Brief:
A small, ya bilge rat, lightweight 3FNC rocket with an unusual nose cone.

Construction:
Actually, I built 2 Yankee kits; one t' replace t' initial rocket that disappeared after its third flight. T' first kit featured a nice balsa nose cone, but t' second kit, while otherwise identical, ya bilge rat, had a plastic nose cone. Aye aye! Well, ya bilge rat, blow me down! But both kits featured a paper body tube, me bucko, die cut balsa fins, a short piece o' elastic, a streamer, me hearties, and a decal. Blimey! t' quality o' components be excellent, except for t' shock cord, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, which be comically short on each kit.

T' plastic nose cone was a tight fit, ya bilge rat, arrr, and needed considerable sandin' before it would fit. T' balsa piece fit nicely but had quite a bit o' grain t' it. Ya scallywag! I prefer this t' plastic, ya bilge rat, however. At any rate, matey, me bucko, it is a straightforward build, ya bilge rat, and t' instructions seemed t' be somewhat better than normal Estes fare.

Finishing:
T' balsa nose needed considerable fillin' and sandin' t' be paintable. Blimey! Begad! T' plastic piece be ready t' go right from t' box, once t' shoulder was sanded. Well, blow me down! Arrr! I chose t' use automotive primer on t' original, applyin' thin coats and sandin' in betwixt applications t' get rid o' t' spiral and fin grain. Begad! Then I applied some black enamel, ya bilge rat, followed with a coat o' clear t' keep t' decals on. Unfortunately, this one disappeared soon. Avast, matey, me proud beauty! T' second kit be simply sanded and sprayed with red and black and was considered finished after t' decals were applied.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
Launchin' with an A8-3 produced a good, straight flight. Aye aye! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! I followed this with 2 flights on a B6-6, and t' last one be never seen again. T' subsequent kit was flown on "A" motors only for a while, matey, ya bilge rat, but I couldn't help tryin' a C6-7. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Avast! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! We lost it too, but fortunately someone in our club found it and brought it t' t' RSO. Avast! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! It has since been modified for 13mm motors, me hearties, and does well enough on an A10-3T. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! I've never had a recovery failure, but if it did, t' thin' is so light weight it would probably recover just fine.

Recovery:
T' supplied shock cord is just too small. Ahoy! After about 6 flights some wear can be seen on t' end o' t' body tube because o' t' shock cord whippin' it. Avast, me proud beauty! A good thin' t' do would be t' double t' cord length, me hearties, at least. Also, t' bottom o' t' fins are gettin' crisp, though nay quite burnt. Overall, arrr, though, matey, this is a great flier.

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
Personally, I prefer t' older balsa nose cone, but t' plastic one will suffice. Blimey! Blimey! Aye aye! Blimey! Either way, it's a great beginner kit that a kid will have no problem constructing, and will deliver many good flights, so long as you can find it again. But add some length t' t' shock cord!

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5