BT-55 model rocket parts

thingiverse

Some miscellaneous parts for working with BT-55 body tubes sized rockets. The BT-55 file is a body tube itself. Using this as a body tube without lining the inside down by the motor with cardboard or some form of insulation is not recommended. When printed with PLA, this body tube will deform from the heat near the motor after one or two launches. It is suitable for a payload tube, or body tube more than 3 or 4 inches from the motor (or insulated). It can also be used to build static display rockets. The coupler allows you to couple two BT-55 tubes together. This is a pass-through design that will allow engine gases to blow through. Use Tinkercad or some other tool to add a bottom or top bulkhead if you want to make something sealed. The shock mount is a coupler with an integrated shock cord mount. It's also a pass-through. I used this in conjunction with two of the 3D printed BT-55 tubes to make a single tube long enough for a rocket. It worked, but as mentioned earlier, the bottom tube near the motor deformed after a couple launches due to ejection gas heat. Generally speaking, 3D printed body tubes won't be as strong as the cardboard variety. They still work for model rockets because the stress on rockets presses down from the top, not in from the sides. Using these in actual rockets is at your own risk. I designed the tube mainly to test fit when an actual tube was unavailable.