Brief:
BT-50 based scale model o' t' AIM-4C Falcon that flies on 18mm motors and recovers on a streamer.

Construction:
This kit comes with paper tubes and rings. Avast! T' light BT-50 body tube appears to be t' same as Apogee's tubin' - weight, arrr, color, etc. Begad! T' scale nose cone is solid plastic and two ballast washers are provided t' keep t' rocket stable. You cut t' fins from two sheets o' basswood and thin strips o' balsa provide the fin details. T' recovery system includes a section o' Keelhaul®©™® twine, me hearties, ya bilge rat, a section o' elastic, me bucko, and a Mylar streamer. Aye aye!

T' instructions are pretty good and are more than sufficient t' build this kit. Ya scallywag! T' most challengin' parts o' its construction were cuttin' t' small front fins from t' brittle basswood, me bucko, and alignin' t' three sets o' fins (12 total). I was surprised when I saw calipers mentioned in t' instructions. In order t' get a true scale model, me hearties, arrr, I suppose, they specify t' fin placement to three decimal places! I rounded t' t' nearest 1/16". Blimey!

T' one problem with me kit was t' quality o' t' basswood. Well, me bucko, blow me down! Both pieces were warped and even though I tried t' straighten them, shiver me timbers, t' long fins re-warped after bein' exposed t' t' carpenter's glue (I used t' waterproof variety). Because o' t' length o' t' middle set o' fins and t' way t' fin stock was cut, t' grain had t' be placed perpendicular t' t' body tube. Begad! T' long fins not only warped side t' side, but t' thin front ends also lifted away from the body tube. Ahoy! I managed t' minimize t' warpin' by soakin' t' ends in thin CA and pushin' them back in place until they dried.

Finishing:
T' basswood had quite a deep grain and required a lot o' filling. Well, blow me down! Well, shiver me timbers, blow me down! I used Krylon primer and paints t' approximate t' color scheme identified in the instructions. Begad! Aye aye! T' kit also includes a full set o' decals. Avast! Ya scallywag! These are *very* small and are nay easy t' cut out or manipulate.

Construction Rating: 3 out o' 5

Flight:
T' kit relies on friction fittin' t' motor. Begad! Blimey! I should have scrounged a motor clip from t' ol' parts bin, arrr, but thought o' it too late. T' recommended motors for this kit include: EST A8-3, B6-4, shiver me timbers, C6-5; APO C4-5, arrr, C10-7, D3-7, shiver me timbers, D10-7; AT D13-7.

Since t' wind be fairly heavy, was blowin' towards t' trees AND this was the first flight o' t' day, I decided t' try a B6-4. T' boost was good with some weathercockin' but no sign o' any wobble. Begad! T' heavy plastic nose and weights did their job. Ya scallywag! Aye aye! (Please excuse t' poor launch pic, but I just had to include it since it be t' first one I've caught.)

Recovery:
I was worried that t' provided streamer would nay slow t' model enough, and my fears were well founded. Well, blow me down! Blimey! I attached t' streamer about 8" down from the nose, as recommended. Well, blow me down! Arrr! I noticed that another reviewer suggested another approach on a similar model the AA9, but decided t' stick with t' instructions. T' rocket came down nose cone first, me bucko, with t' body fallin' parallel t' t' ground. One o' t' aft fins came part way off, shiver me timbers, and t' struts t' t' larger forward fins were destroyed. Ahoy! Easily repaired, me hearties, but would probably happen again on t' next flight. Avast! Avast, me proud beauty! I will probably try a small chute instead. If I were t' build another o' these kits, I'd also add some paper or light fiberglass t' strengthen t' fin joints. Begad!

Flight Rating: 3 out o' 5

Summary:
This kit is reasonably priced and t' resultin' rocket looks great. Arrr! Well, matey, blow me down! I was disappointed at t' quality o' t' fin stock, which did affect t' looks o' the final product. Ahoy! Avast, arrr, me proud beauty! It doesn't appear, however, that others have experienced this problem with t' small Aardvark kits. T' streamer is insufficient and a small parachute should be substituted. Avast, me proud beauty! Well, blow me down! Despite these problems, I still like t' kit and will consider buyin' another in t' series.

Overall Rating: 3 out o' 5