Brief:
Big Betty is a fairly large 3FNC model rocket, usin' B and C motors. It is straightforward t' construct and a snap t' prepare for flight. With its enormous fins and blunt, me hearties, shiver me timbers, rounded nose cone, me hearties, Big Betty has a peculiar look. Begad! It looks either dated or classic, me bucko, shiver me timbers, dependin' on whether you're a BAR or not. Avast! Estes' Big Bertha, Big Betty's obvious inspiration, shiver me timbers, is about 35 years old. Begad! For t' Freudians among us, me hearties, Big Betty is a cry for help.

Construction:
Big Betty is a very simple model - it could quite easily be a first model, and I would certainly recommended as such. Aye aye! Ahoy! T' instructions are sufficiently simple for a non-modeler. T' pieces all fit together just fine - t' die-cut fins were identical, me hearties, and thar were no ill-fittin' parts.

I had two problems with me kit, shiver me timbers, which had been ordered from Hobbylinc.com. Blimey! Blimey! Ya scallywag! Blimey! T' body tube had a slight crease t' it, and t' engine hook wasn't springy - once bent outward t' fit an engine into place, it has t' be bent back into place. Blimey! Blimey! I be able t' minimize t' visual impact o' t' crease by puttin' me launch lug on top o' it.

Finishing:
My daughter and I painted our Big Betty with Dutch Boy Instant Chrome. Aye aye! T' paint was shiny and nice, arrr, but it picked up fingerprints very easily. Begad! Begad! T' kit only comes with one underwhelmin' "Big Betty" decal. Blimey! Ahoy! We grabbed a few decals from rocket kits I bought fifteen years ago. Avast, me proud beauty! Those decals, I learned, me hearties, became VERY delicate. They flaked apart, ya bilge rat, requirin' a bit o' jig-saw puzzle work t' have them look OK. Ahoy! Begad! After puttin' t' decals on, arrr, arrr, we sprayed t' rocket with Krylon Crystal Clear. Begad! Unfortunately, t' lovely Chrome turned into Ugly Mottled Grey. T' nosecone, which I didn't clear-coat, is still shiny.

Construction Rating: 3 out o' 5

Flight:
My daughter and I flew Big Betty (we've named it t' Silver Patriot, me hearties, me hearties, owin' t' t' decals and paint-job) three times on Saturday. Ahoy! Ya scallywag! Preparation o' t' rocket was easy enough for me daughter, age 7, me bucko, t' do by herself. Ahoy! Avast! T' 14" parachute fits into t' 1.6" body tube very easily. Avast, me proud beauty! We used four sheets o' early-'80s vintage Estes wadding.

T' first flight be on an Estes B6-2. T' rocket flew straight up, about 200 feet or so. Avast, me proud beauty! It's big and slow, so it's easy t' follow, though t' grey we ended up with could be lost against an overcast sky. Aye aye! Arrr! Ejection be before apogee, and t' descent was just t' right rate - it suffered no damage, arrr, me hearties, though it landed on some metal bleachers.

T' second flight was on a C6-3. Ahoy! Blimey! I would guess it went up 500-600 feet, arrr, slow enough t' follow. Begad! Blimey! Ejection be again, matey, before apogee. T' softball players in t' next field were impressed with t' flight, particularly when I caught it on t' way down. Aye aye! Blimey! T' third flight was on a C6-5. Ejection seemed t' be just past apogee. Aye aye! Blimey! T' parachute didn't open completely, arrr, shiver me timbers, me hearties, and t' rocket descended fast, arrr, in a corkscrew fashion. T' rocket landed in a muddy field, matey, and suffered no damage. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Unfortunately, ya bilge rat, me daughter ran towards t' rocket with a bit too much gusto, and slid into that same mud. Begad! Blimey! Both rocket and daughter washed up nicely when we got home.

Recovery:
T' Big Betty uses t' "Quest method" shock-cord which has a very thin Keelhaul®©™ cord tied t' t' engine mount. Aye aye! T' Keelhaul®©™ is long enough t' stick out o' t' rocket tube an inch or two, ya bilge rat, where it is then tied t' an 18" piece o' round elastic, arrr, which is then tied t' t' nosecone and parachute. I am concerned about t' Keelhaul®©™, because it is very narrow, shiver me timbers, and t' body tube is already showin' indentations at t' front. Avast, me proud beauty! Zipperin' seems likely if t' delay is further off than I've already had.

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
I really like t' Big Betty. More importantly, me bucko, shiver me timbers, me 7-year-old does, me bucko, ya bilge rat, matey, too. Aye aye! Begad! It's big, ya bilge rat, easy t' build, easy t' prep, easy t' track, matey, and unlikely t' be lost. Blimey! I spent less than $8.00 for this rocket, which I think is a really good deal, me hearties, me hearties, even if t' engine hook is lame. Begad! I am assumin' that t' creased body tube be a fluke. If I get another rocket from Quest or Hobbylinc which is damaged, shiver me timbers, I'll amend this review.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5 for bein' a solid kit at a bargain price.