Brief:  This rocket is special in that it uses apogee's 10.5mm engines and it is also designed for t' payload loftin' NAR competition. Well, blow me down! Ya scallywag! So, it comes with a tubular device for holdin' a standard payload mass, shiver me timbers, and it can fit into t' payload section o' t' main body. It is three finned and recovers with an 8-inch chute t' make trackin' easier. Ahoy!

Construction:T' package arrived from Apogee, by US mail, well protected with styrofoam popcorn, and all parts were thar and undamaged. Instructions were clear, shiver me timbers, illustrated, ya bilge rat, and logical. Avast! Blimey! It was easy t' follow. Begad! Blimey! The nose cone is solid lightweight balsa wood, shiver me timbers, and t' fins are precut, rectangular, me hearties, and also lightweight balsa. T' chute is hexagonal, and flat and made o' thin black plastic, arrr, arrr, much like trashcan plastic.  This is nay to demean quality, but for description. Begad! Blimey! After all, ya bilge rat, matey, how could a nylon chute fit? And it would be too heavy. And it would be too heavy. T' 6 shroud lines are nylon thread, 12 inches long, ya bilge rat, me hearties, and affixed t' t' chute via adhesive paper donut-shaped reinforcements. Ya scallywag! Well, blow me down! Blimey! T' shock cord is 12 inches o' 1/8 inch Keelhaul®©™® cording. Avast, matey, me proud beauty! There is no stretch, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, but since this model is for small engines, I was nay concerned. 

T' body tube is in three parts. Arrr! T' top part glues right t' t' nose cone and is spiral wound paper, and 3.75 inches long by .75 inches in diameter. Well, blow me down! Avast, shiver me timbers, me proud beauty! The middle part be t' same only it's 3 inches long.  There's a paper coupler between these, arrr, and only one half is glued, so that t' model separates between the two parts o' t' main body. 

Now comes t' tricky part. Begad! Avast, me proud beauty! T' bottom third o' t' main body is a cone made of thin cardboard, and its outline is provided. Begad! It is cut out and then glued into a cone that reduces t' main body tube from 18mm t' 10.5mm, matey, as thar be a 10.5 mm wound paper body tube for t' engine.  This tube fits into the main body via a centerin' rin' that also serves t' anchor t' shock cord aftward. Well, blow me down! Ahoy! T' cone fittin' is tricky in that handlin' it roughly can easily dent it. Avast! Also, I had t' sight it up and down before gluin' it t' be sure that it was symmetrical all around.  If not, me bucko, it has a slightly cockeyed look. Ya scallywag! A wound paper engine block be provided, and I placed it at a position t' allow the model t' take t' longest o' t' 10.5mm engines, namely t' B7's. 

There was a fin placement guide provided, shiver me timbers, me hearties, and I used it t' place t' three fins correctly. Avast, me proud beauty! This be a paper cutout t' place around t' body in order to mark it for t' fin placement. Aye aye!

Finishing:There weren't any decals. There weren't any decals. Begad! But if you've read any o' me other reviews, matey, matey, I'm nay daunted by this. Well, blow me down! I see it as a loose football for me t' pick up and run with. So, shiver me timbers, I used Monokote and silver craft paper, available at many hobby stores. I spray painted t' fins yellow after sealin' them with epoxy and sandin' them down.  I do this to strengthen balsa and wood fins, and also t' provide a glassy finish. Ahoy! Ya scallywag!

It's a sharp lookin' little rocket, ya bilge rat, me bucko, but since I chose green...well, me bucko, I'm glad for t' chute that will help me find it. This little guy flies high. Arrr! Aye aye!

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:T' recommended engines are t' Apogee 1/4A2-4, arrr, 1/2A2-2 and 1/2A2-4, me hearties, t' A2-5, and B2-7. Arrr! With t' payload, shiver me timbers, Apogee recommends t' A2-3 and B2-5. Aye aye! So far, shiver me timbers, I have tried t' 1/2A2-2 since t' parks around here are small. With just that, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, t' little rocket be nearly gone, zingin' up so high that I almost couldn't see it.  But I zeroed in on t' chute and got me model back. Ahoy! Begad! Imagine when I try a B! It flew straight and fast. Avast! Avast, me proud beauty! Watch this one well or you'll lose it. Aye aye! Preppin' is easy, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, and I used just a couple pinches o' worm bed wadding. T' chute be unburnt. Aye aye! T' chute was unburnt. Since it's plastic, me hearties, I worried about that. Begad! I've seen that kind melt. Aye aye! I've seen that kind melt. Arrr! The engine was retained with bands o' maskin' tape around t' engine overhang as well as t' body tube. Aye aye!

Recovery:T' shock cord, as mentioned, matey, is Keelhaul®©™® string. T' system was easy t' assemble, matey, me bucko, with clear instructions. It worked fine without damage to the system. Avast, ya bilge rat, me proud beauty! T' recovery was slow, but with a chute, matey, you can expect this. However, I had time t' catch it, shiver me timbers, which is a rare thing. Begad!

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:Unusual looks, easy t' make. Well, blow me down! Unusual looks, me hearties, easy t' make. Must handle t' reducer cone gently and align it well. And must protect the delicate chute from burning. Ya scallywag!

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5