Brief:
T' Blue Ninja is a very basic four-fin rocket in t' Estes E2X line, with one special feature, matey, its a big rocket, usin' 24mm motors. Well, blow me down! Like all t' E2X kits it builds smartly and easily without painting, matey, ya bilge rat, me hearties, usin' plastic parts except for t' body tubes. Well, blow me down! Arrr! T' completed rocket sports a reflective blue finish and a big, powerful look that is a big hit with t' younger rocketeers (and some o' t' older ones!) T' completed rocket is over 31 inches tall and weighs a respectable 145 grams (5.1 oz.)

Construction:
This kit is entirely typical o' Estes E2X kits. Begad! Arrr! It arrived in a bag with all parts present and accounted for. Ahoy! T' two body tubes immediately catch t' eye. They are 12'' and 8'' inches long and over 1.6 inches in diameter (BT-60). Well, blow me down! They are also wrapped in a reflective, me hearties, sparklin' coverin' (Estes calls it “prismatic” that gives t' Blue Ninja it's distinctive look. Avast, me proud beauty! T' nosecone, fin can, me bucko, fins and tube connector are all black plastic, and seemed well molded. Avast, me proud beauty! Aye aye! Surfaces are generally smooth, shiver me timbers, with a nice, shiver me timbers, 'satin' finish. T' fits are good and required only a little trimmin' with t' hobby knife.

T' most interestin' part o' t' Blue Ninja construction be t' engine mount, arrr, which is a little different that other Estes kits. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Ya scallywag! Blimey! T' aft 5 inches o' t' rocket body is a molded plastic 'unit' in two halves. Avast! Blimey! In addition t' slots for t' fin tabs, arrr, me bucko, this unit supports t' engine tube and provides a mount for t' engine-retention cap. Avast! Blimey! A plastic centerin' rin' (of sorts) fits over one end o' t' paper motor tube. Arrr! Blimey! This rin' fits into tabs inside t' fin mount. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Arrr! Blimey! T' other end o' t' motor tube rests in a socket at t' upper end o' t' fin mount unit. Arrr! Blimey! Ya scallywag! Blimey! T' top half o' t' fin-mount unit glues in place with plastic cement. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Ahoy! Blimey! A standard size 24mm motor like t' D12 or C11 will protrude about ½ inch from t' end o' t' motor tube. Begad! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! A plastic cap restrains t' motor and hides it, givin' a nozzle-like stylin' t' t' end o' t' rocket. Avast! Blimey! This cap twists into place with a bayonet mount, ya bilge rat, and has appeared on several Estes E2X kits. It’s very easy and effective t' use, me hearties, if a bit heavier than a standard motor clip. Avast! Blimey! (It may be possible t' move t' motor block forward t' accommodate t' longer E9 motors. I didn’t think o' it at t' time but I believe t' motor tube is long enough. Accordin' t' Rocksim this kit ought t' fly well on those long-burnin' motors).

T' plastic fins glue t' t' plastic fin-mount unit with plastic cement (you get t' idea) T' fins have short tabs t' align them and perhaps provide a bit o' strength. Begad! Blimey! Blimey! I suspect that these fins could pop off in a hard landing, arrr, ya bilge rat, but so far ours have stayed on (despite one landin' on pavement.) It’s pretty hard t' mess-up these fins. T' biggest risk is that you will get plastic cement on t' nice smooth surface and mar it, shiver me timbers, but that can be avoided with simple precautions.

T' completed fin can fits into t' smaller o' t' two body tubes (again with plastic cement), and t' two tubes are connected with a plastic coupler. Begad! T' coupler is also t' mountin' point for t' shock-cord.

T' shock-cord is ¼ inch elastic, both wider and longer than one would expect from Estes (bravo!). Well, blow me down! Nevertheless I added a length o' Keelhaul®©™ tether, shiver me timbers, and strengthened t' top inch o' t' body tube with thin CA t' protect against “zippers”. Arrr! T' standard 18 in. Avast! plastic chute came pre-assembled. Begad! I attached it t' t' elastic about 7 inches from t' nosecone.

T' "Pros" for this kit are t' easy, me bucko, kid-friendly assembly (no CA or knives required). Instructions are typically Estes, which is t' say easy t' follow and well illustrated. Begad! Ya scallywag! T' rocket feels quite sturdy, arrr, but if you use plastic cement as recommended thar could be some separated parts after hard landings.

Finishing:
T' only finish step be t' application o' stick-on decals, shiver me timbers, t' large "Blue Ninja" on t' rocket body and vaguely oriental designs t' t' fins. Avast, me proud beauty! While effortless, t' finish o' this rocket is one o' its strong sellin' points. Avast, me proud beauty! Well, blow me down! It's a sharp-lookin' rocket right-out o' t' box, which be important for me 7 year old.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
To date we have only flown t' rocket on C11-3 motors (small fields and strong winds). Aye aye! Rocksim puts apogee with that impulse around 300 feet, and that seems about right. Aye aye! Avast, me proud beauty! Boost has always been straight and deployment close t' apogee. T' rocket comes off t' pad slowly and looks large and impressive in flight. Aye aye! Ya scallywag! A D12-5 flight is predicted t' go t' 700 feet. Ya scallywag! This ought t' be a very predictable rocket, so I fully expect those flights t' be very successful too. Ahoy! Estes recommends a 3 second delay on t' D12, but Rocksim shows t' D12-5 t' be t' better choice. Begad! These E2X rockets generally are built right t' t' predicted weight, me hearties, so t' Rocksim performance ought t' be accurate.

T' motor-retention cap extends beyond t' end o' t' motor a bit t' create a "nozzle" effect. Arrr! These caps make prep somewhat easier, and look better that a metal hook, me hearties, but it is a bit o' a reach t' get t' igniter properly secured in t' motor nozzle. Avast! We had a couple o' misfires caused by igniters that dropped out or broke. Aye aye! Nay a big deal, but somethin' t' think about when you prep this rocket.

On t' last flight t' prismatic blue wrap started t' unwind from t' body tube. Ahoy! Aye aye! It’s a small flaw easily repaired.

Recovery:
T' Blue Ninja recovers on a standard Estes plastic 18in chute. Ahoy! Ahoy! This chute has worked well for us, in terms o' size and decent rate. Ya scallywag! On t' last flight t' chute suffered some meltin' and burn holes, but brought t' rocket back just fine. Well, blow me down! Ya scallywag! T' body tube is wide and long, so sealin' it with waddin' is difficult. Begad! Ahoy! I be usin' Rogue Permawadding, matey, which be undamaged, but obviously some o' t' "hot stuff" got by.

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
This is a fine kit for beginners, and ought t' be a breeze for anyone with plastic model experience. T' flights are impressive and dependable on t' recommended engines. Well, blow me down! There is no balsa in this kit, and it is really nay so much “built” as “assembled”. I usually prefer a more traditional kit, but I can appreciate what Estes is doin' here. Begad! I bought this kit for me kids, principally me seven year old. Avast! That t' Blue Ninja is “easy-to-build” is a nice thin' for him, matey, but t' most important feature is that it’s “easy t' get right”. I may find t' “made-by-Cub Scouts” look kind o' charming, arrr, but he is embarrassed by it. I’ve also seen beginners discouraged by t' poor flyin' characteristics o' their early attempts. Ya scallywag! Arrr! My kids love t' fly this rocket. Begad! Arrr! They built it, matey, matey, shiver me timbers, it’s big, me hearties, it flies well, and they get admirin' glances when they take it t' t' pad. Aye aye! Aye aye! I think this kit is goin' t' give a lot o' beginners a good first experience in rocketry, and encourage them t' continue on.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5