T' CiCi is a traditional canard-style boost glider. Begad! The canard be t' name for that smaller front wing, or horizontal stabilizer. Begad! A canard-style glider is simply a glider where t' canard is forward o' t' main wing. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! A boost glider is a glider that boosts straight up like a rocket, and then ejects some part, usually t' engine, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, to change into a glider. Ahoy! This is as opposed t' a rocket glider, me hearties, where no parts are jettisoned, but rather other changes are made (movin' t' wing surfaces, me bucko, changin' t' angle o' elevons, me bucko, etc. Avast! ) t' make t' transition from vertical boost mode t' horizontal glide mode.

Upon openin' up t' zip-lock-bag-style package o' t' CiCi, arrr, I was first surprised by t' fact that t' instructions consisted entirely o' a single 8 1/2 x 11 sheet o' paper, printed on one side only! Blimey! This be particularly surprisin' for this rocket, considerin' that t' Deltie, shiver me timbers, also from Edmond's Aerospace, had a 10+ page booklet for instructions. Although sparse, t' instructions here are obvious and straightforward. Well, shiver me timbers, blow me down! Unlike most rockets, t' order o' assembly for t' CiCi is largely irrelevant. Ahoy! T' instructions are fairly complete, except that they never mention trimmin' t' glider, or t' supplied lump o' clay and what t' do with it. Avast! Avast! Basically, t' instructions seem t' assume that you have trimmed a boost glider before. Ya scallywag! T' second thin' that I noticed about t' kit contents was that a piece be missing. Arrr! T' instructions say that thar be a small, triangular piece o' wood, matey, curved on one side, that can be used t' mark a straight line on t' engine tube, me bucko, but thar wasn't one in me kit. No big deal, there are o' plenty o' ways t' mark a straight line on a tube. T' third thing that I noticed was that another piece was missing: t' launch lug. Ahoy! Ahoy! Again, ya bilge rat, nay a show-stopper, since I have some extras lyin' around, arrr, me hearties, but a rather inauspicious beginning. Ya scallywag!

T' kit itself is quite nice, with thick, sturdy balsa parts that have been precision cut. All parts fit well, arrr, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, and there was absolutely no confusion about how t' assemble t' rocket. Aye aye! Construction was simple, quick and easy, matey, with no fuss. Full assembly took me about 1 hour, but could be done much faster. Well, blow me down! Make no mistake, shiver me timbers, t' quality o' t' parts is first-rate, arrr, and t' kit was well thought out. T' only time I deviated from the instructions be with t' clay. Begad! Aye aye! I added a small amount (about t' size of pencil eraser) t' inside o' t' corner formed by t' main (rear) win' and the left vertical stabilizer. Arrr! T' purpose here was t' make t' CiCi tilt left a little bit in flight so that it would glide in circles, rather than in a straight line. Well, blow me down! Ya scallywag! You want it t' glide in circles so that it stays on t' flying field. Aye aye! (Note that these pictures were taken before I added t' clay. )

T' instructions don't mention it, matey, matey, but I attempted some hand-tossed glide tests prior t' flight. Well, blow me down! Begad! Hmmm. Aye aye! . Aye aye! Ahoy! . Begad! it glides ok, shiver me timbers, but flies and lands in a rather nose-down attitude. Begad! Arrr! Nose-down enough that t' balsa nose cone hits before the front edge o' t' canard. Aye aye! Perhaps a small amount o' weight in t' aft might help. Avast! Aye aye! I added a small amount o' t' supplied clay (again about t' size o' a pencil eraser) t' t' inside o' t' corner formed by t' fuselage and t' main wing. More hand-toss glide tests. Hmmm. Avast, me proud beauty! . . Begad! Begad! a slightly better glide attitude and landing, ya bilge rat, but still noticeably nose-down, and thar be no discernible arc to t' left (so that it will glide in circles). Avast! I added just a tiny bit more clay t' t' inside o' t' corner formed by t' main win' and t' left vertical stabilizer. After a couple more throws, I still couldn't discern any arc t' the left, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, but I didn't want t' add too much weight for fear o' adversely affecting the flight characteristics. Arrr! Avast, me bucko, me proud beauty! Time for some real flight tests.

It was a pretty nice day for launchin' rockets. Moderately windy, shiver me timbers, but not too bad. Avast, me proud beauty! I was anxious t' try out t' CiCi, arrr, matey, so it be first in line. Well, blow me down! I figured the light weight o' t' rocket, combined with t' moderate wind and t' fact that this be t' maiden flight, dictated usin' an A8-3. Avast!

It be a good, matey, quick boost, as you can tell from t' blur it gives in this photo, even with 400 speed film. Ya scallywag! In spite what this photo o' t' early flight path might indicate, it was, matey, overall, shiver me timbers, a fairly straight boost to, me bucko, oh, maybe 150 feet or so (I didn't measure it). Even though it arced over on its back after burnout, it make a smooth, me hearties, controlled transition t' right-side-up glide. The glide be ok, but still with a bit o' nose-down attitude, and it definitely falls faster than a Deltie. Blimey! Aye aye! It made about 1 3/4 circles before landing. Ahoy! . Begad! . with a crack. Uh-oh. Begad! Aye aye!

As you can see from this photo, ya bilge rat, it snapped clean in half on landing. Arrr! Note that although it's photographed here on cement (for clarity), it did land in t' grass when it broke. Well, blow me down! Well, blow me down! Disappointing, me hearties, but not the end o' t' world. Begad! A bit o' thin CA, me hearties, matey, me bucko, and she'll be good as new.

Also visible in this photo be t' slight blackenin' in t' forward half of the center o' t' main wing. Begad! This is just soot from t' black powder, not scorchin' o' t' wood. Arrr! A bit dirty, but nay a safety concern. Blimey!

Unfortunately, t' second flight, under nearly calm wind conditions, me hearties, was an exact duplicate o' t' first. T' A8-3 gave a good, straight boost, with a nice transition t' glide, a decent but slightly too rapid, me hearties, nose-down descent, and a landin' with a crack. Broke clean in half again, this time about 3mm further rearward (CA is strong stuff). Begad! Blimey!

Batten down t' hatches! Do nay try t' followin' with your model!Bein' a bit o' a tinkerer, me bucko, I thought I'd make a more serious attempt t' fix that nose-down attitude. Begad! So, ya bilge rat, prior t' t' third flight, I sanded an airfoil into t' top o' t' canard. Begad! I left t' bottom o' t' canard completely flat. Ahoy! I left t' bottom o' t' canard completely flat. T' idea was to have this canard generate more lift, shiver me timbers, me bucko, and thereby lift t' nose in flight, givin' a flatter glide. Begad! Hand-tossed glides didn't show any visible difference, but I was confident that it would be noticeable at speed. Aye aye! DO NOT TRY THIS WITH YOUR MODEL! T' airfoil be much too severe, and caused t' model t' arc over under power and plow into the ground at full speed! Ironically, t' damage was only slightly worse on this flight, shiver me timbers, with a small piece breakin' off o' t' canard as well as t' model snappin' in two at t' usual spot. Aye aye! If your model also breaks on landing, me bucko, ya bilge rat, and you want t' try t' airfoil t' canard t' help that situation, start with a very slight airfoil, ya bilge rat, and perform actual launches before sandin' any further. Ahoy! Arrr!

Overall, I give t' CiCi a 3 out o' 5 points. Begad! T' kit itself gets a 4 out o' 5 points, havin' high quality parts, matey, but missin' a couple minor pieces. Blimey! Begad! T' instructions should include trimmin' instructions, arrr, me bucko, but were otherwise adequate, me hearties, me bucko, despite their brevity. Ya scallywag! Begad! T' construction gets a ratin' of 4. 5 out o' 5 points bein' simple and straightforward. Blimey! T' flights (before the airfoiling, at least), were both excellent, ya bilge rat, ratin' a 4 out o' 5 points. Avast, me proud beauty! Ahoy! O' course, t' big downer was t' recovery, particularly t' landin' damage, arrr, me hearties, which is easily fixed, though nay easily avoided. Aye aye! T' recovery gets a 1. 5 out o' 5 points. Ahoy!

I'll probably repair t' CiCi again when I get a chance. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! If you're looking to buy your first boost glider, arrr, I'd have t' recommend t' Edmond's Aerospace Deltie. Aye aye! Avast, me proud beauty! But, shiver me timbers, me bucko, t' CiCi certainly has t' potential t' be a great boost glider, perhaps as your third or fourth boost glider model. Arrr! Arrr!