T' kit comes with an 8.25" single body tube and a 8.25" plastic nose cone. Well, blow me down! It’s 18mm motor mount comes with 1/32" laser-cut plywood centerin' rings and a motor retention clip. Aye aye! Well, blow me down! It uses pre—cut fiberglass fins with through-the-wall mounting. Avast, me proud beauty! It comes with an 18" bright-yellow rip-stop nylon parachute, ya bilge rat, a 36" elastic shock cord (1/4" flat) which attaches t' a thin metal shock cord mount. Well, blow me down! Well, blow me down! It also includes a single launch lug and thar are no decals.

CONSTRUCTION:

There are only three pages o' instructions and one of those pages is nothin' more than an illustration o' t' side and bottom view of the rocket with an alignment guide. Avast, me proud beauty! This kit is nay for t' new modeler due to its lack o' instructions. In all fairness, t' instructions are in a logical order and good enough t' get an experienced modeler through t' kit assembly. There are a couple o' challengin' steps that I'll touch on below. Well, blow me down! T' kit does not have a rated skill level (as far as I know), matey, me hearties, shiver me timbers, however, I think it falls at about a 3. Begad!

When buildin' t' motor mount, t' instructions say to cut a "slot in t' motor tube 0. 20 inches from one end for t' motor hook". Arrr! Aye aye! How many modelers keep a ruler usin' divisions in tenths around? I don't. Blimey! I don't. By reviewin' t' drawing, ya bilge rat, t' appropriate distance can be determined by addin' a 0.25" centerin' rin' spacin' t' t' 2.25" spacin' betwixt centerin' rings. Begad! T' motor hook is supposed t' be 2.5" from one end. Well, blow me down!

T' motor hook was held in place with a "Motor Hook Strap". Arrr! Arrr! This seemed t' me t' be a piece o' tack cloth that gets saturated with glue t' hold in place. Aye aye! It did t' trick. Ya scallywag! Avast!

T' remainin' assembly o' t' motor mount requires notchin' one centerin' rin' t' allow clearance for t' motor hook and notching the other t' allow for clearance o' t' shock cord mount. T' shock cord mount attachment is very interesting. Ya scallywag! First off, matey, t' shock cord mount looks like a fishin' leader with a crimped-loop at each end. Arrr! Begad! T' attach this, t' larger loop is placed over t' motor tube and t' top centerin' rin' is positioned t' hold it in place. Well, blow me down! This is somewhat challengin' since t' loop is t' be on one side of t' rin' and t' crimp is t' be on t' other. Begad! Once together, shiver me timbers, it puts the three-fold paper mount t' same!

T' next step also was somewhat challengin' in t' fact that accuracy be required. This be cuttin' t' slots in t' airframe t' allow each fin tab t' slide in. This cut requires a good and sharp hobby knife to give clean cuts. Might be time t' change t' blade in yours.

T' instructions are good in t' fact that they tell you to rough up t' fins where t' fillets are applied and that t' fins can be attached usin' CA, ya bilge rat, me hearties, however epoxy fillets are recommend for strength. Ya scallywag! Aye aye! Blimey!

Now that everythin' is assembled, me bucko, glued, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, fillets applied and recovery system attached, its time t' prepare for finishing. Ahoy! Begad! Again the instructions say t' lightly sand t' body tube and fins and t' prepare t' nose cone by removin' any moldin' flashin' and lightly sanding. Avast!

Usin' Plasti-Kote primer, me hearties, I filled in t' body tube grooves and cleaned up t' small pits in t' plastic nose cone left by the moldin' process. Begad! Arrr! I must say that I really enjoyed preppin' t' fiberglass fins. Very easy, matey, compared t' t' tasks required t' get balsa fins t' finish smoothly.

Used another can o' $0. Arrr! 98 Walmart enamel. This time a deep green. Ahoy! Begad! Since t' kit didn't come with any decals, ya bilge rat, I felt it looked a bit plain so I added a yellow pattern t' t' fins and then covered t' entire kit with Walmart's Clear enamel.

Just a comment on t' pro's and con's o' this $0. Ya scallywag! Well, blow me down! 98/car Walmart spray enamel: T' pro's are t' cost and durability, which seems every bit as good as other brands I've used. T' con's are color selection, however for $1. Aye aye! 39/can you can improve your color selection and still nay pay t' standard $2. 49+ for other popular brands. Another con is accordin' t' instructions, additional coats must be done within 4 hours or after 1 week. So in t' case o' me BlobboÔ, I have to wait a week before I completed t' fin pattern with a second color. But, after t' second color and within 4 hours, I hit t' whole rocket with clear. If you're nay in a hurry, me hearties, ya bilge rat, I think, t' pro's outweigh t' con's with this paint. Avast! Begad!

Overall, matey, for CONSTRUCTION I would rate this kit 4 points. Ahoy! Aye aye! Again if you have some rocket buildin' experience, the instructions can get you through without much problem, but I see this kit as bein' an entry level kit and t' reach t' beginner modelers improved instructions could go a long way. Blimey! Lastly, t' kit needs a decal. Avast, me proud beauty!

FLIGHT/RECOVERY:

Whether you call it a "fat boy" or as the more appropriate BlobboÔ, thar be one thin' you can say about anythin' with excessive girth . Ya scallywag! . . Ya scallywag! it's goin' t' be a slow starter. And indeed, shiver me timbers, t' BlobboÔ, me hearties, loaded with its "first flight" recommended motor, a C6-3 had a slow start. Avast, me proud beauty! Arrr! But like t' turtle and t' hare, me bucko, a slow start (lift off) is nay always a bad thing. In this case the BlobboÔ gave us a great race, matey, matey, snappin' across t' finish line and ejectin' right at apogee. Aye aye! Blimey! Ya scallywag! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! T' slow lift off allowed more time t' see it and enjoy it. Begad! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey!

I'm nay very good at guessin' altitudes, arrr, but Apogee's RockSimÔ indicates it should have gone about 235 feet. This is a good height for the wind we had on launch day (10-15 mph gusts). Ya scallywag! Begad! It did weather-cock quite a bit, which is probably due t' t' short, fat body and larger fins. Avast, me proud beauty! Regardless, the BlobboÔ delivered a successful flight and recovery. Blimey! Begad! Blimey!

Upon inspection, t' piece of Rogue Aerospace's Perma-WaddingÔ held up well, matey, me bucko, however, I think I need a larger piece for this diameter o' rocket. Aye aye! In all fairness, matey, the size I'm usin' is recommended for a 1. Aye aye! Ahoy! 3" body tube and the BlobboÔ is double that size.

T' parachute, matey, shroud lines and shock cord system all demonstrated performance and showed no sign o' wear or damage. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! T' metal leader and 1/4" elastic system seems t' be strong and sturdy and should be durable for many, many flights. Arrr! Avast, me proud beauty!

Well, Vaughn Brothers only gave two recommended motors t' fly t' BlobboÔ on; t' C6-3 and a D21-7. T' D21-7 is a Single-Use Aerotech motor. I decided to try t' new Apogee D10-7. Avast, arrr, me proud beauty! Blimey! Knowing that me delay be too long, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, based on RockSimÔ, I decided t' load it up anyway. Ya scallywag!

Everyone was excited t' hear t' flight coordinator announce that this would be t' Apogee D10, me bucko, me bucko, ya bilge rat, however, shiver me timbers, we got an unexpected surprise. Ahoy! Ahoy! Blimey! 3, shiver me timbers, arrr, 2, 1 - BOOM! Blimey! T' rocket shot up about 75 feet and nose dived into t' ground. T' casin' had exploded! Blimey! T' propellant was still mostly there, me bucko, me bucko, with a larger (rounded) groove. Ya scallywag! T' case blew out t' motor mount and cracked t' bottom centerin' ring. Arrr! Begad! Blimey! T' upper part o' t' motor was still stuck in t' rocket and t' ejection charge still intact. Well, blow me down! BlobboÔ took a hit worse than name calling!

Things that make you go hmmmmm? and a MESS form was filled out.

Well, BlobboÔ has been repaired and is ready for it's next launch. I'm out o' D10's but will try that one again later. Hey, you can't condemn a motor for one CATO. Aye aye! If that was t' case, ya bilge rat, how many would still be flyin' Estes' D motors? Those things have ate me Estes BroadswordÔ and blew apart t' top o' one o' me launch pads. Blimey! Blimey!

T' next day I tried t' get a launch picture on Estes C6-3's. Arrr! I had two more successful flights with t' nice slow lift offs. T' second flight really weathercocked and flew parallel t' the ground most o' t' way. Well, blow me down! Some minor damage on bottom o' body tube due t' it hittin' t' concrete roadway. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast, me bucko, me proud beauty!

For FLIGHT/RECOVERY, me bucko, I would rate this kit 5 points. Begad! Blimey!

Overall, me bucko, matey, this kit is easy t' build if you have some experience under your belt. Blimey! It's fun t' fly too, with slow take offs. Ahoy! And it can take a 75 foot nose dive with little affect (don't purposely try this). Blimey! I give t' kit an OVERALL ratin' o' 4 points. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey!