Body tubes are the airframe of every model rocket. Material choice (cardboard, phenolic, fiberglass), diameter (BT-50 through BT-80), and wall thickness determine what motors you can fly, how high you go, and how long the rocket lasts. This hub covers every body-tube topic on the site.
Articles in this section
- Phenolic vs Fiberglass Body Tubes: Which Is Better? — Side-by-side weight, strength, motor range, and cost — for F-through-O motors.
- Cardboard vs Fiberglass Body Tubes: Which to Use? — When paper tubes are the right call (entry-level, low cost) vs fiberglass (mid-power, reusable).
- Body Tube Size Chart: Standard Dimensions — Every BT diameter from BT-5 to BT-80, with wall thickness and length tolerances.
- Body Tube Metric Conversion Guide — Switching between imperial and metric body-tube dimensions without mis-cuts.
Looking for the complete archive? See the blog index.