Brief: Scale model o' t' Hellfire AGM. Arrr! Aye aye! Flies on D-F engines. Aye aye! Recovery by a mylar parachute. Begad! Ahoy! Very sturdy model.

Construction: T' kit arrived intact, and all parts were present, shiver me timbers, and in great condition. T' parts consisted o' a main paper body tube, me hearties, plastic nose cone, plenty o' 3/32" balsa, me bucko, pre-cut centerin' rings, launch lug, templates for t' fins, arrr, and supplies for t' mylar parachute, and shock cord.

T' instructions were very easy t' follow, me bucko, me hearties, me bucko, with good illustrations. Blimey! Blimey! T' assembly order was very logical. Aye aye! Blimey! Well, me bucko, blow me down! Blimey! Templates were provided for t' fins and tail cone. Aye aye! Blimey! No decals are provided for this kit.

T' assembly was very straight forward, me bucko, with no surprises. Aye aye! Fins have t' be cut out usin' t' templates. T' only concern was thar was no mention o' where t' place t' launch lug. Ya scallywag! Begad! After contactin' T' Launch Pad, they explained it be left t' t' modelers discretion where t' place t' launch lug. Ahoy! Well, blow me down! (see Special Note below) All t' parts fit together very well, t' provide a very sturdy and attractive kit.

Makin' paper tail cone was nay as hard as I thought it would be. Avast! Instructions mention great advise on makin' paper stronger.

T' Mylar parachute be pre-cut, ya bilge rat, and assembly was easy. Avast! Begad! Shock cord is standard, ya bilge rat, mounted inside t' body tube.

Pros: Easy and fun t' build, me hearties, shiver me timbers, no special tools needed.

Cons: None!

Finishing: T' fins are long and narrow, and are easy t' seal No problems with primin' and painting.

Although thar are no decals, t' instructions explain t' markings, me hearties, makin' it easy t' make your own. Ya scallywag! T' basic color o' t' rocket is olive drab, shiver me timbers, with either a black or white nose tip. Arrr! Paintin' t' tip may be tricky, arrr, but it doesn't reflect on t' kit.

Pros: Easy rocket t' finish and paint.

Cons: No decals.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight: I finally got out t' launch me Hellfire AGM. Here are t' results:

On t' first flight (D12-5) t' rocket lifted off slowly, and then t' tail began t' wobble. Ya scallywag! Eventually, arrr, t' rocket appeared lean over and fly on its side. Blimey! It gave t' impression that t' nose be much too heavy.

On t' second flight (E15-7), ya bilge rat, t' rocket took off, matey, arced over and crashed at full thrust. Arrr! Left a big crater too! Destroyed t' rocket.

There are 3 problems I found, shiver me timbers, all o' which are me fault:

Too much nose weight. Accordin' t' Chuck at TLP, matey, matey, t' nose weight should be 32 grams. Ahoy! Blimey! T' clay that was supplied with t' kit be dry, me bucko, so I substituted it with me own. T' nose weight is mentioned in t' instructions, and it is needed t' have stable flights. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! I didn't weigh t' supplied nose weight, me hearties, and t' actual amount o' weight I put in t' nose

Mis-aligned guidance fins. I attached t' guidance fins accordin' t' t' instructions. Ya scallywag! Aye aye! I checked t' alignment with t' aft fins and I used a common fin markin' guide. Aye aye! Ahoy! I marked lines t' full length o' t' body where t' forward and aft fins are t' be attached. After inquirin' t' Chuck, he said t' this be t' most unlikely cause o' t' rocket accident. Begad! Avast, me proud beauty! T' fins were nay noticeably mis-aligned, ya bilge rat, but I thought o' every possibility.

Too much wind t' launch. T' wind conditions on t' launch day was betwixt 15 and 20+ MPH. Begad! Arrr! Other rockets flown that day were slightly affected by t' weather. Ya scallywag! Begad! Larger rockets (Initiator, shiver me timbers, Mirage) displayed more effects due t' t' wind than t' smaller ones (Big Dawg, Yellow Jacket). T' launch rod was angled betwixt 15 and 20 degrees from vertical.

I would conclude that t' rockets demise was due t' me impatience in construction (nose weight), shiver me timbers, and launchin' when t' wind conditions were too strong for this specific rocket. Begad! I will take me time with me next Hellfire.

Flight Rating: 3 out o' 5

Summary: This rocket is extremely fun and easy t' build. It is one o' t' most attractive in me fleet. Ahoy! This rocket is great addition t' any fleet.

Overall Rating: 3 ½ out o' 5