Brief:
Estes has used t' name "Sizzler" on several rockets down through t' years. Avast! Begad! T' latest t' carry t' name (Kit #2171) is a minimum-diameter screamer with swept fins like one o' t' earlier Sizzler's, me bucko, but a new smaller size that gives it hot performance t' match it's fast styling. Blimey! Construction o' this kit is simple and straightforward, ya bilge rat, but some careful attention t' fin strength and finish will give you t' best result. Avast, me proud beauty! Aye aye! A "C" motor will push this bird well out-of-sight at top speeds over 350 mph, so you'll want t' use your best technique t' build this kit strong and sleek but light.

Construction:
This is a simple kit with few parts. Aye aye! As a minimum-diameter rocket t' BT-20 body tube doubles as t' engine tube, so thar be no need t' build a separate engine mount. Begad! T' kit does include a motor retention hook, which is mounted t' t' outside o' t' body tube and held in place with a paper sleeve. If you find this objectionable, either from an aerodynamic or an aesthetic concern, arrr, I imagine you could leave out t' hook and friction fit t' motor, ya bilge rat, matey, as similar Estes rockets like t' "Wizard" have always done. Avast! I used t' hook.

T' three fins are die-cut balsa from very thin stock; a bit soft and very light weight. A standard plastic nose cone, paper thrust ring, ya bilge rat, 12 in plastic parachute, and typically too-short elastic shock-cord complete t' kit. Ahoy! There is a single peel-off decal with t' rocket name. All parts and t' instructions are very typical o' Estes kits.

Construction o' t' Sizzler is also very typical o' Estes kits o' this type. Begad! T' body tube is marked usin' a paper guide cut from t' instructions. Avast! Blimey! T' tube is slotted t' hold t' engine hook and t' hook sleeve is glued over it t' hold t' hook in place. Arrr! Blimey! T' thrust rin' goes in t' tube. Begad! Blimey! I used yellow 'wood glue' through-out.

T' fins must be removed from t' balsa sheet with some care, as they are thin and delicate. Ahoy! Aye aye! T' Sizzler gets it's good looks (in me eyes) from t' raked fins, shiver me timbers, but t' long 'toe' on these fins can be easily broken if you handle them roughly. Avast, me proud beauty! T' fins also have a small inset into t' root edge t' clear t' paper sleeve that supports t' engine hook. Avast, me proud beauty! Use your hobby cutlass t' clear these out. Well, blow me down! Begad! I recommend that you sand t' fins for shape and smoothness before they are glued t' t' tube. Well, blow me down! Aye aye! I have built this kit twice (more on that later). Ahoy! Ya scallywag! T' first time I sanded a nice airfoil into each fin, which takes some care as they are delicate. Aye aye! T' second time I opted t' just round/taper t' leadin' edge only. Arrr! These fins need strength more than an inconsequential improvement in drag. Aye aye! I also 'painted' t' fins with thin CA for stiffness on t' second kit. Ahoy! If you have never tried this technique this is a good kit t' learn on. Just place each fin on a flat surface (protected) and apply a small amount o' thin CA t' t' surface. Arrr! Then smartly spread t' glue with a bit o' balsa scrap or a Popsicle stick. I actually use wooden coffee stirrers, which are perfect for this or many other jobs around t' shop. Avast! Ahoy! Just be careful with t' thin CA as it can run and cause mayhem. Avast! T' glue will set smartly and can be sanded smooth.

You will have trouble gettin' these fins on t' tube straight and strong if you rush things, shiver me timbers, so take your time and get it right. Begad! Use whatever technique works for you t' get a good tacky glue for settin' t' fin, and t' support t' fin as t' glue dries. I put them on one at a time and use a thin strip o' tape t' brace t' fin in place while it dries. T' fin is light and t' tube has a small diameter, so everythin' has t' be done with a light touch. Well, blow me down! Yellow glue should give you plenty o' time t' make adjustments and get it positioned just right, me hearties, matey, so this shouldn't be too hard. Also make sure you sand t' body tube where t' fins will attach t' slightly roughen t' surface. Ahoy! I was also careful t' keep root edge and about 1/8'' up from t' root clear when I stiffened t' fin with CA and filled it with sealer. Avast! You want t' have a good surface for t' glue fillet t' bind to.

Installation o' t' recovery system is pretty simple. You start by settin' aside t' shock-cord and 12in. Blimey! chute that came with t' kit. Ya scallywag! Aye aye! T' cord is too short, ya bilge rat, as is typical with many kits, but more importantly, a 12 in. Ya scallywag! chute is really big for a rocket this light. I think someone in t' Estes marketin' dept. has determined that customers believe "real rockets use parachutes." Perhaps they're right, but we all know better. Well, blow me down! A streamer is a better choice for this rocket. Ahoy! Begad! I went all out on me second Sizzler and attached some lightweight Keelhaul®©™ strin' t' t' body tube usin' t' standard Estes three-fold mount, me hearties, and then tied that strin' t' t' elastic cord provided by Estes. Aye aye! T' whole thin' is about three times as long as t' elastic cord alone, and will last much longer. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! I tied a streamer t' t' elastic and put a small Pratt Hobbies heat shield on t' Keelhaul®©™® cord t' complete construction.

Finishing:
I put a bit o' effort into a smooth finish for this model, me bucko, and I imagine you will too. Well, blow me down! Begad! T' real reasons t' build this kit, instead o' some other inexpensive Estes kit, are its sleek looks or its fast, high flights (or both!). In either case, arrr, arrr, a good, me bucko, me bucko, matey, smooth finish in important. Aye aye! I applied a single coat o' sandin' sealer t' t' fins (after t' CA) t' fill t' last o' t' balsa grain. Avast! Well, blow me down! T' other 'issue' one has t' deal with be t' engine hook, arrr, t' sleeve that restrains it, and t' notch in t' root edge o' t' fins over t' sleeve. Avast, me proud beauty! You could probably leave them entirely alone and nay notice t' difference, but I wanted a good look, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, so I mixed up a batch o' thinned Elmers wood filler and created a smooth 'fairing' in front and behind t' sleeve, and I filled t' notches in t' fins. Ya scallywag! Blimey! There is nay much you can do about t' engine hook.

Once all that be sanded smooth I applied a couple o' light coats o' grey primer, me hearties, with a little bit o' sandin' with #400 grit, shiver me timbers, and a couple o' coats o' gloss black. Arrr! Blimey! Then comes t' fun. Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! T' cool lookin' design you saw on t' kit card is nay a decal, its drawn free-hand with paint-pens or small brushes. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Avast! Blimey! I was a bit nervous about this on t' first Sizzler I built, shiver me timbers, me bucko, but I do have some o' t' paint pens and gave it a try. Avast! Blimey! It's nay as easy t' get t' paint t' flow onto a smooth, gloss finish as I had hoped, but it can be done. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Some colors work better than others. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Once you relax a bit and just paint on your design it turns out t' be kind'a fun, and I'm quite happy with t' look. Begad! Blimey! Well, blow me down! Blimey! T' rocket gets a lot o' "ooh, matey, look at that one!" comments, me hearties, so I guess others agree.

I'll rate it a 4. It's just fine, but you will need t' deal with t' external hook mount and t' short cord-big chute situation.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
Its time t' explain why I have built two. Ya scallywag! I was real pleased with t' first one and eager t' fly it. Begad! T' wind be blowin' at t' next club launch, and I was "downgrading" most o' t' family rockets from "C" motors t' "B" impulse motors, t' keep them on t' field. Begad! I got into t' habit o' grabbin' a B6 and thinkin' o' it as me "windy-day" load. T' end o' t' launch approached and I really wanted t' see t' Sizzler fly, ya bilge rat, so I grabbed another B6, I remembered t' use a long, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, 6 second delay, me hearties, arrr, but I forgot t' pull off t' chute and replace it with a streamer. Avast, me proud beauty! Nay until t' LCO was countin' down t' launch did I remember that I had intended t' use an A engine on this rocket, me hearties, ya bilge rat, but it was too late. On launch t' Sizzler ripped off t' pad and laid down a thin line o' smoke that angled slightly into t' wind. Ahoy! Avast! necks snapped up and thar was an audible "oooh" from t' crowd. Begad! There was a funny lookin' twist in t' smoke trail and a sound from t' rocket that made me think! , me bucko, "fin flutter", but everythin' held together and t' ejection occurred *way* up thar where t' 12 inch chute was a small dot. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! T' LCO turned around and said, "start running", and I did. Begad! Well, blow me down! An our later we gave up on t' search; a little rocket on a big chute in a stiff wind, I oughta know better.

On t' second one I stiffened t' fins with CA as described above, me hearties, in case what we saw really was fin flutter, and used a streamer. Ahoy! I have only flown t' rocket on A8-5's but it gives great flights on that motor and t' recovery is close by. T' last flight be a drag race with me son's Estes Wizard and it be a great, matey, neck-and-neck race. Well, blow me down! Aye aye! Lot's o' fun and t' two rockets came down on streamers within 30 feet o' each other.

RockSim predicts 1400 feet and 360mph on a C6-7, matey, but I'm nay ready t' try it. Begad! I like t' way this bird flies and recovers on t' A8-5 and streamer combination, and I recommend it.

Recovery:
I'll rate t' flight and recovery at a 4 1/2. Begad! T' kit may have some trouble at C impulse, ya bilge rat, me hearties, fin flutter is a real risk with these thin fins; it certainly will be difficult t' find if you send it that high. Begad! Avast, shiver me timbers, me proud beauty! If you change t' a streamer and stick t' A and B motors I think this would rate a 5.

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
I like this rocket and expect I'll always t' have one in me fleet. I'm sure that a beginner could get this kit together and get a decent flight out o' it, but thar are really better kits for that purpose. Well, blow me down! Ahoy! If you have built a few rockets and want t' try somethin' small, ya bilge rat, but fast, matey, look into t' new Sizzler. Avast, me proud beauty! Aye aye! If you want some good fun on launch day, ya bilge rat, build a fleet o' minimum diameter TFNC rockets like t' Sizzler, ya bilge rat, Wizard, Star-Dart and Yankee, and drag race 'em on identical engines. We have already purchased two more Sizzlers that we will bash into a two-stage "Super Sizzler".

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5