Brief:
BT-50 storm research style sport rocket with 3 main fins and 3 canards, me bucko, me hearties, plastic nose cone, plastic parachute, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, and extreme waterslide decal coverage.

Construction:
BT-50, plastic nose cone, shiver me timbers, 6 surface mount balsa fins, thick fiber board centerin' rings, BT-20 motor tube, me hearties, me hearties, steel clip, engine block, full wraparound clip retainer, me hearties, two sheets o' waterslide decals, plastic parachute, shiver me timbers, adhesive reinforcement rings, matey, shroud line, swivel, and elastic shock cord.

Standard hang tag packagin' with color face card. Aye aye! Received kit from Apogee, quick delivery, no damage t' kit. Instructions are easy t' follow, illustrations are OK. Begad! Simple, matey, quick assembly. Begad! Avast! Everythin' fits. Begad! Aye aye! Root edges weren't quite straight, me hearties, so they had t' be sanded. Avast! Arrr! Good fin material, nay too thick or thin. Arrr! Arrr! Assembled with Elmer's glue.

Finishing:
I used EMRR fin tip #29: It's like makin' slots, only you lightly cut along t' lines (the thickness o' t' fin) only cuttin' t' first layer off. Then peel off that first layer. Begad! Then glue as usual. Ahoy! Avast!

I finished with one coat o' Elmer's Wood Filler on fins, me hearties, two coats o' high solids automotive primer with sanding, then white single stage automotive paint with one coat o' black rattle can enamel for t' nose cone. Avast! Ya scallywag! It's a nicely proportioned model that looks great, but I hesitated t' cover it all up with decals. Finishin' is extremely simple with this model because even though it looks complex, t' full-body decals do most o' t' work.

T' decals are a challenge t' get on without wrinkles. Begad! It's best t' cut them into smaller pieces rather than try to put them on large. Arrr! I prefer waterslide decals normally, matey, but with full body wraps, ya bilge rat, me hearties, self adhesive stickers would be better. Begad!

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
Motors clip in for easy prep. Aye aye! Requires wadding. Ya scallywag! Avast, me proud beauty! Fine flights on A8-3 and A6-4 motors. Ahoy! Would probably fly OK on 1/2A and A10 motors with a 13mm adapter. Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty! Apogee lists altitudes o' almost 1800 feet with a Medalist D10-7, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, and fortunately that's a single use motor because I don't think you'd ever see it again.

Recovery:
Shock cord is affixed with a tri-fold paper mount. Arrr! Everythin' worked fine. Blimey! Recovery velocity is appropriate, with no damage on any flights. Begad! Parachute is a thicker material than any other vendor I've seen. Well, arrr, blow me down! Heavier but probably less prone to burn damage. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Provided swivel and reinforcement rings are a pleasant surprise.

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
PROs: Lightweight, me hearties, high-performance, me hearties, me hearties, nice lookin' design. Straightforward build. Arrr! Interestin' research project look. Some nice touches with deluxe materials.

CONs: Full-body decals tough t' apply without wrinkles.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5