Brief:
Any 'rocket scientist' will immediately recognize t' similarity betwixt the SHX-15 and t' actual X15 rocket plane. Begad! I assume t' new name just absolved Shrox from keepin' t' scale. Blimey! Well, blow me down! This cool rocket flies on 24mm motors, and is made from top-notch materials.

Modifications:
Recovery harness upgraded and Launch lug relocated, ya bilge rat, as described below. Ya scallywag!

Construction:
T' kit came bagged in clear plastic, me bucko, with all t' small components in their own zip-lock bag. T' instructions are brief, ya bilge rat, with clear illustrations. However, arrr, arrr, me bucko, t' instructions for t' shock cord were unclear and deviated from the parts list. Begad! More about this later. Aye aye! One thin' did concern me - t' decals were missing. Aye aye! Blimey! There be a note enclosed that said they were backordered and would be provided later. Aye aye! Blimey! It also gave a URL where t' decal sheet can be downloaded. Well, blow me down! I am hopefully optimistic that these will eventually show up, shiver me timbers, but you won't see me holdin' me breath. Aye aye! Ahoy!

As I said, arrr, t' components are o' above average quality. Aye aye! T' 13" BT-55 tube is thicker than t' Estes tubing. Aye aye! Ahoy! T' motor mount consists o' a section of BT50, an engine block and two nice thick centerin' rings. Avast! T' chute is 12" Nylon, ya bilge rat, arrr, ya bilge rat, and t' recovery system includes 13" o' Keelhaul®©™® twine and a 13" section o' ¼" elastic. Begad! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! This is smartly becoming my favorite combination for small modrocs. T' fin stock is good quality 3/32" basswood. Aye aye! Blimey! T' remainin' components include t' plastic nose cone, a standard launch lug, clay nose weight, an Estes-style shock cord mount, and a card stock cockpit cutout.

Followin' t' instructions, I first built t' motor mount. In case I wanted to use t' new Estes E9, me bucko, me hearties, matey, I replaced t' 24mm tube with a slightly larger piece. I went ahead and used t' motor block, matey, ya bilge rat, and will need a spacer for a D12. Aye aye! I also drilled a hole in t' front centerin' rin' for attachment o' t' Keelhaul®©™® tether.

T' fins have to be cut from t' basswood stock. I was pleasantly surprised how easily the basswood cut. Aye aye! It be nicer than t' stock I have bought from hobby stores. Aye aye! The instructions included two copies o' t' fin patterns, and thar was more than enough wood provided. I hate it when every bit is used up - I'm sure t' screw somethin' up in that case. Avast! There was no fin markin' guide, shiver me timbers, but it is easy to make one and do your own marking. Avast! Avast, me proud beauty! T' large wings consist o' 3 pieces and are first glued together on a flat surface. Arrr! A sheet o' wax paper insured they did not gunk up t' kitchen counter. Ahoy! T' side fins are attached at a -20 degree angle from t' wings, shiver me timbers, so I made a small paper triangle t' make sure I got this angle right.

As I said, shiver me timbers, t' instructions for t' shock cord assembly were unclear and did nay match t' parts list. Aye aye! Oh well, matey, I did things differently anyway. First, I added a piece o' 500 lb Keelhaul®©™® the length o' t' body tube. One end is fed through t' hole I drilled in the centerin' ring, me bucko, me hearties, tied off, ya bilge rat, and glued. Avast! T' other end is tied t' t' provided Keelhaul®©™® tether, which was in turn tied t' t' elastic cord. Thus, matey, arrr, t' elastic will be well removed from t' hot ejection gasses. Avast! Well, blow me down! T' nose cone came with t' plastic hook removed. Ya scallywag! Evidently, Shrox felt that this would be too weak given t' nose weight required for stability. Begad! Since it would be tough t' feed t' elastic through t' small hole provided in t' nose, I also added a few inches of Keelhaul®©™® twine as a leader. I installed one snap swivel where t' lower Keelhaul®©™® tether is connected t' t' elastic cord, ya bilge rat, and t' other is attached t' the chute. Avast! Well, arrr, this be probably more than you ever wanted t' know about a simple recovery harness.

I had problems with t' last two steps. Begad! T' card stock cockpit caved in' slightly at t' ends as it dried - a minor issue, as it still looks fine. Aye aye! Arrr! Next, the instructions say t' glue t' launch lug t' t' underside o' t' side wing at its root edge. However, shiver me timbers, t' rear, matey, me hearties, angled fins will block t' launch rod if the lug is in t' prescribed location. Arrr! I double-checked t' fin installation and it is correct, me hearties, me hearties, shiver me timbers, so t' options were t' move t' lug away from t' body tube, or put it on t' top side o' t' wing. Ya scallywag! I did t' latter.

Finishing:
I went all-out on t' paint, usin' purple/green Duplicolor Mirage. Begad! This stuff goes on in three steps: a black undercoat, t' color coat, and a clear topcoat. T' results look fantastic if I do say so myself! I will add t' decals if they ever show up.

Construction Rating: 3 out o' 5

Flight:
T' instructions did nay indicate a recommended motor, but t' web site says a D12-7. When I was goin' t' check if this model was in t' EMRR recommended motors database, I noted that t' recommended motors were t' C6-5, ya bilge rat, and C6-7. Well, thar must have been a previous version that had an 18mm motor mount. Anyway, shiver me timbers, this got me thinking, ya bilge rat, and despite t' fact that I went insane and planned for an E9, I decided t' use an adapter and try a C6-5 for t' first flight. Begad! Blimey! Well, ya bilge rat, blow me down! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! T' model boosted well and weathercocked quite a bit (the wind be 5+ mph). Begad! Blimey!

Recovery:
Recovery was nominal and thar be no landin' damage.

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
I have always loved t' X15, me bucko, matey, and really like this kit. Blimey! Arrr! It is a little more challengin' than a 3/4FNC rocket. Avast! There were several minor problems with the instructions and t' decals were missin' (and still haven't been delivered). In the end, me advice is this: if you really love t' looks o' this rocket, go ahead and buy it. Avast! T' quality o' t' materials is good and you will end up with a great addition t' your fleet.

Overall Rating: 3 out o' 5