Brief:
Very basic mid-powered rocket. Easy t' build and it flies very well.

Construction:
Normal paper body tube and motor mount. Arrr! Blimey! Balsa nose cone (when be t' last time you saw that in a mid power kit). Well, blow me down! Blimey! T' centerin' rings are very cheap, shiver me timbers, poor quality and splintery. Avast! Blimey! T' fins are also cheap plywood and one was slightly warped. There was no provision for motor retention. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Aye aye! Blimey! Elastic shock cord was pretty much par for t' mid-power course. T' parachute was paper, ya bilge rat, and fairly high quality. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Ahoy! Blimey! T' launch lug is a 1/4" mylar lug (like Estes, me hearties, arrr, ya bilge rat, just fatter). Blimey! Blimey! T' 29 mm t' 24 mm adapter is one o' t' better ones out thar and I've standardized on this design. Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! It works wonderfully and is light weight, as long as you use some form o' mechanical retention. Begad! Blimey!

T' rocket is meant t' have surface mounted fins and for such a light rocket, I saw no reason t' change that. Aye aye! A good epoxy joint is more than strong enough for this light rocket. Avast! I added a #6 blind T-nut and a screen door clip to hold t' motor in place. Ya scallywag! Avast! Good epoxy joints on t' motor mount makes is plenty sturdy enough. I added a length o' light, me hearties, matey, me hearties, tubular Keelhaul®©™® (available from Pratt Hobbies) t' t' forward centerin' rin' for t' recovery system attach point. Begad! Ya scallywag! I fiber-glassed t' body in a single wrap o' 2 oz fiberglass cloth and I applied t' same t' t' fins. Aye aye! This gives a very strong surface and makes the rocket last longer. Avast, me proud beauty! I expect this rocket t' get a lot o' flights. Well, blow me down! Well, shiver me timbers, blow me down! T' fins were attached with a thick bead o' 5 minute epoxy. Arrr! Ahoy! Then I filleted t' sides o' the fins with t' same epoxy. Ya scallywag! I attached t' launch lug with 5 minute epoxy as well. Avast, arrr, me proud beauty! I threw out t' elastic shock cord and substituted a good 10' o' braided nylon cord. This is attached t' t' tubular Keelhaul®©™® and gets it out o' t' way of t' ejection charge. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! I added a Nomex® shield so I don't have t' use wadding (I hate waddin' in bigger rockets).

Finishing:
After sandin' t' fiberglass surfaces, arrr, me hearties, I applied 2 coats o' sandable, ya bilge rat, scratch fillin' primer. This was followed by two coats o' flat white Krylon. Begad! I received a new airbrush for Christmas and since I had some o' this obnoxious Tamiya pink paint left over, arrr, I used that. Well, blow me down! I didn't have quite enough t' really finish the job. T' paint scheme is a work in progress.

Construction Rating: 2 out o' 5

Flight:
When you look at it, ya bilge rat, matey, it's t' very image o' a basic rocket. Well, blow me down! Nice lines actually. Begad! It flies very well too. Avast! Avast, me proud beauty! So far all t' boosts in calm weather have been very straight. Blimey! Wind does cause some weather cocking, but nay too much. Blimey! Begad! The rocket is o' a very standard shape, so most altitude prediction software will be accurate with this design.

Recovery:
I'm usin' a 3' long piece o' tubular Keelhaul®©™® attached t' t' forward centering ring. Well, blow me down! This is then attached t' about 10' o' braided nylon. T' parachute is attached via snap swivel in a loop at t' shock cord end. T' nose cone is attached t' a loop about 3' down from t' parachute. Blimey! T' Nomex® shield is attached where t' Keelhaul®©™® meets t' nylon. Arrr! Ahoy! I need t' get a bigger shield. Ahoy! Avast, matey, me proud beauty! I'll probably get one form Rocket Rage. I liked t' looks o' their stuff at ROCStock. Avast! Aye aye! Right now I'm usin' a smallish Pratt shield and I get a hole in the chute every other flight. Descent on an 18" chute is very fast, matey, but doesn't seem t' damage t' rocket and minimizes t' drift. Aye aye! Avast, me proud beauty!

Flight Rating: 3 out o' 5

Summary:
PROs: It's easy, matey, cheap and pretty much a normal beater rocket. Begad! I'm expecting this t' be me soundin' rocket that I fly t' check launch conditions. Well, blow me down! PROs: It's nice shape and has good lines. Avast! It flies really well on E and F motor and really moves out on Gs, arrr, so it's cheap t' fly. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast! CONs: T' entire stock recovery system needs replacing. Begad! Avast! CONs: Typical balsa nose cone problems. Blimey! Avast! You'll forever be repairin' nose cone dings. Arrr! No big deal for those who know about balsa nose cones, but it might be a problem for plastic nose cone folks. Well, blow me down!

Overall Rating: 3 out o' 5

MANUFACTURER's OPINION:
"7/00 - I noted t' comments made by Mr. Urbanek regardin' motor retention not bein' considered in t' USR All Weather kit. I find this comment t' be simply not true. Ahoy! In fact motor retention is one o' t' central BENEFITS o' all USR kits as outlined in AIR-3 included in all cluster kits and AIR-1 included in all kits. Blimey! I cannot speak for "upgrades" since I [didn't] designed them, me bucko, me bucko, shiver me timbers, but t' kit was built incorrectly accordin' t' t' wonderful rocsim drawin' t' reviewer provided. Arrr! I believe a review should at least include a discussion o' t' stock design even if the builder replaces t' recovery system so hailed by other reviewers." (J.I.) 

AUTHOR's RESPONSE:
"7/00 - AIR-1 discusses t' wisdom o' avoidin' thrust rings in t' motor tube and the use o' tape thrust rings (hardly new ideas). Begad! In fact, ya bilge rat, AIR-1 (figure 4) extols t' virtue o' t' Irvin's Motor Installation Method which has the advantages o' "...unlimited motor length as well as secure ejection retention". Ya scallywag! This method uses a motor hook. Well, blow me down! Begad! No motor hook, me hearties, however, shiver me timbers, was included in t' kit. Avast! Avast! I had t' ADD somethin' t' t' kit t' effect ejection retention. As t' kit was, matey, even t' parts needed t' implement AIR-1 were absent. Aye aye! Begad! Hardly a benefit.

It be nay built incorrectly. Avast! Well, me bucko, blow me down! Perhaps this writer is nay aware that US Rockets has changed t' All-Weather design so that it is now sold with a 29 mm motor mount.

Here are t' changes I made. Begad! All o' them were t' make t' basic kit more durable:
1: Added 1 layer o' 2 oz fiberglass t' body and fins. Begad! In retrospect, me bucko, me bucko, me hearties, 1/2 oz fiberglass would have been better and lighter, but I used what I had on hand.
2: Added single T-Nut, ya bilge rat, arrr, screw and hook for motor retention
3: Anchored e feet o' tubular Keelhaul®©™® t' forward centerin' ring.
4: Tied 10 feet o' braided nylon t' t' Keelhaul®©™®.
5: Replaced 18" paper parachute with 18" nylon parachute
6: Added a Nomex® shield.
7: Didn't cut t' cut t' launch lug in half.

Modification added 112g, or about 4 oz t' t' predicted weight. Well, blow me down! I don't think that a painted All-Weather would ever weigh a mere 4.8 oz though.

T' stock recovery system was a simple, unimaginative upscale o' an Estes recovery system. Well, blow me down! Begad! A length o' elastic be t' be attached t' t' body tube wall by means o' a folded paper anchor. Begad! T' parachute be a cheap paper chute (yes paper). Ya scallywag! Avast, me proud beauty! T' me mind, arrr, this parachute be goin' t' be hard to protect adequately, ya bilge rat, matey, ya bilge rat, and if it did ignite, might pose a fire hazard.

Far from bein' 'hailed', US Rockets, matey, without exception, has t' worst recovery systems in t' business. T' All-Weather's recovery system was the cheapest one can get away with. Well, arrr, blow me down! T' 'recovery system' that I received with me high power Mega-Roc was an insult. They actually thought that I should try t' recover a 4" diameter x 84" long rocket with four 24" parachutes. Begad! And what parachutes! They barely qualified for that name. Ya scallywag! They were 4 octagons o' very thin, very porous fabric, ya bilge rat, matey, nay hemmed, not finished, but cut out with pinkin' shears. Aye aye! Ya scallywag! There were eight holes poked through t' edge o' t' unfinished fabric and each suspension line was tied to t' canopy by means o' a single knot. Utterly appalling.

So don't talk t' me about US Rockets recovery systems. Ahoy! They were t' very worse features o' otherwise passable kits." (D.U.)