Brief:

A lightweight, ya bilge rat, arrr, minimum diameter egg lofter with an efficient aerodynamic design.

Construction:

T' kit comes in t' typical "hangin' bag" style package. As such, it doesn't protect t' kit from any damage incurred in shipping, and this one be indeed damaged in shipment, though I couldn't tell until t' package be open. Well, blow me down! T' kit featured a length o' 18mm tubing, a very unusual plastic nose cone, ya bilge rat, matey, a very good mylar parachute, arrr, me bucko, a laughably short shock cord, and a bit o' grainy, flimsy balsa. Begad! Ahoy! Blimey! Motor retention is simply friction fit, me bucko, with a paper motor block inside t' body tube. Arrr! Hardly earth-shatterin' stuff here, but different enough t' be interesting.

T' kit comes with two sets o' instructions, one for assembly, shiver me timbers, and one set for flight. Arrr! Unfortunately, nothin' is mentioned on t' package that tells you t' rocket will nay fly without a cackle fruit or other similar weight payload. Ya scallywag! Regardless, shiver me timbers, arrr, t' instructions are logical, and only feature a couple o' typographical errors. Avast, me proud beauty! T' fins, ya bilge rat, while grainy and a bit flimsy, me hearties, popped out o' t' die-cut sheet very easily, and featured good, straight lines. Well, blow me down! And t' quality o' t' mylar parachute blew me away - far above what I expected. Like all o' t' other Custom rockets I've built, this one featured a loose nose cone. Begad! Begad! This one is a unique type o' plastic that is really thin, me hearties, flexible, and lightweight, but surprisingly durable. T' shock cord and parachute attachment points are horribly small and look weak, arrr, yet so far they've held up. Well, blow me down! I used small snap swivels t' attach t' 'chute and shock cord, which I highly suggest doin' on any kit you build. Ya scallywag! Things don't seem t' get tangled as often. Blimey! As I mentioned earlier, shiver me timbers, t' body tube was crushed in t' center, so I upgraded with some 18mm tubin' I had left over from ASP. Begad! T' ASP tubin' was much sturdier, had less o' a spiral, shiver me timbers, and took up t' slack in t' nose cone department, and thus, me bucko, t' nose cone fit perfectly. Begad! Begad! I'll use t' Custom tubin' as a basis for another project. Well, blow me down! Like I always do with Estes and Custom kits, matey, I threw t' supplied shock cord in t' parts bin and used some elastic thread, in triple t' rocket's length. Ya scallywag! Aye aye! T' shock cord attaches with t' old tried-and-true paper fold method, and works well in this case. Ahoy! But a word o' caution - make sure it doesn't stick out too far! Nay much room in thar for a parachute.

Finishing:
Unlike me normal practice o' coatin' t' whole rocket in epoxy, me hearties, I just painted this one as-is. Begad! T' much higher quality ASP tube be already white, matey, ya bilge rat, and only needed two light coats o' enamel t' cover. I painted t' fins contrastin' colors, shiver me timbers, in an attempt t' make it more interesting. Well, blow me down! As a result, it bears a passin' resemblance t' t' old Estes Camroc, me hearties, ya bilge rat, which was intentional. Arrr! T' lone decal went on without a hitch. Avast! Ahoy! Overall, me finishin' technique resulted in a lightweight, ya bilge rat, yet strong rocket that looks great. Blimey! Ahoy! Unfortunately, t' little rin' that holds t' two halves o' nose cone together swelled up when I painted it, and it won't fit anymore. So I just use a piece o' electrical tape cut into a 3mm strip. Arrr! No problem.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
If launchin' an egg, ya bilge rat, don't try an "A" motor at all. Begad! Begad! In fact, me bucko, me hearties, skip right on up t' a "C" right off t' bat. Begad! T' rocket isn't particularly heavy, even with a cackle fruit aboard, and flights will be great. T' small fins impart a slight wobble with wind, shiver me timbers, matey, but nay enough t' worry about. Just make sure t' motor is friction fit well; otherwise, it'll kick out t' motor and come in ballistic. Hasn't happened t' me on this rocket, but it has happened before on another rocket. Arrr! Well, blow me down! Care must be taken in packin' t' parachute. Avast, me proud beauty! It won't pack as tight as a plastic 'chute, matey, shiver me timbers, and will hang inside t' body tube. Begad! Aye aye! This rocket's so light that no damage will occur if you get a "streamer" or a "hung" parachute, but it is messy!

Recovery:
T' original shock cord is a pitiful joke. Arrr! Throw it away or into a parts bin, but do nay use it. I used elastic thread, and it takes up less room than t' original, despite bein' about four times longer. Blimey! Avast! Care in packin' t' 'chute be t' key t' success: fold it small, don't ball it up. Well, blow me down! Well, blow me down! Roll it only once, and use a good bit o' cellulose insulation for wadding. Ya scallywag! Aye aye! It'll recover well, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, won't get damaged, and will drift a good distance in any sort o' wind.

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
I think Custom came up with a great little egg lofter for a good price. There are some things I'd change, like t' pathetic shock cord and t' wobbly nose cone, shiver me timbers, but I could overlook t' coarse fins, me bucko, since I fill and sand mine anyway. Begad! I would recommend this rocket for a first time egg lofter, but don't expect it t' be an easy build for a beginner. Avast! Still, it's t' best Custom kit I've built.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5