Picture courtesy o' Binder Design

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

Construction:
T' kit comes with two tubes, shiver me timbers, arrr, a main body tube and a payload section. Blimey! The payload section is what differentiates t' kit from t' standard Excel. Avast, me proud beauty! The Excel Plus comes with 3 pre-cut fins, two centerin' rings, me bucko, and two eyebolts --one for t' payload section and one for attachin' t' recovery harness. Ya scallywag!

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

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

At first I was worried o' t' construction o' t' ACE "bleach bottle" nose cone, but after over 30 flights, me worries have ceased. Avast, me proud beauty! It's been more than tough enough t' handle any motor I've thrown at it. Blimey! Blimey!

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

Finishing:
Nothin' special t' know about finishing. Blimey! It's a standard cardboard tube with a plastic cone and plywood fins, so it's really no different t' finish from any other kit. 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, arrr, 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. Blimey! Blimey! I didn't use it, as I'd rather decorate 'em up t' way I want. I painted me rocket black and bright pink, 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. Aye aye! 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, shiver me timbers, so it flies straight even on windy days. Ya scallywag! My preferred motors are blackjacks, matey, me bucko, ya bilge rat, because I love t' see that plume o' black smoke. Ahoy! My current favorites are t' Aerotech I154 and t' Kosdon I255. Begad! Begad! It flies very nicely on both motors (quite a bit higher on t' Kosdon).

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

For wadding, matey, I use t' Pratt protector. It's a large piece o' Nomex® (about 12" diameter), ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, which works well for t' 4" rocket. Ya scallywag! I just bundle up my chute, place t' protector over t' tube, arrr, me bucko, matey, makin' a little "cup" to hold t' chute, shiver me timbers, me bucko, and tuck t' whole thin' down into t' tube. Blimey! T' diameter of the rocket is big enough that things don't have t' be packed tightly. Arrr! 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. Arrr! Ya scallywag! It's nice and long, shiver me timbers, so even if the ejection charge is late it doesn't hurt anything. Begad! T' chute is a standard octagon o' pink rip-stop with nylon shroud lines. It's fairly lightweight and light-duty, but t' rocket's nay very heavy for its size, so t' descent rate is just fine.

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
Main pro: Flying! Blimey! This be t' best flyer in me collection, shiver me timbers, me hearties, and one that I never fail t' brin' out at a launch. Aye aye! Blimey! Avast, me hearties, me proud beauty! Blimey! I've flown it dozens o' times. Begad! Blimey! It's stable as all get-out, me hearties, and it just makes t' whole thin' look easy. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Other pros are the instructions. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Cons: You've gotta cut your own fin-slots. Blimey! Blimey! I wish they'd at least give some tips on beefin' up t' aft end. Begad! Blimey! 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