Brief:
This is a single stage 20" tall rocket with 3 fins by CYCLINE3 which is described as an "Ultra High Performance Mid-Power Rocket". Ya scallywag! Blimey! T' kit comes with a unique and well made rectangular light fabric chute. This is the second CYCLINE3 kit I have built, t' first bein' t' simply named #002b.

Construction:
This comes in an Estes type retail package, a plastic bag with peg ready header card. Blimey! Begad! Includes a 1.6" BT60, rounded plastic nose cone, shiver me timbers, 24mm engine tube, rail buttons, me hearties, fabric chute, arrr, 12 foot elastic shock cord, brass snap-swivel, very nice quality black flame sticker, shiver me timbers, (6) page 8.5 x 11 manual and a CD-Rom of flight videos which include this rocket.

T' instructions with this kit are very good, and are some o' t' best I have ever seen. Avast! They explain why each o' t' methods o' construction are suggested. Begad! Avast, me proud beauty! One thin' out o' t' ordinary in t' instructions is that it calls specifically for Polyurethane glue for construction, matey, which I was unable to locate. Blimey! I used other methods for t' construction which I will describe below. Blimey!

T' shape o' t' fins, I only happen t' know by personal experience, are the same as were on t' Estes Astron Sprint (OOP) from t' late 70's. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! This is a nice choice for fin shape, yet considerin' that these must be cut and shaped from balsa fin stock that is nay die-cut, this is nay a kit for a beginner. Begad! Blimey! The Balsa is good quality, and with a lot o' patience, matey, me bucko, usin' a razor saw, shiver me timbers, several sizes o' exacto cutlass blades and a sandin' block, I be able t' come up with nice lookin' fins. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! For someone who has never made fins this shape, this could be a challenge. Well, blow me down! Blimey! For t' more experienced builder, it's nay hard really, arrr, with time and care.

This kit calls for a very unique method o' creatin' an engine tube centerin' rin' with Polyurethane glue. Blimey! Like t' other Cycline3 kit I built, it does nay come with a thrust ring or engine clip. Avast! Ahoy! With this rocket, I decided t' add a 24mm thrust rin' and D length engine clip, matey, as well as two cardboard centerin' rings, all pulled from a Mean Machine kit. I also added a 30" piece o' Keelhaul®©™® 100# test cord.

This kit, just as t' other Cycline3 kit I built (#002b), is designed t' be (4) ounces. Begad! Avast, arrr, me proud beauty! Even with me modifications o' engine tube rings, me bucko, recovery and addition o' a thrust rin' and clip, matey, me hearties, arrr, both me Cycline3 #002b, matey, and this Cycline3 #004 Poison Arrow, only came t' 3.5 ounces each.

When mountin' t' fins, ya bilge rat, me hearties, I went a little out o' t' way, me bucko, in ways not suggested by t' instructions. Ahoy! Blimey! First I sanded off t' glassine layer from the body tube all t' way around t' fin area. Begad! Avast, me hearties, me proud beauty! Blimey! I then traced where t' fins would be located, and usin' a very sharp exacto pin (like a map pin), I made (7) small holes in t' body tube where each fin would mount. Then usin' a medium CA, I made a nice bead on each fin root, placed them and lined them up with an Estes fin alignment guide and clips. Well, blow me down! Blimey! After t' CA dried, me bucko, ya bilge rat, I used DAP Woodweld yellow wood glue for fillets. Arrr! Blimey! It is me thinkin' that t' tiny holes in the airframe will allow t' CA t' seep in, makin' little "rivets" sort of. Begad! Blimey! Blimey! This is a technique I gleaned from EMRR recently, me hearties, when readin' other reviews. Avast! Blimey!

I added me own launch lugs instead o' t' rail buttons which were provided.

Finishing:
T' Cycline3 kits suggest usin' primer, arrr, shiver me timbers, then sandin' and then usin' flat paint for t' color, followed by decals, shiver me timbers, then a gloss coat. Begad! Ya scallywag! T' reason bein' as they state, that flat paint does nay tend t' run like gloss paint. Blimey! Blimey! That's very true, and nice attention t' detail.

I skipped primer on this one, me bucko, arrr, ya bilge rat, t' fly it t' same day. I'm nay one t' worry about a glass like finish. I painted this one as per t' prototype shown on the cover o' t' manual, and in t' flight video CD it came with. Ahoy! Ahoy! Nose cone gloss black, and t' rest metalic silver. Ya scallywag!

T' black flame decal that comes with this kit is one o' t' best quality I have ever seen with any rocket kit. Avast, me proud beauty!

Due t' t' construction and finishin' methods, matey, I believe this kit should have a high skill level stated on it. Begad! Well, blow me down! T' cuttin' and shapin' o' t' fins requires previous experience. Blimey! I'm goin' t' have t' take off 1/2 a point due to this. Avast, me proud beauty! Here I give a (4.5/5.0). Avast, me proud beauty! Avast!

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
This kit does nay state any specific recommended motors, it just states "24MM C Through F Power". Avast! Thank goodness for t' new Estes C11's. I popped a C11-5 in for t' test flight before paint. Arrr! Avast, me proud beauty! A C11 put it so high that I did nay expect t' recover it. Avast, me proud beauty! Ya scallywag! This is most certainly a "High Performance" rocket and a large field is recommended. Well, blow me down! I'm goin' t' try it on a D12, but only at a club launch where I can get some help trackin' it.

This rocket if built right, should do just what mine did, and leap off the pad straight as an arrow. Ya scallywag! Avast! T' flight was flawless. Aye aye! Avast, me proud beauty! Nay a bit o' twist, ya bilge rat, spin or weather-cocking. Arrr! Just straight as an arrow.

Recovery:
This rocket kit comes with a very nice quality, ya bilge rat, somewhat unusual, shiver me timbers, rectangular shaped light cloth chute called a "Frankenchute". It's sort o' a peach color, very light and very strong. Blimey! Blimey! It is pre-assembled and has heavy stitchin' and thick but light shroud lines. Aye aye! If purchased alone, t' chute is easily worth at least o' what they charge for t' entire kit. Don't forget the waddin' t' protect t' chute. Ahoy!

This kit comes with a 12 foot (not 12 inch) super long elastic shock cord, and an Estes type paper triple fold mount. Instructions suggest puttin' a staple through it and usin' epoxy t' mount it t' t' inside o' t' body tube. I don't personally care for that method, so I modified mine, as described below. However, arrr, me bucko, that method has been proven t' work, shiver me timbers, and with t' 12 foot shock cord and nice strong fabric chute, it sure deserves a 5/5 here. Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey!

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
This is a complete rocket kit with excellent materials and instructions. It's design is innovative and it is most certainly high performance as it claims to be. It comes with an excellent comprehensive instruction manual as well as a high quality recovery system.

I modified t' recovery system a bit, just out o' personal preference. Blimey! Begad! Takin' a 30" long strand o' 100# test Keelhaul®©™® cord, ya bilge rat, I tied double knots in both ends. Then usin' an exacto knife I made small V slits in two outside edges o' t' top motor tube centerin' ring. Usin' CA to bond t' knots, matey, matey, I then secured both ends o' t' cord t' t' mount ring. Ya scallywag! Making certain that t' loop would be an inch shy o' bein' able t' come out o' t' top of t' body, ya bilge rat, I added a snap swivel t' be able t' change chutes quickly, and tied a knot about an inch from t' top t' create a second loop. Well, blow me down! Aye aye! While it is unlikely that t' Keelhaul®©™® will burn through, if one side breaks, matey, ya bilge rat, t' other side should still hold. I then attached t' 12 foot elastic shock cord. Avast, shiver me timbers, me proud beauty! Usin' this method, t' shock cord will be t' only thin' comin' into contact with t' body tube, and I do believe this will prevent a tube zipper, even in t' case o' a late and quick decent ejection. Blimey! This is me personal double cord system.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5