Brief:
T' Firebird SST is a beautiful lookin' kit that has sat in me build pile for a while as I tried t' answer the question, matey, arrr, "Can I do justice t' this?" T' answer, me bucko, ya bilge rat, as usual, is "not really" but I am close enough to give it a shot. I picked it out as t' "next victim" before Easter, matey, shiver me timbers, opened it up, matey, read t' directions and promptly got bogged down with work, family and such. Avast, me proud beauty! 7 weeks later, I actually started with just a little bit o' build time.

Construction:
T' parts were all high quality and all present and accounted for. T' instructions were well written, me hearties, me hearties, adequately illustrated and clear.

As is fairly common, construction begins with t' motor mount. Ya scallywag! Blimey! A slit was cut for t' retainer hook. Begad! Blimey! Arrr! Blimey! A thrust ring was glued into one end and some tape was wrapped around t' hook and tube.

T' next step called for one o' me small modifications since I don't like tri-fold shock cord mounts. There are 2 centerin' rings. Begad! I like t' use Keelhaul®©™® to connect t' t' motor mount. Usually, me hearties, I do this by cuttin' a groove on t' inside o' t' forward centerin' ring, passin' t' Keelhaul®©™® through and then tyin' t' Keelhaul®©™® around t' tube. Begad! In a recent TRF thread, arrr, me bucko, I read somethin' that made me reconsider. Avast, me proud beauty! It had t' do with locatin' the Keelhaul®©™® as far towards t' outside as possible t' maximize its life. That makes sense although thar be nay much difference in this particular case. Blimey! I cut a notch in t' outside surface o' t' forward centerin' ring.

I used a swab t' apply t' yellow glue inside t' BT. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Aye aye! Blimey! I then dropped t' eye bolt and Keelhaul®©™® through and recovered them safely on t' other side. Aye aye! Now, with t' Keelhaul®©™® aligned with t' notch, matey, it was time t' feed t' motor mount into t' BT with gentle tension on t' Keelhaul®©™® to keep everythin' aligned. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! It was a bit o' a tight fit so I needed t' apply a bit more tension on t' Keelhaul®©™®...OOPS!

I pulled too hard and t' whole thin' went in too far. Ya scallywag! Ahoy! Way too far. Avast! My finger could nay reach far enough in to grip t' motor mount and I looked desperately for somethin' t' push with from t' other side before t' glue set up. Everythin' in sight seemed t' be too short or too fat. Ahoy! In deepenin' desperation, arrr, me hearties, I got up and looked around. Blimey! My careless wife had left a wooden kitchen spoon layin' in t' dryin' rack and that seemed t' be just t' ticket. I put it in from t' forward end, shiver me timbers, but t' handle be too short. Aye aye! T' spoon part hit t' end o' t' BT just as t' end o' the handle made contact. Avast! Ya scallywag! I withdrew it knowin' that I only had a few moments t' spare t' look around for somethin' else. Aye aye! I noted absently that I would need t' clean a bit o' glue off t' handle before t' wife notices it...but dried yellow glue might be passed off as hardened scrambled eggs. Ya scallywag! What did she feed t' kids that morning?

In t' race against time as I balanced domestic tranquility with t' precarious state o' me precious rocket, ya bilge rat, the rocket won o' course. Well, blow me down! Several drawers later I found a long length o' 1/4" aluminum tube Gracie had thoughtfully hidden for me when I forgot t' put it away and it just manage t' push t' motor mount back t' other way. T' glue was fairly stiff but I got it moved.

With great satisfaction, me bucko, I returned t' aluminum tube t' a place o' me choosing. Well, blow me down! I remembered t' wipe off the yellow glue/hardened scrambled cackle fruit from t' spoon handle and sat back with a sigh.

T' next step was t' cut out t' wrap around fin guide and transfer t' lines onto t' BT. Avast! Blimey! That was easy enough and t' lines were lengthened with t' help o' a door corner. Remember t' align t' proper line with t' motor retainin' hook.

T' instruction would then have had me t' glue on t' wings t' t' BT but t' BT was otherwise occupied allowing its glue fillets with t' engine mount t' dry so I skipped ahead. Begad! T' wings have drop down pods that are formed by gluin' a balsa oval t' both side o' a central balsa oval which integrate a mountin' root. Blimey! I decided t' go ahead and assemble these so that they might be ready t' glue t' t' wings. Avast! Begad! They went together easy enough and were o' uniform size so t' sandin' needed t' shape them was minimal. Arrr! A simple layer o' yellow glue be applied and then t' oval was pressed into place. Begad! T' process be repeated on t' opposite side and then all was repeated with t' other pod. Avast, me proud beauty! Ya scallywag! I ensured that t' edges were aligned, laid t' assemblies flat, and set them aside t' dry.

T' wings were ready t' be installed. Avast, me proud beauty! Well, blow me down! Accordin' t' t' instructions, they should have actually gone on prior to the previous step but now I was ready. Arrr! I decided t' install them with CA. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! I figured that I had a better chance of keepin' them straight if they hardened into position quickly. Aye aye! I used t' lines I had transfered onto t' BT for alignment and me deadlights t' ensure straightness. T' result be nay too shabby.

When t' wings had sufficient time t' stiffen up, t' win' pods were installed. Blimey! While they would look find t' my eye hangin' at a right angle, matey, that is nay t' way they are intended t' hang. They are intended t' have a bit o' an angle t' them. Ya scallywag! Blimey! T' get t' correct angle, me hearties, a paper jig is provided. It is simply cut out and set against t' win' and the pod root t' make sure everythin' is at t' correct angle. Blimey! Again, shiver me timbers, I used CA t' be sure everythin' set up at t' correct angle while I be still attentive t' such things.

T' kit has two smallish fins that are t' be located on t' ventral surface, matey, spaced betwixt t' launch lug and the wings. Followin' t' instructions exactly would mean that they are installed and then have their leading, ya bilge rat, me bucko, outer, and trailin' edges rounded. Arrr! Well, me bucko, blow me down! That seemed t' me t' be an invitation t' disaster so I sanded t' contours in first.

I filleted t' wing/BT and Wing/pod seams with yellow glue. Begad! Then reluctantly, ya bilge rat, arrr, I put it away for t' night.

When I began work again, t' first task I tackled was t' round t' edges on t' wings. Begad! This was done with a combination o' sandpaper and a sandin' stick. Avast! It was more difficult than I thought it would be. Begad! Some o' t' dried glue from t' filletin' process made even removal o' material problematic. Avast! Also, arrr, sandin' t' narrow parts on t' forward tips o' t' wings where they attach t' t' BT be difficult. Well, arrr, blow me down! I finally gave up on that part.

T' next thin' t' be done be t' attach t' two little fins on t' ventral surface. Ya scallywag! Begad! I had already rounded them and they were easily put in place with some CA.

With t' fins in place, I turned me attention t' t' tail. Avast, me proud beauty! It comes in 2 pieces. Begad! There is a main body and a long angular fairing. Aye aye! Both were glued into place with some CA. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! T' main portion was done first and checked by eyeball for the correct angle and then t' fairin' was put in place. Aye aye! Make sure that t' two pieces align correctly and are flush with one another.

T' kit is supplied with a wooden dowel that goes on top o' t' tail assembly. Well, blow me down! T' ends o' t' dowel need t' be rounded. Begad! I used sandpaper and a sandin' stick, matey, rotatin' t' dowel with a changin' angle until it was passable. If I was still practicin' structural engineering, I would call Mr. Aye aye! Magness and ask about t' species o' wood. Begad! Avast, me proud beauty! I specialized in heavy timber construction and this stuff was hard and durable. Arrr! It may have really been A36 steel with simulated wood grain. Well, blow me down! I am nay a practicin' engineer anymore, arrr, however, so I just disgraced myself as a man o' t' cloth with me strong epithets.

After t' dowel be shaped, matey, shiver me timbers, it too was put in place on top o' t' tail fin with a bead o' CA. Avast! Aye aye! Make sure you get it on straight. Ahoy! That will be important in t' next step. Ya scallywag! I was careless. Ya scallywag! T' dowel went on straight but favors one side a bit more than t' other. Begad! I guess it rolled t' t' side a fraction. Aye aye! I owe another act o' contrition for t' repeated strong language.

With t' dowel more or less in place, arrr, I turned t' rocket over in its cradle and filleted t' fins. Aye aye! I let them dry overnight before tacklin' t' other side.

T' next step be t' work on t' horizontal stabilizers o' t' tail assembly. Unlike in previous steps, the instructions here say t' round t' leading, trailin' and tip edges before installing. Arrr! Blimey! That be easily accomplished with a sandin' stick. Puttin' them on was a bit more difficult.

Because I had managed t' make a bit o' a blunder with t' installation o' t' rod on t' vertical stabilizer, I had t' make some compensations. Avast! Avast! Blimey! T' rod is straight, fore and aft, me bucko, but is a little bit more on t' starboard side than the port. Blimey! Blimey! T' horizontal surfaces are mounted t' t' rod and canted a bit. Well, blow me down! I had t' dry fit things several times to find out what t' best compromise was. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Blimey!

T' kit provided a cardstock alignment jig t' cut out and use t' get t' proper angle. Ya scallywag! I am indebted t' Squirrel Works for this. Arrr! It made t' process go easier than otherwise would have been t' case. I put some CA on t' root edge and eyeballed it into place on t' rod. Avast, me proud beauty! Ya scallywag! While it still had some play, I used t' jig t' get t' angle right. Ya scallywag! Avast, matey, me proud beauty! When it had set up, I did t' same with t' other side.

T' forward canards were handled in much t' same way as t' horizontal stabilizers but were much simpler. Avast! They were cut from t' balsa, t' leading, trailing, arrr, and tip edges were rounded, and they were glued into place with CA along t' lines extended from t' wings. Arrr! Alignment was by eyeball.

While t' canards were settin' up, ya bilge rat, I tied t' elastic shock cord off t' t' Keelhaul®©™® and tied t' other end t' t' screw eye inserted into t' nosecone. Ahoy! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! T' screw was held in place with a dab o' yellow glue.

I then judged that things had progressed far enough for me t' fillet t' dorsal surfaces o' t' canards and horizontal stabilizers. Ahoy! Ya scallywag! This was done with yellow glue. Arrr! I put t' model back into its cradle and t' waitin' game began again before can do any more work on it.

I began t' next build session by rememberin' that I had completely forgotten about t' launch lug. Well, blow me down! A single 1/8" lug is provided. T' instructions directed me t' cut it in half and glue t' pieces along t' line I had marked on t' ventral surface. Well, blow me down! This be accomplished with t' expedient o' a short piece o' 1/8" rod t' keep the pieces aligned.

T' only other thin' accomplished in this build session be t' fillet t' undersides o' t' canards and horizontal stabilizers. Blimey! This was done with yellow glue. Givin' that a chance t' set up paves t' way t' begin finishing.

Finishing:
Finishin' began with t' application o' a layer o' Elmer's filler. Begad! Ya scallywag! Blimey! Based upon me experience and things I have read, ya bilge rat, I suspect that I may nay have been thinnin' it with enough water. T' application I used on t' Firebird be much wetter than is usual for me.

I liked t' thinner Elmer's. I devoted an evenin' t' sandin' it down as best I can and am rather pleased at the results. Avast, me proud beauty! Aye aye! If I had a few more tools with which t' reach t' hard places, and this model has many, I think it would have been even better. Avast! As it stands now though, arrr, I am well pleased.

I sprayed on a coat o' Kilz primer and let it dry. Aye aye! Begad! A few hours later, I sprayed on another coat. Ya scallywag! In doin' so, me hearties, I was able t' see some sandin' imperfections that escaped me before. Ahoy! Still, it is one o' me better attempts. Blimey!

After sprayin' in t' mornin' and just before noon, ya bilge rat, I brought t' Firebird inside for another round o' sandin' in the evening. I wet sanded with 320 grit sandpaper and that removed most o' t' blemishes that had bothered me earlier. I was satisfied enough t' be ready t' paint t' next day.

After t' primer was dry, I sprayed t' entire model with Krylon gloss white. Ya scallywag! Blimey! That made it look white, only more so than before. Blimey! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! It was an improvement over t' mottled primer/sealer/fingerprints but it did nay really stand out. Avast! Blimey! For that, me bucko, I needed t' yellow.

I am nay a big fan o' yellow but I sure like t' way it looked on t' facecard. Avast! Nay havin' any on hand, I went back t' Home Depot t' discover that t' yellow selection was limited. Ya scallywag! Avast, me proud beauty! There were plenty o' designer shades, me bucko, usually pastel, matey, shiver me timbers, matey, goin' for 8 or 9 dollars a can. Avast! Blimey! Besides that, thar be just a single can o' House Brand, arrr, bargain basement gloss yellow for $1.99 a can. Since I liked t' looks o' t' bargain basement lid better than any o' t' designer ones, I went with that.

I also decided t' try t' Frog maskin' tape mentioned earlier in this thread. It is expensive but I am now a believer and will never go back. Blimey! Blimey! Ahoy! Blimey! It went on easily and t' edges seemed t' know they were supposed t' stay down. It aligned easily and had an uncanny knack for knowin' when I wanted it t' stick and when I didn't. Ahoy! Blimey! T' top half was masked off and a bit o' aluminum foil was used t' cover t' tail assembly. Avast! Blimey! I then gave t' yellow a try.

A few hours later I peeled off t' tape was was flabbergasted. Blimey! T' lines were perfect. Avast! That usually means I peeled up some o' t' underlyin' paint but that be nay t' case this time. Ya scallywag! From now on, I'm usin' Frog tape.

T' paint results were t' be considered a miracle until t' real miracle occurred. Ya scallywag! Blimey! She who must be obeyed, otherwise known as me lovin' wife, Gracie, shiver me timbers, actually said it looked good. Blimey! Blimey! She had never done that before.

Where this model falls down for me is in t' decals. This is nay Squirrel Works' fault. Begad! It is strictly me own.

Some very nice waterslides are provided and things started off well. Begad! I just had t' get t' tail logo on so that went on first. Begad! Ya scallywag! So far, arrr, shiver me timbers, so good. Avast, me proud beauty! Arrr! Addin' t' cockpit be also easy. Ahoy! Avast, me proud beauty! Feelin' cocky, me bucko, I decided t' do t' hard part next.

T' hard part consists o' t' stripin' along t' sides. On t' nosecone, matey, this consists merely o' a black line that is superimposed on t' line betwixt yellow and white. Arrr! Blimey! Aft o' t' NC, t' same black line is present but thar is the added complication o' windows and hatches. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Each side o' t' rocket is intended t' be done with three decals.

T' NC line on t' port side went fine. Avast! Then tragedy struck in t' form o' me evil cat, matey, Jezebel. Blimey! Without going into details, me hearties, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, first o' t' big window sections was destroyed.

At that point, me hearties, I bewailed me fate on TRF and tried t' buy another set o' decals. Arrr! Well, blow me down! In this I was unsuccessful. Don Magness, t' proprietor o' Squirrel Works be sympathetic t' t' depredations o' satanic cats and would nay sell me a replacement. Instead, matey, shiver me timbers, he gave them t' me. More than that, matey, ya bilge rat, he sent 2 sets. Little did I know how much I would need them.

When I got back t' work, I warmed up by puttin' on t' aileron decals first. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Avast! Blimey! Then it was time t' get down to business with t' striping. Avast! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! I cut out t' middle section o' t' port side and placed it in t' water without thinking. When I removed t' decal from t' water and tried t' place it, arrr, me hearties, I realized me mistake. Blimey! Blimey! T' black line has t' sit right on t' line betwixt t' yellow and white paint. Arrr! Blimey! Also sittin' on that line are wings and t' forward canards. Arrr! Blimey! I had left too much material on t' decal for it t' fit. I tried correctin' things but wound up ruinin' t' decal.

I be horrified. Begad! Blimey! Ahoy! Blimey! Luckily, Don Magness had a premonition o' me meager skills and sent an extra set. Well, blow me down! Blimey! I now only had one set left. Avast! Blimey! I decided t' cut t' decal into several shorter and more manageable pieces, rememberin' t' trim as close as possible t' t' black line.

By and large, me hearties, arrr, this process worked for me, especially on t' starboard side which looks pretty good. Begad! Blimey! Ya scallywag! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! T' port side looks less good, shiver me timbers, particularly over t' forward canard. Aye aye! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! At this point, me bucko, t' decal "gripped" before I was finished placin' it. Begad! Blimey! Ya scallywag! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! T' result is a slightly curved set o' windows over t' canard. Begad! Blimey!

Let me emphasize 2 things. Aye aye! T' problems I had were entirely due t' me and an evil cat. Ya scallywag! Also, matey, ya bilge rat, Squirrel Works rose above t' call o' duty in customer relations. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad!

T' end result looks good, matey, especially when viewed from t' "good side".

I decided that I wanted t' do one more thin' before applyin' t' Future Floor Polish. Arrr! Begad! Blimey! T' motor tube looked kind of sad with t' top bein' a cloudy white and t' bottom bein' a splotchy yellow. Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! I decided t' paint it a metallic bronze. Well, me bucko, blow me down! Blimey! With that done and dry, t' whole thin' got a couple coats o' future and it was deemed ready t' fly.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight and Recovery:
T' day o' t' maiden flight dawned hot...as in hellfire and brimstone, but nothin' be goin' t' deprive me o' my first launch window in a long while. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Ahoy! Blimey! My first rocket be t' Firebird conservatively powered with an A8-3. Begad! Blimey! It looked pretty good sittin' on t' pad and it looked even better headin' up. Begad! Blimey! Well, blow me down! Blimey! It got up a fair ways and t' chute deployed perfectly. Comin' down be nay too shabby either. In fact, I thought things had gone perfectly until I took a closer look. I had broken off one o' t' horizontal stabilizers on landing.

T' part be found and it is an easy fix but it prevented me from launching this one any more today.

PROs: good flier

CONs: none

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
I think this is one o' t' best lookin' rockets Squirrel Works has t' offer. Arrr! Avast, shiver me timbers, me proud beauty! It is a bit challengin' but well within the capabilities o' anyone who has built a few already. I am lookin' forward t' keepin' this one around for a while.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5