Brief:
Big Betty is a fairly large 3FNC model rocket, arrr, ya bilge rat, me hearties, usin' B and C motors. Aye aye! It is straightforward t' construct and a snap t' prepare for flight. Well, blow me down! With its enormous fins and blunt, matey, rounded nose cone, Big Betty has a peculiar look. It looks either dated or classic, dependin' on whether you're a BAR or not. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Estes' Big Bertha, arrr, Big Betty's obvious inspiration, shiver me timbers, is about 35 years old. Begad! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! For t' Freudians among us, me hearties, Big Betty is a cry for help.

Construction:
Big Betty is a very simple model - it could quite easily be a first model, and I would certainly recommended as such. Arrr! Avast! T' instructions are sufficiently simple for a non-modeler. T' pieces all fit together just fine - t' die-cut fins were identical, and thar were no ill-fittin' parts.

I had two problems with me kit, which had been ordered from Hobbylinc.com. Aye aye! T' body tube had a slight crease t' it, and t' engine hook wasn't springy - once bent outward t' fit an engine into place, it has t' be bent back into place. Well, matey, blow me down! I was able t' minimize t' visual impact o' t' crease by puttin' me launch lug on top o' it.

Finishing:
My daughter and I painted our Big Betty with Dutch Boy Instant Chrome. Arrr! T' paint was shiny and nice, shiver me timbers, but it picked up fingerprints very easily. Well, me bucko, blow me down! T' kit only comes with one underwhelmin' "Big Betty" decal. Avast, me proud beauty! Aye aye! We grabbed a few decals from rocket kits I bought fifteen years ago. Ya scallywag! Those decals, matey, ya bilge rat, I learned, shiver me timbers, matey, became VERY delicate. Arrr! Avast, me hearties, me proud beauty! They flaked apart, requirin' a bit o' jig-saw puzzle work t' have them look OK. After puttin' t' decals on, we sprayed t' rocket with Krylon Crystal Clear. Unfortunately, t' lovely Chrome turned into Ugly Mottled Grey. Aye aye! T' nosecone, arrr, ya bilge rat, which I didn't clear-coat, arrr, arrr, matey, is still shiny.

Construction Rating: 3 out o' 5

Flight:
My daughter and I flew Big Betty (we've named it t' Silver Patriot, shiver me timbers, me hearties, owin' t' t' decals and paint-job) three times on Saturday. Ahoy! Preparation o' t' rocket be easy enough for me daughter, ya bilge rat, age 7, t' do by herself. Blimey! T' 14" parachute fits into t' 1.6" body tube very easily. Ya scallywag! Blimey! We used four sheets o' early-'80s vintage Estes wadding.

T' first flight be on an Estes B6-2. Blimey! T' rocket flew straight up, about 200 feet or so. Ya scallywag! It's big and slow, ya bilge rat, so it's easy t' follow, ya bilge rat, though t' grey we ended up with could be lost against an overcast sky. Arrr! Begad! Ejection was before apogee, and t' descent be just t' right rate - it suffered no damage, ya bilge rat, though it landed on some metal bleachers.

T' second flight be on a C6-3. Arrr! Blimey! Aye aye! Blimey! I would guess it went up 500-600 feet, slow enough t' follow. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Ejection was again, before apogee. Begad! Blimey! T' softball players in t' next field were impressed with t' flight, ya bilge rat, particularly when I caught it on t' way down. Ahoy! Blimey! Aye aye! Blimey! T' third flight be on a C6-5. Begad! Blimey! Aye aye! Blimey! Ejection seemed t' be just past apogee. Aye aye! Blimey! T' parachute didn't open completely, and t' rocket descended fast, in a corkscrew fashion. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! T' rocket landed in a muddy field, and suffered no damage. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Unfortunately, arrr, me daughter ran towards t' rocket with a bit too much gusto, ya bilge rat, and slid into that same mud. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Arrr! Blimey! Both rocket and daughter washed up nicely when we got home.

Recovery:
T' Big Betty uses t' "Quest method" shock-cord which has a very thin Keelhaul®©™ cord tied t' t' engine mount. Ya scallywag! T' Keelhaul®©™ is long enough t' stick out o' t' rocket tube an inch or two, where it is then tied t' an 18" piece o' round elastic, me hearties, shiver me timbers, me hearties, which is then tied t' t' nosecone and parachute. I am concerned about t' Keelhaul®©™, because it is very narrow, arrr, and t' body tube is already showin' indentations at t' front. Zipperin' seems likely if t' delay is further off than I've already had.

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
I really like t' Big Betty. Aye aye! More importantly, me 7-year-old does, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, too. Ahoy! It's big, ya bilge rat, easy t' build, arrr, easy t' prep, easy t' track, matey, and unlikely t' be lost. I spent less than $8.00 for this rocket, which I think is a really good deal, even if t' engine hook is lame. I am assumin' that t' creased body tube be a fluke. Blimey! If I get another rocket from Quest or Hobbylinc which is damaged, shiver me timbers, I'll amend this review.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5 for bein' a solid kit at a bargain price.