Brief:
First, I want t' point out that thar be already a review o' this product, arrr, me hearties, and I concur with EMRR’s opinions. Ahoy! However, me bucko, me bucko, I received this kit as a prize from the Fantasy Rocket Photo Contest, and felt that t' least that I could do is write a review. Ahoy! Avast, me proud beauty! When EMRR offered me t' Snipe as a replacement for t' advertised kit (which be a no-show), it didn’t take me long t' warm up t' this nice sized, 24mm cluster rocket. Well, blow me down! I haven’t built many clusters, me bucko, and thought this one would be fun on a trio o' E9s.

Construction:
T' Snipe is 2.6” in diameter and 58.5 inches long (actual measurement - t' instructions say its only 56”). Begad! T' main tube is 30” long, t' payload bay is 15”, shiver me timbers, and t' plastic nosecone is 13 inches. Aye aye! T' three rounded fins remind me o' a template that Estes used t' provide in their Designer’s Special, matey, and which I had used many years ago for a rocket I built for me daughter. Avast! T' fins, me hearties, payload bulkhead, and two centerin' rings are all 1/8” ply. While t' fins were very neatly cut, t' rings were slightly rough. Aye aye! This, however, matey, isn’t a problem. There are three long 24mm motor tubes, which are long enough t' handle any available 24mm motors. Blimey! T' recovery system consists o' an 18” steel cable, ~9’ length o' ½” elastic, and a 28” nylon chute. Ahoy! Ya scallywag! T' cable is pre-attached t' t' front CR and has a loop on t' other end. Aye aye! Ahoy! An eyebolt is used t' attach t' elastic t' t' payload bulkhead plate.

This is an easy rocket t' build. Arrr! Blimey! Arrr! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! T' instructions are on one double-sided 8 ½” x 11” sheet and are generally adequate. Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! I first built t' fin can per t' instructions. I did this while I was workin' on a bigger project and went ahead and glued on both rings. Begad! Blimey! Arrr! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! I normally don’t glue on t' aft rin' until I’ve had a chance t' add internal fillets, shiver me timbers, but wasn’t payin' attention this time. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! Unfortunately, t' fins only have ½” tabs, me hearties, which are nay long enough t' reach t' motor mount assembly. Havin' had mid power rockets with both through t' wall and surface mount fins, arrr, I know that internal fillets would have been a good idea on this rocket. Arrr! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! It be suggested that I could glue on t' fins, me hearties, add internal fillets, matey, and notch t' forward CR so t' motor mount would slide in. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! However, ya bilge rat, I found that one o' t' notches would interfere with t' steel shock cable that was pre-installed. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Therefore, I punted.

T' fin slots are nay pre cut, but were pre-marked. Avast! I didn’t trust t' markin' so I double checked them, findin' that they were very accurate. Begad! Aye aye! T' slots were easy t' cut with a sharp Exacto cutlass. I inserted t' motor mount and then glued t' fins on with hefty doses o' t' black rubberized CA. Aye aye! Avast, me proud beauty! Since t' fin tabs are only about half as long as t' fins, I was able t' partially extract t' mount and gain access t' t' back o' t' tabs. Blimey! I formed thin rolls o' LocTite epoxy putty and laid them against t' fin tabs. Avast, me proud beauty! I used a long thin screwdriver, arrr, dipped in rubbin' alcohol, arrr, arrr, matey, t' compress them against t' fin joints. Well, blow me down! I have never tried this before, only time will tell whether it was a good idea.

T' payload assembly was typical, me hearties, me hearties, ya bilge rat, consistin' o' a coupler, me bucko, pre-drilled bulkhead, and eyebolt hardware. Begad! For motor retention, I cut t' head off a small bolt and epoxied it into t' gap betwixt t' three motor tubes. Aye aye! A small washer and a bolt should hold t' three motors nicely.

Finishing:
I filled t' fins with Fill ‘n Finish and gave it one coat o' white primer. Avast, me proud beauty! For t' first time, me bucko, I tried plasti-kote Fleck Stone. I got t' ‘Manhattan Mist’, me hearties, which is gray with black and white spots. This is interestin' stuff. Aye aye! It spurts out o' t' can like a giant ‘raspberry’ and leaves a coatin' that looks like a stone surface. Ya scallywag! Maybe nay optimal for rockets (too rough), but interesting. I bought this brand over t' competitor because it be cheaper, only t' find that you also need a sealer, ya bilge rat, which t' competitor includes. Well, blow me down! Arrr! After some testing, shiver me timbers, me bucko, I used Testor’s clear acrylic over t' Fleck Stone finish. Begad! Finally, t' add some contrast, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, I painted t' nose cone with Rustoleum Hammered Gold.

Construction Rating: 3 out o' 5

Flight:
I used t' parachute that was supplied with t' kit and a home-made protector made from a car air bag. I wrapped tape around three E9-4’s and then installed t' nut and washer t' hold them in. Blimey! Avast! Blimey! For ignition duties, matey, I used three Igniterman igniters. Avast! Blimey! These long igniters are easier t' prep, and provided an added guarantee o' reliable ignition. Begad! Arrr! Blimey! They are overkill for these BP motors.

T' kit weighed in at 22 oz on me home scale and Rocksim said it would be about 28 oz with t' E9s (I didn’t have t' motors t' weigh it loaded). T' launch be slow and thar was a slight wobble in t' first 20 feet until t' rocket came up t' speed. Ahoy! It easily reached 1000 ft, and ejection appeared t' be just before apogee. Avast, me proud beauty! T' stock chute seemed fine. Well, blow me down! Begad! T' rocket banged into t' side o' a metal barn, matey, matey, but was undamaged.

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
Even though this is a standard 3FNC rocket, ya bilge rat, its stylin' is somewhat unique due t' t' curved fins and long nosecone. It was easy t' build, me bucko, arrr, but t' fin tabs should be long enough t' touch t' motor mount assembly. Well, blow me down! Barrin' this, arrr, t' instructions should have told you t' wait t' glue in t' aft CR until you have added internal fillets. Blimey! Begad! T' flight on t' E9s was cool. Aye aye! Three F’s should really rock!

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5