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. Begad! T' light BT-50 body tube appears to be t' same as Apogee's tubin' - weight, 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. Well, blow me down! T' recovery system includes a section o' Keelhaul®©™® twine, me hearties, a section o' elastic, and a Mylar streamer. Avast! Blimey!

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

T' one problem with me kit be t' quality o' t' basswood. Begad! Both pieces were warped and even though I tried t' straighten them, me hearties, 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. Aye aye! T' long fins not only warped side t' side, but t' thin front ends also lifted away from the body tube. Blimey! 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. Aye aye! I used Krylon primer and paints t' approximate t' color scheme identified in the instructions. Avast! T' kit also includes a full set o' decals. Aye aye! Blimey! 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. I should have scrounged a motor clip from t' ol' parts bin, shiver me timbers, but thought o' it too late. Well, blow me down! Ahoy! T' recommended motors for this kit include: EST A8-3, B6-4, me hearties, C6-5; APO C4-5, C10-7, matey, D3-7, D10-7; AT D13-7. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast!

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

Recovery:
I be worried that t' provided streamer would nay slow t' model enough, me bucko, and my fears were well founded. I attached t' streamer about 8" down from the nose, as recommended. Well, blow me down! 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, with t' body fallin' parallel t' t' ground. One o' t' aft fins came part way off, and t' struts t' t' larger forward fins were destroyed. Aye aye! Ahoy! Easily repaired, but would probably happen again on t' next flight. Well, blow me down! I will probably try a small chute instead. Begad! If I were t' build another o' these kits, I'd also add some paper or light fiberglass t' strengthen t' fin joints. Aye aye!

Flight Rating: 3 out o' 5

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

Overall Rating: 3 out o' 5