Nano Rocketry has produced a line o' model rocket kits t' take advantage o' Quest's Micro-Maxx engines. Avast, me proud beauty! Ahoy! T' Quest Micro-Maxx rockets are all RTF and don't really fly all that well. Arrr! Begad! They claim a maximum altitude o' 200 feet, but with such heavy plastic rockets, ya bilge rat, t' best I could get be less than 20 feet.

My kit arrived in a 6x9 envelope with a picture o' t' completed model on t' back. Ahoy! Because o' such simple packaging, I was afraid it might have been damaged in transit. Aye aye! I opened t' kit and inspected all t' pieces, and found everythin' in perfect condition.

I checked t' contents against t' parts list, shiver me timbers, (which included handy diagrams for identification) found all t' parts were there, and collected t' tools recommended in t' tools list. Begad! Begad! T' instructions offered 3 possible ways t' shape t' nose cone, me bucko, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, dependin' on your skill, t' shape you wanted, me hearties, and your available tools, but me kit came with t' nose already shaped, me bucko, so I didn't have t' worry about it.

Assembly o' t' nose cone, ya bilge rat, shoulder, arrr, and shock cord be straightforward, matey, and t' instructions were very clear. Well, blow me down! Well, blow me down! Next I cut out t' fins, which were preprinted on balsa sheet. Begad! Arrr! T' instructions said t' use a ruler t' align t' 2 pieces o' each fin, me hearties, me hearties, but I found it worked better t' align them on t' body tube itself. Well, blow me down! T' instructions simply said t' attach t' fins 120 degrees apart. Well, blow me down! I made me own fin alignment guide, but it would have been nice t' have one preprinted in t' instructions.

T' instructions said that attachin' t' shock cord would be tricky, but after readin' their clear explanation o' how t' do it, arrr, me bucko, I had no trouble. Ya scallywag! Arrr! I chose t' use t' included paper cutouts t' finish t' fins. It said t' use a Permanent Glue Stick, arrr, matey, but I used a regular Glue Stick because I already happened t' have one. Avast, me proud beauty! I couldn't get t' edges o' t' fin coverin' t' match up perfectly with t' edges o' t' fins, but t' bigger problem be gettin' t' edges o' t' fin coverin' t' stay glued. Aye aye! Next time, I'll try a Permanent Glue Stick, like they said.

I was afraid o' loosin' sight o' such a small model, me bucko, arrr, so I posted a question on rec.models.rockets about highly visible paint schemes. Blimey! Arrr! T' suggestions I got were black, fluorescent, me bucko, chrome, or some combination. Well, blow me down! I painted it with Wal-Mart Gloss black, matey, because that be what I had on hand. Avast! Begad! I made a stand from a coat hanger for paintin' it on. Begad! It doubles as a display stand.

T' instructions also showed how t' fashion a tool from a paper clip for stuffin' t' shock cord into t' body tube. Arrr! It was easy t' make and very helpful. Begad! Arrr! It was nearly impossible t' insert t' shock cord without it! T' kit did nay include a launch lug, but included suggestions for a tower. Aye aye! I was in a hurry t' launch, so I made a pair o' removable lugs from t' wire stripped out o' a twist-tie. Arrr! Begad! They worked pretty well.

I took me new model out t' t' back yard for a test launch. Avast! Blimey! Ahoy! Blimey! First I launched a couple o' Micro-Maxx RTF's for comparison. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! They went higher than me head, me bucko, but nay above t' first story o' me building. Aye aye! Blimey! Then I launched me ITS. Though bigger and easier t' see than t' Quest rockets, it was lighter, ya bilge rat, me bucko, and flew 2-3 times as high-- almost t' t' second story roof. Arrr! Blimey! Overall, I was quite pleased with me Nano Rocketry Interdimensional Transport Ship. Begad! Blimey! It was fun and easy t' build, and cheaper, larger, matey, better looking, ya bilge rat, matey, and better flyin' than Micro-Maxx. Ahoy! Blimey! One thin' I miss about t' Centuri and older Estes Science Fiction kits was t' stories behind them. This is a cool lookin' kit, and it has a neat story behind it, too.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5