Brief:
An entry level 3FNC rocket that tries hard t' beat t' Estes Alpha.

Construction:
Like t' other Custom rocket kits I have built, me hearties, t' nose cone was excessively loose and had a lot o' castin' flash. Avast, me proud beauty! And like t' others, shiver me timbers, t' partin' line had a number o' dimples and flaws that detract from t' rocket if nay remedied. Ahoy! Avast! Otherwise, t' quality o' components are quite good. Begad! Begad! For your money, you get real balsa fins, ya bilge rat, arrr, a good (but nay great) 24mm tube, matey, a nice lookin' set o' decals, ya bilge rat, a plastic 12" parachute, and a very Estes-like short shock cord, shiver me timbers, a mylar launch lug, and an un-springy motor hook, all in a plastic bag. No surprises here. Arrr! But when construction begins, it is very reminiscent o' t' old Estes Alpha before they started gettin' too plastic'ky.

Other than a couple o' typographical errors, me bucko, shiver me timbers, t' instructions were well thought out and logical. Ahoy! Blimey! A first time builder would have little trouble assemblin' this kit, but t' nose cone would require a bit o' tape t' fit properly. Arrr! Blimey! Unlike some other Custom kits I've built, me hearties, t' balsa on this kit was excellent quality. Blimey! Aye aye! Blimey! An experienced modeler might immediately begin thinkin' "D power!" but I fought this temptation, me hearties, shiver me timbers, and as it turned out, it was a wise move. Begad! Blimey! More on this later.

Finishing:
T' fix t' loose and poorly finished nose cone, I slathered a bit o' 90 minute epoxy on t' outside from tip t' shoulder, and set it aside t' dry for a day or two. T' aid in adhesion, matey, ya bilge rat, I sanded t' glassine coatin' off t' aft end o' t' body tube, matey, and attached t' fins with white glue, along with t' launch lug. Avast, me proud beauty! Once everythin' was dry, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, I coated t' entire tube and fins with a light coat o' t' same epoxy. Well, blow me down! T' avoid zippering, shiver me timbers, I usually put a light coat o' epoxy on t' inside o' t' body tube, which really stiffens it a lot.

Once dry, ya bilge rat, I sanded t' whole thin' down with 120 grit sandpaper and used automotive gray primer, matey, applyin' several thin coats. Aye aye! Aye aye! Allow each coat t' dry completely before addin' t' next. Proper care will ensure a completely seamless finish, matey, and will be darn near bulletproof as well.

I painted t' whole thin' in white enamel, me hearties, followed by a bit o' yellow and t' decals. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Ya scallywag! Blimey! After dryin' a couple o' days, ya bilge rat, t' whole thin' be covered in clear enamel. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Ahoy! Blimey! Looks are incredible! Blimey! It's a bit hefty, though. Blimey! Blimey! Avast! Blimey! You may want t' lengthen t' shock cord as I did. Aye aye! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! Mine is now a good half meter long.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
Custom advises launchin' this rocket with a 1/2A6-2 for t' first flight. Ahoy! Baloney. Begad! You'll get a good indication o' what t' rocket can do by goin' with an A8-3 initially, which will give a decent altitude but nay so high that you can't see t' phases o' flight. Begad! Makes a great demo rocket! With a C6-7, it'll nearly disappear. Arrr! Prep for flight is completely no-hassle. Aye aye! There are no cons, shiver me timbers, IF you've fixed t' nose cone. Ahoy! Ya scallywag! Otherwise, it may give you fits, because t' nose was so wobbly it'd probably have an effect on flight, shiver me timbers, and possible drag induced separation could occur. Thought it would be cool t' change t' a 24mm motor, me hearties, arrr, but that would have been overkill. As it is, shiver me timbers, an 18mm C is plenty.

Recovery:
Custom uses a pretty stiff plastic for t' chute, and mine shredded. Ahoy! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! This was possibly due more t' a "bonus" delay in t' motor than anything, arrr, but it was discouraging. Begad! Blimey! I solved t' problem with a scratch built mylar chute. Begad! Blimey! Still, matey, this thin' will take a wallop and survive!

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
If Custom could get a grip on quality control in t' nose cone department, they'd have a real contender here. As it is, matey, it'd make a great first or second rocket for a new rocketeer. Arrr! I didn't really like this rocket all that much at first, but t' more I worked on it, t' more I found t' like. Blimey! It really is reminiscent o' t' old Alpha I built in 1970-something, and flies like it too. Arrr! It is squarely one o' me favorite low powered rockets.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5