Brief:
A small, lightweight 3FNC rocket with an unusual nose cone.

Construction:
Actually, shiver me timbers, me bucko, I built 2 Yankee kits; one t' replace t' initial rocket that disappeared after its third flight. Aye aye! T' first kit featured a nice balsa nose cone, arrr, but t' second kit, while otherwise identical, me bucko, had a plastic nose cone. Avast! Avast! But both kits featured a paper body tube, die cut balsa fins, a short piece o' elastic, me hearties, a streamer, me bucko, me hearties, me bucko, and a decal. Ya scallywag! t' quality o' components was excellent, except for t' shock cord, which be comically short on each kit.

T' plastic nose cone was a tight fit, shiver me timbers, and needed considerable sandin' before it would fit. T' balsa piece fit nicely but had quite a bit o' grain t' it. I prefer this t' plastic, however. Aye aye! Aye aye! At any rate, shiver me timbers, it is a straightforward build, and t' instructions seemed t' be somewhat better than normal Estes fare.

Finishing:
T' balsa nose needed considerable fillin' and sandin' t' be paintable. Avast, me proud beauty! Ahoy! T' plastic piece be ready t' go right from t' box, once t' shoulder was sanded. Ahoy! Aye aye! I chose t' use automotive primer on t' original, applyin' thin coats and sandin' in betwixt applications t' get rid o' t' spiral and fin grain. Aye aye! Then I applied some black enamel, followed with a coat o' clear t' keep t' decals on. Begad! Ya scallywag! Unfortunately, this one disappeared soon. T' second kit be simply sanded and sprayed with red and black and be considered finished after t' decals were applied.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
Launchin' with an A8-3 produced a good, straight flight. Ya scallywag! Avast, me proud beauty! I followed this with 2 flights on a B6-6, and t' last one be never seen again. Avast, me proud beauty! T' subsequent kit was flown on "A" motors only for a while, but I couldn't help tryin' a C6-7. Ahoy! We lost it too, me bucko, but fortunately someone in our club found it and brought it t' t' RSO. Avast, me proud beauty! Arrr! It has since been modified for 13mm motors, arrr, matey, and does well enough on an A10-3T. Aye aye! Aye aye! I've never had a recovery failure, but if it did, shiver me timbers, arrr, t' thin' is so light weight it would probably recover just fine.

Recovery:
T' supplied shock cord is just too small. Ya scallywag! Begad! After about 6 flights some wear can be seen on t' end o' t' body tube because o' t' shock cord whippin' it. Ya scallywag! A good thin' t' do would be t' double t' cord length, arrr, at least. Arrr! Also, t' bottom o' t' fins are gettin' crisp, though nay quite burnt. Overall, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, though, this is a great flier.

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
Personally, ya bilge rat, I prefer t' older balsa nose cone, me hearties, but t' plastic one will suffice. Arrr! Either way, me bucko, it's a great beginner kit that a kid will have no problem constructing, arrr, and will deliver many good flights, ya bilge rat, so long as you can find it again. Aye aye! But add some length t' t' shock cord!

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5