Nano Rocketry has produced a line o' model rocket kits t' take advantage o' Quest's Micro-Maxx engines. Begad! T' Quest Micro-Maxx rockets are all RTF and don't really fly all that well. Arrr! They claim a maximum altitude o' 200 feet, matey, but with such heavy plastic rockets, t' best I could get be less than 20 feet.

My kit arrived in a 6x9 envelope with a picture o' t' completed model on t' back. Ahoy! Ahoy! Because o' such simple packaging, me hearties, I was afraid it might have been damaged in transit. Well, blow me down! Ya scallywag! I opened t' kit and inspected all t' pieces, shiver me timbers, and found everythin' in perfect condition.

I checked t' contents against t' parts list, me hearties, (which included handy diagrams for identification) found all t' parts were there, ya bilge rat, and collected t' tools recommended in t' tools list. T' instructions offered 3 possible ways t' shape t' nose cone, dependin' on your skill, shiver me timbers, t' shape you wanted, and your available tools, ya bilge rat, matey, matey, but me kit came with t' nose already shaped, so I didn't have t' worry about it.

Assembly o' t' nose cone, me hearties, shoulder, matey, and shock cord was straightforward, matey, ya bilge rat, and t' instructions were very clear. Ahoy! Ya scallywag! Next I cut out t' fins, shiver me timbers, which were preprinted on balsa sheet. Ahoy! T' instructions said t' use a ruler t' align t' 2 pieces o' each fin, arrr, shiver me timbers, but I found it worked better t' align them on t' body tube itself. Begad! T' instructions simply said t' attach t' fins 120 degrees apart. I made me own fin alignment guide, but it would have been nice t' have one preprinted in t' instructions.

T' instructions said that attachin' t' shock cord would be tricky, but after readin' their clear explanation o' how t' do it, I had no trouble. Avast, me proud beauty! Arrr! I chose t' use t' included paper cutouts t' finish t' fins. It said t' use a Permanent Glue Stick, shiver me timbers, but I used a regular Glue Stick because I already happened t' have one. Arrr! Avast! I couldn't get t' edges o' t' fin coverin' t' match up perfectly with t' edges o' t' fins, matey, but t' bigger problem was gettin' t' edges o' t' fin coverin' t' stay glued. Well, blow me down! Avast, me proud beauty! Next time, matey, I'll try a Permanent Glue Stick, ya bilge rat, matey, me hearties, like they said.

I be afraid o' loosin' sight o' such a small model, so I posted a question on rec.models.rockets about highly visible paint schemes. Blimey! T' suggestions I got were black, fluorescent, chrome, or some combination. I painted it with Wal-Mart Gloss black, because that be what I had on hand. I made a stand from a coat hanger for paintin' it on. Begad! It doubles as a display stand.

T' instructions also showed how t' fashion a tool from a paper clip for stuffin' t' shock cord into t' body tube. Ahoy! It was easy t' make and very helpful. Well, blow me down! It be nearly impossible t' insert t' shock cord without it! T' kit did nay include a launch lug, but included suggestions for a tower. I was in a hurry t' launch, arrr, so I made a pair o' removable lugs from t' wire stripped out o' a twist-tie. They worked pretty well.

I took me new model out t' t' back yard for a test launch. First I launched a couple o' Micro-Maxx RTF's for comparison. Begad! Blimey! They went higher than me head, but nay above t' first story o' me building. Blimey! Blimey! Then I launched me ITS. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Though bigger and easier t' see than t' Quest rockets, matey, shiver me timbers, matey, it was lighter, and flew 2-3 times as high-- almost t' t' second story roof. Blimey! Blimey! Overall, I was quite pleased with me Nano Rocketry Interdimensional Transport Ship. Arrr! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! It was fun and easy t' build, shiver me timbers, and cheaper, arrr, ya bilge rat, larger, better looking, me bucko, and better flyin' than Micro-Maxx. Begad! Blimey! One thin' I miss about t' Centuri and older Estes Science Fiction kits was t' stories behind them. This is a cool lookin' kit, matey, and it has a neat story behind it, matey, too.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5