Brief:
T' Vikin' be t' initial monthly offerin' (hopefully t' be followed by more) by Balsa Machinin' Services. Originally produced by Flight Systems, Incorporated, t' Vikin' is a unique lookin' tube finned, arrr, ya bilge rat, minimum diameter bird with what should be t' potential for "outasight" flights (to borrow an old Estes phrase).

Construction:
T' parts list:

• 2 T50H body tubes 9" length
• 3 bias cut T50H tube fins
• T50H stabilizer spacer
• T50 equivalent tube coupler
• BNC50X balsa nose cone
• 1/4" eye bolt
• EB24-P engine block
• 36" length Keelhaul®©™
• 18" length o' 1/8" sewin' elastic

Bill used a copy o' t' original instructions with this kit. They weren't overly descriptive, shiver me timbers, but anyone with a few birds under their belt will have no trouble with t' construction. Aye aye! Aye aye! T' two halves o' t' main body tube are attached with t' coupler and wood glue. Arrr! I then tied t' length o' Keelhaul®©™ around t' engine block and secured it with wood glue, ya bilge rat, then glued t' engine block into t' lower section o' t' main body tube. Ahoy! T' giant screw eye was epoxied into t' nose cone and attached with a large snap swivel. Aye aye! At this point t' rocket be complete except for attachin' t' tube fins, which be done with epoxy after all paintin' be finished for reasons o' maskin' impossibility. Avast, me proud beauty! T' method for attachin' t' tube fins is fairly simple. Avast! Begad! An extra piece o' body tube t' same diameter as t' tube fins is provided and t' first fin is carefully epoxied into place so that t' foremost tip o' t' fin is flat against t' main body tube. Once this tube dries t' extra piece o' tubin' is secured in place with maskin' tape and t' next tube fin is attached so that all three pieces o' tube are flush with each other. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! T' second tube fin is then epoxied into place and t' process is then repeated for t' final tube fin.

Finishing:
T' normal process o' thinned Elmer's Fill 'n' Finish and sandin' was used t' kill off t' grain in t' balsa nose cone, t' spirals in t' tubes and t' seam in betwixt t' two body tube halves. Arrr! As usual, I went with t' package art when painting, which is in this case green. I'm nay normally a fan o' green and more than likely would have opted for white with red or blue accents, but t' decals came in green so I went with t' flow. I couldn't figure a way t' paint t' tube fins after they'd been attached t' t' main body tube, so I painted all o' t' components before final assembly. Ahoy! Arrr! For t' nose cone and tube fins I used a Valspar green that matched up well with t' green on t' decal and Valspar gloss white for t' main body tube. Begad! Well, blow me down! Decals were coated with Testor's Decal Bonder before they were applied and they were great t' work with. Arrr! Ya scallywag! T' final product looks like somethin' that I'll want t' coat with a clear t' protect it. Begad! It really turned out great.

Construction Rating: 5 out o' 5

Flight and Recovery:
First and only flight t' date was at me first QUARK launch o' 2008 (and first in almost six months). Ya scallywag! I'd bought some C11-7 and D12-7 motors for t' launch anticipatin' several flights, me bucko, but I'd underestimated t' winds for t' day. Avast! T' Vikin' on a C11-7 was t' third flight o' t' day and everythin' about t' flight impressed. It left t' pad and never seemed t' waver on its arrow straight ascent. Begad! It was at ejection that t' fun started. Well, me hearties, blow me down! I had a small 10" chute on it and at first it looked like it might be an easy recovery walk, matey, but then it started hanging. I watched as it crossed t' park headin' for t' Kite Fest. Aye aye! From t' flight line, arrr, touchdown looked like it be right in t' middle o' t' kite flyers. I took off after it, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, careful t' keep in line with t' landmark that I'd picked out durin' t' descent. Ya scallywag! Begad! As I neared t' soccer field where many o' t' big kites were flying, ya bilge rat, I noticed a small, me bucko, clear parachute blowin' around on t' ground. Ahoy! It seemed closer than I was expecting, shiver me timbers, but thar was a lady thar wavin' at me and standin' guard over t' Viking. Ahoy! She had as many questions about rocketry as I had about t' kites. Begad! (Her husband be flyin' a $1200 USED kite just behind us, and it was true that some o' t' big ones could indeed cost up t' $18,000.) Impressive flight, matey, but I knew I'd never have t' guts t' try it on a D12-7 that day.

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
PROs: Clone o' t' Month? How cool is that? An FSI clone! How cool is that? T' Vikin' is a great lookin' bird, ya bilge rat, and at $6, arrr, you could buy a bunch o' them. Ya scallywag! (And I should have. Well, blow me down! I need another one t' build with an E mount.) Performance is impressive on a C11 and should really scream on a D12.

CONs: There wasn't a KOTM for March, but I'm still holdin' out hope for April.

Overall Rating: 5 out o' 5