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Interceptor Scratch Built BT-60 Mash-Up... sort of a clone...

I have always loved the Estes Interceptor, they really knocked it out of the park with the design.

Here's a BT-60 29mm powered version that has design cues based on the original. Pods are reversed, decals are flipped. It's not a clone.. well... sort of.

2025-07-01 Nose Cone Turning

Turned the Nose Cone from a piece of 4 x 4 Pine, and the Cockpit from a 1" Dowel.

Updated the OR Simulation to match the as-turned piece.

Gluing the Nose Cone

Gluing the cockpit to the nose cone.

I've also learned that when the nose cone has a thin shoulder its a good idea to glue a coupler or a body tube into it. The thin shoulder can crack, the glued in coupler helps to prevent that.

2025-07-02 Fabricating Fins and Modifying Nose Cone

Cut the Fins from 1/4" Plywood and then sanded them to shape. Routed the edges with a 1/8" Rounding Bit.

Chucked the Nose Cone up in my lathe and tapered the front section down.

Gluing the Spears to the Vertical Stabilizers

Cut some 1/4" dia Poplar dowels to length, then sharpened them with a pencil sharpener.

Glued them to the Vertical Stabilizers using Gorilla Wood Glue. I noticed the spears weren't parallel with the bases, so I sanded the base down on my belt sander to make them parallel.

2025-07-03 Gluing The Fins.. Day 01

Using multiple fixtures to align the fins... I started with one, then went to the other. There really is no substitute for a good flat piece of plywood, with a cut-out for the body tube. Not real hi-tech... but it works very well.

2025-07-04 Gluing The Fins.. Day 02

Unclamped the rocket from the fin alignment plywood board. The Main Wings alignment came out nicely.

Time to install the (2) Vertical Stabilizers

So my fin alignment fixture has been relegated to holding the rocket while it dries.... I'm using the tried and true method of eye balling fin alignment for the Vertical Stabilizers.

The C-60 was marked with the fin locations using the wrap around template provided by OpenRocket. Wood glue is applied to the root chord of the 1st Vertical Stabilizer and then the fin is set in place onto the C-60 and held for about 30 seconds. Since the fins are made of plywood its easy to align the center ply with the pencil mark on the C-60. That's enough time for the glue to bite into the C-60, at which point it's set on the fixture for half an hour to dry.

The gluing procedure is repeated for the 2nd Vertical Stabilizer.

The rocket fins were then measured from Wing Tip to Vertical Stabilizer Tip. Measured distance varied by 3/16". I used masking tape and wrapped the fins from the Wing Tip up over the 1st Vertical Stabilizer, to the 2nd Vertical Stabilizer. I then moved the 2nd Vertical Stabilizer Tip to match the 1st Vertical Stabilizer Tip measurement. I then used another piece of masking tape from Wing Tip to the 2nd Vertical Stabilizer.

I'll let this dry 24 hours.

Ventral Fins and Wing Pods

Wing Pod Fit-Up

I used masking tape and a couple toothpicks to fit-up the Wing Pods to the Wings. I then used Gorilla Wood Glue to tack them into place.

2025-07-05 Glamour Shots

Installing the BT-60 Sections

Marked the front section of BT-60 tubing and then cut the slots for the Wings, Ventral Fins and Vertical Stabilizers. Applied a generous coating of Elmer's White Glue to the C-60 and slid the BT-60 into place. I then used a bunch of spring clamps and tape to hold everything in place while the glue dries.

Once that dried for 5 hours the lower C-60 was cut, glued and fitted.