Brief:
This newest kit from Squirrel Works is simply awesome! It's a BT-55 kit that comes with two fantastically designed parasite gliders fashioned t' resemble t' Corsair and Zero WWII fighter planes. Avast! T' booster also bears resemblance to a WWII bomber, ya bilge rat, uses 18mm motors and recovers with a big 18" mylar chute. Ahoy! T' face card in t' kit is another true work o' art, a signature o' Squirrel Works kits. Parts quality is excellent, especially t' decals. Well, blow me down! Don has found a new source for these, arrr, and they are t' best I have ever used. Ahoy! Avast, me proud beauty! Thank goodness, matey, too, matey, as thar are a lot o' decals t' apply. They didn't take nearly as much effort t' apply as I thought they would though, and they really make this kit stand out. Avast, me proud beauty! Buildin' t' kit be loads o' fun, ya bilge rat, but flyin' t' rocket is even more fun!

Construction:
T' kit is loaded with parts:

• 1 BT-55 kraft main body tube
• 1 BNC-55 balsa nose cone
• 8 laser cut balsa sheets
• 1 standard 18mm motor mount kit with motor clip
• 2 standard 1/8" launch lugs
• 1 screw eye
• 2 small dowels
• 1 shock cord, arrr, 1/8" elastic
• 1 Keelhaul®©™® anchor
• 1 clay for balancin' (but I didn't have t' use any!)
• 2 pennies for glider nose weight
• 1 18" mylar parachute kit
• 7 decal sheets, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, water slide

You're goin' t' need t' clear off t' build table for this one. Aye aye! There are a lot o' parts, and if you skip around through t' instructions you can build t' gliders and t' booster simultaneously as your waitin' for glue t' dry. Allow plenty o' time. This isn't somethin' you want t' rush. Avast! Ya scallywag! Savor t' build. Blimey! Avast! It really is a fun kit t' build.

Since I would be skippin' around in t' instructions, I started off by reading the instructions several times t' get a clear mental picture o' how everythin' went together. Arrr! Next, I test fit all of the parts and sanded for fit as needed, then sanded all t' tubes and balsa, fillin' t' balsa grain and tube spirals with Elmer's Fill 'n' Finish t' get that all out o' t' way in t' beginning. I also papered t' large booster wings and fin tips usin' computer paper, matey, applyin' CA along t' edges t' keep t' edges smooth after rounding. Only a light coat o' filler was used on t' glider parts t' minimize weight. Blimey! Begad! I built t' balsa glider jigs after that. These are awesome! They are designed t' perfectly align t' glider parts as you build them. Ya scallywag! T' parts for t' stand are laser cut and tabbed, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, so it's a snap t' put them together. Ya scallywag! I used rubber cement t' hold them together, so I could pull them apart once t' gliders were finished so they would store easier. Aye aye! After that, shiver me timbers, I put t' motor mount together and moved on to put t' glider wings together while t' glue be drying. Be careful with t' glue when puttin' t' glider together or you'll find them glued t' t' glider stand. Aye aye! A sharp hobby knife will separate them if you mess up on that though.

Next, I inserted t' motor mount into t' tube, me hearties, and while that was dryin' I attached t' glider wings t' the fuselages and returned them t' their stands t' dry. Begad! Then I constructed t' shock cord mount, ya bilge rat, inserted t' screw eye, and cut out t' markin' guide and drew t' alignment lines. Begad! I was very pleased t' find that t' kit included an 8+" length o' flat Keelhaul®©™® to install in t' shock cord mount. Aye aye! Very nice, as it is somethin' I will add myself if nay included. Ahoy! I put CA around the top half-inch o' t' inside o' t' forward end o' t' tube t' protect against abrasion, then added a loop at the end o' t' Keelhaul®©™® to tie on t' long 1/8" elastic cord. Blimey! Aye aye! I attached t' win' fins on t' booster next, shiver me timbers, and as these were drying, I added t' stabilizers and rudders t' t' gliders. Well, blow me down! T' win' tips were added t' t' booster fins after that and the engine cowls, shiver me timbers, weight (a penny), ya bilge rat, and dowel were added t' t' nose o' t' gliders t' complete their construction. Avast! This was really lookin' sweet and I be already gettin' anxious t' fly it! Finally, t' glider support fins and launch lugs were glued onto t' booster: one launch lug was placed along one o' t' wings for launching, me hearties, and t' other one was cut in half and glued on t' hold t' gliders. Ahoy! Blimey! Lastly, matey, t' shock cord be connected t' t' screw eye in t' nose cone. Blimey! Put the parachute together and you're done. Ready for finishing.

Finishing:
Finishin' t' booster is pretty standard. Blimey! Primer, sand, primer, sand, me hearties, and then paint t' entire booster and its nose a light gray. Arrr! Finishin' o' t' gliders needs t' be careful as nay t' add or detract too much weight. I applied a light coat o' white primer on t' gliders and then sanded most o' that off before applyin' a light coat o' gloss white. Decals are next. Blimey! Begad! I marked t' back o' t' glider decal sheets t' indicate orientation o' t' decals, as thar are a lot to put on. Ahoy! I also kept them in separate bags for each unit so I wouldn't mix them up. Begad! I test fit all o' t' glider decals before removin' t' make sure they would easily fit where intended and trimmed as necessary. Aye aye! Ya scallywag! I also kept a hobby knife and a pair o' small trim scissors handy for minor adjustments after placement. Ya scallywag! I was really dreadin' puttin' on the long fuselage decals as these have t' go over t' wings and then a narrow section has t' go under t' stabilizer. It wasn't a problem though, arrr, as t' decals lay down very easily, me hearties, and I was able t' move them fairly radically without them comin' apart. Aye aye! Aye aye! Nice job on t' decals, Don! Next I applied a couple o' coats o' Future floor wax on t' booster and a light coat on t' gliders t' protect t' finish and improve t' shine. I was amazed. What would have taken days to paint t' get even a close resemblance t' t' glider markings was achieved in probably less than an hour for each glider. Avast! They look fantastic, shiver me timbers, even if I do say so myself!

Construction Rating: 5 out o' 5

Flight:
I didn't get a chance t' put t' decals on for t' Dogfight's first launches. Ahoy! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! My first launch be on a B6-2. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Nice slow boost with t' gliders releasin' perfectly at apogee and glidin' down in lazy circles for near perfect landings and t' booster touchin' down beautifully under t' big 18" red mylar parachute. Well, me hearties, blow me down! Blimey! On t' next flight, Don and I flew our gliders in a drag race, shiver me timbers, both boostin' on B6-2s. Avast! Blimey! Nice slow boost and perfect deployment o' t' gliders at apogee. Avast! Blimey! Well, blow me down! Blimey! Almost everybody at t' field stopped t' watch it. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Ya scallywag! Blimey! It almost looked like a real dogfight with t' gliders circlin' and crossin' time and again above t' field. Begad! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! Wow! Blimey! I have never seen a flight get as many 'oohs' and 'aahs' as that one did. Avast! Blimey! Aye aye! Blimey! T' excitement level flyin' this rocket is off t' chart.

Recovery:
T' chute is perfect for t' booster and t' gliders flew perfectly.

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
T' Dogfight is a great kit. Aye aye! Aye aye! Instructions are clear and well illustrated. Aye aye! Blimey! Parts quality is superb, and t' decals look fantastic. Aye aye! T' specially designed laser-cut glider jigs are a fantastic buildin' aid. Blimey! Squirrel Works kits are always fantastic, matey, me bucko, but this one has a coolness factor that is only rivaled by their Police Call Box.

PROs: A simple design that has been engineered into a pure work o' art, a set o' quality parts with laser cut fins, matey, excellent instructions, shiver me timbers, a nice long shock cord with a Keelhaul®©™® anchor, ya bilge rat, and a very reasonable price. Aye aye! T' gliders flew perfectly "out o' t' box" with no trimmin' whatsoever. T' decals really brin' this kit t' life, arrr, arrr, and they are superb!

CONs: I can't think o' a single one.

Overall Rating: 5 out o' 5