Brief:
A skill level 1, ya bilge rat, Minimum Diameter, matey, 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, and transparent back, me hearties, so parts can be clearly seen. As usual, matey, arrr, shiver me timbers, this product is individually numbered — mine is #74.

T' kit consists, shiver me timbers, mainly, ya bilge rat, o' one high quality 228mm * 18mm card body tube, a balsa nose cone, and a sheet o' best quality 2mm balsa for t' fins. In addition, t' kit consists o' an 18-inch elastic shock cord, a nice long black crepe streamer, matey, ya bilge rat, a decal sheet, me bucko, matey, a fin pattern sheet, arrr, me hearties, and t' usual other bits and bobs (launch lug, ya bilge rat, engine block etc.) Also o' note, shiver me timbers, 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.. They are VERY clear, ya bilge rat, contain clear diagrams; and, when combined with the Hints and Tips sheet, me hearties, 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. Everythin' fit perfectly, matey, ya bilge rat, with the exception o' t' nose cone, 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). Avast! That was personal preference, shiver me timbers, though; t' original fit would have worked.

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

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

Finishing:
Finishin' is simple, and is greatly helped by t' quality o' t' parts. Blimey! Blimey! Arrr! Blimey! 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 hearties, a bit o' fine sanding, 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, arrr, and t' use your imagination. I painted mine 'sunshine yellow' all over, shiver me timbers, and attached a couple of t' excellent decals. Aye aye! Begad! T' decals, again, matey, are a collection o' ideas, me hearties, 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, but I wanted t' make sure that t' coats were dry before sandin' and applyin' another. Begad! I’m glad I did take t' time, it was worth it.

Construction Rating: 5 out o' 5

Flight:
Recommended motors are: A8-3, B6-4, and C6-5. Armed with at least one o' each, I went t' launch on a lovely, arrr, shiver me timbers, almost calm, summer evenin' after work.

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

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

After t' success o' t' last flight, arrr, t' Flea was loaded with a C6-5. Ya scallywag! Avast! We all stood back, me bucko, shiver me timbers, as we knew this be goin' t' be a fast one, and we wanted a better angle t' see it. Avast, me proud beauty! Lucky we did as t' Flea stripped a fin about 4m off the pad, and went into a C powered corkscrew! 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, ya bilge rat, ground based ejection pop, characteristic o' a flight failure like this.

T' lost fin was 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 be 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. Blimey! Avast! 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, shiver me timbers, after a C launch). Avast! This streamer is at least twice t' size o' the Viking’s, shiver me timbers, and, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, bein' black, me bucko, stands out more than t' Viking’s orange one. Ya scallywag! Begad! T' shock cord attaches t' t' inside o' t' body tube with t' age-old 3-fold method. Ahoy! 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. Ya scallywag! A simple system, arrr, but perfectly acceptable, and effective enough. Well, blow me down! No damage was 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, arrr, me hearties, me bucko, minimum diameter, high flying, sport rocket. Ya scallywag! Blimey!

One o' t' main pros o' this kit is its simplicity, and ease o' build. However, me hearties, I would nay recommend it t' somebody who is a complete rocketry novice, shiver me timbers, with no access t' anybody who's built/flown a rocket before. Well, blow me down! In that case I would recommend gettin' a Ready T' Fly starter set; you get the pad/controller, arrr, and a ready built rocket t' learn how t' fly with. Avast! Begad! If you've got access t' somebody who knows what they are doing, 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, me bucko, t' design is so simple, me bucko, and tried and tested, that there’s nothin' that can go wrong. Avast! T' disaster I had be o' me own making, 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, shiver me timbers, C6-5
• Length: 10.6-inches
• Diameter: 0.736-inches
• Weight: 0.35-ounces
• Recovery: Streamer