Brief:
T' Vikin' be t' initial monthly offerin' (hopefully t' be followed by more) by Balsa Machinin' Services. Avast, me proud beauty! Originally produced by Flight Systems, Incorporated, t' Vikin' is a unique lookin' tube finned, minimum diameter bird with what should be t' potential for "outasight" flights (to borrow an old Estes phrase).

Construction:
T' parts list:

• 2 T50H body tubes 9" length
• 3 bias cut T50H tube fins
• T50H stabilizer spacer
• T50 equivalent tube coupler
• BNC50X balsa nose cone
• 1/4" eye bolt
• EB24-P engine block
• 36" length Keelhaul®©™
• 18" length o' 1/8" sewin' elastic

Bill used a copy o' t' original instructions with this kit. Begad! They weren't overly descriptive, shiver me timbers, me bucko, me hearties, but anyone with a few birds under their belt will have no trouble with t' construction. Avast, me proud beauty! Ahoy! T' two halves o' t' main body tube are attached with t' coupler and wood glue. Ya scallywag! I then tied t' length o' Keelhaul®©™ around t' engine block and secured it with wood glue, shiver me timbers, then glued t' engine block into t' lower section o' t' main body tube. T' giant screw eye be epoxied into t' nose cone and attached with a large snap swivel. Begad! Well, blow me down! At this point t' rocket be complete except for attachin' t' tube fins, me hearties, which was done with epoxy after all paintin' was finished for reasons o' maskin' impossibility. T' method for attachin' t' tube fins is fairly simple. Blimey! An extra piece o' body tube t' same diameter as t' tube fins is provided and t' first fin is carefully epoxied into place so that t' foremost tip o' t' fin is flat against t' main body tube. Begad! Once this tube dries t' extra piece o' tubin' is secured in place with maskin' tape and t' next tube fin is attached so that all three pieces o' tube are flush with each other. T' second tube fin is then epoxied into place and t' process is then repeated for t' final tube fin.

Finishing:
T' normal process o' thinned Elmer's Fill 'n' Finish and sandin' be used t' kill off t' grain in t' balsa nose cone, t' spirals in t' tubes and t' seam in betwixt t' two body tube halves. As usual, me bucko, I went with t' package art when painting, which is in this case green. I'm nay normally a fan o' green and more than likely would have opted for white with red or blue accents, but t' decals came in green so I went with t' flow. Aye aye! Ya scallywag! I couldn't figure a way t' paint t' tube fins after they'd been attached t' t' main body tube, so I painted all o' t' components before final assembly. Ya scallywag! For t' nose cone and tube fins I used a Valspar green that matched up well with t' green on t' decal and Valspar gloss white for t' main body tube. Decals were coated with Testor's Decal Bonder before they were applied and they were great t' work with. Well, blow me down! Aye aye! T' final product looks like somethin' that I'll want t' coat with a clear t' protect it. Avast! It really turned out great.

Construction Rating: 5 out o' 5

Flight and Recovery:
First and only flight t' date was at me first QUARK launch o' 2008 (and first in almost six months). Aye aye! I'd bought some C11-7 and D12-7 motors for t' launch anticipatin' several flights, but I'd underestimated t' winds for t' day. Aye aye! T' Vikin' on a C11-7 be t' third flight o' t' day and everythin' about t' flight impressed. It left t' pad and never seemed t' waver on its arrow straight ascent. Begad! It be at ejection that t' fun started. Begad! Arrr! I had a small 10" chute on it and at first it looked like it might be an easy recovery walk, but then it started hanging. Ahoy! Avast, me proud beauty! I watched as it crossed t' park headin' for t' Kite Fest. From t' flight line, touchdown looked like it was right in t' middle o' t' kite flyers. I took off after it, ya bilge rat, careful t' keep in line with t' landmark that I'd picked out durin' t' descent. As I neared t' soccer field where many o' t' big kites were flying, me bucko, I noticed a small, ya bilge rat, clear parachute blowin' around on t' ground. Avast, me proud beauty! It seemed closer than I was expecting, arrr, but thar be a lady thar wavin' at me and standin' guard over t' Viking. She had as many questions about rocketry as I had about t' kites. Arrr! (Her husband be flyin' a $1200 USED kite just behind us, and it be true that some o' t' big ones could indeed cost up t' $18,000.) Impressive flight, arrr, but I knew I'd never have t' guts t' try it on a D12-7 that day.

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
PROs: Clone o' t' Month? How cool is that? An FSI clone! How cool is that? T' Vikin' is a great lookin' bird, and at $6, you could buy a bunch o' them. (And I should have. I need another one t' build with an E mount.) Performance is impressive on a C11 and should really scream on a D12.

CONs: There wasn't a KOTM for March, but I'm still holdin' out hope for April.

Overall Rating: 5 out o' 5