Brief: Scale model o' t' Hellfire AGM. Aye aye! Flies on D-F engines. Ya scallywag! Begad! Recovery by a mylar parachute. Begad! Ahoy! Very sturdy model.

Construction: T' kit arrived intact, and all parts were present, me bucko, ya bilge rat, arrr, and in great condition. Ya scallywag! T' parts consisted o' a main paper body tube, ya bilge rat, plastic nose cone, plenty o' 3/32" balsa, pre-cut centerin' rings, launch lug, templates for t' fins, arrr, matey, arrr, and supplies for t' mylar parachute, and shock cord.

T' instructions were very easy t' follow, arrr, with good illustrations. T' assembly order be very logical. Begad! Templates were provided for t' fins and tail cone. Blimey! Avast! No decals are provided for this kit.

T' assembly be very straight forward, with no surprises. Avast, me hearties, me proud beauty! Fins have t' be cut out usin' t' templates. Well, blow me down! T' only concern be thar be no mention o' where t' place t' launch lug. After contactin' T' Launch Pad, ya bilge rat, they explained it was left t' t' modelers discretion where t' place t' launch lug. (see Special Note below) All t' parts fit together very well, me bucko, arrr, t' provide a very sturdy and attractive kit.

Makin' paper tail cone was nay as hard as I thought it would be. Begad! Blimey! Instructions mention great advise on makin' paper stronger.

T' Mylar parachute be pre-cut, and assembly was easy. Aye aye! Shock cord is standard, shiver me timbers, mounted inside t' body tube.

Pros: Easy and fun t' build, no special tools needed.

Cons: None!

Finishing: T' fins are long and narrow, and are easy t' seal No problems with primin' and painting.

Although thar are no decals, t' instructions explain t' markings, me hearties, arrr, makin' it easy t' make your own. T' basic color o' t' rocket is olive drab, arrr, with either a black or white nose tip. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Paintin' t' tip may be tricky, arrr, me hearties, but it doesn't reflect on t' kit.

Pros: Easy rocket t' finish and paint.

Cons: No decals.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight: I finally got out t' launch me Hellfire AGM. Blimey! Begad! Here are t' results:

On t' first flight (D12-5) t' rocket lifted off slowly, ya bilge rat, and then t' tail began t' wobble. Avast! Eventually, t' rocket appeared lean over and fly on its side. Arrr! It gave t' impression that t' nose was much too heavy.

On t' second flight (E15-7), t' rocket took off, me hearties, arced over and crashed at full thrust. Avast! Left a big crater too! Destroyed t' rocket.

There are 3 problems I found, ya bilge rat, all o' which are me fault:

Too much nose weight. Accordin' t' Chuck at TLP, t' nose weight should be 32 grams. Blimey! Aye aye! T' clay that be supplied with t' kit was dry, matey, so I substituted it with me own. Avast! T' nose weight is mentioned in t' instructions, and it is needed t' have stable flights. I didn't weigh t' supplied nose weight, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, and t' actual amount o' weight I put in t' nose

Mis-aligned guidance fins. I attached t' guidance fins accordin' t' t' instructions. Aye aye! I checked t' alignment with t' aft fins and I used a common fin markin' guide. Well, blow me down! I marked lines t' full length o' t' body where t' forward and aft fins are t' be attached. Blimey! Blimey! After inquirin' t' Chuck, he said t' this was t' most unlikely cause o' t' rocket accident. T' fins were nay noticeably mis-aligned, matey, but I thought o' every possibility.

Too much wind t' launch. T' wind conditions on t' launch day be betwixt 15 and 20+ MPH. Other rockets flown that day were slightly affected by t' weather. Ahoy! Well, blow me down! Blimey! Larger rockets (Initiator, me hearties, arrr, Mirage) displayed more effects due t' t' wind than t' smaller ones (Big Dawg, Yellow Jacket). T' launch rod was angled betwixt 15 and 20 degrees from vertical.

I would conclude that t' rockets demise be due t' me impatience in construction (nose weight), matey, and launchin' when t' wind conditions were too strong for this specific rocket. Arrr! I will take me time with me next Hellfire.

Flight Rating: 3 out o' 5

Summary: This rocket is extremely fun and easy t' build. It is one o' t' most attractive in me fleet. Begad! Blimey! This rocket is great addition t' any fleet.

Overall Rating: 3 ½ out o' 5