Brief:
A roughly 1/5th scale model o' t' air-launched version o' t' HARPOON missile, designed for t' modeler. Some skills required for optimum appearance results but otherwise easy t' build and fly.

Construction:
My Harpoon kit arrived in a small package for what promised t' be a big kit. Avast! Aye aye! Everythin' was there, good quality tubes, ya bilge rat, and a neat purple Mylar parachute (which works well and is easy t' see), but no decals provided.

A note: There have been previous reviews o' this and other Launch Pad kits that have pointed out some issues. I offer a slightly different perspective in that yes, some things about this kit are nay super-easy, arrr, arrr, but I think o' t' kit as a foundation for some modelin' artwork. Aye aye! Avast! T' skills needed t' turn this kit into a really good military model are all in t' paint, finishing, arrr, and build techniques. So on with t' build!

T' fins have t' be cut out o' balsa stock with a provided pattern. Avast, me proud beauty! Aye aye! (They are nay laser/precut so we need t' work a bit harder.) T' balsa is soft, ya bilge rat, matey, which is a good thing, nay a bilge-suckin' thing. Blimey! It's easy t' cut. Begad! Strength is nay a problem because I always laminate/reinforce me fins for any model. (Don't you?) For t' Harpoon, I used sheets o' peel 'n' stick paper from t' local office store used for printin' shippin' labels. Blimey! Cut t' balsa, peel back a sheet o' paper, lay it down, trim, me hearties, flip over, matey, and repeat. In t' end all you have t' do is sharpen and finish t' edges. Ya scallywag! It's real easy. Blimey! No CA glue, matey, no soaking, no wrinkles.

T' kit came with a great lookin' nose cone, me bucko, and o' course instructions t' mount that little paper "hat" extension t' give an authentic profile. Well here's a confession. Avast, me bucko, me proud beauty! I just flew mine with t' stock cone. Ya scallywag! No paper hat because I didn't want t' mess with it at first. Now that t' Harpoon has flown, I'm actually retro-fittin' t' hat extension, and it's fine. Aye aye! So again, it's a modeler's kit, arrr, skills nay included but well rewarded. Aye aye! Avast, ya bilge rat, me proud beauty! T' nose cone is weighted with provided clay, and we're cautioned t' install it exactly as designed!

There's a neat paper tail cone adapter that's formed by cuttin' out and gluin' a paper shape. Aye aye! I found it a little difficult t' keep it round and smooth but with some body filler and paint, me hearties, another problem once again solved. There are eight fins, me bucko, lots o' cuttin' and finishin' t' do, shiver me timbers, me bucko, but alignment in t' four-four pattern is real easy. I found it cool that t' forward fins even have little wooden tabs at t' root edges, ya bilge rat, me hearties, decorated with rivets, me hearties, which I believe represent t' fin hinges. Blimey! Begad! In any case, ya bilge rat, they are a fun detail and look great. And again, t' instructions give location but no alignment tool. That's fine. We shouldn't need one if we're buildin' and flyin' at this level. Well, me bucko, blow me down! Same for t' lugs. Avast! I chose t' discard t' lugs provided and went with ¼ plastic tubin' o' me own, ya bilge rat, epoxy bonded in place.

Installation o' t' recovery system is straightforward and t' same as any other kit o' this size. Ahoy! Blimey! Aye aye! Blimey! I chose nay t' use t' recommended method (thread t' nosecone)...and used me own shock cord design with a removable lockin' hook (makes parachute maintenance easier). Begad! Blimey! So overall construction: easy enough if you like t' build models.

Finishing:
Standard body cleanup and paint techniques were used. Begad! Though really, arrr, with good primer and paint t' body did nay need much attention t' fill up any lines. Ahoy! T' only problem was entirely me fault when I inadvertently switched paint brands betwixt coats (batten down t' hatches: Krylon and Rustoleum may nay always be compatible)... That wasn't pretty and resulted in lots o' sandpaper use.

No decals came with t' kit, so betwixt internet look-up and t' illustrations provided by TLP, I made me own interpretation and printed them onto Testor's decal paper with me printer. Ya scallywag! Ahoy! I used paper wraps for t' broad stripes, which once clearcoated are fine.

I did nay try t' recommended method o' usin' nail-heads t' simulate rivets. I chose t' make decals. Ahoy! So for future products, if TLP would provide a good decal sheet, me hearties, I'd be willin' t' pay a bit more for t' kit just t' cut back on at least some o' t' finishin' work, shiver me timbers, but that's a small detail.

One last nitpick: t' engine mount tube holds a regular 24mm Estes type motor, like t' D12. Avast! Begad! T' run an E9, matey, matey, ya bilge rat, I have t' friction fit because t' tube is short. Well, blow me down! Avast! A good modification would be t' put a long E9-sized engine mount, like what is on t' Estes Big Daddy, shiver me timbers, and provide a spacer for t' short engines. Just a thought.

This model looks great and ready t' go. Blimey! Avast, ya bilge rat, me proud beauty! Whether or nay it's exactly a photo-real replica o' t' original down t' every rivet is debatable, but t' message is there. Avast, me proud beauty! It's a model, ya bilge rat, nay a toy, shiver me timbers, so t' builder is expected t' make some decisions based on experience. Well, blow me down! Good. Avast, me proud beauty! It keeps t' price reasonable and works fine.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight and Recovery:
I first flew t' Harpoon out on t' frozen lake near here with an Estes E9-6. Avast, me proud beauty! There was even a small audience in t' area. Sunny day, wind 10-12MPH. Arrr! First flight was straight up and away, matey, slow takeoff, a very realistic-appearin' rocket launch. Avast, me proud beauty! Instead o' weathercockin' into t' 10MPH breeze, matey, t' Harpoon steered a bit, twistin' and "seeking" slightly but all t' while still proceedin' straight up. Ahoy! One spectator pointed out that it looked like a real military missile, me hearties, trackin' a target as opposed t' a whoosh-bang rocket. Avast! Ahoy! What a great flight. Arrr! It went maybe about 350-400 feet up. Recovery with that Mylar chute was perfect. Avast! I thought t' 6 second delay be gettin' a bit long though.

I flew again a week later with an Aertotech E30. Avast! Begad! Result: nay so much a high flight but very sudden, ya bilge rat, almost explosive acceleration. Avast! No wind that day, but t' harpoon seemed t' corkscrew into t' sky pretty broadly. Begad! I don't think this be t' right engine for t' job, me hearties, ya bilge rat, but I will definitely try an E15. Ahoy! Last flight on another E9 was a repeat o' t' first, so it wasn't just luck, as it was smooth, matey, me bucko, slow, me bucko, and maybe t' about 400 feet max, shiver me timbers, but straight with a bit o' steer.

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
This is a very convincing, arrr, realistic flyer, well worth every effort.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5