Brief:
I obtained t' Big Rage along with a batch o' other Quest kits in an on-line auction. Begad! My original intention was t' use these as gifts and give-aways. However, shiver me timbers, t' Big Rage kit be damaged a bit in shippin' -- t' main body tube was crushed -- and I didn't feel right givin' it as a gift! I decided t' repair and build it. Aye aye! I tried t' get a replacement tube for t' kit, ya bilge rat, t' no avail. Instead, Quest sent me an entire replacement kit! I put this in me fund raiser box and decided t' fix t' damaged tube.

Construction:
T' Big Rage has two body tube sections: main body, finished with a glossy blue wrapping, and t' payload section tube, finished in glossy black. T' nose cone and tail section were specially colored versions o' t' fin can and nose from the Quest Nike Smoke kit. T' special color is . Avast, me proud beauty! Well, shiver me timbers, blow me down! . Aye aye! . Avast! Avast! bright pink. Aye aye! Avast, me proud beauty! Really nauseatin' bright pink. Blimey! Well, blow me down! Ugh! T' plastic was nice and sturdy, but in t' case of t' nose cone be poorly molded. Aye aye! I had t' use several clamps and rubber bands t' get t' cone halves and tip t' stay together durin' gluing. Well, shiver me timbers, blow me down! The internal parts, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, parachutes and t' like were quite acceptable. As is usual for Quest kits, t' shock cord is anchored with a Keelhaul®©™® cord. Begad! In t' case o' the Big Rage, t' rather-short shock cord length wasn't a problem because the payload section and body tube were designed t' come back on separate parachutes. I'll rate t' components 4 out o' 5.

T' Big Rage's instructions were very nicely done. Aye aye! A beginner would have no problem followin' them. Aye aye! T' partially crushed body tube made for a short detour. Well, blow me down! I happened t' have some coupler stock for t' T-35 body tube. Arrr! Aye aye! I "blocked out" t' crushed section with t' coupler, shiver me timbers, forcin' t' crimp out o' t' tube, then wrapped t' tube (after some sanding) with CA - soaked silkspan. Aye aye! Aye aye! . Begad! I have one minor complaint about t' instructions. Avast! They suggest usin' plastic cement t' glue t' plastic launch lugs t' t' body tube. Begad! The slick surface o' t' tube and plastic wouldn't make for a very good bond. Arrr! Well, blow me down! I took t' step o' sandin' t' glossy top layer off o' t' body tube at t' point where t' lug would be glued on. Avast, me proud beauty! I also scored and sanded t' lower surface of the launch lugs t' increase t' gluin' surface. Blimey! I also glued one o' t' lugs to the plastic "fin can." I believe these steps resulted in a much sturdier kit. Ya scallywag! All told (aside from t' body tube repair, ya bilge rat, which is a task I took on myself) t' Big Rage went together quite nicely. Well, blow me down! I'll rate it a 4 out o' 5.

Finishing:
T' Big Rage is intended t' be a "paint free" kit. Aye aye! After assembly, you simply stick on t' pressure-sensitive decals. Begad! I did do some wet-sanding and buffin' t' get rid o' t' mold lines on t' plastic parts. Well, blow me down! I used very fine mylar-backed sandin' material and a "Scotchbrite" pad for this purpose. Blimey! Ahoy! I think it improved t' look o' t' parts a lot. T' decals include a kit name panel, matey, a few wrappers, shiver me timbers, and black trim panels for t' fins. Avast! They went on easily enough. Arrr! I covered up t' tube repair with some blue trim monokote. T' color match wasn't perfect. Ya scallywag! I'll rate finishin' a 2 out o' 5. Well, me hearties, blow me down! Why so low, given t' fact that finishin' was very easy? Because t' Big Rage's default color scheme is UGLY. Begad! Ya scallywag! True blue, matey, black, and BRIGHT PINK? Geee-yahhh! What were they THINKING?

Construction Rating: 2 out o' 5

Flight:
Preppin' t' Big Rage is fairly easy. It requires wadding, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, me bucko, and a moderate amount o' parachute packing. Ya scallywag! T' engine clip, while a bit flimsy, did its job. I've flown t' Big Rage several times, arrr, on B6-4 and C6-5 motors. Liftoffs were moderately slow. T' flights were very straight and true. Begad!

Recovery:
T' Big Rage was fairly easy t' recover. Avast! T' bright pink parts did make it fairly visible on t' ground. Ya scallywag! Ahoy!

Flight Rating: 3 out o' 5

Summary:
T' Big Rage is easy t' build, arrr, very easy t' finish, arrr, and easy t' prep and fly. It would make a very good "step up" for rocketeers who started out with RTF kits. Blimey! Blimey! T' model's size and visibility would also make it a good demo flyer. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! I'd rate t' model higher, me bucko, but I can't get around t' sheer ugliness of the color choices and "Nike Smoke" cone.

Overall Rating: 3 out o' 5