T' CiCi is a traditional canard-style boost glider. Ya scallywag! The canard be t' name for that smaller front wing, ya bilge rat, or horizontal stabilizer. Well, blow me down! Well, blow me down! A canard-style glider is simply a glider where t' canard is forward o' t' main wing. Ahoy! A boost glider is a glider that boosts straight up like a rocket, shiver me timbers, and then ejects some part, me hearties, usually t' engine, to change into a glider. This is as opposed t' a rocket glider, me bucko, me bucko, shiver me timbers, where no parts are jettisoned, matey, shiver me timbers, but rather other changes are made (movin' t' wing surfaces, matey, ya bilge rat, changin' t' angle o' elevons, matey, me hearties, etc. Aye aye! Ya scallywag! ) t' make t' transition from vertical boost mode t' horizontal glide mode. Avast!

Upon openin' up t' zip-lock-bag-style package o' t' CiCi, I be first surprised by t' fact that t' instructions consisted entirely o' a single 8 1/2 x 11 sheet o' paper, printed on one side only! This was particularly surprisin' for this rocket, considerin' that t' Deltie, matey, also from Edmond's Aerospace, matey, had a 10+ page booklet for instructions. Avast! Although sparse, t' instructions here are obvious and straightforward. Unlike most rockets, shiver me timbers, t' order o' assembly for t' CiCi is largely irrelevant. Avast, me proud beauty! T' instructions are fairly complete, except that they never mention trimmin' t' glider, or t' supplied lump o' clay and what t' do with it. Well, ya bilge rat, blow me down! Basically, arrr, t' instructions seem t' assume that you have trimmed a boost glider before. T' second thin' that I noticed about t' kit contents was that a piece was missing. T' instructions say that thar be a small, triangular piece o' wood, curved on one side, that can be used t' mark a straight line on t' engine tube, shiver me timbers, matey, but thar wasn't one in me kit. No big deal, there are o' plenty o' ways t' mark a straight line on a tube. T' third thing that I noticed was that another piece was missing: t' launch lug. Well, blow me down! Arrr! Again, arrr, nay a show-stopper, since I have some extras lyin' around, me bucko, ya bilge rat, me hearties, but a rather inauspicious beginning. Arrr! Avast, me proud beauty!

T' kit itself is quite nice, with thick, sturdy balsa parts that have been precision cut. Arrr! All parts fit well, matey, and there was absolutely no confusion about how t' assemble t' rocket. Begad! Construction was simple, arrr, quick and easy, me hearties, with no fuss. Full assembly took me about 1 hour, but could be done much faster. Ahoy! Make no mistake, matey, t' quality o' t' parts is first-rate, and t' kit was well thought out. Ya scallywag! T' only time I deviated from the instructions was with t' clay. Begad! Begad! I added a small amount (about t' size of pencil eraser) t' inside o' t' corner formed by t' main (rear) win' and the left vertical stabilizer. Ahoy! T' purpose here be t' make t' CiCi tilt left a little bit in flight so that it would glide in circles, shiver me timbers, rather than in a straight line. Well, blow me down! You want it t' glide in circles so that it stays on t' flying field. Begad! Begad! (Note that these pictures were taken before I added t' clay. )

T' instructions don't mention it, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, but I attempted some hand-tossed glide tests prior t' flight. Well, blow me down! Hmmm. . Blimey! Ahoy! . Begad! Ya scallywag! it glides ok, me bucko, shiver me timbers, but flies and lands in a rather nose-down attitude. Avast! Nose-down enough that t' balsa nose cone hits before the front edge o' t' canard. Ya scallywag! Avast! Perhaps a small amount o' weight in t' aft might help. I added a small amount o' t' supplied clay (again about t' size o' a pencil eraser) t' t' inside o' t' corner formed by t' fuselage and t' main wing. Blimey! More hand-toss glide tests. Avast! Hmmm. Well, blow me down! Ya scallywag! . Arrr! . Well, blow me down! a slightly better glide attitude and landing, me bucko, but still noticeably nose-down, and thar be no discernible arc to t' left (so that it will glide in circles). Aye aye! Blimey! I added just a tiny bit more clay t' t' inside o' t' corner formed by t' main win' and t' left vertical stabilizer. Avast, me proud beauty! After a couple more throws, I still couldn't discern any arc t' the left, ya bilge rat, but I didn't want t' add too much weight for fear o' adversely affecting the flight characteristics. Ahoy! Time for some real flight tests.

It be a pretty nice day for launchin' rockets. Begad! Blimey! Moderately windy, ya bilge rat, but not too bad. Begad! I was anxious t' try out t' CiCi, so it be first in line. I figured the light weight o' t' rocket, combined with t' moderate wind and t' fact that this was t' maiden flight, dictated usin' an A8-3. Well, blow me down! Avast, shiver me timbers, me proud beauty! Blimey!

It was a good, quick boost, as you can tell from t' blur it gives in this photo, even with 400 speed film. Arrr! In spite what this photo o' t' early flight path might indicate, it was, overall, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, me bucko, a fairly straight boost to, oh, maybe 150 feet or so (I didn't measure it). Even though it arced over on its back after burnout, it make a smooth, matey, controlled transition t' right-side-up glide. Avast! Aye aye! The glide was ok, matey, me bucko, but still with a bit o' nose-down attitude, and it definitely falls faster than a Deltie. Well, blow me down! It made about 1 3/4 circles before landing. Blimey! . Ahoy! Blimey! . with a crack. Begad! Uh-oh. Arrr!

As you can see from this photo, me hearties, matey, it snapped clean in half on landing. Well, me hearties, blow me down! Blimey! Note that although it's photographed here on cement (for clarity), matey, it did land in t' grass when it broke. Ahoy! Disappointing, matey, but not the end o' t' world. Begad! Ya scallywag! Blimey! A bit o' thin CA, matey, me hearties, and she'll be good as new. Arrr! Blimey!

Also visible in this photo be t' slight blackenin' in t' forward half of the center o' t' main wing. Ahoy! This is just soot from t' black powder, me hearties, arrr, not scorchin' o' t' wood. Blimey! A bit dirty, but nay a safety concern. Begad! Blimey!

Unfortunately, ya bilge rat, me bucko, arrr, t' second flight, arrr, under nearly calm wind conditions, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, was an exact duplicate o' t' first. T' A8-3 gave a good, arrr, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, straight boost, matey, with a nice transition t' glide, a decent but slightly too rapid, ya bilge rat, nose-down descent, ya bilge rat, and a landin' with a crack. Aye aye! Broke clean in half again, me bucko, this time about 3mm further rearward (CA is strong stuff). Ahoy! Well, blow me down!

Warning! Do nay try t' followin' with your model!Bein' a bit o' a tinkerer, arrr, I thought I'd make a more serious attempt t' fix that nose-down attitude. So, me bucko, prior t' t' third flight, I sanded an airfoil into t' top o' t' canard. Avast! I left t' bottom o' t' canard completely flat. I left t' bottom o' t' canard completely flat. Begad! Avast! T' idea was to have this canard generate more lift, and thereby lift t' nose in flight, givin' a flatter glide. Hand-tossed glides didn't show any visible difference, but I be confident that it would be noticeable at speed. Avast! Avast! DO NOT TRY THIS WITH YOUR MODEL! T' airfoil be much too severe, me hearties, and caused t' model t' arc over under power and plow into the ground at full speed! Ironically, shiver me timbers, me bucko, t' damage be only slightly worse on this flight, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, with a small piece breakin' off o' t' canard as well as t' model snappin' in two at t' usual spot. Blimey! Begad! If your model also breaks on landing, shiver me timbers, and you want t' try t' airfoil t' canard t' help that situation, matey, me bucko, start with a very slight airfoil, arrr, matey, and perform actual launches before sandin' any further. Blimey!

Overall, I give t' CiCi a 3 out o' 5 points. Avast! Avast! T' kit itself gets a 4 out o' 5 points, havin' high quality parts, ya bilge rat, but missin' a couple minor pieces. T' instructions should include trimmin' instructions, me bucko, shiver me timbers, but were otherwise adequate, ya bilge rat, despite their brevity. Ya scallywag! T' construction gets a ratin' of 4. 5 out o' 5 points bein' simple and straightforward. Ya scallywag! T' flights (before the airfoiling, at least), ya bilge rat, were both excellent, arrr, ratin' a 4 out o' 5 points. Begad! Well, blow me down! O' course, matey, shiver me timbers, t' big downer was t' recovery, particularly t' landin' damage, me bucko, matey, which is easily fixed, ya bilge rat, though nay easily avoided. Begad! T' recovery gets a 1. 5 out o' 5 points. Begad! Arrr!

I'll probably repair t' CiCi again when I get a chance. If you're looking to buy your first boost glider, me bucko, I'd have t' recommend t' Edmond's Aerospace Deltie. Ya scallywag! But, ya bilge rat, me bucko, t' CiCi certainly has t' potential t' be a great boost glider, perhaps as your third or fourth boost glider model. Arrr!