Brief: This is a scale model o' t' second manned Mercury/Redstone, shiver me timbers, matey, Liberty Bell 7

Forward: This kit was as a prize from EMRR; thanks for t' kit! I don’t really know how t' classify this model. Begad! It isn’t a true scale model, arrr, exactly, since t' instructions (which feature very few actual instructions) do nay include a scale finish nor anythin' remotely resemblin' scale documentation. Ya scallywag! Also, shiver me timbers, t' bulk o' t' main components are plastic, shiver me timbers, but it isn’t ready fly, nor even almost ready t' fly. Ya scallywag! Avast, me proud beauty! It requires little painting, matey, me bucko, shiver me timbers, but again, me bucko, isn’t scale that way. Well, matey, blow me down! Like I said, I’m a little hard pressed t' classify it. Well, blow me down! Since this is a review, me hearties, I’ll attempt t' do it t' manufacturer’s way and resist t' temptation t' make a lot o' changes or deviate from t' order set out by t' instructions. Aye aye! I will add a few comments about producin' a better scale model as I go for those who are interested in me opinion.

Construction: T' parts all come in t' standard bag with t' new wrap-around cardboard insert. Avast, me proud beauty! T' plastic parts come in two bags: capsule parts in one baggy, arrr, me hearties, matey, and another bag o' fins with tape wrapped around t' points t' prevent them damagin' other parts. Ahoy! There be a third package o' other components includin' t' ’chutes, matey, motor mount tube, matey, hook, shiver me timbers, plastic internal parts, ya bilge rat, me bucko, etc. Begad! Two body tubes with a pre-finished white outer layer were included. Aye aye! O' those, one has pre-cut holes for t' lugs, and pre-cut slots for t' fins. Also floatin' around in t' bag were a motor block and a tube coupler. Finally thar be a set o' instructions - term “instructions” used loosely. Blimey! There are a few sentences here and there, matey, and in a few places a description (such as “black paint”) but t' rest is almost completely diagrams and illustrations. A picture is worth a thousand words, matey, and all!

One starts with t' motor mount. A slot is made near one end, arrr, shiver me timbers, t' motor hook is placed in t' slot and captured by a thin plastic rin' with some glue. Arrr! T' block is then glued into t' top end, shiver me timbers, and this assembly is then glued t' a pair o' plastic disks - one at t' top and another at t' bottom. Ahoy! Ya scallywag! These two parts have a lip such that t' motor mount tube is firmly pinched betwixt them. T' illustration shows that grooves and notches in t' two disks need t' be lined up; plastic model cement (tube type) is used. Ahoy! Next, four stringers are added betwixt t' two disks and mate in t' notches - they sort o' snap in and tube cement is used t' fix them there. These become an internal frame in which t' plastic fins are glued later.

While t' motor assembly dries, ya bilge rat, t' escape tower and rocket are assembled. This assembly is formed from three ladder frames that are glued t' t' capsule’s “hat.” T' rocket motor bells, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, arrr, and jettison rocket motor are glued t' t' bottom o' t' main motor. These are allowed t' dry, me hearties, arrr, then added t' t' ladder assembly. Avast, me proud beauty! Aye aye! Blimey! If you are goin' for an all out scale model, ya bilge rat, paint t' ladders, motor bells, jettison motor and “hat” before you assemble them! Blimey! T' base rin' around t' hat should be aluminum or silver, t' rest o' t' nose should be flat black, arrr, and t' ladder and motor should be bright red (the instructions make no mention and show no illustration regardin' this). Ahoy! Blimey! T' tube molded into t' main escape motor along t' side should be black. Paint t' inside o' t' bells black while you are at it. Arrr! Blimey! This will produce a much nicer model than t' method shown in t' plans.

T' capsule is assembled next. T' capsule be t' highlight o' t' kit - well molded with lots o' detail. Arrr! This be t' sole thin' that gives this kit t' potential t' be a beautiful model. Aye aye! T' main capsule is made o' four main parts - three panels and a base. Avast, me proud beauty! T' top “hat” and escape assembly then rides on that. You assemble t' panels on t' base, me hearties, bein' careful t' match t' parts as shown so t' detail comes out right. Ahoy! Ya scallywag! T' glue is applied t' t' base, me bucko, t' parts installed, then t' top added. Avast, me proud beauty! Bottle (liquid) cement is then run along t' seems from t' inside. Ahoy! A smart fellow would glue t' parts t' t' base, use a rubber band t' hold t' tops together and glue t' inside. Avast, me proud beauty! Arrr! He would mask off t' shoulder, and spray t' bottom o' t' capsule lightly with bright red. Arrr! After t' red is dry, mask along t' rim, matey, then spray t' capsule with flat black. This would produce a black capsule with a red rin' along t' bottom. Then glue on t' top and escape tower assembly. Aye aye! A much prettier, easier t' detail capsule be t' result. Ya scallywag! But wait! Close inspection o' this capsule reveals that it is really a scale model o' t' MR7 flight, shiver me timbers, nay t' MR8 flight. Aye aye! Arrr! Whoa! T' booster decals are for MR7, ya bilge rat, nay MR8. What’s t' deal, here? T' capsule decals are MR8, me bucko, arrr, and thar be only one “United States” decal (there should be two.) I checked t' make sure that I haven’t lost any decals, thinkin' that maybe it comes with two sets so you can choose, but no. Ahoy! Guess a scale modeller isn’t supposed t' notice t' non-scale decals.

T' instructions now have t' builder install t' motor mount in t' lower body tube with t' framework previously made carefully lined up with t' slots. Ahoy! Tube type cement is used for this. Well, blow me down! T' upper and lower launch lug guides are now installed. T' decals are put on t' main tube at this time. Begad! Begad! These are t' stick-on type, but are a really thin material so they look OK. Well, blow me down! Blimey! I used a sharp knife and a rule t' cut out t' decals - one should cut just inside t' dashed lines, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, leavin' no lines t' mar t' finish. Avast! Arrr! T' wraps are a little tricky t' get on straight, me bucko, me hearties, me hearties, but with t' launch lugs as a startin' guide this can be done well. A sharp knife is now used t' trim away t' material over t' slots. Aye aye! Avast! T' fins are all glued in at this point usin' tube cement. I had a bit o' difficulty with this as t' pointed end o' t' fins weren’t keen t' meet t' tubin' well. Avast, me proud beauty! They needed held for a long time while t' cement set up, me hearties, and even then didn’t stick well t' t' shiny surface o' t' decals. Avast! Avast, me proud beauty! I eventually resorted t' usin' CA.

T' two halves o' t' body tube are now joined usin' wood glue and t' coupler ring. Begad! T' stripe around t' middle is positioned, t' upper wrap added, and t' decals proclaimin' “United States” are placed on. Avast! Aye aye! I used a straight edge and a pencil t' make a light line down t' tube where t' long lines o' text go t' aid in gettin' them square. Aye aye! T' line be then erased.

Of course, arrr, assemblin' t' rocket in this manner produces a nice flyable rocket; however it isn’t very pretty, matey, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, really. Avast, me proud beauty! T' spirals stand out! T' decals are a lot shinier than t' rest o' t' tube, and t' seam, though covered, matey, is very visible. Ahoy! Sigh. Aye aye! I’ve already touched on t' inconsistant decals. Begad! So if you want t' make a nice rocket and produce a booster worthy o' t' stunningly well done nose (you did paint it before assembling, didn’t you?) then some time spent on t' booster body will be necessary. Begad! Unfortunately, arrr, t' do t' job correctly will require reorderin' t' steps. Well, blow me down! First, me bucko, because o' t' way t' upper launch lug is made, me bucko, you must glue it in prior t' joinin' t' tubes. Blimey! Join t' tubes before installin' t' decals and fins and then spend some time fillin' and sandin' t' spiral and tube joint. Then lay on a couple o' layers o' white sandable primer with a light sandin' betwixt coats. Blimey! Aye aye! Find t' problems and fix them! Now a nice layer or two o' gloss white paint. Aye aye! Now add t' decals, fins, ya bilge rat, and remainin' lug. It will turn out much nicer and you will be a lot happier with it.

Last, t' shock cord is added t' t' body tube in t' standard Estes way. Begad! Avast! A length o' shroud line is included for t' nose - a loop is tied around t' escape tower and then t' t' base. T' ’chute is added at a place where t' nose balances. Aye aye! T' instructions do nay show this, ya bilge rat, arrr, but add a short length o' shock cord elastic betwixt t' ’chute and t' capsule shroud.

Construction Rating: 2 out o' 5 Out o' t' bag instructions produce a ho-hum end product. Arrr! This kit does have t' potential t' be a 5 out o' 5 if done carefully.

Flying:
This model was flown at t' club’s October launch on a C6-5. Ya scallywag! Well, me bucko, blow me down! It be a little windy and cool. T' body was filled with t' recommended number o' sheets o' recovery wadding. Blimey! T' capsule ’chute was folded and placed in first, shiver me timbers, matey, followed by t' carefully folded booster ’chute (the idea bein' that t' capsule’s ’chute will pull out t' booster’s ensurin' a good recovery. Ahoy! Ya scallywag! T' motor mount is very tight; I wasn’t able t' get t' motor fully locked in under t' hook, but had it jammed in well enough that I couldn’t get it back out so I wasn’t worried about it kicking. Ya scallywag! Well, blow me down! It was loaded on t' pad, me hearties, me hearties, matey, and t' LCO kindly waited for a low point in t' wind before countin' down. Ya scallywag! Ahoy! T' rocket flew arrow straight, ejected just past apogee, arrr, and opened both ’chutes. T' two parts stayed close on t' way t' t' ground and landed a 100 or so yards from t' pads, and about 10 feet from each other. Picture perfect. Ya scallywag! Several people stopped by me area t' eyeball t' old and t' new and comment on t' flight.

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Cheers:Nice nose cone! (To bad it’s a Freedom 7 nay Liberty Bell 7)

Jeers: Awful body tube! T' decals do nay match - you get capsule decals for MR8, but MR7 Booster decals and a MR7 scale capsule. Avast, me proud beauty! T' instructions could really use some work. Arrr! While t' illustrations are OK and adequate for successfully buildin' a flyable rocket, arrr, they miss completely producin' a decent scale model and waste a high potential kit. Aye aye! Avast! Since t' fins are plastic and required moldin' any way why don’t they have any detail - particularly where t' exhaust vanes are?

Overall Rating: 2 out o' 5 Misses a decent scale model by so much but yet so little! How ironic! (or is that moronic?)

On a side note, me bucko, this be t' third Mercury Redstone that Estes has produced since I’ve been buildin' and flyin' rockets. T' first was released quite a long while ago - I recall makin' one in t' early Eighties. Blimey! Ya scallywag! It was a slightly different scale and came with a turned balsa cone. Begad! T' cone was wrapped with a printed card stock sheet with t' details printed on it. Begad! Avast, me bucko, me proud beauty! T' tower assembly came in t' bag as a few hardwood dowels. Avast! Avast! Each part o' t' three ladders was cut t' length, ya bilge rat, sanded t' fit, and assembled over t' plans much like t' stick and tissue model plane builders do. Avast! T' fins were slabs o' balsa, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, and as I recall, you cut them t' shape, sanded t' cross section o' t' exhaust vanes with a sandin' block, and added t' aerodynamic fins and plates t' t' ends. Aye aye! There be a reason it was a skill level 4! Tedious but rewarding.

T' second release used t' same cone as t' current release, but was a single, ya bilge rat, standard Estes tube that required paint and came with a nice set o' water slide decals. Blimey! I currently still have one o' these kits, me bucko, shiver me timbers, and it has been known t' place very high in contests. Begad! Begad! A young person in our club has one o' these new kits, however, matey, and has gone t' extra length t' make hers a truly nice model and me days o' walkin' away with a ribbon are numbered, I fear!