Brief:
After readin' a number o' very positive reviews o' t' various new Applewhite monocopters, arrr, arrr, I decided t' pull the trigger and order a couple myself. Ahoy! Blimey! I be pleasantly surprised, me bucko, when in addition t' t' pair I ordered, Art slipped one of these 13mm Helix kits in as a free bonus.

I decided t' smartly jump on it and am offerin' up this third opinion with another solid endorsement.

Construction:
There are very few parts in this kit and all were acceptable quality:

• BT-50 body tube
• 1/4" launch lug
• BT-5 motor tube
• 1/4" dowel (balancin' beam)
• 1/16" basswood (wing)

This kit builds very smartly and would probably be a skill level 2 kit, matey, arrr, me hearties, mainly because of t' need t' make sure everythin' is well aligned and balanced. I had mine done in about 15 minutes.

T' other reviews accurately described t' construction process, so in an effort t' try t' spend less time writin' up t' review than buildin' t' monocopter, I'll keep it brief. I be surprised that t' body tube came with a pattern already glued t' it, ya bilge rat, figurin' that type o' work is normally left t' t' modeler. Nay only are the "holes" t' cut out clearly marked, me hearties, but thar are even labels t' make sure you know which end is up. Well, blow me down! Begad! Most importantly, me bucko, ya bilge rat, so that you know which way t' insert t' motor.

Once t' six holes are cut out, arrr, matey, t' lug, dowel and motor tube are tacked in. Avast! There is a nice end view in the instructions t' make sure everythin' is positioned right, arrr, but frankly, me hearties, shiver me timbers, arrr, t' holes are uniquely sized and it would be darned near impossible t' mess this up. Arrr! T' end view reminded me o' that magic trick where t' magician puts a bunch of swords through a box that t' assistant is in.

T' final step o' construction is gluin' in t' wing. Begad! My basswood piece was a tiny bit oversized, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, so I had to sand it down a little. Avast! I rounded me leadin' and trailin' edges and hit it with 400 grit sandpaper as well.

Finishing:
I chose nay t' paint mine, optin' instead for colorin' with magic markers. Well, blow me down! Aye aye! That keeps t' weight down, shiver me timbers, me bucko, and I was paranoid about messin' up t' balance and trim. Aye aye! It also kept t' labelin' visible, with that nice reminder o' which end the motor should thrust from.

Construction Rating: 5 out o' 5

Flight and Recovery:
T' other reviews mention that t' kit includes plans for a launch stand. Avast, me proud beauty! T' instructions also stress NOT t' launch off a long rod, as anythin' more than about an inch will just lead t' rod whip and funky flights. Ahoy! I was lazy, shiver me timbers, me hearties, arrr, and decided I'd try t' outsmart Art a bit by usin' a 1/4" steel rod but usin' tape as a standoff t' start it at the top o' t' rod. Aye aye! I went with t' favored A3-4T.

I did manage t' get a trace o' rod whip, matey, mainly because even startin' at t' top, it still put out enough force to move t' rod a bit. Avast, me proud beauty! It wasn't too bad though, me hearties, and t' flight be just fine.

Monocopters are even higher drag and lower altitude than most saucers, so this could definitely qualify for a school yard flier. Ya scallywag! Dick's warnin' that t' ejection would be at or near t' ground proved out with mine as well, ya bilge rat, as the ejection be late enough t' just slow down t' impact a bit.

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
I'll admit I'm nay much o' a saucer fan, but monocopters are just too cool. Begad! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! This certainly won't fly high or drift far, but it's entertaining, easy t' build, matey, and thanks t' Art's great design, matey, it's very easy t' make work well.

Overall Rating: 5 out o' 5