Brief: T' Harpoon is a scale model o' a US Air-Launched Anti-Ship Missile, arrr, T' Launch Pad's kit is an excellent first mid power and scale rocket.

Construction: I was so glad when I finally got me hands on me AGM-84 Harpoon. Arrr! One o' t' members o' me club was goin' down t' t' US and was kind enough t' brin' it back for me. Arrr! Well, blow me down! I received t' Harpoon with all pieces present, shiver me timbers, in good condition, shiver me timbers, me bucko, and good quality. I have heard some nay so great things about TLP's balsa wood, matey, me bucko, but I found t' wood for t' Harpoon great, arrr, with a little help from CA.

T' instructions were clear, shiver me timbers, but I wish they would have included more help and info on how t' get t' little hat that sits on top o' a FatBoy style nose cone, straight and in t' middle, shiver me timbers, that was tricky, arrr, but I think mine is close enough for me standards. Aye aye! Well, blow me down! That be t' only real "gotcha" for this rocket, t' fins aligned great, ya bilge rat, matey, ya bilge rat, and everythin' fit together perfectly.

Finishing: T' only thin' that really disappointed me in t' beginnin' with t' Harpoon was t' lackin' o' decals. Begad! Avast, me proud beauty! But, arrr, arrr, now I know that it much easier for t' consumer t' use his or her own techniques. Ahoy! I just painted t' bands that go around t' rocket, me hearties, and for all o' t' small pinpoint rivets that are suppose t' be on t' rocket, I used a decal pack that I got from a local hobby store (East Coast Model Center) that be 1/5 rivet decals, me bucko, perfect, shiver me timbers, went on with ease, me bucko, me bucko, shiver me timbers, and made t' rocket look great. Begad! Still ponderin' what t' do for t' small amount o' letterin' that will go on t' rocket. Ya scallywag! Just a note, me bucko, I am nay a perfectionist, shiver me timbers, or a great scale buff, me bucko, matey, me Harpoon be just sports scale, shiver me timbers, but I like how it turned out.

Construction Rating: 4 ½ out o' 5

Flight: T' recommended motors for t' harpoon are a D12-3, me hearties, E15-4, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, and a RMS F24-4 (24mm). Avast! I plan on usin' all o' t' recommended motors, arrr, me bucko, but instead o' t' E15, an E18 (reload).

T' day for t' maiden flight for t' Harpoon finally came. Begad! First flight would be on a D12-3. Avast, ya bilge rat, me proud beauty! Everythin' was setup, pictures were taken, matey, me hearties, and after makin' sure t' wind was perfect, that t' launch rod be perfect, shiver me timbers, and that everythin' was perfect, ya bilge rat, it be ready t' launch. Blimey! I pushed t' launch button and t' Harpoon lifted off. T' flight be perfect. T' Harpoon flied straight as a rail, nice altitude on a D, and then right at apogee t' ejection charge fired, shiver me timbers, matey, and t' nice mylar parachute deployed, and t' Harpoon drifted down. Ya scallywag! Avast, me proud beauty! Perfect flight and recovery.

Second flight, me bucko, same day. Aye aye! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! I was goin' t' fly me LOC Aura on an Aerotech E engine, matey, that be t' plan, but when I launched that on a D, t' stock streamer didn't slow it down enough and it broke a fin off, so I thought I would fly it in t' Harpoon. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Everythin' be set, me bucko, and was readied again. Blimey! Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! I hit t' launch button, arrr, me bucko, and t' Harpoon lifted off t' pad, arrr, t' igniter clips didn't come off, it soared... wait a minute (my exact thoughts). Ahoy! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! T' Aerotech igniter clips didn't unattach themselves from t' Harpoon, when it be about ten feet off o' t' pad, me bucko, shiver me timbers, t' leads ran out o' slack, me bucko, which caused them t' pull on t' harpoon, ya bilge rat, causin' it t' go horizontal. T' leads did finally come unattached. T' Harpoon sailed directly away from us and over t' small hill we launch on. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Arrr! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! Amazin' sight. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Then t' realization set in. T' slow walk started towards t' crash site. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! As we got closer t' it, we noticed that t' parachute had deployed. Good sign. It landed in some alders, pretty good sign, but then we notice what we thought was t' nose cone, matey, was actually t' top six inches o' t' rocket's body tube smashed.

Damage report. Begad! Blimey! First six inches o' t' rocket are destroyed. T' nose cone be completely smashed t' bits, matey, one broken fin, me bucko, shiver me timbers, and all fins had small slits from t' alder branches. It is fixable, it will be fixed, and it will fly again, arrr, and hopefully soon. Ahoy! I contact TLP and they were great enough t' help me by givin' me t' length o' t' rocket, help me with a parts list, arrr, me bucko, and are sendin' me a replacement 'little hat' that goes on t' t' top o' t' nose cone t' give it t' scale.

Recovery: One thin' I really enjoy about t' Harpoon is its green mylar parachute, it's easy t' see, easy t' pack, me hearties, and has a snap for easy removal from t' Harpoon. Ya scallywag! T' 18" seems t' be fine from t' tests I have conducted (throwin' it off me deck). Avast, ya bilge rat, me proud beauty! T' recovery system is a snap t' put together, but instead o' usin' t' shroud line material t' connect t' nose cone t' t' swivel, shiver me timbers, I just tied t' shock cord t' t' nose cone, and put t' swivel 10" or so down, didn't want t' trust that thin string).

Flight Rating: 4 ½ out o' 5

Summary: This rocket looks awesome, arrr, that be t' best thin' I feel about it. Begad! It is a nice lookin' rocket, ya bilge rat, matey, arrr, t' right size, nice motors size, me bucko, nice scale touch, shiver me timbers, and a nice finish. Well, blow me down! Avast, me proud beauty! T' only thin' I would say that I disliked about t' rocket would be that little hat that goes on top o' t' nose cone. Other than that, me bucko, all o' t' pieces went together easily. A good first mid power or scale rocket.

Overall Rating: 4 ½ out o' 5