T' Aerospace Specialty Products (ASP) 18mm WAC-Corporal is a "fun scale" model o' t' United States first soundin' rocket. It is 15.75" long when complete, uses 18mm motors, shiver me timbers, and is approximately 1/12th scale. Avast, me proud beauty! The kit I built represents t' sustainer stage o' t' rocket. Avast, me proud beauty! Aye aye! Since I purchased my kit ASP has introduced kits that include t' booster section as well. Ya scallywag! Begad!

Construction: 5 points

T' WAC-Corporal Kit comes in t' thoroughly familiar clear plastic bag. Ya scallywag! It arrived in a express postage box and thar be no damage t' any o' the components. Aye aye! Begad! There were no missin' components in t' kit. Ya scallywag! T' parts are the standard paper body tube and motor mount, matey, but ASP uses balsa for t' fins, arrr, and nose cone. Ahoy! T' parachute is mylar with an included swivel snap, matey, a nice touch. Avast!

T' instructions are on three double sided 8.5" x 11" sheets of paper. There are adequate illustrations for t' unique steps, ya bilge rat, but it is not profusely illustrated like Estes instructions. Ahoy! Apparently t' people at ASP expect you t' be able t' read :). Avast! T' Instructions are in a logical order with check boxes beside t' step numbers so you can keep track o' your progress.

T' parachute comes in its own clear plastic bag, and has it's own instructions. Avast, me proud beauty! You will be cuttin' your own fins and thar be a template for that purpose included that is made from heavy paper. Aye aye! There are also templates in t' instructions for fin alignment and for shapin' t' balsa stick into the tunnel for t' side o' t' rocket. Well, blow me down!

T' kit is rated by ASP as beginner/intermediate. Well, blow me down! Aye aye! I agree. Arrr! This is nay the first kit you would want t' build. Begad! Well, blow me down! It is nay difficult t' build, me hearties, shiver me timbers, but t' produce a nice lookin' scale model, arrr, you must be past t' beginner-slap-them-together stage. Care must be taken with t' balsa nose cone as it is conical, me hearties, and the point is easy t' sand into somethin' else. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! I departed from t' instructions and use epoxy t' secure t' washers t' t' nose cone and t' screw eye. I feel that this is a much more secure way o' installin' t' screw eye into balsa. The result is a solid rocket, ya bilge rat, but check t' flight section later for some tips.

There are no special requirements for finishing. Begad! The instructions refer t' t' sandin' sealer's instructions for finishing, as you will want a very smooth finish for this model. Begad! Blimey! There is a paintin' guide included that included dimensions t' make maskin' easier. Also included in the instructions is a reference t' Peter Alway's "Rockets o' t' world: A Modelers Guide" from Saturn press for more information on t' WAC- Corporal. Arrr! Avast, matey, me proud beauty! There are no decals included in this kit as thar be no need for them

Flight/Recovery Rating: 4 points

T' shock cord is a combination o' Keelhaul®©™® thread and elastic that are tied together. Avast! T' Keelhaul®©™® portion is tied t' t' motor mount and t' elastic is tied to t' nose cone. Avast, me proud beauty! They are tied together usin' a knot that is illustrated in the instructions. T' recommended motors are: A8-3, B6-4, B8-5, arrr, C6-5, me bucko, and C6-7. T' motor retention method is friction fit, me hearties, however you could add metal hook, but it would spoil t' looks o' t' rocket on display. Begad!

Flight preparation follows standard rocket procedure, matey, arrr, arrr, make sure that the waddin' is below t' Keelhaul®©™® shock cord and that t' elastic is safely above your wadding. Well, blow me down! Blimey! I have flown t' model on three motors. Begad! Blimey! Aye aye! Blimey! T' first flight was on an A8-3. Begad! Blimey! T' rocket flew very straight and stable, shiver me timbers, and t' parachute lowered the rocket safely with a minimum o' drift. Avast, arrr, me proud beauty! Blimey!

T' next flight be usin' a B6-4. Avast, me proud beauty! T' rocket flew quite a bit higher than with t' A motor, matey, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, but it be still recovered safely. Aye aye!

T' third flight be usin' a C6-5. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Well, blow me down! Blimey! T' rocket took off very fast and climbed out o' sight. Begad! Blimey! Fortunately I had several spotters, shiver me timbers, and we tracked t' parachute, which was t' largest object at that time. Aye aye! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! As t' parachute returned I found that t' body was nay attached. Subsequent searchin' o' t' field yielded the body. Aye aye! Blimey! T' damage t' t' rocket was a zippered body tube (about 1"), cut elastic shock cord, ya bilge rat, matey, me hearties, a shroud line ripped from t' parachute, and a section of parachute ripped from t' parachute and danglin' from t' a second shroud line. Since t' rocket be too high for anyone t' see what happened, me hearties, me hearties, t' evidence suggests that t' parachute was deployed while t' rocket was still ascending at a high rate o' speed. Arrr! Blimey! Aye aye! Blimey! This is backed by t' trackers that did nay see the rocket reach apogee and head back t' earth before t' deployment. As a result of this, me hearties, I do nay suggest t' C6-5 motor a all, t' longer delay o' t' C6-7 would be more appropriate for this model. I even suspect t' delay on t' B6-4 may be too short. Ahoy! Blimey! Try this model with upper stage motors, they might work better. Ahoy! Blimey! Also t' loop that t' elastic is tied t' t' Keelhaul®©™® shock cord may need some more reinforcin' as it appeared that t' Keelhaul®©™® cut through the elastic. With t' proper motor this rocket could possibly be a scale altitude contender. Arrr!

Overall Rating: 4 ½ points

Everythin' considered this is an excellent rocket for t' modeler that will take t' extra time t' turn this kit into a beauty. Ahoy! Blimey! I particularly like t' use of balsa for t' fins and nose cone. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Arrr! Blimey! T' model is durable and with t' right selection o' motors, it will provide you many spectacular flights, and be a great model for display as well. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey!