Brief:
Single stage, matey, ya bilge rat, 3" diameter body tube, single 24mm motor mount, standard parachute recovery (although two twin chutes are used).

Construction:
T' parts list:

• 3" x 14" body tube
• 11" nose cone with 75mm base in rocket
• 24 mm motor tube and engine hook sized for standard E engines (or D with included adapter)
• 3/16" x 2" launch lug
• Heavy cardboard centerin' rings for motor mount
• 4 Laser cut balsa fins
• 2 12" parachutes
• 1/4" x 48" main shock cord (body t' nose cone)
• 2 1/8" x 24" shock cords for parachutes
• Sweet decal sheet

Ok, so havin' been a HPR nerd for some time I decided it was time t' find a few kits I could build with me son and actually launch in nearby parks. I be careful in avoidin' t' mass-produced junk produced by t' corporation whose name rhymes with testes. Well, blow me down! However, when pokin' around I encountered a paradox I haven't quite yet resolved. Avast, me proud beauty! I found the "Mercury Engineering" web site whose name immediately conjured up wonderful "Mercury" visions of Alan Shepard, ya bilge rat, Gus "hatch blower" Grissom, T' Right Stuff, Redstones... Well, me bucko, blow me down! Blimey! But also "Engineering" visions o' pocket protector slide rule packin' nerdy engineers. Avast! Blimey! These rockets were really cool, and engineers are specifically screened t' rule out any coolness factor (trust me, matey, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, I am one). I assumed the "Engineering" part o' t' name was honorary, much in t' way Elvis's black belt in karate was.

When t' reasonably priced kit arrived in record time, ya bilge rat, I realized I was probably wrong. Aye aye! Blimey! T' instructions were wonderfully detailed and professionally printed with illustrations that were probably t' scale. T' carefully packed kit contained quality components. Aye aye! Avast! I especially loved t' parachutes, which appeared t' be a coated nylon and laser cut t' boot. Begad! Are you gettin' t' picture here folks? Clearly this was a seriously type A personality putting these kits together who was cut from same polyester as t' rest o' us "enginerds". But it was a really cool rocket we couldn't wait t' build. Avast! Avast, me proud beauty! As for t' paradox, shiver me timbers, me best guess is that somehow this engineer slipped through t' anti-cool screenin' along with a very short list engineer exceptions well documented by Scott Adams of "Dilbert" fame who discovered that engineer Elmer Moline o' Calgary had a second date at age twenty-three, engineer Anita Fluman in California who actually has rhythm, me bucko, me hearties, and most startling...engineer Hugh Hunklebein in Illinois who doesn't care how his television remote control works as long as it does. Ya scallywag! Let's add t' "Mercury Engineer" to t' list. Blimey! Avast, me hearties, me proud beauty!

Construction be straightforward, matey, followin' most conventional techniques. No alignment issues, matey, arrr, arrr, fit issues, or other "gotchas" surfaced. Avast! Quality wood glue was recommended throughout, shiver me timbers, which I am sure be t' best way to produce a lightweight sturdy rocket. Aye aye! So o' course, we frequently substituted epoxy, which had a couple advantages perhaps unique t' me situation: a maximum set time o' 5 minutes (the approximate attention span o' me son) and seriously annoyin' any women o' t' female gender in t' house that were simultaneously offended by t' odor and the fact that we were usin' this smelly goo on t' same table they intended t' eat dinner at. Aye aye! Begad! Good times.

Finishing:
T' rocket had a really cool paint scheme and sweet decal. Blimey! Ya scallywag! However, I estimated that this would take a few minutes beyond t' 5-minute attention span I be dealin' with so we opted for our patented bumblebee finish which we could complete with paint we had handy and a few strips o' maskin' tape. Aye aye! Never fear, me son discovered t' decal made an excellent embellishment t' t' back o' me teenage daughter's shirt and had t' added benefit o' really annoyin' her. Nothin' went t' waste.

Construction Rating: 5 out o' 5

Flight and Recovery:
Mutant Daddy's maiden voyage used t' manufacturer recommended E9-6. Ahoy! Begad! T' flight was great, straight, matey, shiver me timbers, and turned a few heads. Ahoy! Recovery preparations were carefully described in t' instructions, me hearties, but borrowin' from me HPR materials, I fashioned a nice Keelhaul®©™® heat shield, shiver me timbers, bypassin' t' recommended wadding. Avast! T' twin chutes deployed on cue and untangled for a smooth ride home. After a few flights o' similar success, I couldn't resist launchin' t' Mutant on a 24mm E40 reload. Well, blow me down! Well, blow me down! T' rocket took off like a rifle shot, held a beautiful trajectory, and was recovered without incident or any structural integrity issues. Nonetheless, a note t' me son and any other impressionable readers: Do as t' manufacturer recommends, nay as I do!

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
I'm sold. Avast, me proud beauty! Great price for a fairly substantial rocket, shiver me timbers, quality components, easy build, sturdy rocket, and great flights. Avast! Begad! You'll have fun with this one.

Overall Rating: 5 out o' 5