Brief:
This is a two-stage balsa glider rocket with gap staging. Ahoy! Both stages are gliders. Begad! Ahoy!

Construction:
T' kit consists o' 3/16 inch balsa, shiver me timbers, 1/8 inch balsa, matey, arrr, balsa nose cone, and 2 body tubes.

I've wanted t' build an Edmonds glider since I discovered their web site a couple o' years ago. Ahoy! With t' CiCi on t' EMRR hit list, ya bilge rat, it was irresistible. Gliders are fun, matey, shiver me timbers, me bucko, but two gliders are more fun. Two gliders that are simple to build and fly as booster and sustainer are simply engineerin' marvels. Blimey! Begad! This is the kind o' concept that makes rocketry rewarding.

Instructions are simple, me bucko, matey, reasonably well written, me bucko, arrr, and contain plenty of illustration. Assembly is straightforward. Aye aye! Avast! An hour o' gluin' (with carpenter's glue), let it dry overnight, ya bilge rat, and it's ready t' fly. Both gliders checked out perfect for trim with no adjustments. I didn't even round t' edges o' the balsa or sand t' surface. Arrr! Arrr! T' laser cut balsa falls away from t' waste easily. T' body tubes are pre-marked with laser dots for alignment so you don't even have t' do t' door jamb thing. Begad! Aye aye! T' vent holes are pre-cut. Arrr! The dovetail joints give high strength and idiot proof tab t' slot assembly. Aye aye! The nose cone shoulder be a little tight but main nose cone diameter be perfect. T' balsa was all very good quality, shiver me timbers, flat, and didn't need t' be sanded. Avast! Blimey! None of t' parts were broken or squashed in t' well packaged box. Begad! T' portion of the fuselage that is glued t' t' booster body tube warped as it got wet with glue. I wanted t' pull away from t' body tube so I rubber banded both ends in place until dry.

Gotchas:

• There are proofin' and consistency errors in t' instructions.
• There are also some omissions, me hearties, such as t' type o' tape (masking) t' use for t' sustainer bulkhead, t' width t' tape should be, matey, shiver me timbers, and how t' test and fix glider trim.
• There is no mention o' t' fact that t' sustainer engine ejects.
• With gap staging, me hearties, me bucko, me hearties, it's critical t' scrape t' oxidation from t' propellant adjacent t' t' nozzle in order t' get sustainer ignition, and thar's no mention o' this.
• T' nose cone shoulder partially obscures t' sustainer vent holes and there's no mention in t' instructions whether this is as designed or if the shoulder should be shortened.
• T' biggest gotcha in construction be t' fit o' t' booster body tube/fuselage assembly on t' main booster fuselage. Aye aye! There's some play in the joint which results in a range o' 14-22 mm o' space at t' aft end. Aye aye! I assumed it was supposed t' be t' same distance t' entire length o' t' fuselage and set it at 18mm.

Finishing:
This sample be finished with two-tone marker t' minimize weight. Well, matey, blow me down! Blimey! There are no decals.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
Prep is easy in that thar be no waddin' or parachute and t' engines don't even have t' be friction fitted. Avast! Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! However, me hearties, attention t' detail is required for tapin' t' bulkhead and makin' sure everythin' fits. Avast! Blimey! T' booster engine is taped externally t' t' body tube with no engine block so it stays in the booster durin' glide. T' sustainer engine is held in place only with thrust after t' booster falls away and tape wrapped around t' outside functions as a bulkhead for t' booster. Avast! Blimey! It's all held together by gravity on t' pad. Avast! Blimey! The sustainer engine ejects at apogee.

Gotchas:

• I prepped for t' first launch with 1/2 inch tape which is a standard size for external bulkheads on smaller engines. Aye aye! Accordin' t' t' description in the instructions on gap stagin' though, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, t' half inch tape won't work because the vent holes are covered up internally by t' engine and would block t' escape of gases causin' stagin' separation before ignition o' t' sustainer. So I removed t' 1/2 inch tape and replaced it with 1 inch wide tape, which worked perfectly.
• T' instructions don't specify how far t' booster engine is supposed to protrude, so you have t' "guesstimate" usin' t' photos. I left it protrudin' 1/2 inch or so, me hearties, which was fine. Blimey!

Recovery:
First launch was with a B6-0 booster and A8-3 sustainer. Aye aye! Liftoff quickness was average for a B6-0 with high stability, matey, ya bilge rat, no spin, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, and perfect straight-up trajectory. Blimey! Sustainer ignition was slightly delayed compared t' taped engine staging, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, but nay noticeable unless you're lookin' for it... Well, blow me down! Ahoy! It took perhaps half a second. T' sustainer had a slow, heart stoppin' arc into a nearly straight down trajectory before ejection at 200-300 feet, then settled into a satisfyingly long glide in a wide circle. T' booster glided down nicely a few feet from t' pad. Aye aye! No damage at all. Arrr!

T' slow arc o' t' sustainer leads t' me recommendation t' never use a C6-5 (not a recommended engine anyway), and it's a good idea t' try t' 1/2A6-2 for t' first flight, which is one o' t' recommended engines for good reason. I think maybe they should have named this one t' CiBee.

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
This is a great rocket and an irresistible concept. Ahoy! If you've built a glider before, enjoyed flyin' it, and want another, me hearties, this is a "must have" for your fleet. Avast! Arrr! While thar are some omissions in t' instructions, arrr, it is very easy t' build and delivers spectacular flights.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5