Brief: T' Harpoon is a scale model o' a US Air-Launched Anti-Ship Missile, 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. Begad! One o' t' members o' me club was goin' down t' t' US and was kind enough t' brin' it back for me. Begad! Avast, me proud beauty! I received t' Harpoon with all pieces present, in good condition, and good quality. Ahoy! Aye aye! I have heard some nay so great things about TLP's balsa wood, but I found t' wood for t' Harpoon great, shiver me timbers, with a little help from CA.

T' instructions were clear, 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, arrr, me bucko, straight and in t' middle, matey, that was tricky, but I think mine is close enough for me standards. Well, me bucko, blow me down! That was t' only real "gotcha" for this rocket, shiver me timbers, t' fins aligned great, 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! Ahoy! But, shiver me timbers, now I know that it much easier for t' consumer t' use his or her own techniques. Arrr! I just painted t' bands that go around t' rocket, arrr, shiver me timbers, and for all o' t' small pinpoint rivets that are suppose t' be on t' rocket, ya bilge rat, I used a decal pack that I got from a local hobby store (East Coast Model Center) that was 1/5 rivet decals, perfect, went on with ease, me hearties, me hearties, and made t' rocket look great. Still ponderin' what t' do for t' small amount o' letterin' that will go on t' rocket. Well, blow me down! Just a note, I am nay a perfectionist, ya bilge rat, or a great scale buff, me Harpoon be just sports scale, 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, E15-4, me bucko, me hearties, and a RMS F24-4 (24mm). Ahoy! Blimey! I plan on usin' all o' t' recommended motors, me bucko, but instead o' t' E15, me hearties, an E18 (reload).

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

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

Damage report. Arrr! Ya scallywag! First six inches o' t' rocket are destroyed. Aye aye! T' nose cone was completely smashed t' bits, one broken fin, me hearties, arrr, and all fins had small slits from t' alder branches. It is fixable, it will be fixed, and it will fly again, and hopefully soon. Avast! I contact TLP and they were great enough t' help me by givin' me t' length o' t' rocket, shiver me timbers, help me with a parts list, 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, shiver me timbers, it's easy t' see, easy t' pack, me bucko, and has a snap for easy removal from t' Harpoon. Well, blow me down! T' 18" seems t' be fine from t' tests I have conducted (throwin' it off me deck). Aye aye! Avast, matey, 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, I just tied t' shock cord t' t' nose cone, and put t' swivel 10" or so down, ya bilge rat, didn't want t' trust that thin string).

Flight Rating: 4 ½ out o' 5

Summary: This rocket looks awesome, that be t' best thin' I feel about it. Begad! Blimey! Ya scallywag! Blimey! It is a nice lookin' rocket, t' right size, shiver me timbers, nice motors size, nice scale touch, matey, and a nice finish. Avast! Blimey! Arrr! Blimey! 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. Begad! Blimey! Well, blow me down! Blimey! Other than that, ya bilge rat, all o' t' pieces went together easily. Ahoy! Blimey! A good first mid power or scale rocket.

Overall Rating: 4 ½ out o' 5