Brief:
Big Betty is a fairly large 3FNC model rocket, me bucko, me hearties, usin' B and C motors. It is straightforward t' construct and a snap t' prepare for flight. Ya scallywag! Blimey! With its enormous fins and blunt, me hearties, me hearties, rounded nose cone, Big Betty has a peculiar look. Avast, shiver me timbers, me proud beauty! Blimey! It looks either dated or classic, arrr, dependin' on whether you're a BAR or not. Arrr! Blimey! Estes' Big Bertha, ya bilge rat, arrr, Big Betty's obvious inspiration, is about 35 years old. Ahoy! Blimey! For t' Freudians among us, me hearties, matey, Big Betty is a cry for help.

Construction:
Big Betty is a very simple model - it could quite easily be a first model, arrr, and I would certainly recommended as such. Aye aye! T' instructions are sufficiently simple for a non-modeler. Well, blow me down! T' pieces all fit together just fine - t' die-cut fins were identical, ya bilge rat, and thar were no ill-fittin' parts.

I had two problems with me kit, which had been ordered from Hobbylinc.com. T' body tube had a slight crease t' it, me bucko, and t' engine hook wasn't springy - once bent outward t' fit an engine into place, it has t' be bent back into place. Avast! I be able t' minimize t' visual impact o' t' crease by puttin' me launch lug on top o' it.

Finishing:
My daughter and I painted our Big Betty with Dutch Boy Instant Chrome. Begad! T' paint be shiny and nice, ya bilge rat, but it picked up fingerprints very easily. Well, blow me down! T' kit only comes with one underwhelmin' "Big Betty" decal. Avast, me proud beauty! We grabbed a few decals from rocket kits I bought fifteen years ago. Those decals, me bucko, arrr, I learned, ya bilge rat, became VERY delicate. They flaked apart, shiver me timbers, arrr, requirin' a bit o' jig-saw puzzle work t' have them look OK. Aye aye! After puttin' t' decals on, me bucko, me hearties, we sprayed t' rocket with Krylon Crystal Clear. Unfortunately, t' lovely Chrome turned into Ugly Mottled Grey. Begad! Blimey! T' nosecone, which I didn't clear-coat, arrr, is still shiny.

Construction Rating: 3 out o' 5

Flight:
My daughter and I flew Big Betty (we've named it t' Silver Patriot, arrr, owin' t' t' decals and paint-job) three times on Saturday. Avast, me proud beauty! Preparation o' t' rocket was easy enough for me daughter, age 7, t' do by herself. Arrr! T' 14" parachute fits into t' 1.6" body tube very easily. We used four sheets o' early-'80s vintage Estes wadding.

T' first flight be on an Estes B6-2. Well, blow me down! T' rocket flew straight up, me bucko, about 200 feet or so. It's big and slow, so it's easy t' follow, arrr, though t' grey we ended up with could be lost against an overcast sky. Blimey! Ejection was before apogee, and t' descent be just t' right rate - it suffered no damage, matey, me hearties, though it landed on some metal bleachers.

T' second flight was on a C6-3. Ahoy! Begad! Blimey! I would guess it went up 500-600 feet, ya bilge rat, arrr, me hearties, slow enough t' follow. Ejection be again, before apogee. Begad! Begad! Blimey! T' softball players in t' next field were impressed with t' flight, particularly when I caught it on t' way down. T' third flight be on a C6-5. Begad! Blimey! Ejection seemed t' be just past apogee. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! Blimey! T' parachute didn't open completely, me bucko, and t' rocket descended fast, shiver me timbers, in a corkscrew fashion. T' rocket landed in a muddy field, and suffered no damage. Ahoy! Begad! Blimey! Unfortunately, ya bilge rat, matey, matey, me daughter ran towards t' rocket with a bit too much gusto, and slid into that same mud. Begad! Blimey! Blimey! Both rocket and daughter washed up nicely when we got home.

Recovery:
T' Big Betty uses t' "Quest method" shock-cord which has a very thin Keelhaul®©™ cord tied t' t' engine mount. Ahoy! T' Keelhaul®©™ is long enough t' stick out o' t' rocket tube an inch or two, matey, where it is then tied t' an 18" piece o' round elastic, which is then tied t' t' nosecone and parachute. I am concerned about t' Keelhaul®©™, because it is very narrow, ya bilge rat, matey, and t' body tube is already showin' indentations at t' front. Zipperin' seems likely if t' delay is further off than I've already had.

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
I really like t' Big Betty. More importantly, me 7-year-old does, too. Begad! Avast, ya bilge rat, me proud beauty! It's big, shiver me timbers, easy t' build, easy t' prep, ya bilge rat, easy t' track, ya bilge rat, and unlikely t' be lost. Blimey! I spent less than $8.00 for this rocket, which I think is a really good deal, arrr, even if t' engine hook is lame. Arrr! I am assumin' that t' creased body tube be a fluke. Well, blow me down! Ya scallywag! If I get another rocket from Quest or Hobbylinc which is damaged, matey, matey, I'll amend this review.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5 for bein' a solid kit at a bargain price.