Brief:
T' FlippiFin is a unique design that uses a surplus spring-loaded military flare fincan. Avast, me proud beauty! Aye aye! When loaded into its launch tube, arrr, t' curved fins are flat against t' body. Begad! When t' rocket exits t' tube, t' springs pop t' fins out, shiver me timbers, providin' stabilization.

Picture courtesy o' Aerocon

Construction:
Most o' t' parts for t' FlippiFin are your standard rocket fare: a body tube, plastic nosecone, arrr, shock cord material, parachute and centerin' rings. Begad! In keepin' with Aerocon's large line o' surplus military equipment, t' included parachute is a surplus olive drab X-form. T' most important component, o' course, shiver me timbers, arrr, me bucko, be t' spring-loaded fincan, arrr, which gives t' FlippiFin its name. Blimey! Due t' t' weight o' t' fincan, t' necessary 2.6oz o' noseweight required t' keep t' rocket stable is also included. Blimey! Avast! Rather than t' elastic we see in some kits, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, t' FlippiFin's shock cord comes in two parts. Avast! Well, blow me down! T' first is a thin Keelhaul®©™® cord which is used t' provide an anchor t' a tab on t' fincan. Aye aye! Blimey! This cord is small enough in diameter that, shiver me timbers, if used alone, arrr, it would easily zipper t' body tube. Begad! Blimey! T' prevent this, ya bilge rat, arrr, me hearties, t' exposed portion o' t' shock cord is a much wider length o' different material which will help protect t' body tube.

Assembly o' t' FlippiFin is very straightforward, me bucko, with no real surprises. Begad! Avast! Blimey! A bit o' trial and error is required in fittin' t' fincan, due t' its nonstandard dimensions. Aye aye! Avast! Blimey! T' install t' fincan, maskin' tape is used t' create centerin' rings on t' motor mount. Since no two brands o' maskin' tape are exactly identical in thickness, me hearties, matey, t' instructions give an approximation on t' number o' wraps required. Ahoy! Begad! Blimey! I found that I had t' remove some o' t' tape in order t' get a good fit. Aye aye! Since t' actual mountin' rings on t' fincan are only about 1/8" wide, me hearties, after achievin' t' proper thickness, I used an X-acto knife t' trim their width down so t' tape is completely hidden by t' fincan. Aye aye! Once t' tape rings are properly sized, shiver me timbers, t' single most critical aspect o' t' construction is next -- gluin' t' fincan in place with thin CA. Ahoy! Blimey! Here, me bucko, t' instructions state t' make sure t' fins still open after gluing. Blimey! Blimey! T' implied warnin' isn't nearly strong enough! Blimey! It took 3 seconds o' CA work t' render me fincan inoperative. Begad! Blimey! It took 3 HOURS o' work t' clean t' CA out o' t' hingset. Avast! On me second attempt, I used a bottle o' CA with a small (approx 1mm) applicator extension tip, arrr, arrr, matey, which allowed very fine control o' t' CA. Well, blow me down! With t' extension tip, ya bilge rat, I got sufficient CA wicked into t' tape t' harden those, as well as enough t' form a good solid bond betwixt t' fincan and t' tape. Avast, me proud beauty! Arrr! Blimey! And, shiver me timbers, most importantly, me fincan works as it should! Blimey! I plan on suggestin' t' Aerocon that they recommend t' use o' an extension tip in their instructions.

Finishing:
T' metal fincan on t' FlippiFin introduces an extra challenge in painting. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Applyin' paint t' t' fincan would have t' same effect as gettin' CA into t' hingset and springs -- t' fincan would no longer operate. Because o' this, t' fincan is best masked off for spray-painting, me bucko, shiver me timbers, and any finishin' o' t' fincan area should be done by hand. T' instructions recommend usin' a Sharpie-type black marker t' color in t' motor mount tube that is visible betwixt t' opened fins. Arrr! Careful application o' paint with a small paintbrush would work as well, me bucko, and would allow for more color options.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
Since sprin' flyin' season is just startin' here in Nebraska, I've only had one opportunity t' launch me FlippiFin, at our most recent high-power launch. Begad! Launch opportunities for t' FlippiFin will be limited in general, arrr, due t' t' metal fincan. Avast! Arrr! Blimey! T' instructions explicitly state that this rocket is nay approved for use at NARRRRR launches, shiver me timbers, so plan accordingly! Blimey! T' instructions list three motors, only two o' which I listed in this review. Well, blow me down! Blimey! T' D12 is listed as a "marginal" flight, ya bilge rat, due t' rocket weight. Ya scallywag! Well, blow me down! Blimey! When t' vendor lists a motor as "marginal", me hearties, t' me, me bucko, me hearties, that means "don't use it!" T' other two motors are single-use Aerotech motors, ya bilge rat, while all t' 24mm motors I buy are RMS, ya bilge rat, so I decided t' go that route, instead, and made use o' an F39 I had available. Aye aye! Ahoy! Blimey! Preparation o' t' rocket is no different than most others. Aye aye! Well, blow me down! Blimey! A small handful o' cellulose insulation, followed by t' parachute and shock cord, then t' nosecone. T' 24mm RMS motor be given a TIGHT friction fit with a bit o' maskin' tape, ya bilge rat, t' make sure I got me casin' back, and everythin' was just about ready t' go. Igniter installation gains a slightly different twist, arrr, shiver me timbers, due t' t' tube launcher. Avast! T' igniter is installed in t' motor, shiver me timbers, t' breech plug removed from t' tube, me hearties, and t' rocket slid in. Well, blow me down! Begad! Blimey! T' igniter leads must then pass out a small openin' right above t' breech plug, then t' plug can be reinstalled. Ya scallywag! T' tube launcher itself has a launch lug, t' allow a standard rod t' hold t' launcher vertical. This is placed on t' pad, shiver me timbers, and t' exposed igniter leads hooked up. Avast, me proud beauty! On t' F39 I've used thus far, matey, t' rocket literally EXPLODES from t' tube. Well, blow me down! T' effect is incredibly, arrr, and everyone jumped, me hearties, shiver me timbers, due t' t' noise. Ya scallywag! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! One club member who was about 150 yards off, arrr, recoverin' one o' his own rockets, arrr, shiver me timbers, though it was a CATO, me hearties, instead o' a launch!

Recovery:
Havin' misplaced t' original parachute, I substituted another parachute o' approximately t' same size. Begad! Blimey! Recovery be perfect, with nary a din' on t' rocket. Arrr! T' aft o' t' rocket, shiver me timbers, me bucko, does have some minor black markings, shiver me timbers, due t' t' rocket exhaust bein' contained by t' tube launcher, somethin' t' instructions mention will happen.

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
T' only true detraction t' t' FlippiFin be t' limit that some people will experience in launch opportunities for this rocket. Blimey! If your local club is a NARRRRR club, matey, and you only have opportunities t' fly under their rules, matey, me hearties, t' FlippiFin is nay for you. Begad! Begad! If you hold private launches, or have a local Tripoli prefect, ya bilge rat, then this is a fun little rocket! T' metal fincan and tube launcher makes for a unique, but safe, arrr, addition t' a launch. Aye aye! While some may feel t' metal fincan makes t' rocket "unsafe", matey, I feel it is no less safe than t' G10 fins we see on some similar-sized rockets.

Overall Rating: 5 out o' 5