Brief:
A roughly 1/5th scale model o' t' air-launched version o' t' HARPOON missile, matey, designed for t' modeler. Well, blow me down! Arrr! Some skills required for optimum appearance results but otherwise easy t' build and fly.

Construction:
My Harpoon kit arrived in a small package for what promised t' be a big kit. Everythin' was there, matey, good quality tubes, me hearties, and a neat purple Mylar parachute (which works well and is easy t' see), but no decals provided.

A note: There have been previous reviews o' this and other Launch Pad kits that have pointed out some issues. Avast, me proud beauty! I offer a slightly different perspective in that yes, matey, some things about this kit are nay super-easy, but I think o' t' kit as a foundation for some modelin' artwork. Avast! T' skills needed t' turn this kit into a really good military model are all in t' paint, ya bilge rat, finishing, and build techniques. Well, blow me down! So on with t' build!

T' fins have t' be cut out o' balsa stock with a provided pattern. Avast, me proud beauty! (They are nay laser/precut so we need t' work a bit harder.) T' balsa is soft, which is a good thing, nay a bilge-suckin' thing. It's easy t' cut. Avast! Strength is nay a problem because I always laminate/reinforce me fins for any model. Begad! (Don't you?) For t' Harpoon, I used sheets o' peel 'n' stick paper from t' local office store used for printin' shippin' labels. Arrr! Begad! Cut t' balsa, peel back a sheet o' paper, lay it down, trim, ya bilge rat, arrr, flip over, arrr, and repeat. Avast, me proud beauty! In t' end all you have t' do is sharpen and finish t' edges. Blimey! Arrr! It's real easy. Avast, me proud beauty! Ahoy! No CA glue, matey, no soaking, no wrinkles.

T' kit came with a great lookin' nose cone, and o' course instructions t' mount that little paper "hat" extension t' give an authentic profile. Ahoy! Well here's a confession. Arrr! I just flew mine with t' stock cone. Arrr! No paper hat because I didn't want t' mess with it at first. Now that t' Harpoon has flown, I'm actually retro-fittin' t' hat extension, ya bilge rat, and it's fine. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast! So again, it's a modeler's kit, skills nay included but well rewarded. T' nose cone is weighted with provided clay, and we're cautioned t' install it exactly as designed!

There's a neat paper tail cone adapter that's formed by cuttin' out and gluin' a paper shape. Ya scallywag! I found it a little difficult t' keep it round and smooth but with some body filler and paint, me hearties, another problem once again solved. There are eight fins, lots o' cuttin' and finishin' t' do, ya bilge rat, me hearties, but alignment in t' four-four pattern is real easy. I found it cool that t' forward fins even have little wooden tabs at t' root edges, decorated with rivets, ya bilge rat, which I believe represent t' fin hinges. Avast! Well, matey, blow me down! In any case, me bucko, matey, they are a fun detail and look great. Blimey! Aye aye! And again, t' instructions give location but no alignment tool. Well, blow me down! That's fine. Arrr! We shouldn't need one if we're buildin' and flyin' at this level. Avast! Begad! Same for t' lugs. I chose t' discard t' lugs provided and went with ¼ plastic tubin' o' me own, me bucko, epoxy bonded in place.

Installation o' t' recovery system is straightforward and t' same as any other kit o' this size. Well, blow me down! I chose nay t' use t' recommended method (thread t' nosecone)...and used me own shock cord design with a removable lockin' hook (makes parachute maintenance easier). Arrr! So overall construction: easy enough if you like t' build models.

Finishing:
Standard body cleanup and paint techniques were used. Though really, shiver me timbers, with good primer and paint t' body did nay need much attention t' fill up any lines. T' only problem be entirely me fault when I inadvertently switched paint brands betwixt coats (warning: Krylon and Rustoleum may nay always be compatible)... Ya scallywag! That wasn't pretty and resulted in lots o' sandpaper use.

No decals came with t' kit, so betwixt internet look-up and t' illustrations provided by TLP, I made me own interpretation and printed them onto Testor's decal paper with me printer. Avast, me proud beauty! I used paper wraps for t' broad stripes, ya bilge rat, which once clearcoated are fine.

I did nay try t' recommended method o' usin' nail-heads t' simulate rivets. I chose t' make decals. Begad! Blimey! Blimey! So for future products, me hearties, arrr, if TLP would provide a good decal sheet, shiver me timbers, I'd be willin' t' pay a bit more for t' kit just t' cut back on at least some o' t' finishin' work, me bucko, but that's a small detail.

One last nitpick: t' engine mount tube holds a regular 24mm Estes type motor, me hearties, like t' D12. Ahoy! T' run an E9, I have t' friction fit because t' tube is short. Avast, me proud beauty! A good modification would be t' put a long E9-sized engine mount, shiver me timbers, like what is on t' Estes Big Daddy, arrr, and provide a spacer for t' short engines. Avast! Begad! Just a thought.

This model looks great and ready t' go. Begad! Whether or nay it's exactly a photo-real replica o' t' original down t' every rivet is debatable, but t' message is there. Avast! Ya scallywag! It's a model, arrr, arrr, shiver me timbers, nay a toy, so t' builder is expected t' make some decisions based on experience. Good. Avast, me proud beauty! It keeps t' price reasonable and works fine.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight and Recovery:
I first flew t' Harpoon out on t' frozen lake near here with an Estes E9-6. Avast, me proud beauty! There was even a small audience in t' area. Avast, me proud beauty! Sunny day, wind 10-12MPH. Arrr! Avast, me bucko, me proud beauty! First flight was straight up and away, me hearties, shiver me timbers, slow takeoff, me hearties, a very realistic-appearin' rocket launch. Well, blow me down! Aye aye! Instead o' weathercockin' into t' 10MPH breeze, me bucko, t' Harpoon steered a bit, twistin' and "seeking" slightly but all t' while still proceedin' straight up. Begad! One spectator pointed out that it looked like a real military missile, trackin' a target as opposed t' a whoosh-bang rocket. Avast, me proud beauty! What a great flight. Avast, me proud beauty! It went maybe about 350-400 feet up. Ahoy! Recovery with that Mylar chute was perfect. Ahoy! I thought t' 6 second delay be gettin' a bit long though.

I flew again a week later with an Aertotech E30. Result: nay so much a high flight but very sudden, almost explosive acceleration. Begad! Blimey! No wind that day, ya bilge rat, but t' harpoon seemed t' corkscrew into t' sky pretty broadly. Begad! Blimey! I don't think this be t' right engine for t' job, but I will definitely try an E15. Ahoy! Blimey! Avast, me hearties, me proud beauty! Blimey! Last flight on another E9 be a repeat o' t' first, matey, so it wasn't just luck, me bucko, as it was smooth, slow, arrr, and maybe t' about 400 feet max, but straight with a bit o' steer.

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
This is a very convincing, realistic flyer, matey, well worth every effort.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5