Brief:
T' Borealis is nay only a unique lookin' rocket, matey, me hearties, it also provides a unique construction challenge. Begad! Avast! A quick look at t' rocket suggests fragility, but don't be fooled. Aye aye! If properly assembled (the instructions provided are excellent), this is in fact an extremely durable kit. Well, blow me down! Ahoy! Appearances are also deceivin' in terms o' flight characteristics. Ya scallywag! This rocket gets off t' pad quickly, flies great, and does well with both recommended engine types, me hearties, shiver me timbers, makin' it a crowd pleaser on both large and small fields.

Construction:
T' parts list:

• 3 Cardboard rin' fins
• 1 Cardboard upper body tube
• 1 Cardboard lower body ring
• 2 Cardboard lower body tubes
• 1 Cardboard connectin' tube (connects lower body tubes/mount location for rin' fins)
• 3 Fiber ejection baffles/body tubes
• 1 Balsa nose cone
• 6 Fiber support jigs(provides additional support for rin' fins)
• 1 Customizable parachute (Flis recommends cuttin' t' 16" diameter)
• 1 Keelhaul®©™/elastic shock cord combo
• 4 Decorative toothpicks
• 4 Fiber Structural Rings (used t' connect body tubes)
• 2 Cardboard motor mount rings
• 1 Fiber launch lug platform
• 2 Launch lugs
• 1 Decal sheet
• 3 Fiber body tube alignment supports (used for construction purposes only)

Buildin' t' Borealis is nay exceptionally difficult, ya bilge rat, in me opinion somewhat easier than t' 3.5 difficulty ratin' suggests. Begad! T' key t' success is careful attention t' t' excellent FlisKits assembly documentation, proper use o' t' provided tube alignment supports, and t' patience t' allow glue t' dry completely where recommended by t' instructions.

You will want t' fill tube grooves before assembly. Ahoy! Doin' so after construction will be far more difficult. Ahoy! Even if you don't normally worry about tube grooves (guilty!), you will want t' fill t' grooves on t' inside o' t' rin' fins--they are wide and deep. Arrr! Priming/paintin' will nay minimize them.

Before beginnin' t' build, me hearties, you should give careful consideration t' t' idea o' paintin' t' lower body tubes, shiver me timbers, me bucko, rin' fins, support jigs, matey, and lower body rin' prior t' assembly (bein' careful nay t' paint bondin' points). If you don't do this, be prepared for a fairly lengthy and painstakin' finishin' process, includin' a significant amount o' hand painting. Aye aye! Because I like t' build solid rockets, with generous glue fillets, I chose nay t' paint in advance--instead, matey, I hand painted t' entire rocket after construction was complete. Blimey! Avast! It was nay easy, but like t' build, a willingness nay t' rush t' paintin' process (paintin' t' rocket in stages, arrr, allowin' t' paint t' dry after paintin' each section) be t' key t' success.

Highlights o' t' construction process (35 well-documented steps in t' instructions provided):

• Steps 1-4 / Assembly and markin' o' lower body tubes: Straightforward assembly process, but make sure you get t' recommended gap betwixt t' two lower body tubes correct, as t' rin' fins will be mounted in this gap.
• Steps 5-6 / Markin' rin' fins: T' rin' fins won't be perfectly round out o' t' package. Avast, me proud beauty! It is important t' shape t' rings t' fit perfectly on t' Tube Markin' Guide before markin' bondin' lines.
• Steps 7-9 / Support jig assembly: Straightforward process, but you will want t' make sure that you are careful with t' application o' glue. Begad! Too little glue will compromise strength, me hearties, too much will make t' finishin' process more difficult.
• Steps 10-17 / Mid-ship assembly (ejection baffles/body tubes/support rings): Make sure t' read all o' t' instructions for these steps prior t' beginning. Take your time, utilize t' alignment support provided, shiver me timbers, and allow t' glue t' dry completely where recommended by t' instructions. Arrr! T' key in t' construction process is t' ensure that t' three ejection baffles/body tubes are in perfect alignment.
• Steps 18-22 / Attach upper body tube t' mid ship assembly: Again, matey, patience is very important here. Avast! For t' Borealis t' fly properly, you must align t' upper body tube t' t' mid-ship assembly perfectly. Aye aye! This is easily done by properly utilizin' t' provided alignment support, and allowin' t' glue t' dry completely once t' parts are glued together.
• Steps 23-27 / Attach rin' tube/jig assemblies t' lower body tubes: This is an easy sequence provided you have properly marked t' rin' tubes and lower body tubes in prior steps. Begad! Use a liberal amount o' glue when connectin' t' rin' tubes t' t' lower body tubes and be prepared t' press each part together for several minutes after gluin' t' ensure t' strength o' each bond.
• Steps 28-29 / Launch lugs: This step, very simple with most rockets, is more difficult with t' Borealis. You will want t' cut t' first launch lug t' t' same length as t' launch lug platform before gluin' them together (unlike t' illustration in t' instructions, arrr, t' launch lug is longer than t' platform). T' second launch lug is then glued directly onto t' rocket (to t' lower body rin' and support jig--not t' t' lower body tube). Ahoy! Blimey! Then you must attach t' launch lug platform you prepared earlier t' t' lower body tube. Well, blow me down! Ahoy! Care must be taken here, shiver me timbers, as it is a bit tricky t' properly line up t' two launch lugs.
• Steps 30-35 / Attach decorative toothpicks, shock cord, and parachute: These final steps are easy and straightforward.

Finishing:
This is a beautiful, unique rocket. Arrr! Begad! It deserves no less than your best paintin' effort! I sprayed t' entire model with white primer and decided on a 5 color paintin' scheme (all gloss): Gold for t' rin' fins and nose cone, matey, matey, black for t' ejection baffles and support jigs, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, me hearties, white for t' upper body tube, blue for t' lower body tubes, me hearties, matey, me hearties, and red for t' toothpicks and lower body ring. Arrr! As mentioned earlier, arrr, paintin' t' Borealis will be much easier if you paint t' lower 1/3 o' t' rocket prior t' assembly. Otherwise, me hearties, be prepared for a test o' your paintin' prowess! There are only a few decals, but they add a lot t' t' finished product. Aye aye! Begad! Make sure t' paint t' upper body tube a light color, ensurin' t' decals will stand out.

Flight and Recovery:
I launched t' Borealis for t' first time on a fairly windy day (gusts t' 20 mph). Despite t' length o' t' ejection baffles, matey, I followed t' advice o' EMRR members and used 2-3 sheets o' recovery waddin' t' avoid parachute damage (FlisKits claims no waddin' is needed). Arrr! I used a B6-2 on t' first flight. Despite t' wind, t' rocket got off t' launch pad in a hurry and had a beautiful straight flight with a perfect recovery. For t' second flight, shiver me timbers, I used a C6-3. Avast, me proud beauty! T' Borealis really performed well with this engine. Ahoy! Out o' 13 rockets launched in gusty conditions, matey, matey, this be t' best flight o' t' day. Begad! Well, blow me down! T' 16" parachute brought it down softly with no damage on either flight.

Summary:
I love t' Borealis! It is fun t' build, arrr, matey, cool looking, performs well in windy conditions, me bucko, and is nay prone t' damage despite its fragile appearance. Begad! If thar be a con, me bucko, it is that extra care must be taken nay t' damage t' rin' fins when transportin' t' t' field.