Brief
This is a big, fantasy-scale Surface t' Air Missile kit, designed mainly for F and G motors.

Construction
This is an impressive-lookin' kit! Big box, big, me bucko, arrr, heavy tubes and nose, thick, me bucko, solid plywood fins. Avast, me proud beauty! Ahoy! Lookin' into t' box (which was solid as well!) for t' first time, I was impressed by how solid everythin' looked. A quick inventory confirmed that all t' parts were present, and in good shape.

T' instructions were clear and well laid out. I did deviate from them a bit- I glued t' upper section o' BT t' t' nose, and made a cargo bay (a suggestion I read from Bob Kaplow- thanks, arrr, arrr, Bob!). Begad! Avast! Blimey! I ditched t' Gorilla-Lock retainin' system in favor o' Kaplow Klips- this was pretty much a necessity, arrr, as I replaced t' NCR motor mount tube with a Loc tube, matey, so I can use Aerotech SU motors (Darkstars aren't available in Canada anyway). This required a bit o' sandin' o' t' inside o' t' plastic centerin' rings, shiver me timbers, but that was all.

Otherwise, assembly be straightforward, ya bilge rat, with no problems encountered. Blimey! T' fins are mounted TTW, shiver me timbers, while t' strakes are only bonded t' t' BT surface. Well, blow me down! There is some shapin' (streamlining) required on t' strakes and fins- just a bit o' work with some sandpaper, arrr, nothin' drastic. I was considerin' this for me HPR cert. bird, shiver me timbers, so I built it strong- I used 4 hour epoxy pretty much everywhere. Ya scallywag! Ahoy! T' final product is heavy, but solid. Begad! Ya scallywag! Looks impressive, too!

Finishing
Finishin' is pretty routine. Avast! Begad! T' BT spirals are pretty shallow and can be hard t' get filled, shiver me timbers, arrr, but that's t' toughest part. Blimey! Paintin' is all-white (gloss), matey, with t' included decals providin' t' final touch.

About t' decals: I *hate* stick-on decals! I despise them with a passion. I find them much harder t' work with than good 'ol wet-transfer decals. Well, me bucko, blow me down! They don't cover with clear-coatin' as well, ya bilge rat, they tend t' be very thick, etc. Ahoy! Because o' t' decals, shiver me timbers, I'm dockin' NCR half a point on t' construction rating- it's me only real beef.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight
Well, I finally had a chance t' fly me Archer this weekend. Ahoy! I was worried t' delay on t' G80-7 would be too long, so I doubled t' length o' t' shock cord. Aye aye! With perfect weather (no wind, shiver me timbers, and clear blue sky), I had no excuse t' delay.

What followed was t' most beautiful flight I've ever had. Well, blow me down! T' Archer was fast off t' pad, but climbed slowly enough t' watch and appreciate. Aye aye! Begad! Blimey! We also had a chance t' really appreciate t' roar o' that Blue Thunder motor, me hearties, too!

Recovery
T' "waist-band" type elastic shock cord is attached t' a length o' steel cable, shiver me timbers, which is secured t' t' motor mount. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! No way that's comin' out! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! T' cable does nay protrude from t' body tube, matey, shiver me timbers, so no worries about it causin' a zipper. T' 3/4 inch wide shock cord could, but I added an extra length t' mine (it's about double now). Ya scallywag! Blimey! Recovery is via a 36" nylon chute, and it seems adequate, even for me 42 ounce (empty) version.

Recovery was text-book, ya bilge rat, although one fin sustained minor damage on landing. I may replace t' 36" chute with two 24" ones, just t' be safe.

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary
This is me first HPR-capable rocket, me bucko, shiver me timbers, and I'm impressed with t' ruggedness o' t' components, ya bilge rat, and t' finished product. Blimey! Blimey! This is one brawny-lookin' beast!

This is an awesome kit, shiver me timbers, me hearties, for high-end mid power, arrr, or low end HPR. Avast, me proud beauty! It be t' beefiest rocket I've seen, yet it is also sleek. Flight performance is solid. Begad! Aye aye! It looks great, and flies great.

T' problems with t' kit are few. Arrr! Blimey! There is o' course t' non-standard motor mount tube t' contend with, but that is an easy (but annoying) fix. Well, blow me down! Arrr! Blimey! I'm nay a fan o' bondin' dissimilar parts for structural parts, matey, like t' Archer's plastic centerin' rings and thick paper body tube.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5