Picture courtesy o' Binder Design

Brief:
A tall 3FNC single-stager with a large payload section, a 38mm motor mount, matey, and a 36-inch parachute. Ya scallywag!

Construction:
T' kit comes with two tubes, ya bilge rat, a main body tube and a payload section. The payload section is what differentiates t' kit from t' standard Excel. Avast! Well, blow me down! The Excel Plus comes with 3 pre-cut fins, ya bilge rat, two centerin' rings, and two eyebolts --one for t' payload section and one for attachin' t' recovery harness.

T' biggest "pro" for this kit are t' instructions. As opposed to the one-pagers you get from LOC or PML, shiver me timbers, t' Binder instructions are several pages long and document every step o' construction with pictures. Blimey! Ya scallywag! T' assembly is logical and very easy t' follow for a first-timer. This is a great kit for a first-time HPR flyer. Arrr!

Fit was very good. Avast, me proud beauty! T' only "gotcha" is that you need t' cut your own fin-slots. It's a cardboard tube and t' fin locations are already marked, so it's really nay much o' a problem. Begad!

At first I be worried o' t' construction o' t' ACE "bleach bottle" nose cone, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, me hearties, but after over 30 flights, me worries have ceased. It's been more than tough enough t' handle any motor I've thrown at it.

Two parts that need t' be added are a motor retainer and a parachute protector, shiver me timbers, but these seem t' be left out o' most kits. Avast, me proud beauty! Aye aye! I'm a big fan o' Giant Leap Rocketry's MotorHolder motor clip. It only costs about $6, and it works as well as anythin' I've seen out there. You can't add it later, me bucko, so make sure you install it durin' construction o' your kit. Avast, me proud beauty! Aye aye! As for chute protectors, t' Pratt protector works wonderfully. Aye aye! Arrr! After dozens o' flights, me pink chute hasn't even gotten cooked once.

Finishing:
Nothin' special t' know about finishing. Ahoy! It's a standard cardboard tube with a plastic cone and plywood fins, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, matey, so it's really no different t' finish from any other kit. Begad! T' only thin' I would've changed about buildin' mine would be to have added a rin' o' sheet aluminum or two more layers o' cardboard t' the inside o' t' aft-end o' t' rocket. Well, blow me down! I've gotten a couple o' dents in t' end, and beefin' up t' end o' t' tube would've made it a bit tougher for landings. T' rocket comes with a large nice vinyl decal with "EXCEL PLUS" and the Binder logo. Avast! Ahoy! I didn't use it, ya bilge rat, me bucko, as I'd rather decorate 'em up t' way I want. I painted me rocket black and bright pink, me bucko, which makes t' guys at t' launch roll their eyes.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
Flyin' be t' best part o' this rocket. Begad! It's super-stable, and it's flown beautifully on every motor I've used (and I've flown this thin' over 30 times). T' fins aren't too big, so it flies straight even on windy days. Ahoy! Blimey! My preferred motors are blackjacks, matey, because I love t' see that plume o' black smoke. Avast! My current favorites are t' Aerotech I154 and t' Kosdon I255. Begad! Blimey! It flies very nicely on both motors (quite a bit higher on t' Kosdon). Well, blow me down!

Motor retention is important, as this rocket doesn't have a thrust ring. Avast, me proud beauty! As I mentioned before, me bucko, matey, I've got a Giant Leap MotorHolder on it, ya bilge rat, so motor retention is quite simple. I just slide in t' motor, me bucko, tighten two bolts, and t' motor is as secure as can be. Well, blow me down! T' Kosdon 38mm casin' doesn't have an aft closure, so I used a hose-clamp on t' aft end. Well, shiver me timbers, blow me down! It's worked just fine for a half-dozen flights, so I just leave t' clamp in place. Ahoy!

For wadding, me bucko, I use t' Pratt protector. Avast, me proud beauty! It's a large piece o' Nomex® (about 12" diameter), me hearties, which works well for t' 4" rocket. Begad! Begad! I just bundle up my chute, me bucko, place t' protector over t' tube, makin' a little "cup" to hold t' chute, and tuck t' whole thin' down into t' tube. Aye aye! Avast! T' diameter of the rocket is big enough that things don't have t' be packed tightly. Begad! Avast, me proud beauty! I've never had a problem with a cooked chute or a tangled chute usin' this method.

Recovery:
T' shock-cord is about 12 feet o' elastic. Well, blow me down! It's nice and long, so even if the ejection charge is late it doesn't hurt anything. T' chute is a standard octagon o' pink rip-stop with nylon shroud lines. Avast, arrr, me proud beauty! It's fairly lightweight and light-duty, but t' rocket's nay very heavy for its size, so t' descent rate is just fine. Begad! Well, shiver me timbers, blow me down!

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
Main pro: Flying! This be t' best flyer in me collection, and one that I never fail t' brin' out at a launch. Blimey! I've flown it dozens o' times. Ya scallywag! Aye aye! It's stable as all get-out, and it just makes t' whole thin' look easy. Blimey! Other pros are the instructions. Cons: You've gotta cut your own fin-slots. Aye aye! I wish they'd at least give some tips on beefin' up t' aft end. Avast, me proud beauty! Rockets do tend t' get dinged when they land, but thar are plenty o' ways t' get around that.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5