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

Construction:

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

T' rocket consists o' a full length BT-50 tube that also serves as t' motor tube. Blimey! Ahoy! Around this is a series, arrr, o' shrouds, sections o' custom cut BT-70 tubing, and centerin' rings, ya bilge rat, which form t' crooked outer shell. Arrr! Begad! T' highlight o' t' components are t' seven laser cut rings, which include alignment tabs. Arrr! 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, matey, but well thought out feature.

Templates are provided for all t' cutting, and I recommend you take your time. Assembly is a bit tricky as you are told t' insert t' thin centerin' rings halfway into each angular tube. Aye aye! Blimey! I failed t' accomplish this. Arrr! Blimey! Thus, arrr, 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. Begad! Well, blow me down! T' motor itself is recessed into t' base o' t' rocket which I think gives it a cool look.

For t' nose cone, shiver me timbers, 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. Begad! 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. Ya scallywag! While I was at it, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, 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. A eyehook completes t' cone. Blimey! There is a chunk o' clay t' provide stability, arrr, but unlike most rockets it doesn't go in t' nose. Ya scallywag! Instead, t' fill t' top o' t' rocket betwixt t' top centerin' ring, t' BT-70, me hearties, me hearties, and t' inner BT-50 tubes.

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

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

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

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

I also added a bunch o' random stickers: band-aids, extra metal patches/hatches, drippin' green ooze (stole t' idea from Carl Tulanko), and even me own "no BATF" sticker. Well, blow me down! Avast! I sealed t' edges o' t' stickers with white glue, shiver me timbers, 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. Well, blow me down! T' C11-3 gave an arrow-straight flight with ejection at apogee - perfect! T' ejection went off with an extra loud POP, me hearties, 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. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! This be a hard decision. Begad! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! On one hand I was worried about t' fins, on t' other hand t' BT-50 doesn't leave much room for a chute. Begad! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! However, 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. Avast! Blimey! Ahoy! Blimey! T' Spitfire is about t' most unique kit I've seen. Blimey! Blimey! It is nay t' easiest build, me bucko, but t' instructions are great. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Plus, shiver me timbers, me hearties, as someone on TRF commented, lookin' a bit dilapidated may actually *help* t' looks o' this kit! Blimey! :-) Despite its crooked, funny-lookin' profile, ya bilge rat, t' Spitfire flies as well as it looks. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Avast! Blimey! I can't wait t' see what custom skins people come up with. Begad! Blimey! T' only concern I have be t' attachment o' t' fins t' a paper shroud. In conclusion, shiver me timbers, me bucko, this would be a great addition t' anyone's fleet!

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5