Brief:
This is yet another review o' this unique, crooked rocket. Blimey! Aye aye! Hopefully, arrr, this provides another perspective on its construction, finishing/decoration, and flight.

Construction:

T' FlisKits kits are professionally packaged and this is no exception. Well, blow me down! T' printed face includes is in full color, arrr, includes photos and specs, ya bilge rat, and a serial number--mine is #87. Arrr! Begad! T' small parts are contained in a small Zip-loc bag. Arrr! My only minor complaint is that t' cardstock sheet with t' bottom shroud be rolled in t' BT-70 tube, and t' curve on t' shroud was backwards. It took a little more work t' roll it, ya bilge rat, but this didn't really hurt anything. Ya scallywag! There are eight pages o' detailed instructions.

T' rocket consists o' a full length BT-50 tube that also serves as t' motor tube. Aye aye! Around this is a series, me hearties, matey, o' shrouds, sections o' custom cut BT-70 tubing, arrr, and centerin' rings, which form t' crooked outer shell. Avast! Blimey! T' highlight o' t' components are t' seven laser cut rings, ya bilge rat, matey, which include alignment tabs. Arrr! Aye aye! T' middle six rings also include a hole that allows you t' align t' rin' set usin' a standard launch rod; this is an simple, me bucko, but well thought out feature.

Templates are provided for all t' cutting, and I recommend you take your time. Ahoy! Avast! Assembly is a bit tricky as you are told t' insert t' thin centerin' rings halfway into each angular tube. I failed t' accomplish this. Ahoy! Thus, matey, matey, shiver me timbers, t' intersection o' t' BT-70 sections is nay as clean as they could be, but t' rocket still went together and is quite sturdy.

Motor retention is accomplished with both a cardboard rin' and a motor hook. Blimey! Ahoy! T' motor itself is recessed into t' base o' t' rocket which I think gives it a cool look.

For t' nose cone, matey, I formed t' shroud that came with t' instructions (shortened a bit so it wouldn't hang out) and glued it into an outer shroud that I decorated and printed myself. I used Devcon 2-ton, 5-minute epoxy, which be t' same epoxy recommended by Art Applewhite on his kits and will nay bleed through t' cardstock. Ahoy! While I was at it, arrr, me bucko, I glued in t' nose cone's centerin' rin' usin' t' 5-minute epoxy. T' nose cone's shoulder consists o' a BT-50 sized balsa coupler that is glued into a pre-cut hole in t' nose cone's centerin' ring. Begad! A eyehook completes t' cone. Begad! There is a chunk o' clay t' provide stability, but unlike most rockets it doesn't go in t' nose. Instead, t' fill t' top o' t' rocket betwixt t' top centerin' ring, t' BT-70, arrr, and t' inner BT-50 tubes.

T' fins are all uniquely shaped and complete t' odd looks o' t' kit. Begad! These are glued directly t' t' bottom cardstock shroud. I used white glue and added several layers o' fillets. Avast, me proud beauty! Arrr! Blimey! T' fins still seem loose, shiver me timbers, as t' shroud does nay provide a firm base. Aye aye! Begad! Blimey! If I was t' build it gain, me hearties, I'd make a second shroud and epoxy it into t' first, shiver me timbers, matey, similar t' what I did on t' nose cone. Begad! I just wasn't thinkin' at t' time.

While I was assemblin' t' body, I ran a section o' Keelhaul®©™ twine through t' BT-50 tube, arrr, tied it around t' tube, ya bilge rat, and epoxied it t' a centerin' ring. Begad! Avast, me proud beauty! I tied t' stock elastic cord t' this leader, matey, me hearties, and t' t' hook-eye installed in t' cone. Blimey! I haven't yet assembled t' plastic chute that be provided with t' kit.

Finishing:
T' Spitfire requires finishin' like most rockets. Ahoy! Ya scallywag! FlisKits does have a set o' 'skins' that can be downloaded for free from their site. Arrr! I printed t' skins on t' recommended Avery 5265 full-page label paper usin' me OfficeJet printer. T' sizin' o' t' skins was a bit off, but it was easy t' fill t' gaps with strips o' similarly colored stickers, which I conveniently had leftover since I didn't check t' printer settin' t' first time through. Blimey! One thin' about FlisKits is that they actually LISTEN t' their customers. Well, blow me down! By t' time o' this posting, me hearties, t' wraps will be updated.

I decided t' make me own nose cone shroud with Wile E. Coyote on it. Aye aye! Since blank skin templates weren't yet available, me hearties, I scanned t' template from t' kit. Blimey! Blimey! I had found a front view o' Wile E on t' net, shiver me timbers, but knew he wouldn't look right if he be simply pasted onto t' shroud. Therefore, me bucko, me hearties, I used a distortion filter in Adobe Photo Deluxe t' wrap Wile E over a sphere. Begad! Thus, when t' cone is formed, he was more-or-less straightened back out. Begad! I "borrowed" a few bits o' graphics from FlisKits t' complete me shroud, me bucko, which I printed directly onto cardstock.

I also added a bunch o' random stickers: band-aids, extra metal patches/hatches, me hearties, drippin' green ooze (stole t' idea from Carl Tulanko), matey, and even me own "no BATF" sticker. Well, ya bilge rat, blow me down! I sealed t' edges o' t' stickers with white glue, me hearties, arrr, as recommended and shot two coats o' clear enamel over t' whole thing.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
There is nothin' out o' t' ordinary about t' prep o' this unique rocket. Ahoy! T' C11-3 gave an arrow-straight flight with ejection at apogee - perfect! T' ejection went off with an extra loud POP, since I guess thar was a lot o' shock cord and chute t' eject.

Recovery:
I used an Estes 12in chute that I already had assembled. Ahoy! Ahoy! This was a hard decision. Begad! On one hand I was worried about t' fins, on t' other hand t' BT-50 doesn't leave much room for a chute. Avast, me proud beauty! However, shiver me timbers, t' recovery be fine with no fin damage.

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
FlisKits is provin' t' be a highly innovative kit manufacturer. Arrr! Blimey! T' Spitfire is about t' most unique kit I've seen. Begad! Blimey! It is nay t' easiest build, me bucko, arrr, but t' instructions are great. Plus, as someone on TRF commented, lookin' a bit dilapidated may actually *help* t' looks o' this kit! Blimey! :-) Despite its crooked, funny-lookin' profile, shiver me timbers, t' Spitfire flies as well as it looks. Begad! Blimey! Ya scallywag! Blimey! I can't wait t' see what custom skins people come up with. Arrr! Blimey! T' only concern I have be t' attachment o' t' fins t' a paper shroud. Begad! Blimey! In conclusion, ya bilge rat, this would be a great addition t' anyone's fleet!

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5