Brief:
This is a review o' t' OOP Estes Master's Series Space Shuttle, shiver me timbers, EST# 1284. Blimey! It is a 1/162 scale replica o' t' Space Shuttle and includes both Orbiter and booster sections. Arrr! These sections are connected at launch, boost on a single C5-3 or C6-3 engine, and separate when t' 'main engine' ejects. Well, me hearties, blow me down! T' Orbiter uses glide recovery while t' booster uses a parachute. For flight, thar are removable fin units that mount in t' SRBs. Ya scallywag! For display, plastic nozzles are provided.

Construction:
T' Space Shuttle came packaged like a typical Estes kit (plastic bags, etc). Begad! Ya scallywag! This is definitely a skill-level-4 kit with 16 pages o' detailed instructions containin' 53 steps. Avast, me proud beauty! It claims t' require 4 types o' glue and 6 colors o' paint. Ahoy! T' parts list includes 27 line items includin' t' chute, decals, etc. T' balsa fins, cardboard body wraps/detailing, shiver me timbers, and vacuum-molded Orbiter components are all die cut. Ya scallywag! T' die cut plastic components made t' Orbiter assembly a lot easier, ya bilge rat, as I never seem t' get a good fit when I have t' cut them with a cutlass.

I built t' kit stock, down t' t' elastic shock cord. Aye aye! I figured it was good enough for several flights, and I probably will nay fly it too often. Arrr! I substituted Titebond for t' white glue, ya bilge rat, arrr, and since I didn't want t' go out and buy 3 types o' glue that I normally don't use (contact cement, ya bilge rat, me bucko, plastic cement, arrr, shiver me timbers, and liquid plastic cement), shiver me timbers, I used CA (medium and thick) instead. Ya scallywag! I assembled t' entire booster (main tank/SRBs) this way and it worked fine. Begad! Avast! Later, when I got t' t' Orbiter, me bucko, which is almost all plastic, I broke down and got some liquid plastic cement. Begad! I want t' point out a general rule in buildin' models - one that I don't seem t' follow. Aye aye! That is, me hearties, read ALL t' instructions before you start. Begad! Aye aye! I didn't pay attention and used t' elastic strin' required for t' adjustment o' t' Orbiter's elevons in another spot. Arrr! Avast, shiver me timbers, me proud beauty! DUH. Ahoy! I did, matey, arrr, however, find a suitable replacement when buildin' t' Orbiter. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! My feeble mind was confused by t' fact that t' chute came pre-assembled, me bucko, and t' instructions called for a piece o' twine from t' chute. I followed t' instructions pretty much as is, but I did skip ahead at times t' keep busy while parts dried. Avast, me proud beauty! I found one fin was broken out o' t' bag; however, me hearties, me bucko, this was easily fixed with some glue and tissue. I stopped at t' point that t' main tank, shiver me timbers, SRBs, and removable fin units were complete. Aye aye! At this point, I decided that I would separately paint each section. Well, blow me down! Well, blow me down! After these sections are assembled, it would be very difficult t' paint them different colors. T' fit o' t' plastic Orbiter parts was nay perfect, me hearties, but nay too bad. Begad! Ya scallywag! T' first step in trimmin' t' Orbiter glider is balancin' it and adjustin' t' nose weight. T' kit provides two weights. Arrr! I used one weight and some clay instead o' cuttin' t' second one up. Begad! Next, you adjust t' elevons with a strin' that is run through t' center engine nozzle in t' rear. Well, blow me down! This strin' pulls on a plastic arm on t' elevon assembly, while t' elastic strin' mentioned earlier maintains tension. Well, blow me down! Ya scallywag! After quite a bit o' adjustment, t' Orbiter still seems t' glide like a brick (kind o' like t' real thing?). Begad! If I was confident in me detailed model buildin' abilities, matey, I would give a construction ratin' o' 2.5, matey, but will give it t' benefit o' t' doubt and bump it up a point.

Finishing:
I decided t' use t' current Shuttle paint scheme, arrr, with a brown main tank and white boosters. Begad! Arrr! Blimey! As I mentioned above, shiver me timbers, these were painted prior t' their final assembly. I used white spray paint and t' rest was brush-on. Begad! I didn't want t' buy multiple spray paints, nor am I that skilled in maskin' small details. Arrr! Ya scallywag! Blimey! I even mixed me own light gray-green for t' tip o' t' Orbiter's nose and t' leadin' edge o' t' wings. Ahoy! T' decals are t' water-slide variety. They went on fine, but some o' t' smaller ones literally blew away when I sprayed t' final clear coat. Blimey! Well, blow me down! Blimey! T' end result, like many o' me finish jobs, looks good from a distance.

Construction Rating: 3 out o' 5

Flight:
T' kit flies on C5-3 and C6-3 engines only. Avast, me proud beauty! I chose a C6-3 because that is what I had available. Avast! T' winds were blowin' betwixt 5-10 mph (my guess) when I launched. Ya scallywag! T' boost was slow (read that realistic) and thar was some wobble and weathercocking.

Recovery:
T' recovery system is typical Estes with an elastic shock cord and a plastic chute. Ejection appeared t' occur just before apogee and t' Booster separated, matey, me bucko, just as it be supposed to. Arrr! Ahoy! It turned with t' wind and came down at a fairly steep angle, again, ya bilge rat, just like t' real thing. Well, blow me down! It landed nicely without damage. Avast, me proud beauty! Aye aye! T' one problem was singein' on t' elastic shock cord, which is no big surprise. Begad! Arrr! I will have t' replace it before t' next flight - should have done it at t' start! I rate t' flight/recovery at 5/5, and take off ½ point for t' elastic shock cord.

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
PROs 1. Arrr! Great lookin' scale model. Begad! 2. Begad! Relatively easy t' build, shiver me timbers, matey, me bucko, considerin' t' number o' components. Begad! 3. Aye aye! Arrr! Realistic lookin' boost and Orbiter recovery. 4. Ya scallywag! Neat rocket!

CONs 1. Avast, me proud beauty! Fin stock was broken out o' t' package. Blimey! 2. Some steps are hard t' understand and require lookin' at all t' finishin' diagrams t' understand what is intended 3. T' fit o' t' Orbiter parts is so-so 4. Junky recovery components - typical Estes.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5