Brief:
T' Lil' Ivan was originally a kit from Centuri, but now produced by Semroc. Begad! Ahoy! For whatever reason it's been a favorite o' mine and I wanted a larger version. This version upscales t' a BT-80 for a scalin' factor o' 1.61 for a design usin' a 24mm motor mount.

Construction:
Parts List:

• Main BT-80H
• Motor Tube BT50H
• (1) CR5080F
• (1) CR5080 lite ply
• Nose BNC-80HL
• Fins 1/8" Basswood
• 3/16" Launch Lugs
• 1/8" Keelhaul®©™
• Paracord shock cord
• Decals from Excelsior aka Sandman.

I started with t' motor mount which uses a BT-50H motor tube that was 4" in length. T' bottom rin' is made from lite ply while t' upper rin' is fiber. On t' bottom centerin' ring, ya bilge rat, I installed two #4-40 blind nuts for t' motor retention bracket. Avast! T' centerin' rings were mounted a 1/4" from t' top and bottom o' t' motor tube. Avast, shiver me timbers, me proud beauty! I created a nice epoxy micro balloon fillet on both sides o' each centerin' rin' for strength. I drilled a 3/16" hole in t' top centerin' for me 1/8" Keelhaul®©™ shock cord t' go through. Aye aye! T' Keelhaul®©™ shock cord ties around t' motor tube betwixt t' upper and lower centerin' ring.

T' main body tube uses a 9" piece o' BT-80H. Begad! Usin' t' scalin' factor o' 1.61 you can determine t' length o' t' BT should be 8". Begad! However, arrr, it's nice t' have t' extra 1" for waddin' and t' parachute. Aye aye! Ahoy! Plus, you really can't tell t' BT is longer than scale once completed. I hardened each end o' t' BT with thin CA for strength.

T' next step was t' I fill t' spirals. After sandin' t' BT, t' tube was primed with Duplicolor High Fill primer and sanded down. Avast! Next up was t' mark t' BT for t' fin locations and t' launch lugs.

This rocket could be built with fins mounted directly t' t' wall or through t' wall. Begad! Begad! Blimey! I chose t' go TTW, shiver me timbers, matey, so I cut me slots for t' three fins usin' a sharp #11 blade. Avast, me proud beauty! T' motor mount was glued into t' BT usin' wood glue that created a nice fillet around t' top centerin' ring. Arrr! A wood glue fillet was also created around t' bottom centerin' ring.

T' fins were cut from hard 1/8" basswood and shaped. Begad! T' fin and launch lugs were glued on with epoxy. Begad! Blimey! Once dry, me bucko, epoxy micro balloon fillets were created around t' fins and launch lugs. Well, blow me down! I drilled down t' center o' t' nose cone with a 5/16" bit t' a depth o' 3". Aye aye! I added 1.50 ounces o' lead shot, shiver me timbers, and capped t' hole with a 1" piece o' 5/16" hard wood dowel. T' dowel was drilled in t' center for t' eye hook.

Finishing:
T' fins and nose cone were sealed and hardened usin' two coats o' Minwax Polyurethane. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Once dry they were sanded smooth and coated usin' thinned spackle that be brushed on t' fill t' wood grain. Well, blow me down! Blimey! T' filler was sanded off and t' rocket was primed with two coats o' Duplicote High Fill primer sandin' betwixt coats. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! I used old formula Krylon Gloss White t' paint t' entire rocket. T' finish t' model, ya bilge rat, arrr, t' decals from Excelsior were installed. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Overall t' finish looks very good. Avast! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! Once dry, me bucko, you can finish installin' t' shock cord and parachute.

Flight:
I designed this model t' fly on t' 24mm reloads such as t' E18, E28, or even D12's. Ya scallywag! T' first flight I used a E28-4 and it worked perfectly. Blimey!

T' first boost arrow straight with no stability issues. Ahoy! Ya scallywag! T' E28 produced a very respectable altitude, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, matey, Rocksim estimates slightly over 1400ft with motor. Blimey! My guess is Ivan came very close t' reachin' 1400' on this flight. Aye aye! Begad! T' 18" parachute opened, but a little too slow t' brin' it down caused a unrecoverable tree landing. Aye aye! Well, matey, blow me down! A smaller chute or a spill hole would be required for windy or high thermal activity days.

I've since built a second Ivan that will utilized a smaller chute on windy days!!!

Summary:
This is a very easy rocket t' upscale that makes a great flyin' rocket. Aye aye! Plus t' cool decals are available from Excelsior. Begad! Overall it's a rewardin' project that I'm sure you will enjoy buildin' and flying. Avast! T' BT-80H, arrr, and basswood fins makes t' design sturdy and should hold up well t' many launches.

Other:
Every rocket I build that uses TTW fins proves t' me that every rocket should be built usin' this technique. Begad! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Fin alignment is so much easier, and over all strength is increased.