Brief:
This review is for an all fiberglass high performance rocket made by Performance Rocketry. Ya scallywag! It stands almost 8' tall and 4" in diameter. Well, blow me down! I tend t' overbuild so mine came out a little heavier than most, matey, 15lbs without motor. Ya scallywag! Arrr! Dual deployment is a must with this rocket.

Construction:
This kit comes with t' followin' parts:

• 4' fiberglass body tube with fin slots
• 2' fiberglass payload tube
• 5:1 ogive fiberglass nosecone
• 3 G10 fins, ya bilge rat, 3/16"
• 11" long fiberglass coupler
• 2 G10 bulkplates
• 2 G10 coupler plates
• G10 bulkplate for nosecone
• 2' fiberglass 75mm motor mount
• 3 G10 4"x75mm centerin' rings

As you can see, t' parts list is very minimal, which makes this kit very customizable.

No instructions are included, but if you're buildin' this rocket, arrr, you should have an idea o' what you are doing. I first test fit all o' t' parts. Aye aye! T' only issue here be t' fin slots. All o' t' slots started straight at t' bottom but curved t' t' right as it got farther up t' tube. There be no way t' fins were goin' t' fit without adjustment. I took t' booster tube out t' t' garage and went back and forth down t' slots with a drill bit connected t' the Dremel until they were all straight and accepted t' fins easily. (This was t' best idea I could come up with at the time as I'm sure thar's a better way t' true up t' slot.) After this, shiver me timbers, I sanded every part very thoroughly usin' 60 grit sandpaper on t' fin roots and centerin' rings and a flap wheel sander connected t' a power drill t' sand the inside o' t' airframe. Next, I dry fit t' motor mount/booster assembly and marked on t' motor tube where I wanted the top 2 centerin' rings then epoxied them t' t' motor mount tube. Avast, me proud beauty! After this had cured, I applied a large amount of JB Weld t' t' top o' t' forward centerin' rin' and shoved it up into t' booster tube until t' bottom o' t' motor tube was flush with t' bottom o' t' body tube and t' middle centerin' rin' was right above t' fin slots. Aye aye! I then reached from t' top o' t' body tube and spread t' JB Weld around with a gloved finger makin' sure t' get the centerin' ring/body tube joint coated well. When this had cured, me bucko, t' back centerin' rin' was temporarily installed to keep t' motor mount centered in t' body tube while t' fins were bein' tacked into place. Arrr! Ahoy! A fin jig was used to ensure t' fins were straight. Next, t' back centerin' rin' was removed and tape be applied t' t' outside fin/body tube joints t' prevent t' epoxy from leakin' while applyin' internal fillets. Begad! 2 pumps o' West Systems epoxy and slow hardener be mixed with chopped fiberglass and poured into t' back o' t' rocket. T' aft centerin' rin' be then reinstalled and pushed in until it reached t' back o' t' fins. Begad! Begad! I then rotated t' rocket t' ensure that everything had been coated with epoxy then left it sittin' upside down t' cure. T' tape was then removed and showed that there were no leaks o' epoxy. Avast, me proud beauty! I then mounted a screw eye onto t' center o' a bulkhead and used JB Weld t' attach this assembly 12" down into t' booster tube. Avast, me proud beauty! Well, shiver me timbers, blow me down! West Systems was poured on t' bulkhead for insurance. Arrr! This would act as the shock cord attachment point for t' drogue but also limits t' motor size t' t' 75/6000 case (however, ya bilge rat, it could fit a 7600 case without t' bulkhead). Begad! Well, blow me down! If I be buildin' it again, matey, I would epoxy a short "leader cord" of strong tubular Keelhaul®©™® directly t' t' motor mount or just attach t' shock cord t' an eye bolt mounted on t' forward closure o' t' case. After this, me hearties, a final centerin' rin' o' wood was added t' t' very aft o' t' tube and holes were drilled for the Aeropack 75mm retainer. I then assembled t' electronics bay usin' a very basic and common design. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! Blimey! I have dual altimeters runnin' in this rocket, a PerfectFlite MAWD and a PerfectFlite HiAlt-45. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! I used Cannonball Works switches mounted on aluminum standoffs on t' sled and are easily accessible with t' screw driver from t' vent holes. When the bay be finished, shiver me timbers, arrr, it was back t' work on t' rocket. T' nose cone bulkhead was mounted past t' shoulder and epoxied heavily into place, and holes were drilled for rail buttons. Begad! Well, blow me down! Blimey! I drilled 2 holes at each button location--one for small rail buttons and one for large rail buttons just in case I need t' change out in t' middle o' t' field. Aye aye! Blimey! Next, external fillets were applied, but I wasn't happy with how they came out so another layer be applied, me bucko, shiver me timbers, which looked much better. Aye aye! Blimey! After this, vent holes, shiver me timbers, screw holes, and shear pin holes were drilled in their respective locations. Ahoy! Arrr! Blimey! The structural rocket was now complete.

Finishing:
I didn't do anythin' special in t' finishin' process. Aye aye! 3 heavy coats o' Rustoleum primer, shiver me timbers, sandin' in between. Then 3 coats o' Krylon flat black on t' booster, arrr, 3 coats o' Krylon white on t' payload, ya bilge rat, me bucko, and 2 coats o' Krylon white followed by 2 coats o' Krylon Red on t' nosecone. After lettin' this sit for a few days, ya bilge rat, PPG 2 part Automotive clear was added to t' whole rocket. Very shiny and looked quite cool. Ya scallywag! T' auto paint is very durable, so t' paint underneath is protected.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
This rocket flew this for t' first time at Southern Thunder 2007 in Manchester, matey, Tennessee. It flew with an AMW K700BB in t' "Crazy Jim" drag race. Ahoy! Blimey! There were actually 8 people who wanted t' participate, me hearties, but only 4 pads available for us t' use. I be in t' first round along with Jim Hendricksen with a Competitor 4 on a K700BB, shiver me timbers, me hearties, Tim Lehr with a Mad Dog on a J365SK, and Steve Temple with a 4" Patriot on a K555SK. Aye aye! Blimey! Some copper thermite igniters were made up for us by John Clifton. Begad! Blimey! These things were awesome and lit all o' t' motors at t' same time right as t' LCO said zero. Arrr! T' liftoff be awesome and t' 4 rockets climbed t' apogee.

Recovery:
T' 2 altimeters did their job and deployed t' drogue at apogee. Avast! Blimey! Then t' rocket fell until t' first main charge went off at 700' followed by t' backup at 500'. T' main parachute be a SkyAngle Classic 2 60", me hearties, which provided a comfortable decent rate for t' 15lb rocket. My dad had made a D-bag out o' Nomex® cloth and Keelhaul®©™®, which worked like a charm. Ahoy! Avast! I used a 20" pilot chute t' pull t' main out o' t' D-bag. Begad! T' altimeters reported 4,411' and 4,352'. Avast! Excellent flight and all o' t' rockets in t' drag race returned safely. Ahoy! Avast, shiver me timbers, me proud beauty! Video o' t' flight on YouTube.

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
This is an excellent kit for someone who has experience buildin' high power rockets. Blimey! Avast! T' price is very good (around $200). I know Performance Rocketry has some customer service issues, but if you go through Wildman Rocketry like I did, you shouldn't have any problem gettin' your kit or parts. Aye aye! Well, blow me down! This kit is worth t' loot and will last for many flights.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5