· Home  

· Body Tubes  
· Kits  
· Nose Cones  


Sponsored By JonRocket.com

Body Tubes

Body tubes are the main fuselage of a model rocket. They are usually made of paper or cardboard.

Estes Standard Sizes

Estes has been the major manufacturer of model rocket kits for more than fifty years. Estes uses a simple numbering scheme for indentifying model rocket body tubes. Each body tube diameter has a unique identifier, usually of the form BT-xxx.

IDInside DiameterOutside DiameterLengthNotes
BT-3H0.349 in.0.375 in.3.000 in. 
BT-3XW0.725 in.0.765 in.0.000 in.Used by the X-Wing Fighter (EST-1298)
BT-50.515 in.0.541 in.18.000 in.The BT-5 tube was initially produced as an engine tube for Estes's 13mm mini-motors.
BT-5BJ0.515 in.0.541 in.2.000 in. 
BT-5CJ0.515 in.0.541 in.3.000 in. 
BT-5P0.515 in.0.541 in.5.100 in. 
BT-5T0.515 in.0.541 in.1.500 in. 
BT-5XW0.518 in.0.544 in.1.375 in.Used by the X-Wing Fighter (EST-1298)
CM-8 EA1.685 in.1.785 in.4.180 in.Plastic
BT-100.710 in.0.720 in.9.000 in.The BT-10 was an ultra-light spiral-wound mylar tube.
BT-10H0.710 in.0.720 in.3.062 in.The BT-10 was an ultra-light spiral-wound mylar tube.
BT-200.710 in.0.736 in.18.000 in.A BT-20 body tube can also be used as an 18-mm motor mount.
BT-20AE0.710 in.0.736 in.1.500 in. 
BT-20B0.710 in.0.736 in.8.650 in. 
BT-20D0.710 in.0.736 in.6.500 in. 
BT-20DJ0.710 in.0.736 in.4.000 in. 
BT-20G0.710 in.0.736 in.3.500 in. 
BT-20J0.710 in.0.736 in.2.750 in.The BT-20J is often used as the engine tube for a standard 18mm motor mount.
BT-20L0.710 in.0.736 in.12.000 in. 
BT-20M0.710 in.0.736 in.2.250 in. 
BT-20XW0.710 in.0.736 in.8.000 in.Used by the X-Wing Fighter (EST-1298)
PST-200.710 in.0.736 in.8.000 in.Plastic
PST-20J0.710 in.0.736 in.2.750 in.Plastic
BT-300.725 in.0.765 in.9.000 in. 
BT-30A0.725 in.0.765 in.3.500 in.The BT-30A was used in Estes's Scout (K-1).
BT-30B0.725 in.0.765 in.6.125 in. 
BT-30C0.725 in.0.765 in.5.500 in. 
BT-30F0.725 in.0.765 in.7.000 in. 
BT-30J0.725 in.0.765 in.2.750 in. 
BT-30K0.725 in.0.765 in.2.750 in. 
BT-400.765 in.0.821 in.13.750 in. 
BT-48BE0.902 in.0.928 in.2.500 in. 
BT-500.950 in.0.976 in.18.000 in. 
BT-50AE0.950 in.0.976 in.1.500 in. 
BT-50AH0.950 in.0.976 in.1.875 in. 
BT-50EE0.950 in.0.976 in.5.500 in. 
BT-50FE0.950 in.0.976 in.6.500 in. 
BT-50H0.950 in.0.976 in.7.750 in. 
BT-50J0.950 in.0.976 in.2.750 in.The BT-50K is often used as the engine tube for a standard 24mm motor.
BT-50L0.950 in.0.976 in.12.700 in. 
BT-50S0.950 in.0.976 in.4.000 in. 
BT-50V0.950 in.0.976 in.16.500 in. 
BT-50W0.950 in.0.976 in.9.500 in. 
PST-50FJ0.950 in.0.976 in.6.000 in.Plastic
PST-50S0.950 in.0.976 in.4.000 in.Plastic
BT-51CI0.984 in.1.011 in.3.875 in.Used by the Estes Bandit (K-48)
BT-51N0.984 in.1.011 in.12.420 in. 
BT-52AG0.988 in.1.114 in.2.100 in. 
BT-52S0.988 in.1.114 in.3.938 in. 
BT-551.283 in.1.325 in.18.000 in. 
BT-55IJ1.283 in.1.325 in.9.000 in. 
BT-55J1.283 in.1.325 in.2.750 in. 
BT-55KA1.283 in.1.325 in.10.500 in. 
BT-55KG1.283 in.1.325 in.16.750 in. 
BT-55S1.283 in.1.325 in.4.000 in. 
BT-55V1.283 in.1.325 in.16.350 in. 
BT-561.304 in.1.346 in.18.000 in. 
BT-581.498 in.1.540 in.12.750 in. 
PST-59CJ1.533 in.1.585 in.3.000 in.Plastic
BT-601.595 in.1.637 in.18.000 in.The BT-60 was first used in Estes's Ranger kit. It was selected to allow a cluster of three BT-20 motor tubes to fit inside.
BT-60AD1.595 in.1.637 in.14.000 in. 
BT-60AJ1.595 in.1.637 in.10.000 in. 
BT-60D1.595 in.1.637 in.11.000 in. 
BT-60FG1.595 in.1.637 in.6.700 in. 
BT-60HE1.595 in.1.637 in.8.500 in. 
BT-60J1.595 in.1.637 in.2.750 in. 
BT-60K1.595 in.1.637 in.7.000 in. 
BT-60KC1.595 in.1.637 in.12.840 in. 
BT-60KF1.595 in.1.637 in.16.100 in. 
BT-60R1.595 in.1.637 in.5.000 in. 
PCT-601.576 in.1.595 in.1.525 in.Plastic
PST-60R1.595 in.1.637 in.5.000 in.Plastic
BT-63CJ1.639 in.1.681 in.3.000 in. 
BT-63Y1.639 in.1.681 in.1.340 in. 
PST-65R1.750 in.1.796 in.5.000 in.Plastic
BT-672.000 in.2.040 in.18.000 in. 
BT-702.175 in.2.217 in.17.500 in. 
BT-70H2.175 in.2.217 in.7.150 in. 
BT-70V2.175 in.2.217 in.10.600 in. 
RT-702.175 in.2.217 in.0.680 in. 
BT-802.560 in.2.600 in.14.200 in. 
RT-99D3.668 in.3.790 in.0.391 in. 
BT-100CE3.702 in.3.744 in.3.500 in. 
BT-100Z3.702 in.3.744 in.10.890 in. 
BT-1013.896 in.3.938 in.16.500 in.The BT-101 was first used in the 1/100th scale Saturn V kit.
BT-101K3.896 in.3.938 in.7.590 in. 
BT-101T3.896 in.3.938 in.2.780 in. 
SBT-123BE1.182 in.1.228 in.2.500 in. 
SBT-127GC1.230 in.1.274 in.7.260 in. 
SBT-139BJ1.345 in.1.389 in.2.000 in. 
Copyright © 2010 by Roger Smith