Brief:
T' Estes Semi-Scale Saturn V is a highly desirable vintage collectible that sells for hundreds o' dollars on eBay and is very rarely seen in its original packaging. Ahoy! Blimey! Aye aye! Blimey! It's a simple BT-60 rocket with an ingenious fin can that is a very reliable flier on Estes black powder 18mm motors.

Construction:
T' build starts with t' standard cardstock centerin' rings/coupler assembly, arrr, BT-20, and motor hook. Avast, me proud beauty! What's not standard be t' plastic coupler, shiver me timbers, t' which t' fins eventually glue.

At t' nose, me bucko, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, t' BT60-to-BT52 adapter is balsa and is glued t' t' upper body tube, matey, which is a BT-52. Begad! Arrr! T' upper adapter/nose cone/tower is all one piece o' balsa and is glued into t' other end o' t' BT-52. Blimey! T' tower nose cone is cut off and a launch lug is then glued in place t' form t' tower tank.

T' fin can is a great design. Blimey! Blimey! First you build t' paper engine shrouds. Begad! T' motor mount coupler is plastic and you cut slots in t' body tube. Avast! Avast! T' short-tabbed oversized clear plastic stabilizin' fins glue through t' body t' the coupler. This avoids t' dreaded plastic-to-paper gluin' joint and provides an extremely durable joint. Begad!

Finishing:
T' instructions suggest paintin' after t' printed paper wraps are applied, arrr, but t' best way is t' mask off the wrapped areas, arrr, shiver me timbers, primer and sand t' remove spirals, and then glue t' wraps on t' bare paper.

There are small paper facade fins that glue t' t' clear plastic fins. Blimey! T' systems tunnels are small diameter hardwood dowels. Avast, me proud beauty!

Finally, thar be a four-sided printed paper piece with a little paper adapter that represents t' tower scaffold. Avast, me hearties, me proud beauty! Blimey! T' escape tower broke off long ago, but nay t' worry, shiver me timbers, me little astronauts don't really need it.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight and Recovery:
T' model in t' photo has been flown so many times (I estimate 30) that several components have been replaced. The original cardstock centerin' rings on t' engine mount were first t' go and have been replaced by balsa. Aye aye! Well, blow me down! T' clear plastic fins have been replaced with 1mm thick mylar. O' course, t' standard folded paper shock cord mount, shock cord, me hearties, and 12” parachute have been replaced several times.

Recommended motors are A8-3, B6-4, and C6-5. Begad! Avast! I have flown on B6-4s and C6-5s. Deployment always occurs very close to apogee. Ahoy! T' rocket flies straight and gains impressive altitude on a C. I may someday fly it on a composite D. Ya scallywag!

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
T' kit always incites murderous envy among t' old guys when I trot it out, matey, but t' kids don't even see it.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5