Brief:
Easy TTW single-stage rocket designed t' be flown on D-F motors. Avast! T' fins and strakes take a little time if you want t' rocket t' look great.

Construction:
Two standard diameter body tubes with TTW fin design.

List o' Parts (all Semroc numbers)

• BNC-60X nosecone
• BT-60DS body tube
• BT-60BB body tube
• JT-60C coupler
• BT-50FE engine tube
• 2 RA-5060 centerin' rings
• EH-28 engine hook
• CD-12 12" Parachute
• Balsa
• Launch lugs
• small screw eye

Nothin' too tricky in this build. I began with t' motor mount. Arrr! Make certain you place t' centerin' rings as per t' Rocksim plan (.25" from aft and .50" from front) so you will allow correct space for t' fin tabs. Ahoy! Ahoy! I tied t' shock cord (Keelhaul®©™®) around t' engine tube and then slid t' forward rin' on over it. Well, blow me down! Ya scallywag! Then apply generous fillets t' both sides o' the centerin' rings makin' certain t' Keelhaul®©™® loop had ample glue too. Aye aye! T' design uses no engine block and I even left off t' engine hook t' allow more engine choices. Avast, me proud beauty! Motor retention is up t' you!

T' fins were me step two. Blimey! Avast! If you print t' fin design from t' Rocksim file, me hearties, shiver me timbers, you can o' course omit t' TTW fin design t' simplify things. Aye aye! I built mine with TTW design. Ya scallywag! Avast!

I like t' rubber cement t' fin patterns on cardboard and cut it out before markin' t' balsa. Well, me bucko, blow me down! Once t' fins and strakes are cut and sanded, I papered t' fins and set them aside. Avast! Because t' strakes are thin, I decided t' seal these with Fill 'n Finish. Avast!

T' design calls for t' shorter body tube t' be on bottom. Begad! Well, blow me down! I did this t' make installin' t' motor mount easier. Glue t' motor mount so t' bottom o' t' motor tube is even with t' end o' t' body tube. When dry, matey, me hearties, me bucko, fillet both ends. (that's why t' shorter tube)

Next, shiver me timbers, mark t' coupler at its midpoint and glue it into t' lower body tube. Let it dry!

Next, glue t' two body tubes together. Begad! When this dries, me bucko, use Fill 'n Finish on that seam and all t' spirals.

While all this is dryin' is a good time t' add t' eye hook t' t' nosecone and fill it with Fill 'n Finish. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! I like t' put t' wet nose cone through a piece o' hangar wire and hang it t' dry. Begad! Well, blow me down!

Make t' parachute and set aside.

Sand t' body tubes bein' careful nay t' rough up t' cardboard too much and then mark t' tube for 3 fins. Avast! Blimey! These lines will need t' travel t' entire length.

Next I would check t' make certain t' strake angle matches t' fins they will connect with. Blimey!

Mount t' fins and t' strakes and when dry, fillet everything.

As for finishing, I use Rustoleum Sandable primer first, matey, me bucko, then sand most o' it off, me bucko, shiver me timbers, me hearties, check for problems, prime again, and then wet sand till very smooth. This design is nay a scale model so I went for t' hi-visibility orange and flat (Army) green. Well, blow me down! Blimey!

I put a loop in me shock cord and attach t' chute with a leader line and snap-swivel. I think this helps prevent t' chute from tangling.

Finishing:
After first coat o' sandable primer I checked for imperfections, arrr, repaired those and then sanded everythin' smooth. Avast! After second primer coat I did a finish sanding. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast! First coat o' enamel applied and left t' dry 24 hours. Begad! Arrr! Light sandin' before second coat. Avast, me proud beauty! That coat looked good so I went ahead with final coat. A rin' o' tape was wrapped just above t' body strakes and everythin' below that be wrapped before applyin' two coats o' nose color. This all made for a highly visible and simple paint job. Ya scallywag!

Flight:
I use "dog barf" for me wadding. A couple wraps o' maskin' tape at nozzle end prevents motor front kickin' forward. Well, blow me down! Aye aye! A little wrap around that and t' bottom o' t' rocket keeps it from kickin' out.

Estes D12-3 for first flight. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Good straight flight. Arrr! Blimey! Around 100 ft, shiver me timbers, ejection just after apogee, rocket landed within 10 feet o' where it be launched.

Rocksim shows D12-5 has too long a delay so I didn't try that one.

Aerotech E11-4 gets it t' about 170 ft. Rocket landed safely about 50 yds upwind

Aerotech E-18-4 gets it around 225 ft. Ya scallywag! Rocket drifted about 50 yds downwind

I'm anxious t' try other motors.

Rocksim results show F12J-2 ejectin' at very near apogee but no greater altitude than t' E's

F39T-6 looks great in t' computer - 260 ft. Begad! Avast, me proud beauty!

Recovery:
T' use o' 100lb Keelhaul®©™® attached t' motor mount presented no problems. Ya scallywag! On all me flights t' ejection was late (well after apogee). Avast, me proud beauty! This isn't all bad because t' rocket landed close t' launch pad. No zippering, burnin' or damage after three flights.

Summary:
I'm happy with this one. It flies great and t' body strakes make for a very strong airframe.