This is computer software whose purpose is t' aid model rocket designers in choosin' materials, motors, and parts for a stable rocket flight. There is a data base o' known manufacturers and parts and you can create custom parts yourself. Arrr! You can simulate flights with chosen engines and get a predicted altitude and speed. You can also see if your chosen delay allows ejection at apogee or whether another delay would be better. Blimey! You're told how fast t' rocket is goin' at ejection, too, t' get an idea o' stresses on t' recovery system. Arrr! Ya scallywag! Given this, arrr, a designer can modify parts by size or maybe add mass objects t' t' nose or body and see if t' problems are corrected. Avast! You also get predictions o' stability and are shown pictures o' your rocket as you build it, with your CG and CP points shown.  Printouts o' t' drawin' and parts list can be made, me hearties, as can flight summaries and a graph o' t' flight pattern showin' when in t' parabolic path t' burnout, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, ejection, and apogee occur.

There are two 3 1/2 inch discs. Blimey! I had t' choice o' Mac or PC.  I chose PC, arrr, because t' PC in me home is newer than t' Mac. T' PC I have runs Windows 95, me bucko, which allows Rocksim t' run well. Ya scallywag! Ahoy! I understand that Windows 3.0 cannot run Rocksim.

It was easy t' install, but an instruction manual may help t' neophyte who doesn't know shortcuts when it comes t' installin' PC applications.

I have discovered a number o' things since usin' this program. Well, blow me down! First, that delta fins aren't t' best shape. I used t' think so, arrr, havin' been raised durin' t' delta win' jet era. Avast, me proud beauty! Rocksim 3.0, plus a publication called, me bucko, me bucko, "Which Fin Shape is Best?" by Apogee, me hearties, which you can download free from their site, taught me t' principle o' Reynolds number and how fins create lift t' correct t' path o' a rocket. Avast, me proud beauty! In a nutshell, shiver me timbers, a pointed tip isn't as effective because it creates an area o' turbulence o' air flow. 

Thus inspired, ya bilge rat, I corrected me Yellow Fellow line o' minimum diameter rockets from delta fins t' those with tips o' .6 t' 1 inch, me bucko, findin' .6 optimal for that design as predicted by it producin' t' greatest altitude.  (see picture on left) They show t' first generation, a 24mm and 29mm rocket, me bucko, both inspired by t' VB Extremes. They performed GREAT, matey, especially on Apogee F10-8 long burn motors. People said, arrr, ya bilge rat, "It's STILL goin' UP!!!" 

But then I was playin' on Rocksim (yes, ya bilge rat, it's fun as well) t' see if t' rocket could be even better, and made a new one based upon fin shape recommendations and a small mass increase in t' nose (provided by a solid urethane conical nose cone) by t' program. Blimey! It predicted another 600 feet o' altitude, and I GOT it! (see picture on right)

Now, I'm usin' t' program t' tweak t' designs o' me certification rockets before launch. Blimey! Begad! Since separation o' t' recovery system disqualifies t' certification, matey, I plugged in me proposed design. Avast! Arrr! Somethin' bugged me, but I couldn't pinpoint it until I ran t' simulations. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast, me proud beauty! T' result showed me that me chosen motor, t' H97-10J had too short a delay. Aye aye! T' rocket is simmed t' still be goin' over 100 feet per second at ejection.  Nay good. Darn. I already had t' motor I already had t' motor on hand along with its hardware. Now what? Now what? I used t' software t' modify t' rocket for t' engine. Arrr! Arrr! After addin' a body tube length and a mass object under t' nose, t' result was simmed as perfect ejection at apogee. Ya scallywag! Now, me hearties, t' altitude was decidedly less, arrr, but t' flight was perfect as predicted.  What's more, I'm now ready with a scaled up version o' me level 1 rocket t' do me level 2, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, and it's simmed t' exceed mach and exceed 6000 feet altitude.  I can hardly wait.

My models made usin' t' program have performed very well indeed.

This is nay only educational, but fun. Avast, me proud beauty! Usin' it, matey, I have corrected flaws in existin' scratch-builds that went awry and tried t' chase observers.  They now fly right. Aye aye! Blimey! Only one thin' I'd change. Aye aye! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Only one thin' I'd change. Avast, me proud beauty! Truly unstable rockets can still fly here. Begad! Blimey! Blimey! For example, ya bilge rat, I've purposely plugged in things that can't possibly work, me bucko, shiver me timbers, me bucko, like thin balsa fins on a minimum diameter M rocket, shiver me timbers, or finless models...you get t' picture. Now, shiver me timbers, t' drawin' does tell you that it's unstable and does so in bold letters. Avast! Aye aye! Blimey! But t' simulation works! Blimey! I'd actually like an analysis o' a bad flight, ya bilge rat, me hearties, such as went up in flames due t' shredding, ya bilge rat, or flew laterally or became a landshark, whatever. It'd be a teachin' tool. Begad! Ya scallywag! Blimey! However, one type o' bad flight won't work as per Rocksim, and that's if you use too weak a motor for a heavy model. It'll tell you that t' model never left t' pad and t' try a stronger motor.

It's a good value for t' loot and makes a fun video game, too, for those like me who like numbers. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Version 4.0 is available any time now, arrr, and will be only $5 for t' upgrade for owners o' 3.0. Blimey! Ahoy! Blimey! T' improvements include bein' able t' use custom fin shapes which can't be made with version 3.0. Ahoy! Blimey! I understand that you'll get graphs on which t' draw your shape.  That'll be fun.

Overall Rating: 4