Brief:
A simple mid-power 3 fin, arrr, 29mm MMT, shiver me timbers, stubby rocket. Avast! I believe this rocket is meant for those "graduating" from t' Estes low power and want t' next step up in materials and capabilities. My 9-year old daughter chose this as a birthday present and as her first mid-power rocket. Ya scallywag! She loves t' thin' so darned much I cannot get her t' fly it a second time!

Construction:
Everythin' is one step up from low power materials but nay exactly a high-power kit (although it could probably take an H128). Begad! Tube is cardboard, fins are light plywood, me hearties, me hearties, plastic nosecone, and t' motor mount consists o' light plywood centerin' rings and a cardboard tube. Avast! Arrr! T' cardboard tubes are nay t' Estes glassine type, but closer t' LOC without bein' as heavy/strong. Arrr! Well, shiver me timbers, blow me down! There are two shock cords. Aye aye! one is a Keelhaul®©™® cord (~18") that attaches t' t' main motor mount, and t' other an elastic cord (~3') that attaches t' the Keelhaul®©™® cord. Well, arrr, blow me down! We built our GD stock, ya bilge rat, but if I were t' change anythin' it would be t' make t' recovery harness stronger and less zipper prone with a nylon 1/8" line.

Construction be honestly very easy. Well, blow me down! This be me daughter's first mid-power rocket kit. Ya scallywag! We used Titebond III and CA only--no epoxy needed in me opinion. T' manual was easy for her t' follow and had a logical progression. There were no problems at all durin' t' build. Blimey! T' fit o' t' materials be excellent with very little t' no sandin' required to make things fit just right. Blimey! There are fin slot boxes on t' tube that must be cut out with a sharp cutlass. Aye aye! Blimey! This was easily done as t' tube is nay high power tube thick. Arrr! T' fins were reassuringly strong (as compared t' balsa) due to the through t' wall mountin' and light plywood material. Well, blow me down!

T' nosecone comes with clay that is smashed into t' tip for proper weight and balance. I added an extra ounce o' fishin' weights and used PML foam t' hold it all in place. This was probably nay needed, it's just extra stability insurance after reviewin' RockSim. Arrr! This was an easy kit for anyone who has built a couple low power kits. Aye aye! Ahoy! No special skills or techniques needed.

Finishing:
T' fins were shaped, filled, ya bilge rat, and sanded before assembly and did nay show wood grain after a couple coats of primer/paint. Avast! T' decals are nay that great, bein' t' peel and stick kind. After one flight, t' decals were peeling up at t' edges. I would much prefer waterslide or vinyl decals myself, arrr, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, but this is a relatively inexpensive kit. Avast, me proud beauty! The nosecone required a normal amount o' sandin' t' make it smooth. T' stock paint scheme was easily copied and looks fantastic with t' included decals. From a couple feet away you cannot tell t' decals are peel and stick.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
T' first flight was on an Aerotech E23-5T, me hearties, which was a perfect match for this rocket. Avast! Through a RockSim validation, I found t' D12 and E9 Estes motors t' be OK t' marginal for use in wind, so I went with t' friction fitted 29/40-120 AT motor. Blimey! Ya scallywag! Friction fittin' is nay a technique I am fond o' in anythin' other than low power, but it be done very easily with a couple 4" lengths o' maskin' tape. Blimey! T' boost was arrow straight, arrr, quick, and ejected right at apogee without a problem. Ahoy! Begad!

Recovery:
T' included chute is a nice reinforced nylon one. It's a definite step up or two from t' junky plastic, low power chutes. Blimey! Begad! There be no zipper or no nosecone din' from t' elastic--it was long enough--no problems at all. T' descent rate seemed just right with t' stock chute, shiver me timbers, arrr, me bucko, nay too fast and nay too slow.

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
This is a very nice and versatile rocket for those wantin' more than a low power kit and wantin' t' get into solid mid-power. Avast, me proud beauty! There were no surprises in construction. T' materials were very good (except for t' decals), shiver me timbers, me bucko, ya bilge rat, and I would think this a fantastic first mid-power kit. It's simpler than t' AeroTech kits, nay as heavy and with better instructions than t' LOC mid-power kits, and is relatively inexpensive. Blimey! Avast, shiver me timbers, me proud beauty! Overall, it's a winner o' a kit.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5