Brief
This is a sturdy, me hearties, ya bilge rat, single staged high power rocket with a hardwood nose and boattail. It recovers by chute and comes with a 54mm mount, but can fly on 38 and 29mm motors as well. Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty!

Construction
After gettin' me level 2, I began t' surf t' net t' answer t' question, "What next?" I wondered what be out thar that was different. Aye aye! Then I discovered a new company called Starship Enterprises (now called Fat Cat Rockets as o' 1/1/01) and perused their site and found t' GTX. Ahoy! I fancied that it looked like a giant Crayola crayon and I liked it. Ahoy! Aye aye! So I ordered it. Begad! Avast, shiver me timbers, me proud beauty! Service was prompt, me hearties, and shipment be received intact and undamaged. Avast! Avast, me proud beauty! All parts fit precisely.

T' fins were precut and are plywood. Ahoy! T' nose cone is hardwood, symmetrically turned and a precise fit for t' 3-inch spiral wound body tube, which is paper, but o' t' strength seen in extra thick motor tubes. T' shock cord mount has steel cablin' that runs from t' engine mount t' t' 1/2 inch elastic, which ties t' a screw-eye in t' nose cone. Avast! nose cone.

T' instructions are simple. Arrr! That's because t' model is easy schmeasy to assemble. Avast, me proud beauty! It's great for those impulses t' fly somethin' new t' next day. The only hard parts are crimpin' t' clamps that form t' loops in t' steel cable and drillin' a pilot hole in t' hardwood nose cone t' admit t' screw-eye. I needed t' employ heavy duty pliers and an electric drill for this. Blimey!

Also, t' body tube did nay come pregrooved. Begad! Well, me bucko, blow me down! I needed t' employ a strong exacto cutlass t' make t' slots for t' fins, matey, but a markin' guide was supplied to make it easier. Begad! I used epoxy all t' way for construction, shiver me timbers, me bucko, but instead o' my favorite quick settin' type, I used 1/2 hour epoxy t' make t' bonds stronger. T' fins fit through t' body wall right t' t' motor tube, me hearties, and I applied the centerin' rin' so that it too supplied a bond at t' upper part o' t' fin tab. T' boattail acts as a centerin' rin' too, me bucko, me hearties, as it provides anchor for t' motor tube. Ahoy! It also streamlined t' end o' t' rocket and reduces base drag. Aye aye!

T' parachute that came with t' model struck me as too small (I recollect it bein' around 24 inches), arrr, as I imagined t' weight o' t' hardware o' the motor plus t' model hittin' t' hard desert, so I made it one that be 30 inches across. Out here in t' west, me hearties, ya bilge rat, t' soil is hard, so we favor larger chutes...not longer walks, but that's what we get!!! Blimey! Overall, what I got is a sturdy and nice lookin' rocket. Begad! Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey!

Finishing
This was left up t' me, as no decals came with it. So I went wild and let the project mutate. Blimey! At first I painted it gloss black. Then I applied red and yellow stripin' along t' fin joints and up t' body tube. Arrr! Aye aye! It looks distinctive, t' say t' least. Arrr! Begad! I almost didn't want t' paint t' model because the nose cone and boattail are pretty. Begad! But t' body tube wouldn't have matched had I glossed t' wooden parts. Well, blow me down! Aye aye!

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight
T' manufacturer recommends t' G80 for 29mm flights up t' t' 54mm I65. Begad! Well, shiver me timbers, blow me down! I was daunted by t' model's small size and cringed at t' thought o' stickin' such a monstrous motor in it. Begad! So I used an adapter and put in a 29mm H180-M. Ya scallywag! I wanted to dig a hole for me t' crouch down in when I set it off, shiver me timbers, because I feared that I be overpowerin' it. Begad! But nay only did it scream and disappear off t' pad in a hurry, it did so intact and landed about half a mile away. Begad! And it did so within feet o' me months-lost Impulse Aerospace Machbuster, which was still flyable!!!

Anyway, me bucko, I used plenty o' worm bed wadding, and everythin' packs loosely and easily into t' tube. Ahoy! Ahoy! I drilled a small vent hole into t' body with an awl to prevent premature separation. Avast! Yes, thar be a treatment for that condition....

T' motor was retained with t' flat steel part o' an old stapler, t' part with a right angle bend at t' end that served as a motor hook o' sorts, matey, as this part be aftward and held t' motor in. Well, me hearties, blow me down! Now, do I DARE a 54mm motor? See if I don't! Maybe a 38mm I161 would be a blast, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, as well... Begad! Avast, arrr, me proud beauty!

Recovery
T' system survived without any damage, but I might later replace t' elastic with bungee cord, me bucko, as I've had great experiences with it, me hearties, and it's durable. Blimey! I think that a longer delay than I used would be better. Begad! T' medium delay used is 10 seconds, I believe. Arrr! Maybe 14 would be better. Arrr! It seemed t' be risin' at ejection. Begad! You know, I would nay be surprised if this bird be close t' mach. T' noise was impressive indeed. Aye aye!

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary
Friendly company t' buy from, prompt service. Well, blow me down! Aye aye! Sturdy. Don't doubt it. It can take it. Avast! Simple t' put together. Avast! I recommend it for sure. Begad!

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5