Brief
This is a sturdy, matey, single staged high power rocket with a hardwood nose and boattail. Begad! It recovers by chute and comes with a 54mm mount, but can fly on 38 and 29mm motors as well. Blimey! Ahoy!

Construction
After gettin' me level 2, I began t' surf t' net t' answer t' question, "What next?" I wondered what was out thar that be different. Then I discovered a new company called Starship Enterprises (now called Fat Cat Rockets as o' 1/1/01) and perused their site and found t' GTX. I fancied that it looked like a giant Crayola crayon and I liked it. Avast, me proud beauty! So I ordered it. Begad! Ahoy! Service be prompt, shiver me timbers, and shipment was received intact and undamaged. Ya scallywag! All parts fit precisely.

T' fins were precut and are plywood. Blimey! Avast, me hearties, me proud beauty! T' nose cone is hardwood, symmetrically turned and a precise fit for t' 3-inch spiral wound body tube, which is paper, but o' t' strength seen in extra thick motor tubes. Avast! Aye aye! T' shock cord mount has steel cablin' that runs from t' engine mount t' t' 1/2 inch elastic, matey, which ties t' a screw-eye in t' nose cone. Well, blow me down! nose cone. Blimey!

T' instructions are simple. Arrr! Begad! That's because t' model is easy schmeasy to assemble. Avast, me proud beauty! It's great for those impulses t' fly somethin' new t' next day. The only hard parts are crimpin' t' clamps that form t' loops in t' steel cable and drillin' a pilot hole in t' hardwood nose cone t' admit t' screw-eye. I needed t' employ heavy duty pliers and an electric drill for this. Begad!

Also, t' body tube did nay come pregrooved. Begad! I needed t' employ a strong exacto knife t' make t' slots for t' fins, ya bilge rat, but a markin' guide was supplied to make it easier. Avast! I used epoxy all t' way for construction, matey, me hearties, but instead o' my favorite quick settin' type, I used 1/2 hour epoxy t' make t' bonds stronger. T' fins fit through t' body wall right t' t' motor tube, and I applied the centerin' rin' so that it too supplied a bond at t' upper part o' t' fin tab. T' boattail acts as a centerin' rin' too, as it provides anchor for t' motor tube. Begad! It also streamlined t' end o' t' rocket and reduces base drag.

T' parachute that came with t' model struck me as too small (I recollect it bein' around 24 inches), me hearties, as I imagined t' weight o' t' hardware o' the motor plus t' model hittin' t' hard desert, so I made it one that was 30 inches across. Out here in t' west, arrr, t' soil is hard, so we favor larger chutes...not longer walks, ya bilge rat, but that's what we get!!! Overall, what I got is a sturdy and nice lookin' rocket.

Finishing
This be left up t' me, me bucko, me hearties, as no decals came with it. Well, blow me down! Blimey! So I went wild and let the project mutate. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Avast! Blimey! At first I painted it gloss black. Blimey! Blimey! Ya scallywag! Blimey! Then I applied red and yellow stripin' along t' fin joints and up t' body tube. Arrr! Blimey! Ahoy! Blimey! It looks distinctive, ya bilge rat, t' say t' least. Aye aye! Blimey! I almost didn't want t' paint t' model because the nose cone and boattail are pretty. Begad! Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! But t' body tube wouldn't have matched had I glossed t' wooden parts. Blimey! Blimey!

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight
T' manufacturer recommends t' G80 for 29mm flights up t' t' 54mm I65. I was daunted by t' model's small size and cringed at t' thought o' stickin' such a monstrous motor in it. So I used an adapter and put in a 29mm H180-M. Arrr! I wanted to dig a hole for me t' crouch down in when I set it off, because I feared that I be overpowerin' it. Avast! But nay only did it scream and disappear off t' pad in a hurry, arrr, me bucko, it did so intact and landed about half a mile away. Ya scallywag! And it did so within feet o' me months-lost Impulse Aerospace Machbuster, ya bilge rat, which be still flyable!!!

Anyway, me hearties, I used plenty o' worm bed wadding, ya bilge rat, and everythin' packs loosely and easily into t' tube. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast! I drilled a small vent hole into t' body with an awl to prevent premature separation. Yes, me bucko, ya bilge rat, thar be a treatment for that condition.... Well, blow me down!

T' motor was retained with t' flat steel part o' an old stapler, t' part with a right angle bend at t' end that served as a motor hook o' sorts, me bucko, as this part was aftward and held t' motor in. Avast! Now, do I DARE a 54mm motor? See if I don't! Maybe a 38mm I161 would be a blast, as well... Ya scallywag!

Recovery
T' system survived without any damage, but I might later replace t' elastic with bungee cord, shiver me timbers, as I've had great experiences with it, and it's durable. Begad! I think that a longer delay than I used would be better. Blimey! T' medium delay used is 10 seconds, arrr, matey, I believe. Well, blow me down! Maybe 14 would be better. It seemed t' be risin' at ejection. Avast, me proud beauty! You know, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, I would nay be surprised if this bird was close t' mach. T' noise was impressive indeed. Avast! Ahoy!

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary
Friendly company t' buy from, ya bilge rat, prompt service. Sturdy. Don't doubt it. Avast! It can take it. Simple t' put together. I recommend it for sure. Ya scallywag! Avast, me proud beauty!

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5