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

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

 Why use t' "optional" stuff?

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

 T' ejection baffle eliminates t' need for recovery wadding. I don't entirely trust them, and usually wrap t' chute in one square o' wadding anyway, me bucko, just t' be sure. Well, shiver me timbers, blow me down!

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

 Yellow glue is plenty strong enough for this rocket. I used Elmer's Fill'n'Finish for fillets betwixt t' tube fins and t' smooth the boattail. Avast, me proud beauty!

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

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

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

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

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

With Boattail                                  Without Boattail

6. Aye aye! Begad! Blimey! Mark t' body tube 1" from t' end where you'll be installin' the motor mount. Aye aye!

 7. Blimey! 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.

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

 9. Well, blow me down! Glue t' pairs o' tube fins around t' body on t' 1" line you marked in step 6.

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

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

 12. Shock cord mounts. Arrr! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! I used t' Estes paper-sandwich type. Aye aye! Blimey! Glue one onto both ends o' t' 40" long elastic, and another onto t' 12" long elastic. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Three total. Begad! Blimey!

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

14. Aye aye! Just for backup, glue t' last (shortest) shock cord into t' upper tube to secure t' nose cone. This way, me hearties, if t' nose cone should accidentally come loose, it'll stay attached t' t' rest o' t' rocket.

 15. Install t' launch lugs. I cut mine in two. Begad! Blimey! One be installed inside one o' t' tube fins (closest t' t' main body), arrr, with t' other about 12" up from t' bottom. Begad! Blimey! Begad! Blimey!

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

I painted mine white, and sprayed light blue up from t' back end, fading about halfway up. Ahoy! Next I sprayed dark blue up from t' back, fadin' at the quarter mark. Ahoy! Arrr! Add some cockpit windows t' t' nose, some stripin' along the sides, matey, shiver me timbers, and some windows t' make an interplanetary liner. Well, blow me down! Be creative, arrr, ya bilge rat, have fun!

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

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