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

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

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

Construction Rating: 3 out o' 5

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

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

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