Brief:
BT-50 based scale model o' t' AIM-4C Falcon that flies on 18mm motors and recovers on a streamer.

Construction:
This kit comes with paper tubes and rings. Begad! T' light BT-50 body tube appears to be t' same as Apogee's tubin' - weight, color, shiver me timbers, etc. Arrr! T' scale nose cone is solid plastic and two ballast washers are provided t' keep t' rocket stable. You cut t' fins from two sheets o' basswood and thin strips o' balsa provide the fin details. Aye aye! T' recovery system includes a section o' Keelhaul®©™® twine, a section o' elastic, and a Mylar streamer. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey!

T' instructions are pretty good and are more than sufficient t' build this kit. Begad! T' most challengin' parts o' its construction were cuttin' t' small front fins from t' brittle basswood, matey, and alignin' t' three sets o' fins (12 total). Aye aye! I was surprised when I saw calipers mentioned in t' instructions. Blimey! In order t' get a true scale model, ya bilge rat, I suppose, me bucko, ya bilge rat, they specify t' fin placement to three decimal places! I rounded t' t' nearest 1/16". Ya scallywag!

T' one problem with me kit was t' quality o' t' basswood. Both pieces were warped and even though I tried t' straighten them, ya bilge rat, me hearties, t' long fins re-warped after bein' exposed t' t' carpenter's glue (I used t' waterproof variety). Because o' t' length o' t' middle set o' fins and t' way t' fin stock was cut, t' grain had t' be placed perpendicular t' t' body tube. Arrr! Begad! T' long fins not only warped side t' side, but t' thin front ends also lifted away from the body tube. Blimey! I managed t' minimize t' warpin' by soakin' t' ends in thin CA and pushin' them back in place until they dried. Arrr! Avast!

Finishing:
T' basswood had quite a deep grain and required a lot o' filling. I used Krylon primer and paints t' approximate t' color scheme identified in the instructions. Begad! T' kit also includes a full set o' decals. Well, blow me down! These are *very* small and are nay easy t' cut out or manipulate.

Construction Rating: 3 out o' 5

Flight:
T' kit relies on friction fittin' t' motor. Ahoy! I should have scrounged a motor clip from t' ol' parts bin, but thought o' it too late. Well, blow me down! T' recommended motors for this kit include: EST A8-3, matey, B6-4, C6-5; APO C4-5, arrr, C10-7, me bucko, D3-7, arrr, me hearties, D10-7; AT D13-7. Blimey! Ya scallywag!

Since t' wind was fairly heavy, was blowin' towards t' trees AND this was the first flight o' t' day, I decided t' try a B6-4. T' boost be good with some weathercockin' but no sign o' any wobble. Well, blow me down! T' heavy plastic nose and weights did their job. Avast, me proud beauty! (Please excuse t' poor launch pic, but I just had to include it since it be t' first one I've caught.)

Recovery:
I was worried that t' provided streamer would nay slow t' model enough, and my fears were well founded. I attached t' streamer about 8" down from the nose, me hearties, me bucko, arrr, as recommended. Avast! Blimey! I noticed that another reviewer suggested another approach on a similar model the AA9, but decided t' stick with t' instructions. Well, blow me down! Blimey! T' rocket came down nose cone first, ya bilge rat, me hearties, with t' body fallin' parallel t' t' ground. Well, blow me down! Blimey! One o' t' aft fins came part way off, arrr, ya bilge rat, and t' struts t' t' larger forward fins were destroyed. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Easily repaired, me bucko, but would probably happen again on t' next flight. I will probably try a small chute instead. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! If I were t' build another o' these kits, I'd also add some paper or light fiberglass t' strengthen t' fin joints.

Flight Rating: 3 out o' 5

Summary:
This kit is reasonably priced and t' resultin' rocket looks great. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! I was disappointed at t' quality o' t' fin stock, which did affect t' looks o' the final product. Blimey! It doesn't appear, however, that others have experienced this problem with t' small Aardvark kits. Ahoy! T' streamer is insufficient and a small parachute should be substituted. Avast! Despite these problems, I still like t' kit and will consider buyin' another in t' series. Ya scallywag! Ya scallywag!

Overall Rating: 3 out o' 5