Brief:
This is a clone kit o' t' Estes K55 Goblin. Begad! Ya scallywag! It is a single stage high flyin' D powered kit.

Construction:
T' kit was bagged with a nice color header card. Avast! Blimey! Most o' t' parts were in separate smaller clear plastic packs, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, includin' a fin pack, cord/streamer/LL pack, streamer pack, decal pack, and engine mount pack. Ahoy! Very nice.

Part quality was high all around. Aye aye! Clean laser cut balsa fins, shiver me timbers, reasonably smooth balsa NC, and t' smoothest white body tube I've ever seen. Avast, arrr, me proud beauty! T' spirals are almost invisible, arrr, arrr, ya bilge rat, a coat or 2 o' primer will fill them in nicely. Avast, me proud beauty! Ahoy! T' red plastic streamer was from Hartle Engineerin' and measured 2" x 54". Begad! While plenty long for this light kit, ya bilge rat, me bucko, me hearties, I'm tempted t' try t' pack a longer one simply for easier sight. Ya scallywag! How much can I fit in a BT-55? T' only curious part was a 3/16" launch lug instead o' t' original 1/8". Blimey! Begad! I emailed InFlight, arrr, and they felt a 3/16" is safer for a D powered model. Avast, me proud beauty! Aye aye! I built it with a 1/8" launch lug for nostalgic reasons. Begad! Oh, a minor nit would be t' engine hook, it was a bit on t' thin side (though still much better than early Quest hooks) and is nay as springy as some I've used. I put a little pre-bend in it, shiver me timbers, and it should work just fine.

T' kit came with an 8 page assembly instruction manual with numbered steps and illustrations. Avast! It was quite comprehensive. Begad! A separate instruction sheet came packaged with t' Keelhaul®©™ cord, which apparently is an option, arrr, although it was bagged inside me kit. Blimey! Two very minor errors on t' instruction sheet be listin' a D12-3/D12-5 instead o' t' D12-5/D12-7 listed on t' header card and listin' a 48" shock cord instead o' t' 36" cord included, which is plenty long when used with t' Keelhaul®©™. Avast, me proud beauty! T' instructions came complete with a fin markin' guide and shock cord mount t' cut out, matey, shiver me timbers, if nay usin' t' Keelhaul®©™ and a copy o' t' NARRRRR safety code.

Assembly be straightforward. Begad! I just followed t' instructions, me bucko, deviatin' where told for t' optional Keelhaul®©™ kit. I didn't use t' included fin markin' guide, arrr, arrr, since I use one o' those plastic Estes pyramid style guides for 3FNC/4FNC birds. T' only step yet t' complete is #14, paint and decals. Begad! Well, blow me down! T' instructions do nay mention any sort o' fillin' or primin' in t' finishin' step. Well, blow me down! Begad! My experience with yellow is that a white undercoat really helps.

Finishing:
T' instructions simply state t' paint with a base coat o' yellow. Avast! I chose me usual method, me hearties, which uses Elmer's Wood Filler on t' fins and NC, followed by a few light coats o' Rustoleum sandable gray primer. I then painted t' whole kit Krylon gloss white (old formula). Well, blow me down! Begad! Instead o' t' standard yellow that most Goblins are painted, arrr, I chose a fluorescent yellow t' aid visibility. Arrr! My brother's Goblin has been this color for over 30 years, ya bilge rat, so it just seemed "right" t' me. Blimey! Begad! I then masked with 3M #2080 blue tape t' finish t' NC and 1 fin with Krylon gloss black. Blimey! Since t' fluorescent paint is flat, arrr, I put on a light coat o' Krylon clear t' help t' decals adhere.

T' decals were o' good quality. Begad! T' black color was a flat black, I'm guessin' this is due t' laser printer toner. Aye aye! Begad! I was tempted t' put on a coat o' Microscale Decal Film, me bucko, but t' instructions didn't call for it. Begad! No fear, t' decals were plenty thick for positioning. Well, blow me down! They only needed 15 seconds in t' water vs t' suggested 20-30 seconds. T' edges o' t' decals laid down nice and flat usin' Microscale decal settin' solution. Avast! Begad! After dryin' for a day, matey, shiver me timbers, I put on a coat o' Future Floor Polish t' protect t' decals and give a moderate gloss. Blimey! T' fluorescent yellow really glows!

T' reason I gave 4 was due t' t' lack o' mention o' any balsa sealin' or fillin' and no mention o' a white undercoat for t' yellow paint.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
T' recommended motors are t' C11-5, arrr, D12-5, arrr, shiver me timbers, or D12-7. I didn't want t' lose this on its first flight, so I put her up on a B6-4 usin' a standard 18mm t' 24mm adapter. Well, blow me down! It be a straight, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, matey, low altitude flight with deployment near apogee, me bucko, and recovery was a short walk.

On t' second flight, ya bilge rat, I wanted a bit more altitude. Ya scallywag! Arrr! I recently came across a bunch o' C11-7 motors, shiver me timbers, so thought I would try one o' those. Ya scallywag! This be a very nice straight flight, me bucko, easily twice t' altitude, shiver me timbers, maybe a bit more. Arrr! Ya scallywag! T' -7 delay worked well, arrr, matey, deployment seemed just about right at apogee. Ya scallywag! While I will put her up on a D12-7, I think t' C11-7 will be me motor o' choice until I run out o' them.

Recovery:
T' streamer is a good size t' slow descent just enough but nay drift too far. Ya scallywag! A bit brighter colored streamer would be easier t' see, and I'm partial t' mylar streamers for this reason. Begad! T' included streamer is a non-reflective red plastic material. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! It was singed a bit on t' first flight when usin' 3 squares o' waddin' so I put in 4 squares o' waddin' for t' second flight. Aye aye! T' combination Keelhaul®©™ cord and braided shock cord were plenty long enough t' avoid any BT or fin dents.