Brief:
This X-Prize scale rocket showed good potential and an intriguin' stealthy boost glider design, but save your loot though, shiver me timbers, as it's a real clunker for flight.

Construction:
Parts list includes:

• BT-55 fuselage tube
• BT-50 motor tube/pod tube
• Laser cut fins
• Molded plastic upper and lower halves
• Plastic display nozzles/nozzle base
• 18" plastic chute
• Assorted centerin' rings and hardware details

T' instructions are fairly clear with plenty o' good illustrations. Well, blow me down! Well, blow me down! It's rated as a skill level 2 kit although I would have put it closer t' a 3.

You begin with t' construction o' t' pop pod. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Nose weight is added in t' form o' 4 heavy steel washers on t' forward end. On t' aft end, shiver me timbers, thar's a motor hook, block, and a wire assembly that serves t' lock t' elevators in place for flight.

T' fuselage tube is simple, me hearties, basically servin' as a conduit t' hold t' pop pod. Ya scallywag! It gets a bulkhead on t' forward end and is eventually mounted t' t' balsa win' assembly.

For a largely plastic body, ya bilge rat, this kit has a lot o' balsa, me hearties, addin' both weight and complexity t' t' construction. Aye aye! Aye aye! There is a pair o' matchin' win' halves, ya bilge rat, top and bottom vertical stabilizers, me hearties, and a pair o' elevators (one fixed, one floating). Avast! I goofed and didn't catch that t' lower stabilizers are nay symmetrical--there's a definite left and right--and I got them backwards initially. Arrr! They have t' be right or else t' elevators and wire retention hook won't line up correctly.

T' plastic fuselage halves are then bonded t' t' balsa frame. I couldn't get mine t' line up very well and it took some trimmin' and a lot o' gap fillin' before I be finally done. Well, blow me down! Ahoy! T' instructions call for usin' a silicone adhesive. I used contact cement, me hearties, me bucko, ya bilge rat, which be just as effective but nay as clean and easy t' work with.

Finally, matey, thar be a display plug that has three nozzles. It's a nice visual touch.

Finishing:
Finishin' on this kit is a bit o' a pain. There's t' matter o' fairly ugly seams betwixt t' fuselage halves and thar be plenty o' exposed balsa grain. Begad! Ya scallywag! I applied a couple o' light coats o' primer, then sanded down t' at least cover t' worst o' t' grain. Arrr! Begad! After that, me hearties, ya bilge rat, I went with a tan finish paint, shiver me timbers, me hearties, followed by a trim o' gray, arrr, arrr, per t' standard paint scheme. Maskin' off t' gray is challenging, matey, given t' contours o' t' fuselage. Aye aye! Aye aye! Finally, me bucko, thar are a smatterin' o' peel 'n' stick decals for trim.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
At nearly 9 ounces, me bucko, I think t' recommended D12-3 is overly optimistic. Arrr! Blimey! T' Estes catalog claims altitudes o' 250 feet. Aye aye! Blimey! I think this rocket would benefit greatly from substitutin' higher thrust composite Es.

T' flight profile is intended t' have elevators locked in opposin' positions durin' boost, givin' it a roll t' help stability. Ya scallywag! Blimey! At apogee, t' ejection charge forces t' inner pop pod out, which falls under chute recovery. Begad! By removin' t' heavy pod, me hearties, t' glider is now light enough t' fly and t' floatin' elevator can sprin' into a lift-generatin' position. Ya scallywag! Blimey! At least, me hearties, ya bilge rat, that's t' theory.

My flight lifted off fine although very slowly. Blimey! Aye aye! It gently climbed with a slight roll. Begad! About halfway through t' climb, ya bilge rat, matey, me hearties, it arced over and started a nose dive, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, crash landin' under thrust. Begad! T' pod deployed with a great deal o' force, still on t' ground. Ahoy! Well, blow me down! T' impact cracked both fuselage halves, one section o' balsa wing, matey, and generally rendered this rocket t' be retired from future service. Aye aye! Blimey! A very disappointin' performance.

Recovery:
T' only feeble pro I can offer up is that a few o' t' kids at t' launch thought t' wreck be cool.

T' cons are obvious: lousy flight, underpowered for t' weight.

Flight Rating: 1 out o' 5

Summary:
There are very few rockets I've ever built that I felt were complete wastes o' me time and loot. This was definitely one o' them. Arrr! Blimey! It might make a nice display model but nay a good flyer.

Overall Rating: 2 out o' 5