Brief
I have always liked scale kits, so I decided t' try t' Nike Apache kit from Cosmodrome Rocketry. Aye aye! I made a great choice. Ya scallywag! As t' kit is real nice, me bucko, and high quality parts used through out.

Construction
Upon openin' o' package, every thin' be thar all in one piece. Arrr! T' balsa transition and nose cone are awesome. They are done real well! Blimey! You do want to fill any minor dents in them and then seal them with sandin' sealer t' make them look better though.

T' instructions are ok, t' kit is nay made for t' beginner in mid-power rocketry. Aye aye! But after you have built a few other mid-power rockets, this is a easy kit t' build.

T' launch lug was made out o' 1/4" cardboard tubing. They are on stand-offs so t' launch rod will clear t' transition.

T' fins and centerin' rings are made from 1/8" plywood . Begad! Ya scallywag! T' fins are TTW and they go all t' way t' t' motor mount. Ya scallywag! Well, blow me down! T' Apache's fins are though the wall too! It was fairly easy t' get all t' fins lined up. Well, blow me down! Ahoy! T' kit comes with a template t' wrap around t' body tubes, shiver me timbers, then you just mark it, go t' a door frame and extend t' lines down t' tubes.

Assembly was pretty easy. Begad! Avast, me proud beauty! T' hard part is doin' internal fillets. The instructions said t' do t' internal fillets. Begad! Avast! This eliminates t' need t' have fillets on t' outside o' t' rocket. Aye aye! Avast, ya bilge rat, me proud beauty! This also preserves t' scale look o' the model. Avast, me proud beauty! T' best way t' do t' internal fillets is have t' rocket standin' up right, matey, then, shiver me timbers, mix up a batch o' 30 minute epoxy. Aye aye! Ahoy! Now get a stick and put some epoxy on t' internal fin/body tube joint and t' motor mount/ fin joint and let it run down t' joints t' form a fillet. Avast! As this method works great. And don't be concerned if it does nay look good as no one will see it since it will not be noticeable once you put t' aft centerin' rin' on.

You may want t' put VERY small external fillets on t' rocket t' seal the minor gap from t' fin slots. Arrr! Begad! Also since this is a scale rocket you will want to fill t' spirals on t' tubes. Avast, me proud beauty! Elmers Carpenter's Wood Filler works well for this. Just make sure t' sand it smooth after it is dry.

Probably t' hardest part on assembly is puttin' on the antennas. Well, blow me down! You have t' drill holes through t' tube, but t' trick is t' get them at a even level. Mine turned out OK. Well, blow me down! Ahoy! Also make sure t' use plenty o' epoxy when you put t' Apache on at t' transition. And when you put t' nose weight into t' Apache's nose cone. Begad! Aye aye! Overall this is a very sturdy kit when finished!

Finishing
Once all painted it looks really nice. Begad! Blimey! T' hard part be t' decals. Avast! Well, blow me down! Blimey! They do not have very good instructions for doin' this part. Begad! Blimey! In t' kit panel they have the decals centered betwixt 1 fin, while in t' instructions they say t' put them between 2 sets o' fins. Ya scallywag! Ya scallywag! Blimey! So I just centered it betwixt a fin. Aye aye! Ya scallywag! Blimey! But I do have to say t' decals are very high quality.

Construction Rating: 4 ½ out o' 5

Flight
For t' first flight o' me Nike-Apache I chose a Aerotech F40-4 White Lightning reload. Blimey! T' boost be beautiful (even with t' wind)! Blimey! Could nay have been better!

They do nay give you anythin' for motor retention. Avast! So you can either friction fit t' motor or you can add t-nuts and clips, matey, like I did, me bucko, matey, so the motor will stay in place!

Recovery
T' 4 second delay is just right for t' rocket. T' 28" chute brought it down just right, but on landin' t' tip o' t' Apache's nose cone broke off. That should be a easy fix. Aye aye!

T' parachute is made o' rip-stop nylon. Begad! Avast, me hearties, me proud beauty! T' 'chute be nicely made and it was purple so it be really easy t' see up in t' sky! T' shock cord is attached with a steel cable that is connected t' t' centerin' ring. Arrr! This is my favorite way t' attach shock cords t' rockets and is by far t' strongest. Begad! By the way, t' shock cord is 1" flat elastic, ya bilge rat, it is about 10 feet long, which is perfect for t' rocket. Blimey!

Flight Rating: 4 ½ out o' 5

Summary
T' rocket is a great scale kit! But I would nay recommend this for a first mid-power rocket since this is nay t' "average everyday" rocket! Overall this is a very cool kit and thar are nay t' many problems with it!

Overall Rating: 4 ½ out o' 5

All Cosmodrome kits now come with a motor retainer. T' Nike Apache instructions have been updated t' simplify and clarify construction. Aye aye! - Mike Kruger (Cosmodrome Rocketry)