I had a pack o' BT-56 tubes, and no idea o' what t' do with them. I didn't even have a nosecone to fit. Begad! One day while lookin' at them, arrr, 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, shiver me timbers, one thin' led t' another, shiver me timbers, and instead I decided t' do a long tube finned rocket. Arrr! Since t' body tubes are 18" long, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, by cuttin' one into 3" pieces, I'd use t' entire package up and add another tube fin bird t' our fleet. Begad! 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, arrr, arrr, you will be amazed at how easy and smartly you can do it. T' Empress does add t' complexity o' mid-body separation, an ejection baffle, and a boattail. Ya scallywag! T' make this a true beginners level project, arrr, ya bilge rat, ignore t' boattail and baffle, me bucko, and use regular nose-cone separation. Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty!

 Why use t' "optional" stuff?

 Well, t' boattail will allow t' rocket t' go higher. Ahoy! Blimey! There's a whole lot o' complicated mathematical formulas that explain why in aerodynamic terms, but it's all pretty much beyond me. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Arrr! Blimey! Besides, matey, arrr, I like t' way they look.

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

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

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

2. Aye aye! Ejection Baffle. Avast! Avast! 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). Begad! Glue it together and let dry. Avast, me proud beauty! 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. Aye aye! Coat Balsa with yellow glue t' add stiffness.

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

4. Tube fins. Aye aye! Cut one o' t' BT-56 tubes into six 3" long sections. Glue pairs together so you have three pairs, ya bilge rat, let dry. 

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

With Boattail                                  Without Boattail

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

 7. Avast, me proud beauty! Ya scallywag! Glue t' motor mount from step 5 into t' body tube. Ahoy! T' rearmost centerin' rin' should be slightly inset from t' aft o' t' body tube. Aye aye! Arrr!

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

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

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

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

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

 13. Arrr! Install t' shock cords. Avast, me proud beauty! Glue one end o' t' 40" shock cord into t' bulkhead coupler, ya bilge rat, and t' other end into t' lower body just above the baffle. 

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

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

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

I painted mine white, and sprayed light blue up from t' back end, fading about halfway up. Next I sprayed dark blue up from t' back, fadin' at the quarter mark. Avast, ya bilge rat, me proud beauty! Add some cockpit windows t' t' nose, some stripin' along the sides, me hearties, and some windows t' make an interplanetary liner. Begad! Ya scallywag! Be creative, have fun!

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

T' Empress flew several times at NARAM. Avast, shiver me timbers, me proud beauty! A large tube-fin rocket like this makes an impression! Perfect flights every time, ya bilge rat, arrr, arrr, includin' one usin' a 4"x40" streamer due t' gusty wind conditions.