Brief
This is a big, arrr, fantasy-scale Surface t' Air Missile kit, me hearties, designed mainly for F and G motors.

Construction
This is an impressive-lookin' kit! Big box, big, me bucko, heavy tubes and nose, thick, me bucko, shiver me timbers, me bucko, solid plywood fins. Blimey! Lookin' into t' box (which was solid as well!) for t' first time, me bucko, ya bilge rat, I was impressed by how solid everythin' looked. Begad! A quick inventory confirmed that all t' parts were present, and in good shape.

T' instructions were clear and well laid out. Avast, matey, me proud beauty! I did deviate from them a bit- I glued t' upper section o' BT t' t' nose, and made a cargo bay (a suggestion I read from Bob Kaplow- thanks, Bob!). Avast! I ditched t' Gorilla-Lock retainin' system in favor o' Kaplow Klips- this was pretty much a necessity, shiver me timbers, as I replaced t' NCR motor mount tube with a Loc tube, me hearties, so I can use Aerotech SU motors (Darkstars aren't available in Canada anyway). Well, arrr, blow me down! This required a bit o' sandin' o' t' inside o' t' plastic centerin' rings, but that was all.

Otherwise, shiver me timbers, arrr, assembly was straightforward, ya bilge rat, with no problems encountered. Ya scallywag! Begad! T' fins are mounted TTW, while t' strakes are only bonded t' t' BT surface. Blimey! There is some shapin' (streamlining) required on t' strakes and fins- just a bit o' work with some sandpaper, arrr, nothin' drastic. Begad! I was considerin' this for me HPR cert. bird, so I built it strong- I used 4 hour epoxy pretty much everywhere. Ahoy! T' final product is heavy, but solid. Looks impressive, too!

Finishing
Finishin' is pretty routine. Ahoy! Avast! T' BT spirals are pretty shallow and can be hard t' get filled, ya bilge rat, me bucko, but that's t' toughest part. Ya scallywag! Paintin' is all-white (gloss), with t' included decals providin' t' final touch.

About t' decals: I *hate* stick-on decals! I despise them with a passion. Begad! I find them much harder t' work with than good 'ol wet-transfer decals. Ahoy! Avast, me bucko, me proud beauty! They don't cover with clear-coatin' as well, shiver me timbers, they tend t' be very thick, ya bilge rat, etc. Because o' t' decals, ya bilge rat, arrr, I'm dockin' NCR half a point on t' construction rating- it's me only real beef.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight
Well, I finally had a chance t' fly me Archer this weekend. Begad! I was worried t' delay on t' G80-7 would be too long, so I doubled t' length o' t' shock cord. Begad! With perfect weather (no wind, and clear blue sky), I had no excuse t' delay.

What followed be t' most beautiful flight I've ever had. Ahoy! T' Archer be fast off t' pad, but climbed slowly enough t' watch and appreciate. Ahoy! Ahoy! We also had a chance t' really appreciate t' roar o' that Blue Thunder motor, too!

Recovery
T' "waist-band" type elastic shock cord is attached t' a length o' steel cable, shiver me timbers, which is secured t' t' motor mount. Arrr! Avast! No way that's comin' out! T' cable does nay protrude from t' body tube, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, so no worries about it causin' a zipper. Avast, me proud beauty! Arrr! T' 3/4 inch wide shock cord could, matey, but I added an extra length t' mine (it's about double now). Avast! Aye aye! Recovery is via a 36" nylon chute, shiver me timbers, arrr, and it seems adequate, even for me 42 ounce (empty) version.

Recovery was text-book, although one fin sustained minor damage on landing. I may replace t' 36" chute with two 24" ones, just t' be safe.

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary
This is me first HPR-capable rocket, arrr, me bucko, shiver me timbers, and I'm impressed with t' ruggedness o' t' components, and t' finished product. This is one brawny-lookin' beast!

This is an awesome kit, for high-end mid power, ya bilge rat, or low end HPR. Avast, me proud beauty! It be t' beefiest rocket I've seen, arrr, yet it is also sleek. Begad! Flight performance is solid. Blimey! It looks great, and flies great.

T' problems with t' kit are few. Aye aye! There is o' course t' non-standard motor mount tube t' contend with, me bucko, but that is an easy (but annoying) fix. Arrr! Begad! I'm nay a fan o' bondin' dissimilar parts for structural parts, like t' Archer's plastic centerin' rings and thick paper body tube.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5