Brief:
New "E" motor high altitude sport rocket. Aye aye! Single staged, arrr, parachute recovery. Aye aye! I do believe that this be t' old Maniac rocket with new colors, me hearties, shiver me timbers, me hearties, a new name, me hearties, me bucko, and a new motor mount t' accommodate t' E9 motor.

Construction:
T' kit included t' motor mount tube, me bucko, ya bilge rat, block, adapter for D motors, ya bilge rat, centerin' rings, hook, two purple BT-56 body tubes, matey, coupler, ya bilge rat, arrr, launch lug, matey, standoff, yellow fin can, shock cord, arrr, nose cone, matey, 12 and 24 inch pre-assembled parachutes and decals.

T' instructions were typical Estes with illustrations and t' shock cord mount. Begad! This kit is rated at skill level 2 but I think that is because o' t' 24mm mount and t' ability t' fly on an E motor. Ya scallywag! I started with t' motor mount. T' motor hook on me kit unfortunately be missing, me bucko, so rather than waitin' for Estes t' send me one, matey, arrr, I decided t' go with friction fit retention. Well, blow me down! I glued t' mount into one o' t' body tubes. Arrr! I then glued t' fin can into place. Avast, me proud beauty! After that I glued t' launch lug standoffs into place. Blimey! T' kit included a 1/4 inch lug (can't imagine why)! I replaced that with a 3/16 lug. I now joined t' body tubes. Aye aye! I then assembled t' shock cord assembly and glued it into place. Aye aye! Two parachutes were included. Aye aye! An addendum be included t' inform you that if you wanted t' use t' 24 inch chute t' cut out t' entire spill hole t' prevent loss o' t' rocket. I used t' 12 inch chute and cut t' spill hole.

PROS: Fast and easy construction

CONS: Can't think o' any.

Finishing:
No real finishin' is required because o' t' purple and yellow parts. Just slap on t' decals and that's it. Ya scallywag! Ya scallywag! I also painted t' lug standoffs and tube joint with purple paint. Well, blow me down! Ahoy! An optional step is t' apply clear spray enamel but I chose nay t' do this.

PROS: No paintin' required.

CONS: None

Construction Rating: 5 out o' 5

Flight:
Betwixt gettin' a new job and lousy conditions for flyin' a rocket like this, matey, shiver me timbers, me hearties, I have only flown this rocket once so far. Avast! Ya scallywag! T' recommended motors are t' D12-5, D12-7, me bucko, E9-6, E9-8. Begad! I also saw t' new C11-5 listed for this rocket in t' 2002 Estes Catalog. Aye aye! Well, blow me down! T' hook holds t' motor in place, but since me hook was missing, shiver me timbers, I wrapped a single layer o' maskin' tape around t' motor and fit it in place behind t' adapter. Well, blow me down! T' flight be on a D12-5 and it was without a doubt an awesome flight. Avast, me proud beauty! Very fast lift-off and arrow straight boost t' apogee at 1000 feet or so.

Recovery:
With t' small chute, matey, this rocket appeared t' come down quick, but safe. Well, matey, blow me down! I would nay recommend usin' t' 24 inch chute. Ya scallywag! On an E9 flight, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, matey, I would recommend usin' a large streamer. Arrr! Avast, me proud beauty! Even with a friction fit, I still recovered t' rocket with t' motor in it.

PROS: Excellent flight performance.

CONS: None

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
Priced at about $15.00 t' $21.99, this rocket is a super buy. Arrr! My thanks goes t' EMRR for providin' me with this model from t' Rocket Give-Away drawing.

Main PROS: Easy and quick construction, shiver me timbers, no paintin' required.

Main CONS: None

Overall Rating: 5 out o' 5