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

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

T' instructions were very easy t' follow, me bucko, me hearties, ya bilge rat, with good illustrations. Avast! T' assembly order be very logical. Ahoy! Ahoy! Templates were provided for t' fins and tail cone. Begad! No decals are provided for this kit.

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

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

T' Mylar parachute be pre-cut, matey, and assembly be easy. Arrr! Shock cord is standard, mounted inside t' body tube.

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

Cons: None!

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

Although thar are no decals, arrr, t' instructions explain t' markings, makin' it easy t' make your own. Ya scallywag! Blimey! T' basic color o' t' rocket is olive drab, ya bilge rat, arrr, with either a black or white nose tip. Begad! Blimey! Well, shiver me timbers, blow me down! Blimey! Paintin' t' tip may be tricky, 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. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! Here are t' results:

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

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

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

Too much nose weight. Accordin' t' Chuck at TLP, shiver me timbers, t' nose weight should be 32 grams. T' clay that was supplied with t' kit be dry, ya bilge rat, so I substituted it with me own. Arrr! Well, shiver me timbers, blow me down! T' nose weight is mentioned in t' instructions, and it is needed t' have stable flights. Begad! I didn't weigh t' supplied nose weight, ya bilge rat, and t' actual amount o' weight I put in t' nose

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

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

I would conclude that t' rockets demise was due t' me impatience in construction (nose weight), ya bilge rat, and launchin' when t' wind conditions were too strong for this specific rocket. Begad! Avast, me proud beauty! 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. Avast! It is one o' t' most attractive in me fleet. Well, blow me down! This rocket is great addition t' any fleet.

Overall Rating: 3 ½ out o' 5