Brief:
This is a new Skill Level 1 kit from Estes designed t' fly on t' new C11 motors. Ya scallywag! It is a tall, me bucko, ya bilge rat, BT-60 based 3FNC design with through-the-wall fins, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, and a 24mm motor mount.

Construction:
T' kits parts were all in excellent condition. Aye aye! T' BT-60 has 3 slots on one end o' t' tube for t' TTW fins. Aye aye! Die cut fins were high quality, as were all t' other parts. Arrr! Well, blow me down! Elastic shock cord was longer than expected, but still a bit short. Begad! Nose cone was excellent w/o any flashing. Well, blow me down! Ya scallywag! Bonus: A BT-60 t' BT-55 plastic transition piece comes attached t' t' nose cone, but is nay needed in t' kit. Arrr! Ahoy! 18" parachute is pre-assembled.

T' instructions & assembly were very straightforward and clear. Begad! Avast, me proud beauty! Construction was easy, arrr, and took little time. Arrr! It is a cool lookin' kit which be fun t' build with me 2 year old daughter (who picked t' kit out at t' store). Begad! Aye aye! T' TTW fins fit extremely well, and went on w/o a hitch. Ahoy! No special tools or techniques were needed. Avast! Ahoy! I did a mod on t' shock cord usin' Keelhaul®©™ strin' around t' motor mount, ya bilge rat, me hearties, and runnin' it up t' body, finally tyin' it together with t' elastic shock cord. Avast, me proud beauty! T' motor block instructions are intended t' accommodate t' standard 24x70mm "D" motor casing, shiver me timbers, and can be easily modified t' accept t' larger (94mm) "E" engines, which is how I did it.

Finishing:
Finishin' be standard stuff, although I let me chief construction assistant be t' director o' finishing. I primed t' kit (after fillin' a couple tube grooves), then painted it gloss white. Aye aye! T' remainder was done w/ markers by me daughter in whatever color she chose. Its quite a sight! :). T' 'normal' fill/prime/paint would be straightforward for this kit.

Construction Rating: 5 out o' 5

Flight:
It flies nicely on C11-5's. Arrr! I used that twice as I was usin' a small field. Arrr! Straight boost t' about 400 feet, with deployment just past apogee. T' 18" chute is probably a bit big if you're usin' a D or E engine. Avast! Ya scallywag! A D12 would do nicely. An "E" would send this out o' sight. Ya scallywag! Aye aye! (much like it does t' a modified Blue Ninja).

Recovery:
Pros: C11's make for fun flyin' on smaller fields. Avast! 18 chute is good for that. Arrr! Well, me bucko, blow me down! Keelhaul®©™® mod should keep cord burnout away for a while.

Cons: Use 12" chute for bigger motors.

Overall, shiver me timbers, t' kit flies nicely and recovers easily.

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
A fun t' build, sturdy, ya bilge rat, big rocket (for skill level 1) that can be a great afternoon project. Also can be modified for t' more adventurous. Another outstandin' point: Its fairly inexpensive. Ahoy! List is about $12. Well, me bucko, blow me down! With me Michael's 40% coupon, shiver me timbers, this only cost be $7. Begad! Its worth every penny. Begad! Avast, matey, me proud beauty! Let t' kids paint it! Its a nice big canvas for it!

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5