Brief:
This rocket is a 18mm futuristic space fighter usin' parachute recovery system. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! When I became a BAR, shiver me timbers, I found numerous kits that I absolutely HAD t' have. Aye aye! Many o' them came from Fliskits. T' problem was I be well aware o' me technical skills and was loathe t' butcher such nice projects. Blimey! Aye aye! As a result, I spent a lot o' time workin' on simple "level 1 and 2" rockets while starin' wistfully at t' cool designs in t' 3, 4 and 5 bins. I finally decided t' give one of t' nicer lookin' ones a try and picked t' Fliskits Stingray t' embrace. Ya scallywag! I figured that most o' those kits look so good, shiver me timbers, some o' t' reflected glory might rub off on me.

Construction:
Other reviews have listed t' parts so I will not. Blimey! Rest assured, ya bilge rat, me bucko, shiver me timbers, they were all present and o' good quality. Construction begins by markin' t' motor tube and cuttin' a slit for t' retainer clip. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast! T' clip is held in place with maskin' tape and a thrust rin' is inserted. Ya scallywag! There are two centerin' rings and each needs t' be modified. Blimey! T' first one has an 1/8" sector removed t' accommodate t' retainer clip and t' second has a small notch cut in it t' allow the Keelhaul®©™® shock cord t' pass. Ahoy! Begad! Blimey! Both rings are held in place with white glue.

T' shock cord is attached t' t' motor mount by tyin' a slip knot around the motor tube and then passin' t' thread through t' notch cut above. T' motor mount is then slid into place and glued into t' body tube. It should be noted that this kit is designed so that t' motor mount hangs out a good ways past the end o' t' BT.

Now that t' BT and motor mount were ready, I needed t' transfer t' marks for t' fins, cannon mounts, matey, etc. Well, blow me down! Aye aye! t' the BT. Well, blow me down! Begad! This be done by means o' a wrap around guide and was easily achieved. Ya scallywag! T' lines were marked, identified and extend the length o' t' BT.

Apparently, some o' t' wrap kits provided as accessories for this kit include a wrap for t' body tube. Mine did not. Arrr! If it had been included, it would be at this point that t' instructions would have sent me off t' apply t' wrap to t' BT. Ahoy! Afterwards, t' builder is instructed t' return t' t' same place in t' instructions and continue from there. Begad! In me case, me hearties, shiver me timbers, I just got started on t' next step.

T' next step be t' actually cut balsa. Begad! Aye aye! Except for an old Estes Mosquito, ya bilge rat, this be t' first time I have had t' do this since me return as a BAR. Ahoy! It is probably what made me t' most nervous but it turned out t' nay be too bad. Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty! T' kit comes with paper templates that are cut out and then used t' trace a line around t' pristine sheet material provided. Avast! This be easily achieved but I cannot emphasize t' importance of usin' both a sharp pencil for t' markin' and a sharp knife for t' cutting. I decided t' cut out all me pieces at once.

When t' pieces were cut, I went on t' t' next step where I was instructed t' sand an 1/8" bevel into the leadin' edges o' t' two fins. Avast! T' do this, me hearties, matey, I marked o' t' 1/8 inch and then placed a line o' cellophane tape across the length o' t' fin. Aye aye! I did t' same with t' reverse side. Ya scallywag! T' tape was then used t' give me a guide as I be sanding and prevent me from sandin' too far. Aye aye! Begad!

T' after bulkhead be also assembled at this stage. Begad! Well, blow me down! T' template provides for two pieces which are almost mirror images o' each other. Begad! Each o' these pieces needs t' be marked on both sides in terms o' left and right and upper and lower. When t' pieces are cut out, me hearties, arrr, a slight bevel is sanded into t' forward facin' edges in order t' accommodate the body wrap shroud. Ahoy! Then each o' t' two bulkheads is cut in half t' make a total o' four pieces. These pieces are then glued, 2 per fin, arrr, t' t' root edges o' t' fins. Avast, me proud beauty! Alignment is critical so t' template provides a mark for 1/8" in along t' trailin' edge. Arrr! Aye aye! This mark must be transferred t' t' bulkhead and then used t' match t' edge o' t' fins.

At this point, thar be another directive t' see special instructions if you are usin' one o' t' wrap kits. I dutifully turned t' t' appropriate instruction and learned that it be time t' seal and paint t' fins before applying the wraps. I did so with Elmer's Fill 'N Seal® and then sprayed t' fins black. Avast! Begad! I need only have bothered with t' trailin' edge but I went ahead and painted most of the fins.

When t' paint was dry, t' wraps for t' fins were carefully cut out with a razor knife. T' wraps include a scorin' line that aligns along t' bevel on t' leadin' edges which I scored with t' razor knife. Well, arrr, blow me down! Unfortunately, I pressed a little too hard with t' first pass and cut too deeply. That did makin' loadin' it in half a snap, shiver me timbers, me bucko, though. T' outer edge o' t' fin is then aligned with t' end o' t' wrap and t' whole fin is carefully set into t' crease. T' instructions recommend and I heartily support practicin' this a few time before peelin' t' backin' off o' the wrap. When you think you have it down, me hearties, me bucko, peel t' backin' and press t' wrap onto t' fin. Blimey! T' procedure is then repeated on t' opposite side.

T' wingtips likewise are supposed t' be filled and finished before apply the wraps. Well, ya bilge rat, blow me down! Here is where me brain broke down. Aye aye! Bein' lazy, early in t' morning, I hit on t' bright idea o' usin' white glue t' fill t' edges. Begad! It was already out and t' Fill 'N Finish was all t' way out in t' garage.

Bad idea. I suppose it could work eventually but takes too long t' dry, t' balsa seems t' drink t' stuff and sandin' is a nightmare. Blimey! Well, blow me down! In any event, me bucko, matey, instead o' paintin' t' edges black, I opted for paintin' them red for contrast.

Strangely enough, I found that applyin' t' stickers for t' win' tips was more difficult than applyin' t' wraps to t' wings. Arrr! This be because o' t' shape. Avast, me proud beauty! T' stickers were easy enough t' cut out; I opted for usin' scissors for this step. Avast! I then peel a little bit off t' back and tried t' get t' balsa centered. Aye aye! Ahoy! That was more easily said than done. Aye aye! Avast, me proud beauty! T' balsa I had cut be nay perfect and it shows especially since t' red o' t' balsa contrasts with t' black of t' stickers. Begad! Aye aye! T' instructions noted that I might have t' trim t' sticker but I would up with a surplus o' balsa and no trimmin' was needed. Aye aye! Avast, me proud beauty! When both wingtips were done, I sealed t' edges with white glue as per t' instructions.

T' next step returned me t' t' main thread o' t' instructions t' mount the wings t' t' BT. Well, blow me down! Blimey! In t' interest o' strength, ya bilge rat, I used a safety pin t' perforate t' root edges o' t' wings and t' BT along t' installation line t' form glue "rivets." Then it be a matter o' test fittin' each win' against the BT. Blimey! Avast! Blimey! It is critically important at this step t' ensure that t' root edge o' t' win' lies flush against t' BT. Aye aye! I had to do some sandin' on t' aft bulkhead t' make this happen. When all seemed t' fit right, I glued on t' left wing. After waitin' a decent amount o' time for t' glue t' set, I glued on t' right wing.

Since this wrap kit did nay include a body wrap, ya bilge rat, t' instructions indicate it is time t' paint. Much o' the rearward part o' t' body will be hidden by t' final paper shroud so it be t' front o' t' rocket that is important here. Ahoy! I wrapped t' tale in aluminum foil held down with maskin' tape and painted t' rest o' t' BT black.

After a few coats o' black paint, ya bilge rat, I let t' BT dry and got t' work on me sermon. Ya scallywag! Blimey! As a reward for finishin' the sermon without too much rambling, matey, I decided t' spend some late time workin' on t' Stingray. Well, ya bilge rat, blow me down! I be pleased with the paint and set about workin' on t' main body shroud.

T' main body wrap be t' final part o' t' special instructions for the Maelstrom body wrap. T' basic Stingray comes with a 2 piece white shroud. Begad! Begad! T' Maelstrom comes with a one piece, arrr, nicely decorated shroud.

Cuttin' out around t' outer edges was nay too onerous. Well, blow me down! Blimey! I made sure I had a fresh blade and a steel ruler and started t' cut. Ya scallywag! Ahoy! Blimey! After it be removed from t' rest o' t' card stock, ya bilge rat, I used t' razor knife t' lightly score t' lines where it will need t' be folded. Then came t' hard part. Begad! Blimey! Blimey! I had t' cut out t' central oval. Aye aye! I took this slowly but was not particularly pleased with me work. Begad! I did, shiver me timbers, on average, me hearties, manage t' cut out too little rather than too much but the curves did nay flow well for me. Begad! Blimey! I never did like cuttin' curves. I managed t' solve part o' t' problem with 220# sandpaper. Begad! I sanded around t' inner edge until I was more (as opposed t' completely) satisfied with t' result.

When t' shroud was cut out and scored, I prefolded it and test fitted t' two halves together. Ya scallywag! Blimey! I found a few more places where I needed t' even things up but a little sandin' and a little razorin' took care o' that. Arrr! Blimey! Then it was just a matter o' gluin' t' halves together usin' t' tabs. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! It didn't look too bad.

Then tragedy struck. Ya scallywag! I test fitted t' shroud around t' BT. Avast! At that point I learned that I had grossly misjudged what would and what would nay be exposed. Arrr! With that, ya bilge rat, I remasked and set out t' repaint t' BT.

When t' repainted BT be ready, shiver me timbers, I tried slippin' t' shroud around t' body t' check t' fit. I found a few tight places, which were treated with a razor or sandpaper, me hearties, and that I had nay given t' after bulkhead enough o' a chamfer. That be smartly treated with some sandpaper as well. Begad! Begad! When I be happy with t' fit, matey, it was time for t' most tedious and, for me, ya bilge rat, me bucko, difficult portion o' t' project.

I traced t' outline o' t' shroud on t' BT and then removed t' shroud. I then applied white glue along the outline and slid t' shroud back into place. Begad! A little tuggin' and coaxin' and it was in place. Ya scallywag! T' directions say at this point t' hold everythin' in place so that t' shroud makes full contact with all interfaces until t' glue dries. THAT WAS THE HARD PART FOR ME! Maybe I have failed t' mention me issues with patience...

It be nay all that hard except that I hate waiting. Ya scallywag! NOTE TO MR. Blimey! Ahoy! FLIS: I would gladly pay much extra for some sort of jig t' do this for me; t' kids were nay willing. Aye aye! Ahoy! It was worth it, me hearties, though. Ahoy! Begad!

When I could safely let go o' t' body and shroud, ya bilge rat, me bucko, I got t' work on t' gun mounts. I had previously cut these out and assembly was fairly easy. Ahoy! T' upright portion is sandwiched betwixt two plates. It is held together with white glue and a piece o' sawn toothpick is glued t' t' upright t' be t' gun. Blimey! When it be together, I found that me precision in cuttin' be better than I expected but nay good enough. Ahoy! I used a sanding block t' even things out and then wrapped some sandpaper around t' BT in order t' sand a curve into t' mounts. I then applied some sealer and set it aside t' dry. Avast! Unfortunately, me bucko, t' only photos that came out are without t' toothpicks.

T' wingtips are fairly easy t' attach t' t' wings. Aye aye! Well, blow me down! T' body wraps provide a cutout place where t' edge o' the fin is t' intersect t' wingtips. I again used a safety pin t' perforate both balsa surfaces and form glue rivets. Begad! Aye aye! I then glued t' tips on and checked for straightness and alignment. Havin' them in place made a huge difference in the appearance o' t' rocket.

T' launch lug mount was also simple. Begad! Ya scallywag! T' lug is glued t' an angled piece o' balsa. Well, blow me down! When it has set, arrr, a razor is used t' cut t' lug at t' same angle as t' mount.

Since I had a bit more time before bed, arrr, I decided t' seal t' nosecone. Arrr! I glued in t' eye screw, me hearties, arrr, painted with Elmer's Fill 'n Finish, and hung it up t' dry.

Now be t' time for detail work. Ya scallywag! Avast! I sealed t' cannon mounts and launch lug, sanded them down and primed with white spray. Aye aye! Ahoy! I figured that finishin' them after they were mounted would be a nightmare so I decided t' finish them now. Aye aye! I also decided t' hand paint them.

T' bases for both were painted a Tamiya color called bronze. Ya scallywag! When I opened it up, it was a bit grayer than I had imagined but still serviceable. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! T' launch lug itself as well as t' center supports for t' canon were painted with Tamiya copper. Begad! Copper is me favorite metallic shade and I tend t' use it whenever I have an excuse. Ahoy! Begad! T' guns themselves were painted red.

While those were drying, me hearties, I sanded down t' nosecone and used an emory board t' sharpen up t' diameter stepdown. Arrr! I then primed it with white spray.

Figurin' that betwixt sprayin' t' nosecone and takin' time out t' help t' stepson with some chemistry homework, it was safe t' handle t' little pieces again. I realized that I had made another blunder. Back when t' BT had originally been marked, me hearties, marks were laid down for t' cannon mounts and launch lug. Well, blow me down! T' black paint had completely obliterated them. Aye aye! Wantin' t' do a better job on t' alignment than could be had from me deadlights alone, I printed a sheet with t' alignment wrap. Aye aye! (I always make PDFs o' instructions, me hearties, balsa, templates and such before startin' a build.)I then wrapped t' alignment sheet around t' BT and held it closed with some tape. Avast, me proud beauty! Usin' that and alignin' with t' wings by my deadlights I felt I could come close t' t' "right" place.

I used a razor knife t' nick t' paint 1/2" back from t' front o' t' BT along t' cannon mount lines. Ahoy! Avast! I then transferred t' length o' t' mounts t' t' BT with another light nick. Begad! A file was then used t' remove t' paint along the lin' o' t' cannon mounts. A safety pin be used t' make perforations in both t' t' root edges o' t' mounts and in the BT t' form glue rivets and t' mounts were glued in place.

T' launch lug be similarly attached but I did one more thin' t' make sure it be straight. Begad! Well, blow me down! Blimey! I took a short section o' 1/8" rod and used that t' help align t' lug.

After t' nosecone had been sprayed black, I decided I wanted t' add a little bit o' contrast. Avast! Blimey! I decided t' paint t' part o' t' nose cone that is stepped down, me hearties, but nay t' part that fits in the BT, ya bilge rat, t' same colored bronze that I used on t' cannon mounts. I masked accordingly and painted it by hand. Begad! Blimey! Then it be a simple matter t' cut out t' sticker for t' cockpit and put it in place. Well, blow me down! Blimey! It was a bit less simple t' keep it straight and unwrinkled.

Likewise, finishin' t' after bulkhead be accomplished by cuttin' out t' sticker and placin' it. Avast! Ya scallywag! I recommend that when cuttin' t' hole for t' motor mount, arrr, me hearties, leave a slight bit o' excess material. Well, blow me down! Then use a piece o' sandpaper wrapped around your finger t' ream it out flush with t' correct profile. Avast, me proud beauty! I found t' t' sticker with t' backing paper is sturdy enough t' handle this and is sure easier than tryin' t' cut a circle. That brought t' buildin' t' a close. Ahoy!

• PROS: interesting, matey, creative
• CONS: most human beings have too few hands t' adequately handle t' installation o' t' body shroud.

Finishing:
Most o' t' finishin' took place durin' t' build phase and is detailed above. Avast, me proud beauty! I did give t' rocket a coatin' of Future® Floor Polish t' toughen it up a bit. Ahoy! I don't want t' mar this up on landing.

• PROS: excellent quality peel and sticks; looks great
• CONS: I would have preferred waterslides

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
I started out wimpy on an A8-3. Aye aye! T' chute be loaded after a bit o' dog barf, t' nose cone was seated and t' motor installed. Begad! Aye aye! While I was hookin' up t' leads, matey, I enjoyed t' favorable comments from others about t' appearance o' the rocket.

When it was time t' lift off, matey, I pushed t' button and it took right off, me bucko, matey, flyin' straight up. Begad! Avast, me proud beauty! There be no barrel rollin' at all. Ahoy! It did nay fly particularly high but it be high enough t' make me feel "safe". Avast, me proud beauty! Ejection occurred right on schedule and t' chute deployed just fine. It landed without any problem.

For t' second flight, I chose a B6-4. Again, me hearties, shiver me timbers, everythin' went like clockwork. T' rocket went up and t' rocket came down. Blimey! In between, me bucko, at about t' right time, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, t' chute came out and slowed t' decent. Blimey! That was good. Unfortunately, RSO duties prevented another flight.