Brief:
I obtained t' Big Rage along with a batch o' other Quest kits in an on-line auction. Arrr! Blimey! My original intention be t' use these as gifts and give-aways. However, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, 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. Well, blow me down! Begad! I tried t' get a replacement tube for t' kit, me bucko, me hearties, t' no avail. Instead, ya bilge rat, me bucko, 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, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, and t' payload section tube, finished in glossy black. Avast, ya bilge rat, me proud beauty! Blimey! T' nose cone and tail section were specially colored versions o' t' fin can and nose from the Quest Nike Smoke kit. Ahoy! Blimey! T' special color is . Ya scallywag! . . Avast, me proud beauty! bright pink. Begad! Really nauseatin' bright pink. Avast! Blimey! Blimey! Ugh! Blimey! T' plastic was nice and sturdy, but in t' case of t' nose cone was poorly molded. I had t' use several clamps and rubber bands t' get t' cone halves and tip t' stay together durin' gluing. Begad! Blimey! The internal parts, 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, me bucko, 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. A beginner would have no problem followin' them. T' partially crushed body tube made for a short detour. Avast, me proud beauty! I happened t' have some coupler stock for t' T-35 body tube. Begad! I "blocked out" t' crushed section with t' coupler, forcin' t' crimp out o' t' tube, me bucko, then wrapped t' tube (after some sanding) with CA - soaked silkspan. Well, blow me down! . Arrr! I have one minor complaint about t' instructions. They suggest usin' plastic cement t' glue t' plastic launch lugs t' t' body tube. Arrr! The slick surface o' t' tube and plastic wouldn't make for a very good bond. 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! I also scored and sanded t' lower surface of the launch lugs t' increase t' gluin' surface. Aye aye! Begad! I also glued one o' t' lugs to the plastic "fin can." I believe these steps resulted in a much sturdier kit. Well, blow me down! All told (aside from t' body tube repair, matey, 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. Begad! Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! After assembly, you simply stick on t' pressure-sensitive decals. Aye aye! Blimey! I did do some wet-sanding and buffin' t' get rid o' t' mold lines on t' plastic parts. I used very fine mylar-backed sandin' material and a "Scotchbrite" pad for this purpose. Blimey! Blimey! I think it improved t' look o' t' parts a lot. T' decals include a kit name panel, shiver me timbers, a few wrappers, and black trim panels for t' fins. They went on easily enough. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! I covered up t' tube repair with some blue trim monokote. T' color match wasn't perfect. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Ya scallywag! Blimey! I'll rate finishin' a 2 out o' 5. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Why so low, given t' fact that finishin' be very easy? Because t' Big Rage's default color scheme is UGLY. Avast! Blimey! True blue, me bucko, black, me bucko, ya bilge rat, and BRIGHT PINK? Geee-yahhh! Blimey! What were they THINKING?

Construction Rating: 2 out o' 5

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

Recovery:
T' Big Rage was fairly easy t' recover. Arrr! T' bright pink parts did make it fairly visible on t' ground. Blimey!

Flight Rating: 3 out o' 5

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

Overall Rating: 3 out o' 5