed or ground down t' fit t' contour o' t' nosecone. Avast! Blimey! LOC recommends flyin' t' V-2 on nothin' larger than an I-284 and t' weight is calculated accordingly. But me construction isn't stock. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Arrr! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! I' e added epoxy and fiberglass weight. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Ya scallywag! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! Nay a lot o' weight but it should be considered. Begad! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! I've also added a motor retainer. Well, ya bilge rat, blow me down! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! Light, arrr, t' be sure, me hearties, but still t' be considered. With t' rocket built and primed, shiver me timbers, I used Rocksim t' determine t' Barrowman and Rocksim centers o' pressure. Arrr! Blimey! Well, blow me down! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! There be a big difference in these calculations but I knew t' real Cp be somewhere about 2" ahead o' t' fins. I then took t' biggest motor (J350) that I thought that I would fly and taped it t' t' aft o' t' rocket. Avast! Blimey! Aye aye! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! I put t' casin' into t' motor tube and fastened t' retainer. Aye aye! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! I installed t' parachute I'm goin' t' use (60" Top flight after weighin' t' V-2 ), shiver me timbers, 20' o' 9/16" military spec nylon tubing, Nomex® shields and quicklinks. I then taped t' 8 ounces o' steel shot t' t' tip o' t' nosecone. Ahoy! Findin' t' center o' gravity, I added another 6 ounces (overkill) o' steel shot after repeated measurements designed t' move t' Cg farther away from t' Cp. I wanted 1.0+ calibers for safety and feel I'm pretty close t' that.

Once I felt comfortable with t' weight, I mixed t' epoxy/steel shot and poured it into t' nosecone and let it cure.

"I Don Wan No Stinkin' Launch Lugs!" Lose t' 1/2" cardboard launch lug and put on a couple o' Black Sky (or similar) Delrin rail guides. Ahoy! Once you use them, arrr, you'll never go back. Ahoy! Avast! They attach nicely t' t' boattail/body tube overlap and t' a spot 5" down from t' top o' t' body tube. Avast, me proud beauty! Epoxy a 1/2" square piece o' body tube at t' 5" mark on t' inside o' t' BT t' give t' rail guide screw somethin' t' bite on.

Painting. V-2 paint schemes are widely varied. Ya scallywag! There is a paint scheme for everyone, me hearties, t' be sure. Arrr! One o' me favorites be t' dark yellow and black o' V-2 No. Blimey! 2 flown at White Sands, New Mexico in 1946. I got t' paintin' detail from Peter Always's Rockets o' t' World, 3rd Edition. Begad! Ya scallywag! If you don't have this book, me hearties, put it on t' 'ol birthday or Christmas wish list. Arrr! It's a necessity.

After preppin' t' rocket for paintin' as described with t' nosecone, arrr, me bucko, I found Plasti-Kote "School Bus Yellow", shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, "Gloss Black" and "Silver" for paintin' t' rocket. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Strictly on an opinion basis, me hearties, I think P-K paints are a bit more durable than Krylon. Blimey! Ahoy! Can't substantiate it, but I think so. Well, blow me down! Well, matey, blow me down! Use whatever you' re comfortable with, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, however, me hearties, but you may want t' try P-K paints.

Other than spendin' an enormous amount o' time (and blue detail tape) tapin' t' rocket for t' paint scheme, me hearties, t' paintin' wasn't bad at all. AND! I did nay pull any paint away from t' nosecone when I pulled t' maskin' off. Arrr! What could be better than that?

And One Final Thing. Remember I was talkin' about buildin' a rocket that would be easy t' prep and launch? Well, I've back-tracked a bit. Begad! Begad! I made provision t' put in a 38mm tube that will accommodate a BlackSky AltAcc accelerometer. Blimey! This piece o' electronics screw mounts t' t' side o' t' airframe and is armed by turnin' an armin' screw. Blimey! Avast! It won't be used for dual deployment; it will just fire t' main at apogee. Arrr! I don't know if I'll use it, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, but just in case.... Avast, me bucko, me proud beauty! Creature o' habit, matey, I guess.

All in all, a great rocket kit and somethin' different for me. Arrr! Blimey! Don't expect a lot o' altitude on this model, arrr, arrr, though. Begad! Blimey! Avast! Blimey! 1250' on an I357; 1500' on an I211; 1900' on an I300; 2700' on an I435 (if I dare). Blimey! Blimey! But those altitudes are plenty for a short wide-bodied rocket with a parachute at apogee. Ahoy! Blimey! Lift-offs should be great.

With 55,000 lbs o' thrust generated from a hydrogen peroxide-methanol motor, t' real rocket traveled at over 4400 ft/second. Begad! It was first fired operationally by t' Germans with a 1 ton warhead on September 6, me bucko, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, 1944, matey, aimed at Paris. Ya scallywag! After two firings on t' 6th, ya bilge rat, t' target be switched t' London on September 7th.

T' reality o' t' V-2 be as t' progenitor o' t' space race betwixt t' U.S. Begad! Arrr! Blimey! and t' U.S.S.R. Avast, me proud beauty! Aye aye! Blimey! T' United States managed t' ship parts for 100 V-2s and most o' t' Peenemunde scientists out o' post-WWII Germany while t' U.S.S.R. captured t' production facilities and most o' t' missle technicians. Blimey! What each country acquired was a rocket test bed capable o' reachin' an altitude o' 52 miles with a range o' 225 miles. Ahoy! Ahoy! Blimey! T' V-2 had a throw weight o' about 2,000 lbs which amounted t' a lot o' scientific instruments. Begad! T' United States fired some 70 V-2s betwixt 1946 and 1955. From Rockets o' t' World by Peter Alway.