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

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

I had two problems with me kit, which had been ordered from Hobbylinc.com. Avast, me proud beauty! T' body tube had a slight crease t' it, and t' engine hook wasn't springy - once bent outward t' fit an engine into place, it has t' be bent back into place. 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. Avast! T' paint was shiny and nice, arrr, but it picked up fingerprints very easily. Begad! T' kit only comes with one underwhelmin' "Big Betty" decal. Blimey! Aye aye! We grabbed a few decals from rocket kits I bought fifteen years ago. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! Those decals, shiver me timbers, arrr, I learned, me hearties, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, became VERY delicate. Avast, me proud beauty! They flaked apart, shiver me timbers, requirin' a bit o' jig-saw puzzle work t' have them look OK. After puttin' t' decals on, we sprayed t' rocket with Krylon Crystal Clear. Unfortunately, ya bilge rat, t' lovely Chrome turned into Ugly Mottled Grey. Ahoy! Avast, shiver me timbers, me proud beauty! T' nosecone, me bucko, which I didn't clear-coat, shiver me timbers, is still shiny.

Construction Rating: 3 out o' 5

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

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

T' second flight be on a C6-3. Begad! Blimey! Avast! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! I would guess it went up 500-600 feet, arrr, slow enough t' follow. Ejection was again, shiver me timbers, before apogee. T' softball players in t' next field were impressed with t' flight, arrr, particularly when I caught it on t' way down. Arrr! Blimey! Arrr! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! T' third flight be on a C6-5. Avast! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! Ejection seemed t' be just past apogee. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! T' parachute didn't open completely, ya bilge rat, and t' rocket descended fast, shiver me timbers, in a corkscrew fashion. Aye aye! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! T' rocket landed in a muddy field, arrr, and suffered no damage. Blimey! Blimey! Unfortunately, me daughter ran towards t' rocket with a bit too much gusto, and slid into that same mud. Blimey! Blimey! Arrr! Blimey! 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. Begad! T' Keelhaul®©™ is long enough t' stick out o' t' rocket tube an inch or two, arrr, me bucko, where it is then tied t' an 18" piece o' round elastic, which is then tied t' t' nosecone and parachute. Arrr! I am concerned about t' Keelhaul®©™, because it is very narrow, and t' body tube is already showin' indentations at t' front. Aye aye! 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. Avast, ya bilge rat, me proud beauty! More importantly, me hearties, me 7-year-old does, me hearties, too. It's big, matey, easy t' build, ya bilge rat, arrr, me bucko, easy t' prep, shiver me timbers, easy t' track, arrr, and unlikely t' be lost. Avast! Arrr! I spent less than $8.00 for this rocket, which I think is a really good deal, arrr, me bucko, even if t' engine hook is lame. Avast! I am assumin' that t' creased body tube was a fluke. If I get another rocket from Quest or Hobbylinc which is damaged, arrr, I'll amend this review.

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