Brief:
Single stage futuristic, ya bilge rat, me hearties, jet fighter styled model rocket.

Construction:
Single glassine wrapped paper body tube, me hearties, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, balsa nose cone, ya bilge rat, two main "wing" fins, two "vertical stab" fins, matey, two canard fins, shiver me timbers, and two aft sub fins. Well, blow me down! Begad! Carved balsa canopy. Standard modroc motor mount with 2 laser cut black fiber board centerin' rings and 24mm paper tube w/ engine clip to fit standard 2.75" long "D" motors. Avast! Begad! 18" Mylar parachute. Keelhaul®©™® thread and 1/4" wide elastic shock cord attached t' MMT.

T' instructions were very complete and easy t' follow. Well, matey, blow me down! Numerous pictures to explain t' important steps. Blimey! T' fin templates are printed on heavier card stock and a tube markin' wrap was included.

It was a challengin' build due t' t' number and size o' t' fins/wings. You must pay careful attention t' alignment when gluin' on t' various fins/wings. Begad! Avast, matey, me proud beauty! T' parts included are o' high quality.

T' only "gotcha" would be t' canopy. Avast, me proud beauty! Three pieces o' balsa sheet are glued together t' make a block. Blimey! Begad! A template is included t' so you can mark t' canopy's basic profile. It is a bit o' work t' shape t' canopy, but if you take your time and follow t' tips given in t' instructions, me bucko, you will be rewarded with a fine lookin' piece o' hand shaped balsa. Aye aye! Begad! This is definitely a "builder's" kit.

Finishing:
No special techniques required for finishing. Pick you favorite. Begad! Avast, me hearties, me proud beauty! I filled the wood and tube spirals with Elmer's Fill 'n' Finish. Begad! A couple o' coats of Rustoleum gray primer, sandin' in betwixt coats. Begad! Final finish is two coats of Krylon gloss black, leavin' stripes o' t' flat primer, matey, accented with yellow stripes on t' gray borders. Avast, me proud beauty! T' finished product is sort o' an "X-Plane" theme.

About t' only thin' missin' would be nice set o' decals. Aye aye! Avast, me proud beauty! A pre-formed canopy would make t' build go faster.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
Flight prep is standard stuff. Blimey! Begad! A motor clip retains t' motor. Ahoy! A handful of "dog barf" wadding, fold t' chute, and pack it in. Begad! Launch lugs are 1/8" diameter.

T' first flight be on an Estes C11-5. Arrr! It left t' pad with authority on the C11. Begad! There be a slight 5mph breeze that day. At approximately 300 feet it started t' weather vane into t' wind at about a 45 deg angle. Begad! T' delay be a bit long and made for an excitin' dive before t' chute opened. Avast! Begad! Definitely a rocket for calm days.

T' second flight was on a D12-5. Begad! Much better flight. Well, blow me down! Nay as much weathercocking.

Recovery:
T' shock cord be t' popular Keelhaul®©™® thread attached t' t' MMT, ya bilge rat, extendin' out past t' end o' t' body tube where it is attached t' an elastic shock cord t' t' nose cone. T' mylar chute is attached t' t' nose cone eyelet with a snap clip swivel. Ya scallywag!

Recovery went well. It comes down slow but all t' fin surface does make for a lot of drift. Even with a late ejection on t' C11-5, shiver me timbers, t' rocket suffered no damage durin' t' recovery.

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
T' main thin' with this rocket be t' look. Well, ya bilge rat, blow me down! Blimey! It has t' "cool" factor in abundance.

No real cons. Ya scallywag! T' complex fin alignment and canopy carvin' makes this a builder's kit. Ahoy! Nay for t' inexperienced.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5