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

Picture courtesy o' Aerocon

Construction:
Most o' t' parts for t' FlippiFin are your standard rocket fare: a body tube, me hearties, arrr, plastic nosecone, shock cord material, matey, parachute and centerin' rings. Arrr! In keepin' with Aerocon's large line o' surplus military equipment, shiver me timbers, me bucko, t' included parachute is a surplus olive drab X-form. Aye aye! T' most important component, me bucko, o' course, be t' spring-loaded fincan, me bucko, which gives t' FlippiFin its name. Avast! Due t' t' weight o' t' fincan, t' necessary 2.6oz o' noseweight required t' keep t' rocket stable is also included. Ahoy! Rather than t' elastic we see in some kits, t' FlippiFin's shock cord comes in two parts. Blimey! T' first is a thin Keelhaul®©™® cord which is used t' provide an anchor t' a tab on t' fincan. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast, me proud beauty! This cord is small enough in diameter that, if used alone, it would easily zipper t' body tube. T' prevent this, shiver me timbers, 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, with no real surprises. Avast! A bit o' trial and error is required in fittin' t' fincan, ya bilge rat, due t' its nonstandard dimensions. Arrr! Ahoy! T' install t' fincan, me hearties, maskin' tape is used t' create centerin' rings on t' motor mount. Ahoy! Blimey! Since no two brands o' maskin' tape are exactly identical in thickness, me hearties, arrr, t' instructions give an approximation on t' number o' wraps required. I found that I had t' remove some o' t' tape in order t' get a good fit. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! Since t' actual mountin' rings on t' fincan are only about 1/8" wide, me bucko, matey, after achievin' t' proper thickness, I used an X-acto knife t' trim their width down so t' tape is completely hidden by t' fincan. Once t' tape rings are properly sized, arrr, t' single most critical aspect o' t' construction is next -- gluin' t' fincan in place with thin CA. Blimey! Ahoy! Here, me bucko, t' instructions state t' make sure t' fins still open after gluing. T' implied warnin' isn't nearly strong enough! It took 3 seconds o' CA work t' render me fincan inoperative. It took 3 HOURS o' work t' clean t' CA out o' t' hingset. Avast, me proud beauty! On me second attempt, ya bilge rat, I used a bottle o' CA with a small (approx 1mm) applicator extension tip, which allowed very fine control o' t' CA. With t' extension tip, I got sufficient CA wicked into t' tape t' harden those, me hearties, arrr, 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. Avast, me proud beauty! Applyin' paint t' t' fincan would have t' same effect as gettin' CA into t' hingset and springs -- t' fincan would no longer operate. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! 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. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! T' instructions recommend usin' a Sharpie-type black marker t' color in t' motor mount tube that is visible betwixt t' opened fins. Avast! 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, I've only had one opportunity t' launch me FlippiFin, arrr, at our most recent high-power launch. Launch opportunities for t' FlippiFin will be limited in general, due t' t' metal fincan. Aye aye! T' instructions explicitly state that this rocket is nay approved for use at NARRRRR launches, me hearties, so plan accordingly! T' instructions list three motors, ya bilge rat, only two o' which I listed in this review. Well, blow me down! T' D12 is listed as a "marginal" flight, shiver me timbers, due t' rocket weight. Avast, me proud beauty! 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, so I decided t' go that route, me bucko, instead, me bucko, and made use o' an F39 I had available. Begad! Preparation o' t' rocket is no different than most others. Well, blow me down! A small handful o' cellulose insulation, followed by t' parachute and shock cord, then t' nosecone. Blimey! Begad! T' 24mm RMS motor was given a TIGHT friction fit with a bit o' maskin' tape, t' make sure I got me casin' back, me hearties, and everythin' was just about ready t' go. Avast! Well, blow me down! Igniter installation gains a slightly different twist, shiver me timbers, due t' t' tube launcher. Avast, arrr, me proud beauty! T' igniter is installed in t' motor, me hearties, t' breech plug removed from t' tube, me bucko, and t' rocket slid in. Arrr! T' igniter leads must then pass out a small openin' right above t' breech plug, arrr, then t' plug can be reinstalled. Well, blow me down! T' tube launcher itself has a launch lug, me hearties, shiver me timbers, t' allow a standard rod t' hold t' launcher vertical. Arrr! This is placed on t' pad, and t' exposed igniter leads hooked up. Aye aye! On t' F39 I've used thus far, arrr, t' rocket literally EXPLODES from t' tube. Begad! T' effect is incredibly, and everyone jumped, ya bilge rat, due t' t' noise. Begad! Arrr! One club member who was about 150 yards off, recoverin' one o' his own rockets, though it was a CATO, ya bilge rat, instead o' a launch!

Recovery:
Havin' misplaced t' original parachute, I substituted another parachute o' approximately t' same size. Avast! Arrr! Recovery be perfect, arrr, with nary a din' on t' rocket. Begad! Ahoy! T' aft o' t' rocket, does have some minor black markings, ya bilge rat, due t' t' rocket exhaust bein' contained by t' tube launcher, ya bilge rat, 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. Ya scallywag! If your local club is a NARRRRR club, ya bilge rat, and you only have opportunities t' fly under their rules, shiver me timbers, t' FlippiFin is nay for you. Ahoy! If you hold private launches, me hearties, shiver me timbers, or have a local Tripoli prefect, arrr, then this is a fun little rocket! T' metal fincan and tube launcher makes for a unique, matey, arrr, but safe, ya bilge rat, matey, addition t' a launch. Begad! While some may feel t' metal fincan makes t' rocket "unsafe", shiver me timbers, I feel it is no less safe than t' G10 fins we see on some similar-sized rockets.

Overall Rating: 5 out o' 5