Brief:
This is a limited-edition re-release o' t' Orbital Transport, new for 2002. Ahoy! Arrr! Single 18mm motor booster with a single glider that sits piggy back on t' main rocket, and is released at apogee. Arrr! Skill Level 4 kit.

Construction:
There is a large number o' parts t' this kit. Blimey! Ya scallywag! Two body tubes, arrr, arrr, one for t' booster and one for t' glider, matey, likewise two nose cones. Avast! three sheets o' uncut balsa for fin material, Estes-style motor hook, arrr, launch lug material, me bucko, small wooden dowel, arrr, elastic shock cord, water slide decals, me bucko, arrr, and an unassembled parachute.

Havin' built over 40 Estes kits in t' last year, I be very disappointed with this kit. Well, blow me down! May very well be just a fluke that got by quality control, me hearties, but I'll describe what I ran in to.

Construction is in-depth but nay really hard, me bucko, you just have t' take your time and do one step at a time. Begad! There are 21 steps in t' assembly instructions. Begad! They are typical Estes instructions, very well illustrated and simple enough t' understand.

You begin with assemblin' t' motor mount as is custom with Estes. Ahoy! Next you move on t' forward win' assembly. Avast, me proud beauty! T' motor mount is then installed into t' booster tube, t' tube marked, and wings and fins are then applied.

T' kit comes with fin templates that need t' be cut out, then traced onto t' balsa fin material, then cut out. Avast! T' instructions have you cut out fins as needed, me bucko, I deviated and cut them all out at once. Begad! I also labeled with a pencil each fin it's appropriate number so that they would be easier t' distinguish later in t' instructions. Begad! You end up cuttin' out if me count is correct 32 fins/parts from t' balsa sheets.

After all fins are attached t' t' booster you move on t' construction o' t' glider. Aye aye! Arrr! Blimey! If you've done somethin' like t' ARV Condor you will find this glider fairly simple t' construct. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Instructions are thorough and then include testin' and trimmin' out t' glider.

Booster recovery be t' typical Estes trifold mount t' t' inside o' t' body tube. Arrr! Avast, me bucko, me proud beauty! I deviated from this with a quest style mount with Keelhaul®©™® shock cord, arrr, attachin' it around t' motor tube below t' upper centerin' ring, me bucko, and runnin' it out t' top o' t' tube where regular elastic shock cord be attached.

Cons: T' booster body tube I received did nay seem t' be wound correctly. Several places on t' tube had edges at t' spirals where it seemed t' be wound very poorly. Well, blow me down! Begad! I've never run into a body tube that was this bad. Ya scallywag! There are two green adapter rings, matey, shiver me timbers, cardboard, for t' motor mount. Ahoy! Motor tube is inserted into these and then these are glued into t' body tube. Arrr! Both o' mine were again o' very poor quality, arrr, and needed excessive sandin' t' get t' motor tube t' fit, me bucko, matey, and then they fit t' body tube poorly also.

Pros: This is a pretty extensive kit if you like building, that's a big plus. Begad! Blimey! Well, blow me down! Blimey! Directions were exceptional and in a logical order. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! A neatly designed kit that could also be bashed into several other variations.

Construction I would rate at a 3.5

Finishing:
Finishin' should have been fairly simple. Aye aye! Rocket is primed, me hearties, shiver me timbers, and then t' entire bird is painted white.

Knowin' thar was no way I was goin' t' get rid o' t' ridges from t' badly wound tube, I just opted with three coats o' Krylon white primer, ya bilge rat, arrr, sandin' after t' 2nd and 3rd coat. Then three coats o' Krylon semi-gloss white were applied.

T' inside o' t' orbiter's nozzle, shiver me timbers, me bucko, matey, and inside o' t' scramjet tubes are t' be painted black. I used a paint pen t' accomplish this. Avast! Well, blow me down! This paint scheme is very simple t' accomplish, me hearties, ya bilge rat, and t' decals come in t' give it an exceptional look. If they work right.

My decals were horrible. Avast, me proud beauty! These are water slide decals that are t' be cut out, arrr, ya bilge rat, then placed into warm water for 30 seconds, arrr, then applied t' t' rocket.

I would hold t' decals in t' water 30 seconds, me hearties, lift them out o' t' water and as they cleared t' water they would tear from their own weight, ya bilge rat, and curl under/over and every other way. Blimey! Once applied t' t' rocket I could get no movement at all, ya bilge rat, me hearties, which is what t' directions imply, shiver me timbers, however blottin' them dry they would tear and flake off.

I've used water slide decals before and never had such a problem. Avast! Again I don't know if this was just another fluke that got by quality control or what? If so though, that's three flukes inside o' one kit.

Finishin' I would rate at a 2.5

Construction Rating: 3 out o' 5

Flight:
T' maiden flight was finally made 8-4-03. Aye aye! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! T' first flight was on a B6-4 and had a nice slow lift-off and low level flight, hefty ejection charge but everythin' held together fine and glider came down smoothly.

T' second flight was on a C6-5 and we had a really nice flight, matey, good, matey, straight boost and decent altitude, ejection was a little late but nay bad and t' glider again came down nicely. Aye aye! T' 12" plastic 'chute seemed t' be adequate t' brin' down t' rest.

T' final flight be on a C6-3, matey, another nice boost and flight but seemed t' be a delay blow-by with a very early ejection. Ya scallywag! T' 'chute tangled but no damage was suffered. Blimey! Overall flight ratin' is 4.5, a pleasant surprise as I didn't think it would fly that well.

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
This rocket has a great look that attracted me t' it, shiver me timbers, however it be very frustratin' when t' decals were nearly impossible t' work with.

T' parts problems I could work around, but t' decals make t' kit's appearance. Avast! After completion it looks ok, me hearties, but knowin' where t' tears are and t' two completely missin' decals are drives me crazy (they disintegrated in t' water)!

Overall Rating: 3 out o' 5