Brief:
Estes has done it again with this 150% upscale o' t' beloved K-50 Interceptor designed t' fly on their black-powder "E" motors.

Construction:
T' rocket kit was packed in Estes' traditional plastic bag with three-sided cardboard placard. Blimey! Begad! It consisted of:

• two sections o' 2" diameter white body tube (one o' which is slotted)
• a big blow-molded plastic nosecone
• 24mm x 10" motor-mount tube
• thrust ring
• an E-length motor retainer hook
• tube coupler
• plastic tail cone
• two plastic centerin' rings
• two plastic launch lugs
• printed card shock cord mount
• engine spacer tube
• four sheets o' laser-cut balsa for t' fins
• 24" nylon parachute
• two wingtip pods in two injection-molded halves
• two antennas
• three huge decal sheets.

For t' first time I can recall I had a part missin' from an Estes kit. This one had one o' t' three decal sheets missing. As I write this, Estes Customer Service is probably workin' t' fix t' shortfall.

Great Estes instructions, me hearties, arrr, as I expected. Begad! This is an actual 150% upscale o' t' recently re-released Interceptor. Ahoy! A fair lot o' serious thought went into this design with t' through-the-tube fin installation, t' well-planned-out multi-panel fins and wings with reinforcin' strips and t' way t' motor mount tube also serves as a "stuffer tube" t' reduce recovery malfunctions due t' high body volume.

I did some modifications t' t' recovery harness and stuffer-tube motor mount, figurin' this would be a wadding-intensive rocket otherwise. Ya scallywag! I used two 12" stainless-steel fishin' leaders as a shock-cord mount - one I removed both swivel and snap from t' ends o' and attached at both ends t' t' top centerin' ring, arrr, t' other I left stock and threaded onto t' first. I also inserted one-quarter o' a stainless-steel pot-scrubbin' pad into t' stuffer tube and capped it off with a conveniently-sized cap from a spritz bottle into which I drilled two quarter-inch holes for ejection-gas ports. Blimey! I replaced Estes' included 36" black elastic shock cord with 48" o' elastic shock cord from a tent-pole.

After all t' upgrades t' t' recovery harness, me hearties, me Interceptor-E tipped t' scales at 10.5 ounces (not countin' motor weight). Avast! T' was probably due because I used CA gel instead o' epoxy as recommended by t' instructions. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! I filleted all t' fins with Elmer's Carpenter's Wood Glue® as well and applied a coat o' tube-type plastic cement and a coat o' Elmer's White School Glue® on all me fins as filler. (Lighter by far than several coats o' primer as suggested).

Construction PROs: It's big, shiver me timbers, it's an Interceptor, me bucko, me bucko, it's well-thought out.
Construction CONs: Might benefit from basswood fins without t' reinforcin' strips.

Finishing:
Finished this one in t' same gray spray primer with blue pods, antennae and tail cone scheme I used on me 1250 Interceptor. Ahoy! Ya scallywag! They look like sister-ships, really classy.

These decals were ULTRA-THIN. I was almost buffaloed by them. Aye aye! Blimey! Make ABSOLUTELY SURE you get a GLOSSY surface on t' rocket or you will get these tangled beyond hope. Arrr! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! In fact, me bucko, shiver me timbers, I strongly recommend you get a color photocopy o' t' original sheets made and use a product called Decal-It (made by Connoisseur Studio Inc.). This marvel converts print into decals...you apply six coats o' it (looks like thinned white glue) t' t' paper copy, me bucko, wait 2 hours for it t' dry, then soak t' copy in water for an hour and peel off t' paper, leavin' a clear copy with print in color on it. Arrr! Blimey! Well, blow me down! Blimey! Apply t' decals made this way with a coat o' t' stuff.

Finishin' PROs: Good tube surface with invisible spirals.
Finishin' CONs: Decals definitely have potential for frustration.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
T' Interceptor-E has only one recommended motor, t' Estes black-powder E9-4. Luckily, shiver me timbers, this is ALSO t' recommended motor for me D-Region Tomahawk. Begad! Ya scallywag! T' Interceptor-E has a solid motor hook for retention, and due t' me baffle refit needs no wadding.

Launched at me buddy Darrell's field which had a bit o' a roll at takeoff but that might be a trivial fin-misalignment at work. Begad! Gorgeous 24" bright-red nylon parachute that drifted a bit after ejection at apogee. Ahoy! Blimey! We tracked three flights o' 400, 425 and 440 feet respectively.

This beauty is well worth t' nearly $50 price tag. Aye aye! Avast! I ought t' get another one and upgrade it t' a 29mm motor mount and basswood fins and see what it's capable o' with a high-end "F" or "G" RMS load.

Recovery:
I described me modified recovery harness under construction. A brief recap: I used a pair o' 12" fishin' leaders as a Y-harness t' retain a tent-pole elastic shock cord and emulated t' Aerotech baffle system. Aye aye! T' harness went together well and is as solid as a battleship with very little weight penalty and t' stainless steel scrubber beats usin' wadding.

T' Interceptor-E is a decent flyer considerin' its fairly high drag and t' 24" nylon parachute is about right for it. Ya scallywag! Blimey! No burning, damage, matey, me bucko, or wear on any recovery tackle...the Y-harness should outlast t' airframe!

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
All told, a very good new product from Estes!

Main PROs: It's another Interceptor. Ya scallywag! It's an honest upscale (whereas t' North Coast Interceptor-G isn't. Avast, matey, me proud beauty! It must represent a different manufacturer's transatmospheric interceptor.)
Only CONs: A bit pricey for a low-power model rocket (well, ya bilge rat, low-end mid-power if you're bein' generous). Those decals are great for a plastic model but frustratin' as t' devil t' a low-hours builder.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5