Brief
This is a big, me bucko, fantasy-scale Surface t' Air Missile kit, designed mainly for F and G motors.

Construction
This is an impressive-lookin' kit! Big box, ya bilge rat, big, me hearties, me hearties, heavy tubes and nose, arrr, thick, arrr, solid plywood fins. Arrr! Lookin' into t' box (which was solid as well!) for t' first time, me bucko, I was impressed by how solid everythin' looked. Ya scallywag! A quick inventory confirmed that all t' parts were present, me bucko, and in good shape.

T' instructions were clear and well laid out. I did deviate from them a bit- I glued t' upper section o' BT t' t' nose, matey, and made a cargo bay (a suggestion I read from Bob Kaplow- thanks, Bob!). I ditched t' Gorilla-Lock retainin' system in favor o' Kaplow Klips- this be pretty much a necessity, as I replaced t' NCR motor mount tube with a Loc tube, so I can use Aerotech SU motors (Darkstars aren't available in Canada anyway). Ahoy! This required a bit o' sandin' o' t' inside o' t' plastic centerin' rings, but that be all.

Otherwise, assembly was straightforward, with no problems encountered. Aye aye! T' fins are mounted TTW, while t' strakes are only bonded t' t' BT surface. Aye aye! There is some shapin' (streamlining) required on t' strakes and fins- just a bit o' work with some sandpaper, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, nothin' drastic. Begad! I was considerin' this for me HPR cert. bird, ya bilge rat, me hearties, so I built it strong- I used 4 hour epoxy pretty much everywhere. T' final product is heavy, ya bilge rat, but solid. Avast! Looks impressive, too!

Finishing
Finishin' is pretty routine. Begad! T' BT spirals are pretty shallow and can be hard t' get filled, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, but that's t' toughest part. Paintin' is all-white (gloss), with t' included decals providin' t' final touch.

About t' decals: I *hate* stick-on decals! I despise them with a passion. Begad! I find them much harder t' work with than good 'ol wet-transfer decals. Blimey! They don't cover with clear-coatin' as well, ya bilge rat, arrr, they tend t' be very thick, etc. Aye aye! Because o' t' decals, arrr, I'm dockin' NCR half a point on t' construction rating- it's me only real beef.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight
Well, me bucko, I finally had a chance t' fly me Archer this weekend. Begad! I be worried t' delay on t' G80-7 would be too long, matey, so I doubled t' length o' t' shock cord. Avast! With perfect weather (no wind, and clear blue sky), shiver me timbers, I had no excuse t' delay.

What followed be t' most beautiful flight I've ever had. Avast! Ya scallywag! T' Archer be fast off t' pad, matey, but climbed slowly enough t' watch and appreciate. Begad! We also had a chance t' really appreciate t' roar o' that Blue Thunder motor, ya bilge rat, too!

Recovery
T' "waist-band" type elastic shock cord is attached t' a length o' steel cable, which is secured t' t' motor mount. Avast! Well, me bucko, blow me down! No way that's comin' out! T' cable does nay protrude from t' body tube, ya bilge rat, so no worries about it causin' a zipper. Begad! T' 3/4 inch wide shock cord could, but I added an extra length t' mine (it's about double now). Avast! Recovery is via a 36" nylon chute, and it seems adequate, even for me 42 ounce (empty) version.

Recovery was text-book, although one fin sustained minor damage on landing. Arrr! I may replace t' 36" chute with two 24" ones, shiver me timbers, me bucko, just t' be safe.

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary
This is me first HPR-capable rocket, and I'm impressed with t' ruggedness o' t' components, matey, and t' finished product. This is one brawny-lookin' beast!

This is an awesome kit, matey, matey, matey, for high-end mid power, arrr, or low end HPR. Ahoy! It be t' beefiest rocket I've seen, ya bilge rat, me bucko, yet it is also sleek. Flight performance is solid. Ahoy! It looks great, and flies great.

T' problems with t' kit are few. Aye aye! Ya scallywag! There is o' course t' non-standard motor mount tube t' contend with, ya bilge rat, but that is an easy (but annoying) fix. I'm nay a fan o' bondin' dissimilar parts for structural parts, like t' Archer's plastic centerin' rings and thick paper body tube.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5