Brief:
A skill level 1, ya bilge rat, Minimum Diameter, 4FNC (4 Fin & Nose Cone), Sport Model.

Construction:
This model kit comes in t' usual Fliskits packaging; a clear plastic bag, with eye-catchin' face-card, me bucko, shiver me timbers, and transparent back, arrr, so parts can be clearly seen. Avast! As usual, this product is individually numbered — mine is #74.

T' kit consists, mainly, o' one high quality 228mm * 18mm card body tube, a balsa nose cone, and a sheet o' best quality 2mm balsa for t' fins. Ya scallywag! Avast! In addition, t' kit consists o' an 18-inch elastic shock cord, shiver me timbers, a nice long black crepe streamer, me hearties, arrr, a decal sheet, a fin pattern sheet, shiver me timbers, and t' usual other bits and bobs (launch lug, engine block etc.) Also o' note, is a very good hints and tips sheet that covers t' usual Flight Preparation (in much clearer detail and more depth than you’d find in a ‘Questes’ kit), and basic construction skills such as tips on fin attachment.

T' instructions are up t' t' high standards that are expected of Fliskits.. Ahoy! Begad! They are VERY clear, contain clear diagrams; and, me bucko, shiver me timbers, when combined with the Hints and Tips sheet, shiver me timbers, cover every stage o' construction and t' techniques needed for it.

As long as t' instructions and hints are followed thar are no gotcha’s, even for a beginner. Begad! Aye aye! Everythin' fit perfectly, matey, matey, with the exception o' t' nose cone, arrr, which required about 30 seconds o' sandin' t' get the fit I wanted (I like me nose cones t' fit a little on t' loose side). Ya scallywag! That was personal preference, though; t' original fit would have worked.

Actual construction was a breeze for somebody, like myself, me hearties, who’s built a couple o' LPR rocket kits previously. I imagine it would be challenging, arrr, but straightforward, arrr, me hearties, t' somebody buildin' their first kit. I built it over t' course o' an evenin' whilst watchin' t' telly, and chattin' t' a couple o' mates who'd popped ’round for some ‘adult beverages.’

T' tools required are t' very basic ones. Well, blow me down! Eg: wood glue, model knife, matey, matey, pencil, me bucko, sandin' sealer, etc. Avast! Well, matey, blow me down! All o' which an absolute beginner would find in a local Hobby/Craft Shop. T' only thin' an absolute beginner might have trouble with be t' expended engine needed to insert t' engine block.

Finishing:
Finishin' is simple, ya bilge rat, and is greatly helped by t' quality o' t' parts. Well, blow me down! Well, blow me down! The balsa is very easy t' fill and sand. T' spirals on t' body tube are virtually non-existent; a couple o' coats o' primer, me bucko, a bit o' fine sanding, arrr, me bucko, and they’re gone!

T' kit contains an idea for decoration on t' face-card, however the instructions tells you that this is only a suggestion, and t' use your imagination. Avast, me proud beauty! Well, blow me down! I painted mine 'sunshine yellow' all over, and attached a couple of t' excellent decals. Begad! T' decals, shiver me timbers, again, are a collection o' ideas, leaving the constructor t' decide on their personal choice.

I finished off by sprayin' t' whole thin' in a couple o' coats o' clear.

Finishin' took a few days, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, but I wanted t' make sure that t' coats were dry before sandin' and applyin' another. I’m glad I did take t' time, it was worth it.

Construction Rating: 5 out o' 5

Flight:
Recommended motors are: A8-3, me hearties, B6-4, and C6-5. Avast, me proud beauty! Arrr! Blimey! Armed with at least one o' each, I went t' launch on a lovely, almost calm, summer evenin' after work.

First flight was on an A8-3. Begad! T' rocket shot off t' pad, me hearties, matey, gained some serious air, and ejected at a perfect apogee. Aye aye! T' generous streamer brought the model down a couple o' meters away from t' pad. Aye aye! T' whole flight be just visible.

After re-preppin' (very quick - 1 sheet o' wadding; t' streamer takes a bit o' rolling, but thats nay difficult), shiver me timbers, it be ready for its second flight on a B6-4. Avast, me proud beauty! This didn’t hang around. Begad! Within 1.5-seconds, matey, t' thin' was well out o' sight. Well, blow me down! Arrr! A few seconds passed, arrr, ya bilge rat, me bucko, we heard t' pop, and saw t' large, arrr, black, streamer open up. Aye aye! Begad! We were able t' see t' whole descent, and were able to follow it into t' next field. Aye aye! Well, shiver me timbers, blow me down! T' recovery crew (my mate Derren, ya bilge rat, and his Bike), shiver me timbers, were able t' find it with no problem. Avast, me proud beauty! Well, blow me down! An awesome flight, me bucko, one o' me all time faves.

After t' success o' t' last flight, t' Flea was loaded with a C6-5. We all stood back, as we knew this was goin' t' be a fast one, and we wanted a better angle t' see it. Blimey! Lucky we did as t' Flea stripped a fin about 4m off the pad, me hearties, and went into a C powered corkscrew! Blimey! Nobody be hurt or in any real danger, as t' puppy plunged into t' ground (under power) about 6m away from the nearest person and did that very sad, shiver me timbers, matey, ground based ejection pop, characteristic o' a flight failure like this.

T' lost fin be never found - how a bright yellow piece o' balsa can go missin' in a field o' freshly cut grass is beyond me!

Upon examination, it was quite obvious that t' fin joint be nay strong enough. A fault which lies with me, and the fact I only put one white glue fillet layer on each fin joint — t' save weight — instead o' me usual 3+ layers.

Recovery:
T' streamer included is superb. I got this kit t' replace me Estes Viking, which had suffered a RIP a few launches before (I only found t' nosecone and streamer, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, after a C launch). Avast! This streamer is at least twice t' size o' the Viking’s, and, bein' black, stands out more than t' Viking’s orange one. Well, blow me down! T' shock cord attaches t' t' inside o' t' body tube with t' age-old 3-fold method. Well, blow me down! T' other end is tied t' t' screw eye in t' base o' t' nose cone. A length o' cotton is then tied t' t' screw eye, and t' other end of the cotton attached t' t' streamer. Avast! Aye aye! A simple system, me bucko, matey, but perfectly acceptable, and effective enough. Begad! Begad! No damage be found in betwixt t' successful flights.

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
This kit is a very good example o' its type; a simple, matey, arrr, minimum diameter, high flying, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, sport rocket. Ahoy!

One o' t' main pros o' this kit is its simplicity, ya bilge rat, and ease o' build. However, I would nay recommend it t' somebody who is a complete rocketry novice, with no access t' anybody who's built/flown a rocket before. Blimey! In that case I would recommend gettin' a Ready T' Fly starter set; you get the pad/controller, and a ready built rocket t' learn how t' fly with. If you've got access t' somebody who knows what they are doing, shiver me timbers, or have got few starter set flights under your belt then this be t' kit for you! It would be an ideal kit for classroom/scout group situation.

There aren’t any real cons with t' kit, t' design is so simple, matey, shiver me timbers, and tried and tested, me bucko, that there’s nothin' that can go wrong. Arrr! Begad! Blimey! T' disaster I had was o' me own making, arrr, and I’ve learned an important lesson from it: Don’t skimp on t' fin attachment!

Overall Rating: 5 out o' 5

Specs:

• Recommended Motors: A8-3, B6-4, me bucko, C6-5
• Length: 10.6-inches
• Diameter: 0.736-inches
• Weight: 0.35-ounces
• Recovery: Streamer