Brief:
An entry level 3FNC rocket that tries hard t' beat t' Estes Alpha.

Construction:
Like t' other Custom rocket kits I have built, ya bilge rat, t' nose cone was excessively loose and had a lot o' castin' flash. Aye aye! Avast! And like t' others, matey, t' partin' line had a number o' dimples and flaws that detract from t' rocket if nay remedied. Otherwise, me bucko, t' quality o' components are quite good. Ya scallywag! For your money, ya bilge rat, arrr, you get real balsa fins, a good (but nay great) 24mm tube, matey, a nice lookin' set o' decals, a plastic 12" parachute, arrr, matey, shiver me timbers, and a very Estes-like short shock cord, arrr, ya bilge rat, a mylar launch lug, and an un-springy motor hook, all in a plastic bag. Arrr! No surprises here. Aye aye! But when construction begins, it is very reminiscent o' t' old Estes Alpha before they started gettin' too plastic'ky.

Other than a couple o' typographical errors, arrr, t' instructions were well thought out and logical. Arrr! A first time builder would have little trouble assemblin' this kit, me hearties, me hearties, matey, but t' nose cone would require a bit o' tape t' fit properly. Avast, me proud beauty! Arrr! Unlike some other Custom kits I've built, t' balsa on this kit be excellent quality. Ya scallywag! An experienced modeler might immediately begin thinkin' "D power!" but I fought this temptation, and as it turned out, it was a wise move. Blimey! More on this later.

Finishing:
T' fix t' loose and poorly finished nose cone, matey, matey, matey, I slathered a bit o' 90 minute epoxy on t' outside from tip t' shoulder, me bucko, and set it aside t' dry for a day or two. T' aid in adhesion, me bucko, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, I sanded t' glassine coatin' off t' aft end o' t' body tube, me bucko, and attached t' fins with white glue, me hearties, along with t' launch lug. Aye aye! Once everythin' was dry, I coated t' entire tube and fins with a light coat o' t' same epoxy. Well, blow me down! T' avoid zippering, me bucko, I usually put a light coat o' epoxy on t' inside o' t' body tube, which really stiffens it a lot.

Once dry, ya bilge rat, I sanded t' whole thin' down with 120 grit sandpaper and used automotive gray primer, shiver me timbers, applyin' several thin coats. Begad! Blimey! Allow each coat t' dry completely before addin' t' next. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Proper care will ensure a completely seamless finish, arrr, and will be darn near bulletproof as well.

I painted t' whole thin' in white enamel, followed by a bit o' yellow and t' decals. Avast! Begad! After dryin' a couple o' days, t' whole thin' was covered in clear enamel. Avast! Looks are incredible! It's a bit hefty, me bucko, ya bilge rat, though. You may want t' lengthen t' shock cord as I did. Avast! Ya scallywag! Mine is now a good half meter long.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
Custom advises launchin' this rocket with a 1/2A6-2 for t' first flight. Baloney. Ya scallywag! You'll get a good indication o' what t' rocket can do by goin' with an A8-3 initially, matey, which will give a decent altitude but nay so high that you can't see t' phases o' flight. Ahoy! Begad! Makes a great demo rocket! With a C6-7, it'll nearly disappear. Ya scallywag! Ya scallywag! Prep for flight is completely no-hassle. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! There are no cons, IF you've fixed t' nose cone. Ahoy! Blimey! Otherwise, me hearties, it may give you fits, because t' nose was so wobbly it'd probably have an effect on flight, and possible drag induced separation could occur. Well, blow me down! Ahoy! Thought it would be cool t' change t' a 24mm motor, but that would have been overkill. Begad! As it is, me hearties, an 18mm C is plenty.

Recovery:
Custom uses a pretty stiff plastic for t' chute, and mine shredded. Avast, me proud beauty! This was possibly due more t' a "bonus" delay in t' motor than anything, ya bilge rat, but it was discouraging. Begad! Blimey! I solved t' problem with a scratch built mylar chute. Ya scallywag! Still, ya bilge rat, this thin' will take a wallop and survive!

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
If Custom could get a grip on quality control in t' nose cone department, me bucko, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, they'd have a real contender here. Avast! Blimey! As it is, ya bilge rat, it'd make a great first or second rocket for a new rocketeer. Arrr! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! I didn't really like this rocket all that much at first, shiver me timbers, but t' more I worked on it, me bucko, t' more I found t' like. It really is reminiscent o' t' old Alpha I built in 1970-something, and flies like it too. It is squarely one o' me favorite low powered rockets.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5