Brief:
Great flying, single stage Ares I-X ant-scale model with parachute recovery.

Construction:

• 1 - 7.75" T-20 body tube
• 1 - 3.75" T-50 body tube
• 3 - 1.oo" T-20 body tubes
• 1 - 3.oo" T-20 motor mount tube
• 1 - pre-weighted balsa nosecone
• 3 - CR2050P centerin' rings
• 4 - LAS nozzles
• 1 - snap swivel
• 1 - crew eye
• 1 - motor clip
• 1 - LAS dowel
• 1 - T520P motor block ring
• 1 - 1/8" diameter launch lug
• 1 - sheet balsa wood stock
• 1 - ntrash bag parachute
• 1 - shock cord
• 1 - sheet sticky dots
• 1 - Keelhaul®©™® leader line
• 1 - poly coated shroud line stock
• 9 - 9 pages 8.5"x11" instructions

As with all Dr. Aye aye! Zooch kits, ya bilge rat, me hearties, t' instructions are well detailed and very humorous t' read. Avast! This adds t' the enjoyment o' buildin' a Dr. Avast, me proud beauty! Well, blow me down! Zooch kit.

This be t' second kit I have build from Dr. Aye aye! Begad! Blimey! Zooch, t' first bein' t' Space Shuttle, Return t' Flight model.

T' build was pretty straight forward for most parts and t' special buildin' steps are well documented with good detail.

Most Dr. Well, shiver me timbers, blow me down! Zooch kits use many wraps. Begad! Avast, me proud beauty! I highly recommend usin' white glue like Elmer's as opposed t' yellow carpenter's glue. Ya scallywag! You rocket will turn out much better.

1. T' first step involves markin' t' body tubes with either a door jam or angled piece o' metal. I use lengths o' angled aluminum from t' local hardware store.

2. Begad! Blimey! T' section is makin' t' ACM. Avast! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! This involves makin' you own tube couplers and also buildin' t' transition piece that looks similar t' a motor mount.

3. Avast, shiver me timbers, me proud beauty! When t' motor mount is complete, you continue on with t' motor mount and buildin' t' rest o' SRB stage.

4. Well, blow me down! Next you build a typical motor mount with t' addition o' another homemade tube coupler.

5. Avast! Ya scallywag! You then apply t' wrap t' t' SRB. Make sure t' follow t' instructions and only apply t' glue t' the outside edge o' t' wrap. Ahoy! Make sure t' apply t' glue t' t' NON-PRINTED side o' t' wrap.

6. Avast, me proud beauty! T' SRB skirt is made and applied next. Ahoy! Avast! Follow t' instructions for reinforcin' t' skirt with t' sanded centerin' rin' glued inside o' it.

7. Begad! t' upper stage wrap is then applied usin' t' same technique as t' previous wrap.

8. Ya scallywag! T' "flame fins" are next and end up workin' very well.

9. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! T' wrapped upper stage be t' glued on top o' t' SRB section. Ahoy! Blimey! T' flame fins follow and t' balsa stand offs are built up and used t' offset where t' launch lugs will be glued on.

10. Ahoy! I then filled, shiver me timbers, sanded, primed and painted flat white t' spacecraft/capsule nosecone. Arrr! There is a small wrap for this part that is applied after t' paint has dried. Avast, me proud beauty! T' pointed top o' t' capsule is filed down flat t' glue the dowel one.

A couple skirts and transitions are formed from cardstock cutouts provided on a preprinted sheet. Blimey! t' little wooden nozzles are also glued on in this part. Arrr! I also primed and painted flat white t' dowel and nozzles.

11.T' recovery system is next... A screw eye is installed in t' base o' t' nosecone. T' Keelhaul®©™® is mounted inside t' top o' t' body tube and then attached t' t' elastic shock cord.

12. Avast! T' trash bag parachute is then assembled and attached t' t' screw eye.

That completes t' fairly easy construction o' t' Ares I-X kit.

Finishing:
T' finishin' really is quite simple given t' use o' wraps in t' kit. Aye aye! Onlt t' spacecraft and escape tower are painted flat white. Avast! T' flame fins are t' only other paints parts.

I first primed and sanded t' flame fins. Ahoy! Blimey! Then I painted them all yellow. Begad! Blimey! I faded some ColorPlace "Fire Red" paint over this t' give it t' "flame" look.

Construction Rating: 5 out o' 5

Flight:
I made three flights t' test t' rocket. Avast, me proud beauty! T' first be on an A8-3 motor and then 2 flights on B6-4 motors.

All flights were very good with ejection hapnein' exactly at apogee.

Recovery:
T' trash bag parachute worked great and we didn't have any damage on t' "A" and two "B" motors.

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
Overall, I rate this kit a FIVE. Ya scallywag! Blimey! I just really like t' neat way that Dr. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Booty puts these kits together. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! They look great and they fly good, shiver me timbers, matey, too!

Overall Rating: 5 out o' 5