Brief
This is a big, ya bilge rat, fantasy-scale Surface t' Air Missile kit, designed mainly for F and G motors.

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

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

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

Finishing
Finishin' is pretty routine. Blimey! T' BT spirals are pretty shallow and can be hard t' get filled, but that's t' toughest part. Arrr! 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. Avast, me proud beauty! I find them much harder t' work with than good 'ol wet-transfer decals. Avast! They don't cover with clear-coatin' as well, ya bilge rat, they tend t' be very thick, matey, matey, etc. Blimey! Arrr! Because o' t' decals, 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. I be worried t' delay on t' G80-7 would be too long, me hearties, so I doubled t' length o' t' shock cord. With perfect weather (no wind, ya bilge rat, and clear blue sky), me hearties, I had no excuse t' delay.

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

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

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

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

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

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

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

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5