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

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

T' kit itself is quite nice, arrr, with thick, sturdy balsa parts that have been precision cut. Ya scallywag! All parts fit well, arrr, and there was absolutely no confusion about how t' assemble t' rocket. Construction was simple, quick and easy, me bucko, matey, with no fuss. Blimey! Full assembly took me about 1 hour, but could be done much faster. Arrr! Aye aye! Make no mistake, matey, t' quality o' t' parts is first-rate, matey, and t' kit was well thought out. T' only time I deviated from the instructions be with t' clay. 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. T' purpose here be t' make t' CiCi tilt left a little bit in flight so that it would glide in circles, 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. Arrr! Avast, me proud beauty! (Note that these pictures were taken before I added t' clay. Ya scallywag! Ahoy! )

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

It was a pretty nice day for launchin' rockets. Moderately windy, but not too bad. I was anxious t' try out t' CiCi, shiver me timbers, so it was 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. Begad! Blimey!

It was a good, arrr, me bucko, quick boost, as you can tell from t' blur it gives in this photo, shiver me timbers, me hearties, even with 400 speed film. In spite what this photo o' t' early flight path might indicate, it was, matey, me hearties, overall, matey, 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, controlled transition t' right-side-up glide. Aye aye! Begad! The glide was ok, me hearties, but still with a bit o' nose-down attitude, and it definitely falls faster than a Deltie. Blimey! Begad! It made about 1 3/4 circles before landing. Avast! . Aye aye! Begad! . with a crack. Avast, me proud beauty! Uh-oh.

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

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

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

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

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

I'll probably repair t' CiCi again when I get a chance. Ya scallywag! If you're looking to buy your first boost glider, shiver me timbers, I'd have t' recommend t' Edmond's Aerospace Deltie. Avast, me proud beauty! But, t' CiCi certainly has t' potential t' be a great boost glider, perhaps as your third or fourth boost glider model. Begad! Ahoy!