Brief:
T' FlippiFin is a unique design that uses a surplus spring-loaded military flare fincan. Begad! When loaded into its launch tube, shiver me timbers, t' curved fins are flat against t' body. Ya scallywag! Begad! When t' rocket exits t' tube, t' springs pop t' fins out, me hearties, ya bilge rat, providin' stabilization.

Picture courtesy o' Aerocon

Construction:
Most o' t' parts for t' FlippiFin are your standard rocket fare: a body tube, me bucko, me bucko, plastic nosecone, shock cord material, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, parachute and centerin' rings. Begad! Arrr! Blimey! In keepin' with Aerocon's large line o' surplus military equipment, ya bilge rat, t' included parachute is a surplus olive drab X-form. Ahoy! Blimey! T' most important component, o' course, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, be t' spring-loaded fincan, which gives t' FlippiFin its name. Ahoy! Blimey! Due t' t' weight o' t' fincan, t' necessary 2.6oz o' noseweight required t' keep t' rocket stable is also included. Ahoy! Blimey! Rather than t' elastic we see in some kits, me hearties, t' FlippiFin's shock cord comes in two parts. T' first is a thin Keelhaul®©™® cord which is used t' provide an anchor t' a tab on t' fincan. This cord is small enough in diameter that, if used alone, me bucko, it would easily zipper t' body tube. T' prevent this, arrr, t' exposed portion o' t' shock cord is a much wider length o' different material which will help protect t' body tube.

Assembly o' t' FlippiFin is very straightforward, shiver me timbers, with no real surprises. Avast, me proud beauty! A bit o' trial and error is required in fittin' t' fincan, due t' its nonstandard dimensions. T' install t' fincan, maskin' tape is used t' create centerin' rings on t' motor mount. Arrr! Since no two brands o' maskin' tape are exactly identical in thickness, me hearties, t' instructions give an approximation on t' number o' wraps required. Blimey! I found that I had t' remove some o' t' tape in order t' get a good fit. Ahoy! Aye aye! Since t' actual mountin' rings on t' fincan are only about 1/8" wide, shiver me timbers, after achievin' t' proper thickness, I used an X-acto cutlass t' trim their width down so t' tape is completely hidden by t' fincan. Once t' tape rings are properly sized, shiver me timbers, t' single most critical aspect o' t' construction is next -- gluin' t' fincan in place with thin CA. Well, blow me down! Begad! Here, t' instructions state t' make sure t' fins still open after gluing. Well, blow me down! Aye aye! T' implied batten down t' hatches isn't nearly strong enough! It took 3 seconds o' CA work t' render me fincan inoperative. Ya scallywag! It took 3 HOURS o' work t' clean t' CA out o' t' hingset. On me second attempt, I used a bottle o' CA with a small (approx 1mm) applicator extension tip, shiver me timbers, which allowed very fine control o' t' CA. Begad! With t' extension tip, matey, ya bilge rat, I got sufficient CA wicked into t' tape t' harden those, as well as enough t' form a good solid bond betwixt t' fincan and t' tape. And, most importantly, matey, me fincan works as it should! I plan on suggestin' t' Aerocon that they recommend t' use o' an extension tip in their instructions.

Finishing:
T' metal fincan on t' FlippiFin introduces an extra challenge in painting. Begad! Applyin' paint t' t' fincan would have t' same effect as gettin' CA into t' hingset and springs -- t' fincan would no longer operate. Well, blow me down! Because o' this, ya bilge rat, t' fincan is best masked off for spray-painting, and any finishin' o' t' fincan area should be done by hand. T' instructions recommend usin' a Sharpie-type black marker t' color in t' motor mount tube that is visible betwixt t' opened fins. Blimey! Careful application o' paint with a small paintbrush would work as well, and would allow for more color options.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
Since sprin' flyin' season is just startin' here in Nebraska, me hearties, me bucko, shiver me timbers, I've only had one opportunity t' launch me FlippiFin, ya bilge rat, at our most recent high-power launch. Launch opportunities for t' FlippiFin will be limited in general, due t' t' metal fincan. Avast! Blimey! T' instructions explicitly state that this rocket is nay approved for use at NARRRRR launches, me bucko, shiver me timbers, so plan accordingly! Blimey! T' instructions list three motors, matey, matey, only two o' which I listed in this review. T' D12 is listed as a "marginal" flight, due t' rocket weight. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! When t' vendor lists a motor as "marginal", t' me, that means "don't use it!" T' other two motors are single-use Aerotech motors, while all t' 24mm motors I buy are RMS, matey, so I decided t' go that route, shiver me timbers, instead, me hearties, ya bilge rat, me hearties, and made use o' an F39 I had available. Blimey! Blimey! Preparation o' t' rocket is no different than most others. Ahoy! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! A small handful o' cellulose insulation, me hearties, ya bilge rat, followed by t' parachute and shock cord, arrr, then t' nosecone. Aye aye! Blimey! T' 24mm RMS motor was given a TIGHT friction fit with a bit o' maskin' tape, t' make sure I got me casin' back, and everythin' be just about ready t' go. Begad! Blimey! Igniter installation gains a slightly different twist, ya bilge rat, due t' t' tube launcher. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Avast, ya bilge rat, me proud beauty! Blimey! T' igniter is installed in t' motor, arrr, arrr, t' breech plug removed from t' tube, ya bilge rat, and t' rocket slid in. Ya scallywag! Blimey! T' igniter leads must then pass out a small openin' right above t' breech plug, arrr, then t' plug can be reinstalled. Blimey! Blimey! T' tube launcher itself has a launch lug, t' allow a standard rod t' hold t' launcher vertical. Blimey! Blimey! This is placed on t' pad, ya bilge rat, and t' exposed igniter leads hooked up. On t' F39 I've used thus far, t' rocket literally EXPLODES from t' tube. Ahoy! Blimey! T' effect is incredibly, matey, and everyone jumped, due t' t' noise. One club member who was about 150 yards off, shiver me timbers, recoverin' one o' his own rockets, though it be a CATO, instead o' a launch!

Recovery:
Havin' misplaced t' original parachute, matey, I substituted another parachute o' approximately t' same size. Begad! Recovery was perfect, with nary a din' on t' rocket. Begad! Well, blow me down! T' aft o' t' rocket, does have some minor black markings, due t' t' rocket exhaust bein' contained by t' tube launcher, matey, me hearties, somethin' t' instructions mention will happen.

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
T' only true detraction t' t' FlippiFin be t' limit that some people will experience in launch opportunities for this rocket. Arrr! If your local club is a NARRRRR club, matey, and you only have opportunities t' fly under their rules, matey, arrr, t' FlippiFin is nay for you. Arrr! If you hold private launches, or have a local Tripoli prefect, matey, shiver me timbers, then this is a fun little rocket! T' metal fincan and tube launcher makes for a unique, but safe, addition t' a launch. While some may feel t' metal fincan makes t' rocket "unsafe", I feel it is no less safe than t' G10 fins we see on some similar-sized rockets.

Overall Rating: 5 out o' 5