Brief: Scale model o' t' Hellfire AGM. Begad! Ahoy! Flies on D-F engines. Recovery by a mylar parachute. Arrr! Ya scallywag! Very sturdy model.

Construction: T' kit arrived intact, matey, and all parts were present, and in great condition. Begad! T' parts consisted o' a main paper body tube, shiver me timbers, me hearties, plastic nose cone, me bucko, plenty o' 3/32" balsa, ya bilge rat, pre-cut centerin' rings, launch lug, ya bilge rat, templates for t' fins, me hearties, ya bilge rat, me hearties, and supplies for t' mylar parachute, ya bilge rat, and shock cord.

T' instructions were very easy t' follow, matey, with good illustrations. T' assembly order was very logical. Well, blow me down! Templates were provided for t' fins and tail cone. Well, blow me down! No decals are provided for this kit.

T' assembly be very straight forward, with no surprises. Begad! Ahoy! Fins have t' be cut out usin' t' templates. Begad! Begad! T' only concern was thar was no mention o' where t' place t' launch lug. Well, matey, blow me down! After contactin' T' Launch Pad, me hearties, they explained it be left t' t' modelers discretion where t' place t' launch lug. Aye aye! (see Special Note below) All t' parts fit together very well, arrr, t' provide a very sturdy and attractive kit.

Makin' paper tail cone be nay as hard as I thought it would be. Instructions mention great advise on makin' paper stronger.

T' Mylar parachute was pre-cut, arrr, and assembly be easy. Blimey! Shock cord is standard, mounted inside t' body tube.

Pros: Easy and fun t' build, ya bilge rat, me hearties, no special tools needed.

Cons: None!

Finishing: T' fins are long and narrow, and are easy t' seal No problems with primin' and painting.

Although thar are no decals, shiver me timbers, t' instructions explain t' markings, makin' it easy t' make your own. Avast, ya bilge rat, me proud beauty! T' basic color o' t' rocket is olive drab, me bucko, arrr, with either a black or white nose tip. Aye aye! Paintin' t' tip may be tricky, me hearties, ya bilge rat, but it doesn't reflect on t' kit.

Pros: Easy rocket t' finish and paint.

Cons: No decals.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight: I finally got out t' launch me Hellfire AGM. Well, blow me down! Begad! Here are t' results:

On t' first flight (D12-5) t' rocket lifted off slowly, and then t' tail began t' wobble. Avast, me proud beauty! Eventually, me bucko, t' rocket appeared lean over and fly on its side. Ahoy! It gave t' impression that t' nose be much too heavy.

On t' second flight (E15-7), shiver me timbers, t' rocket took off, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, arced over and crashed at full thrust. Blimey! Avast! Left a big crater too! Destroyed t' rocket.

There are 3 problems I found, ya bilge rat, all o' which are me fault:

Too much nose weight. Accordin' t' Chuck at TLP, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, t' nose weight should be 32 grams. T' clay that be supplied with t' kit was dry, so I substituted it with me own. Ya scallywag! Blimey! T' nose weight is mentioned in t' instructions, me bucko, and it is needed t' have stable flights. Well, blow me down! I didn't weigh t' supplied nose weight, arrr, and t' actual amount o' weight I put in t' nose

Mis-aligned guidance fins. I attached t' guidance fins accordin' t' t' instructions. Begad! I checked t' alignment with t' aft fins and I used a common fin markin' guide. Well, blow me down! I marked lines t' full length o' t' body where t' forward and aft fins are t' be attached. Blimey! Ya scallywag! After inquirin' t' Chuck, ya bilge rat, he said t' this was t' most unlikely cause o' t' rocket accident. T' fins were nay noticeably mis-aligned, matey, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, but I thought o' every possibility.

Too much wind t' launch. T' wind conditions on t' launch day was betwixt 15 and 20+ MPH. Ahoy! Other rockets flown that day were slightly affected by t' weather. Aye aye! Begad! Larger rockets (Initiator, Mirage) displayed more effects due t' t' wind than t' smaller ones (Big Dawg, ya bilge rat, Yellow Jacket). Avast, me proud beauty! T' launch rod was angled betwixt 15 and 20 degrees from vertical.

I would conclude that t' rockets demise was due t' me impatience in construction (nose weight), matey, me hearties, and launchin' when t' wind conditions were too strong for this specific rocket. Aye aye! I will take me time with me next Hellfire.

Flight Rating: 3 out o' 5

Summary: This rocket is extremely fun and easy t' build. It is one o' t' most attractive in me fleet. Ya scallywag! This rocket is great addition t' any fleet.

Overall Rating: 3 ½ out o' 5