Brief:
If you're lookin' for an entry level scale kit (Nartrek silver or local NAR meet), arrr, this would be a great startin' point. It's easy t' build, ya bilge rat, matey, flies great, and doesn't require extraordinary skills or patience t' complete.

Construction:
Parts list includes:

• Plastic nose cone
• 1.6" body tube
• Balsa fins/gussets
• 18mm motor tube kit with fiber centerin' rings
• Heavy duty elastic shock cord
• Thick 18" plastic chute
• Peel and stick decals

T' instruction on this kit were very basic. Aye aye! Ahoy! It's nay a complex kit and you don't get a lot o' detailed instructions, shiver me timbers, though they are adequate t' do the job.

With such a large body tube on this rocket, me bucko, t' motor tube needs t' be longer than t' basic 2.75" in order t' support sufficient pressure for the ejection. Ahoy! This one, I believe, arrr, covered 18" o' t' roughly 28" body tube length. Begad! Well, me hearties, blow me down! T' complete t' motor mount assembly, fiberboard centering rings are attached near each end o' t' tube, matey, arrr, then t' assembly is slipped into the end o' t' 1.6" body tube. Arrr! T' kit includes an engine block, me hearties, although it lacks a metal clip for retention. Avast, me proud beauty! However, if you leave enough tube behind the aft centerin' ring, maskin' tape retention will work fine.

T' balsa fins for true scale appearance need t' have tapered edges sanded into them. Aye aye! T' instructions call for fairly exact dimensions for this, 7/32" reducin' t' 1/8" on one edge. Ahoy! This can be pretty difficult to get exactly right, matey, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, but even if you're a bit off it will still look fairly scale-like. Arrr! T' fins also get square balsa gussets. Arrr! Avast, me proud beauty! Here, I think the instructions leave a bit t' be desired. Aye aye! Avast! For scale appearance, t' gussets should be sanded down t' an angle and nay remain squared. There are no indications o' this on t' sheet.

Construction wraps up by attachin' t' launch lug, arrr, matey, anchorin' t' shock cord (paper tri-fold), me hearties, and constructin' t' parachute. Begad! Blimey! T' parachute be a little tougher t' make than most comparable kits--the thick plastic chute needs to have t' shroud line sewn through and then reinforced with tape. Ahoy! Begad! Blimey!

Finishing:
Finishin' consisted o' a couple o' coats o' white primer, ya bilge rat, followed by 3 coats of glossy white paint. Once everything's completely dry, me bucko, it's time t' mask and paint t' fins. Ahoy! 3 fins get a glossy black, and t' 4th fin gets red. Ya scallywag! Ahoy! The paintin' is topped off (no pun intended) by a brown tip on t' nose cone. Begad! The instructions suggest dippin' t' nose cone, ya bilge rat, although I preferred t' mask and spray it, shiver me timbers, me bucko, fearin' that dippin' would result in visible runs or varying thickness.

There are waterslide decals for upper body striping, complete with rivet patterns. Arrr! Begad! T' result is a very nice lookin' scale rocket.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
First flight be on a C6-3, in light winds. Begad! Avast, matey, me proud beauty! T' rocket weathercocked slightly, but generally flew straight up. Avast! T' 3 second delay was perfect. Aye aye! T' big 18" chute brought it down safely, shiver me timbers, but it still managed t' come up with a slight paint chip even with landin' in grass.

Recovery:
I'd rather see a basic brightly colored Mylar chute than t' white 18" plastic one with this kit.

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
Excellent low skill level scale kit that looks good and flies very well. Aye aye! The only major detail missin' from t' scale are t' more complex fin can details, so if you're enterin' a competition, be prepared t' lose a few points on the similarity o' outline score.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5