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

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

 Why use t' "optional" stuff?

 Well, 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. Well, blow me down! Besides, ya bilge rat, I like t' way they look. Avast!

 T' ejection baffle eliminates t' need for recovery wadding. Begad! I don't entirely trust them, me hearties, and usually wrap t' chute in one square o' wadding anyway, me hearties, me bucko, arrr, just t' be sure. Avast, me proud beauty!

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

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

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

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

4. Well, blow me down! 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 hearties, let dry. 

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

With Boattail                                  Without Boattail

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

 7. Well, me hearties, blow me down! 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. Ahoy!

 8. Ya scallywag! Boattail. Cut t' appropriate sized shroud pattern from an Estes transition pattern sheet (available from Estes or at Jim Z's site). Arrr! Or print one usin' VCP or other software. T' completed boattail should be 1" long, with one end t' diameter o' t' BT-56, t' other end BT-50. Ya scallywag! Glue it into shape, and when dry glue it into place. Well, blow me down! 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. You may need t' cut a slight notch for the motor hook, arrr, use an X-acto for this. Begad!

 9. Ya scallywag! Arrr! Blimey! Glue t' pairs o' tube fins around t' body on t' 1" line you marked in step 6. Begad!

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

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

 12. Shock cord mounts. I used t' Estes paper-sandwich type. Glue one onto both ends o' t' 40" long elastic, and another onto t' 12" long elastic. Ahoy! Three total. Arrr! Avast!

 13. Blimey! Ya scallywag! Install t' shock cords. Ahoy! Begad! 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. Just for backup, glue t' last (shortest) shock cord into t' upper tube to secure t' nose cone. This way, me bucko, me hearties, if t' nose cone should accidentally come loose, matey, shiver me timbers, it'll stay attached t' t' rest o' t' rocket. Ya scallywag!

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

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

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

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

T' Empress flew several times at NARAM. Aye aye! 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.