Brief:
This rocket is a 18mm futuristic space fighter usin' parachute recovery system. Ya scallywag! When I became a BAR, ya bilge rat, arrr, I found numerous kits that I absolutely HAD t' have. Begad! Many o' them came from Fliskits. Arrr! Ahoy! T' problem be I was well aware o' me technical skills and was loathe t' butcher such nice projects. Arrr! As a result, I spent a lot o' time workin' on simple "level 1 and 2" rockets while starin' wistfully at t' cool designs in t' 3, 4 and 5 bins. I finally decided t' give one of t' nicer lookin' ones a try and picked t' Fliskits Stingray t' embrace. I figured that most o' those kits look so good, arrr, some o' t' reflected glory might rub off on me.

Construction:
Other reviews have listed t' parts so I will not. Well, blow me down! Ya scallywag! Rest assured, they were all present and o' good quality. Construction begins by markin' t' motor tube and cuttin' a slit for t' retainer clip. Begad! T' clip is held in place with maskin' tape and a thrust rin' is inserted. Avast! There are two centerin' rings and each needs t' be modified. Avast! Avast, me proud beauty! T' first one has an 1/8" sector removed t' accommodate t' retainer clip and t' second has a small notch cut in it t' allow the Keelhaul®©™® shock cord t' pass. Both rings are held in place with white glue.

T' shock cord is attached t' t' motor mount by tyin' a slip knot around the motor tube and then passin' t' thread through t' notch cut above. Well, blow me down! Begad! T' motor mount is then slid into place and glued into t' body tube. It should be noted that this kit is designed so that t' motor mount hangs out a good ways past the end o' t' BT.

Now that t' BT and motor mount were ready, me bucko, I needed t' transfer t' marks for t' fins, me bucko, cannon mounts, ya bilge rat, etc. Blimey! t' the BT. Avast, me proud beauty! Ya scallywag! This was done by means o' a wrap around guide and was easily achieved. Avast, arrr, me proud beauty! T' lines were marked, ya bilge rat, identified and extend the length o' t' BT.

Apparently, some o' t' wrap kits provided as accessories for this kit include a wrap for t' body tube. Blimey! Aye aye! Mine did not. If it had been included, arrr, matey, arrr, it would be at this point that t' instructions would have sent me off t' apply t' wrap to t' BT. Afterwards, t' builder is instructed t' return t' t' same place in t' instructions and continue from there. Blimey! In me case, I just got started on t' next step.

T' next step was t' actually cut balsa. Except for an old Estes Mosquito, this be t' first time I have had t' do this since me return as a BAR. Well, blow me down! Blimey! It is probably what made me t' most nervous but it turned out t' nay be too bad. Ya scallywag! Blimey! T' kit comes with paper templates that are cut out and then used t' trace a line around t' pristine sheet material provided. Avast! This was easily achieved but I cannot emphasize t' importance of usin' both a sharp pencil for t' markin' and a sharp knife for t' cutting. Avast! Begad! Blimey! I decided t' cut out all me pieces at once.

When t' pieces were cut, matey, I went on t' t' next step where I was instructed t' sand an 1/8" bevel into the leadin' edges o' t' two fins. Avast, me proud beauty! T' do this, I marked o' t' 1/8 inch and then placed a line o' cellophane tape across the length o' t' fin. Arrr! I did t' same with t' reverse side. Arrr! Arrr! T' tape was then used t' give me a guide as I be sanding and prevent me from sandin' too far. Aye aye!

T' after bulkhead was also assembled at this stage. Well, blow me down! Blimey! T' template provides for two pieces which are almost mirror images o' each other. Well, shiver me timbers, blow me down! Blimey! Each o' these pieces needs t' be marked on both sides in terms o' left and right and upper and lower. When t' pieces are cut out, shiver me timbers, a slight bevel is sanded into t' forward facin' edges in order t' accommodate the body wrap shroud. Ya scallywag! Ya scallywag! Blimey! Then each o' t' two bulkheads is cut in half t' make a total o' four pieces. These pieces are then glued, 2 per fin, ya bilge rat, t' t' root edges o' t' fins. Alignment is critical so t' template provides a mark for 1/8" in along t' trailin' edge. Ya scallywag! Well, blow me down! Blimey! This mark must be transferred t' t' bulkhead and then used t' match t' edge o' t' fins.

At this point, thar be another directive t' see special instructions if you are usin' one o' t' wrap kits. I dutifully turned t' t' appropriate instruction and learned that it was time t' seal and paint t' fins before applying the wraps. I did so with Elmer's Fill 'N Seal® and then sprayed t' fins black. Ahoy! I need only have bothered with t' trailin' edge but I went ahead and painted most of the fins.

When t' paint was dry, t' wraps for t' fins were carefully cut out with a razor knife. Avast, me proud beauty! T' wraps include a scorin' line that aligns along t' bevel on t' leadin' edges which I scored with t' razor knife. Begad! Unfortunately, me bucko, me hearties, I pressed a little too hard with t' first pass and cut too deeply. Well, blow me down! Ahoy! That did makin' loadin' it in half a snap, matey, me bucko, shiver me timbers, though. T' outer edge o' t' fin is then aligned with t' end o' t' wrap and t' whole fin is carefully set into t' crease. T' instructions recommend and I heartily support practicin' this a few time before peelin' t' backin' off o' the wrap. Avast! When you think you have it down, matey, peel t' backin' and press t' wrap onto t' fin. Blimey! T' procedure is then repeated on t' opposite side.

T' wingtips likewise are supposed t' be filled and finished before apply the wraps. Aye aye! Blimey! Here is where me brain broke down. Bein' lazy, matey, ya bilge rat, early in t' morning, I hit on t' bright idea o' usin' white glue t' fill t' edges. Well, blow me down! Well, blow me down! Blimey! It was already out and t' Fill 'N Finish was all t' way out in t' garage.

Bad idea. Arrr! I suppose it could work eventually but takes too long t' dry, arrr, t' balsa seems t' drink t' stuff and sandin' is a nightmare. Begad! In any event, instead o' paintin' t' edges black, I opted for paintin' them red for contrast.

Strangely enough, I found that applyin' t' stickers for t' win' tips be more difficult than applyin' t' wraps to t' wings. Begad! Begad! This was because o' t' shape. Begad! T' stickers were easy enough t' cut out; I opted for usin' scissors for this step. I then peel a little bit off t' back and tried t' get t' balsa centered. Aye aye! That was more easily said than done. T' balsa I had cut was nay perfect and it shows especially since t' red o' t' balsa contrasts with t' black of t' stickers. Well, blow me down! T' instructions noted that I might have t' trim t' sticker but I would up with a surplus o' balsa and no trimmin' be needed. Well, ya bilge rat, blow me down! When both wingtips were done, shiver me timbers, I sealed t' edges with white glue as per t' instructions.

T' next step returned me t' t' main thread o' t' instructions t' mount the wings t' t' BT. Begad! Blimey! Ya scallywag! Blimey! In t' interest o' strength, I used a safety pin t' perforate t' root edges o' t' wings and t' BT along t' installation line t' form glue "rivets." Then it was a matter o' test fittin' each win' against the BT. Blimey! Blimey! It is critically important at this step t' ensure that t' root edge o' t' win' lies flush against t' BT. Begad! Blimey! I had to do some sandin' on t' aft bulkhead t' make this happen. When all seemed t' fit right, I glued on t' left wing. After waitin' a decent amount o' time for t' glue t' set, I glued on t' right wing.

Since this wrap kit did nay include a body wrap, shiver me timbers, arrr, t' instructions indicate it is time t' paint. Ahoy! Ya scallywag! Blimey! Much o' the rearward part o' t' body will be hidden by t' final paper shroud so it be t' front o' t' rocket that is important here. Aye aye! I wrapped t' tale in aluminum foil held down with maskin' tape and painted t' rest o' t' BT black.

After a few coats o' black paint, I let t' BT dry and got t' work on me sermon. As a reward for finishin' the sermon without too much rambling, I decided t' spend some late time workin' on t' Stingray. I was pleased with the paint and set about workin' on t' main body shroud.

T' main body wrap be t' final part o' t' special instructions for the Maelstrom body wrap. Arrr! T' basic Stingray comes with a 2 piece white shroud. Begad! T' Maelstrom comes with a one piece, nicely decorated shroud.

Cuttin' out around t' outer edges was nay too onerous. Ahoy! I made sure I had a fresh blade and a steel ruler and started t' cut. Well, blow me down! After it was removed from t' rest o' t' card stock, me bucko, I used t' razor knife t' lightly score t' lines where it will need t' be folded. Blimey! Then came t' hard part. Begad! I had t' cut out t' central oval. Well, blow me down! Blimey! I took this slowly but was not particularly pleased with me work. Blimey! I did, on average, ya bilge rat, manage t' cut out too little rather than too much but the curves did nay flow well for me. I never did like cuttin' curves. Well, blow me down! Aye aye! Blimey! I managed t' solve part o' t' problem with 220# sandpaper. Begad! Blimey! I sanded around t' inner edge until I was more (as opposed t' completely) satisfied with t' result.

When t' shroud was cut out and scored, me bucko, I prefolded it and test fitted t' two halves together. Aye aye! I found a few more places where I needed t' even things up but a little sandin' and a little razorin' took care o' that. Then it be just a matter o' gluin' t' halves together usin' t' tabs. Ya scallywag! It didn't look too bad.

Then tragedy struck. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! I test fitted t' shroud around t' BT. Avast! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! At that point I learned that I had grossly misjudged what would and what would nay be exposed. Blimey! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! With that, me hearties, I remasked and set out t' repaint t' BT.

When t' repainted BT was ready, me hearties, I tried slippin' t' shroud around t' body t' check t' fit. Begad! Ahoy! I found a few tight places, which were treated with a razor or sandpaper, and that I had nay given t' after bulkhead enough o' a chamfer. That was smartly treated with some sandpaper as well. When I be happy with t' fit, me bucko, it was time for t' most tedious and, ya bilge rat, me bucko, arrr, for me, me hearties, difficult portion o' t' project.

I traced t' outline o' t' shroud on t' BT and then removed t' shroud. Well, blow me down! I then applied white glue along the outline and slid t' shroud back into place. Begad! A little tuggin' and coaxin' and it be in place. Blimey! Arrr! T' directions say at this point t' hold everythin' in place so that t' shroud makes full contact with all interfaces until t' glue dries. THAT WAS THE HARD PART FOR ME! Maybe I have failed t' mention me issues with patience...

It be nay all that hard except that I hate waiting. Arrr! NOTE TO MR. Avast! FLIS: I would gladly pay much extra for some sort of jig t' do this for me; t' kids were nay willing. Ya scallywag! Well, arrr, blow me down! It was worth it, though. Avast, me proud beauty!

When I could safely let go o' t' body and shroud, shiver me timbers, I got t' work on t' gun mounts. Ahoy! I had previously cut these out and assembly was fairly easy. Begad! Arrr! T' upright portion is sandwiched betwixt two plates. Begad! It is held together with white glue and a piece o' sawn toothpick is glued t' t' upright t' be t' gun. Aye aye! When it was together, me hearties, I found that me precision in cuttin' was better than I expected but nay good enough. Well, blow me down! Aye aye! I used a sanding block t' even things out and then wrapped some sandpaper around t' BT in order t' sand a curve into t' mounts. Ya scallywag! Avast, me proud beauty! I then applied some sealer and set it aside t' dry. Unfortunately, t' only photos that came out are without t' toothpicks.

T' wingtips are fairly easy t' attach t' t' wings. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! T' body wraps provide a cutout place where t' edge o' the fin is t' intersect t' wingtips. Arrr! I again used a safety pin t' perforate both balsa surfaces and form glue rivets. I then glued t' tips on and checked for straightness and alignment. Avast, matey, me proud beauty! Havin' them in place made a huge difference in the appearance o' t' rocket.

T' launch lug mount be also simple. T' lug is glued t' an angled piece o' balsa. Avast! When it has set, a razor is used t' cut t' lug at t' same angle as t' mount.

Since I had a bit more time before bed, shiver me timbers, I decided t' seal t' nosecone. Arrr! I glued in t' eye screw, painted with Elmer's Fill 'n Finish, and hung it up t' dry.

Now be t' time for detail work. I sealed t' cannon mounts and launch lug, sanded them down and primed with white spray. Aye aye! I figured that finishin' them after they were mounted would be a nightmare so I decided t' finish them now. Avast, me proud beauty! I also decided t' hand paint them.

T' bases for both were painted a Tamiya color called bronze. Aye aye! When I opened it up, arrr, matey, it was a bit grayer than I had imagined but still serviceable. Well, blow me down! T' launch lug itself as well as t' center supports for t' canon were painted with Tamiya copper. Avast, matey, me proud beauty! Copper is me favorite metallic shade and I tend t' use it whenever I have an excuse. Begad! Avast! T' guns themselves were painted red.

While those were drying, I sanded down t' nosecone and used an emory board t' sharpen up t' diameter stepdown. I then primed it with white spray.

Figurin' that betwixt sprayin' t' nosecone and takin' time out t' help t' stepson with some chemistry homework, it be safe t' handle t' little pieces again. I realized that I had made another blunder. Ya scallywag! Back when t' BT had originally been marked, marks were laid down for t' cannon mounts and launch lug. T' black paint had completely obliterated them. Wantin' t' do a better job on t' alignment than could be had from me deadlights alone, me hearties, I printed a sheet with t' alignment wrap. (I always make PDFs o' instructions, balsa, templates and such before startin' a build.)I then wrapped t' alignment sheet around t' BT and held it closed with some tape. Usin' that and alignin' with t' wings by my deadlights I felt I could come close t' t' "right" place.

I used a razor knife t' nick t' paint 1/2" back from t' front o' t' BT along t' cannon mount lines. I then transferred t' length o' t' mounts t' t' BT with another light nick. Begad! A file was then used t' remove t' paint along the lin' o' t' cannon mounts. Blimey! Avast! A safety pin was used t' make perforations in both t' t' root edges o' t' mounts and in the BT t' form glue rivets and t' mounts were glued in place.

T' launch lug was similarly attached but I did one more thin' t' make sure it be straight. I took a short section o' 1/8" rod and used that t' help align t' lug.

After t' nosecone had been sprayed black, matey, I decided I wanted t' add a little bit o' contrast. Avast! I decided t' paint t' part o' t' nose cone that is stepped down, ya bilge rat, me bucko, but nay t' part that fits in the BT, arrr, t' same colored bronze that I used on t' cannon mounts. Arrr! I masked accordingly and painted it by hand. Then it be a simple matter t' cut out t' sticker for t' cockpit and put it in place. Ahoy! It was a bit less simple t' keep it straight and unwrinkled.

Likewise, finishin' t' after bulkhead be accomplished by cuttin' out t' sticker and placin' it. Blimey! I recommend that when cuttin' t' hole for t' motor mount, shiver me timbers, leave a slight bit o' excess material. Then use a piece o' sandpaper wrapped around your finger t' ream it out flush with t' correct profile. Aye aye! Begad! Blimey! I found t' t' sticker with t' backing paper is sturdy enough t' handle this and is sure easier than tryin' t' cut a circle. Avast, me proud beauty! That brought t' buildin' t' a close. Blimey! Well, blow me down! Blimey!

• PROS: interesting, arrr, creative
• CONS: most human beings have too few hands t' adequately handle t' installation o' t' body shroud.

Finishing:
Most o' t' finishin' took place durin' t' build phase and is detailed above. Well, blow me down! I did give t' rocket a coatin' of Future® Floor Polish t' toughen it up a bit. Avast! Begad! I don't want t' mar this up on landing. Aye aye! Well, blow me down!

• PROS: excellent quality peel and sticks; looks great
• CONS: I would have preferred waterslides

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
I started out wimpy on an A8-3. T' chute be loaded after a bit o' dog barf, shiver me timbers, t' nose cone was seated and t' motor installed. Aye aye! Begad! While I was hookin' up t' leads, shiver me timbers, I enjoyed t' favorable comments from others about t' appearance o' the rocket.

When it was time t' lift off, shiver me timbers, I pushed t' button and it took right off, flyin' straight up. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! There was no barrel rollin' at all. It did nay fly particularly high but it was high enough t' make me feel "safe". Arrr! Blimey! Ejection occurred right on schedule and t' chute deployed just fine. Ahoy! Blimey! It landed without any problem.

For t' second flight, me hearties, arrr, I chose a B6-4. Avast! Again, everythin' went like clockwork. Avast, me proud beauty! T' rocket went up and t' rocket came down. Begad! In between, at about t' right time, t' chute came out and slowed t' decent. Avast, me proud beauty! That be good. Avast, me proud beauty! Unfortunately, RSO duties prevented another flight.