Brief:
This is a Micro-Maxx powered scale model o' t' Sonda II B from ASP. Avast! T' real Sonda II B is a Brazilian soundin' rocket first used in t' 1970s.

Construction:
T' kit contains 1 long body tube, 2 tube couplers, matey, 1 styrene fin stock, 1 styrene launch lug, 1 styrene launch lug standoff, 1 wood nose cone, me hearties, matey, ya bilge rat, 1 Keelhaul®©™® shock cord, arrr, ya bilge rat, 1 decal, me bucko, and 1 mylar streamer.

The instructions were straightforward and easy t' follow. Begad! T' only problem I had was fittin' t' couplers in t' main tubes after tyin' t' Keelhaul®©™® thread around them. Arrr! It made t' fit tight and pushed t' tubes out a little although it's nay noticeable. Ahoy! Avast, me proud beauty! On t' top coupler, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, I cut a small slit down the coupler, wedged t' Keelhaul®©™® thread into it, me hearties, shiver me timbers, and put a little CA glue over it. Blimey! This made t' fit a little better. Ahoy! I used Duro Quick Gel, which is a thick CA, for t' fins and that seemed t' work well. It set fast and be easy t' work with.

Finishing:
I used Elmer's Fill 'n' Finish on t' body tube. For t' nose cone, arrr, I used light coats o' yellow wood glue betwixt sanding. Aye aye! Arrr! I used two coats o' primer, two coats o' white, and two coats o' red. After applyin' t' decal I sprayed one coat o' Krylon Matte finish. I deviated from t' instructions and used Krylon Banner Red instead o' florescent red. Aye aye! Now I wish I'd gotten some florescent red. Begad! T' red I used doesn't look as good. Avast! T' paint job looks a little sloppy. Aye aye! I used maskin' tape t' mask off t' fins and top band. Ya scallywag! I painted a coat o' white after applyin' t' tape t' prevent bleedin' before paintin' the red but some occurred anyway. Ya scallywag! Avast! T' decal went on OK and be easy t' work with.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
T' only motor option is MMX. Aye aye! This be t' first time I've used t' Quest MicroMaxx launch system and do nay recommend usin' t' Quest launch controller or at least recommend carryin' some alternative launch method t' t' field. Well, ya bilge rat, blow me down! The 9-volt battery just doesn't have enough power. Well, blow me down! Avast, me proud beauty! I made two attempts usin' two new batteries and could never get one t' ignite a motor. Avast, me proud beauty! Aye aye! I cut t' launch controller cable and wired it t' me AeroTech launcher usin' a 12-volt gel cell. This worked fine every time. Well, blow me down! Maybe other folks have had success but I could never get t' Quest controller t' work. Begad! Well, blow me down! T' first and third flights had straight boosts. Begad! Avast, me proud beauty! T' second flight be a little squirrelly near apogee.

Recovery:
T' steamer deployed on t' second and third flights but nay on t' first. Ya scallywag! Aye aye! I think it was because I forgot t' secure t' motor and t' motor ejected instead. Arrr! T' instructions recommend wrappin' t' Keelhaul®©™® thread around t' streamer after foldin' and rollin' t' streamer. Arrr! Arrr! Instead of doin' that, me hearties, I folded t' streamer several times then folded each end o' the Keelhaul®©™® and slid all o' it in t' tube. T' streamer got a little burned on t' third flight maybe from nay usin' enough wadding. Avast, me proud beauty! I used just a little flame retardant cellulose insulation but probably nay enough.

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
I think this is a great kit and very good quality. T' only thin' I didn't like was t' method o' securin' t' Keelhaul®©™® to t' tube couplers but that be no big deal. Aye aye!

Overall Rating: 5 out o' 5