Brief: T' Harpoon is a scale model o' a US Air-Launched Anti-Ship Missile, T' Launch Pad's kit is an excellent first mid power and scale rocket.

Construction: I was so glad when I finally got me hands on me AGM-84 Harpoon. Begad! Well, blow me down! One o' t' members o' me club was goin' down t' t' US and be kind enough t' brin' it back for me. Arrr! I received t' Harpoon with all pieces present, in good condition, arrr, shiver me timbers, me bucko, and good quality. Ya scallywag! I have heard some nay so great things about TLP's balsa wood, me bucko, shiver me timbers, but I found t' wood for t' Harpoon great, with a little help from CA.

T' instructions were clear, but I wish they would have included more help and info on how t' get t' little hat that sits on top o' a FatBoy style nose cone, straight and in t' middle, arrr, that was tricky, but I think mine is close enough for me standards. Ya scallywag! That was t' only real "gotcha" for this rocket, me bucko, me bucko, t' fins aligned great, me hearties, and everythin' fit together perfectly.

Finishing: T' only thin' that really disappointed me in t' beginnin' with t' Harpoon was t' lackin' o' decals. But, now I know that it much easier for t' consumer t' use his or her own techniques. I just painted t' bands that go around t' rocket, and for all o' t' small pinpoint rivets that are suppose t' be on t' rocket, I used a decal pack that I got from a local hobby store (East Coast Model Center) that be 1/5 rivet decals, me hearties, perfect, ya bilge rat, went on with ease, me bucko, and made t' rocket look great. Blimey! Still ponderin' what t' do for t' small amount o' letterin' that will go on t' rocket. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast, me proud beauty! Just a note, I am nay a perfectionist, me hearties, or a great scale buff, me Harpoon was just sports scale, me bucko, but I like how it turned out.

Construction Rating: 4 ½ out o' 5

Flight: T' recommended motors for t' harpoon are a D12-3, E15-4, and a RMS F24-4 (24mm). Ya scallywag! I plan on usin' all o' t' recommended motors, me bucko, me hearties, but instead o' t' E15, me bucko, an E18 (reload).

T' day for t' maiden flight for t' Harpoon finally came. Ahoy! Blimey! First flight would be on a D12-3. Everythin' be setup, ya bilge rat, pictures were taken, and after makin' sure t' wind be perfect, that t' launch rod was perfect, and that everythin' was perfect, me bucko, it was ready t' launch. I pushed t' launch button and t' Harpoon lifted off. Ahoy! Blimey! T' flight was perfect. Begad! Blimey! T' Harpoon flied straight as a rail, nice altitude on a D, and then right at apogee t' ejection charge fired, and t' nice mylar parachute deployed, shiver me timbers, arrr, and t' Harpoon drifted down. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! Perfect flight and recovery.

Second flight, same day. Aye aye! I was goin' t' fly me LOC Aura on an Aerotech E engine, shiver me timbers, that be t' plan, but when I launched that on a D, t' stock streamer didn't slow it down enough and it broke a fin off, so I thought I would fly it in t' Harpoon. Everythin' be set, ya bilge rat, and was readied again. Arrr! Ya scallywag! I hit t' launch button, and t' Harpoon lifted off t' pad, ya bilge rat, t' igniter clips didn't come off, me hearties, ya bilge rat, it soared... Avast! Well, blow me down! wait a minute (my exact thoughts). T' Aerotech igniter clips didn't unattach themselves from t' Harpoon, when it be about ten feet off o' t' pad, t' leads ran out o' slack, me bucko, shiver me timbers, which caused them t' pull on t' harpoon, causin' it t' go horizontal. Avast, me proud beauty! T' leads did finally come unattached. T' Harpoon sailed directly away from us and over t' small hill we launch on. Arrr! Amazin' sight. Begad! Then t' realization set in. Avast! T' slow walk started towards t' crash site. Avast, me hearties, me proud beauty! As we got closer t' it, we noticed that t' parachute had deployed. Begad! Good sign. Avast, me proud beauty! It landed in some alders, me hearties, pretty good sign, but then we notice what we thought be t' nose cone, was actually t' top six inches o' t' rocket's body tube smashed.

Damage report. Well, blow me down! First six inches o' t' rocket are destroyed. T' nose cone was completely smashed t' bits, arrr, one broken fin, shiver me timbers, and all fins had small slits from t' alder branches. Well, blow me down! It is fixable, it will be fixed, and it will fly again, me bucko, and hopefully soon. Blimey! Blimey! I contact TLP and they were great enough t' help me by givin' me t' length o' t' rocket, me bucko, help me with a parts list, and are sendin' me a replacement 'little hat' that goes on t' t' top o' t' nose cone t' give it t' scale.

Recovery: One thin' I really enjoy about t' Harpoon is its green mylar parachute, shiver me timbers, it's easy t' see, arrr, ya bilge rat, easy t' pack, and has a snap for easy removal from t' Harpoon. T' 18" seems t' be fine from t' tests I have conducted (throwin' it off me deck). Begad! Ahoy! T' recovery system is a snap t' put together, shiver me timbers, but instead o' usin' t' shroud line material t' connect t' nose cone t' t' swivel, arrr, I just tied t' shock cord t' t' nose cone, and put t' swivel 10" or so down, matey, didn't want t' trust that thin string).

Flight Rating: 4 ½ out o' 5

Summary: This rocket looks awesome, that be t' best thin' I feel about it. It is a nice lookin' rocket, arrr, t' right size, arrr, nice motors size, matey, nice scale touch, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, and a nice finish. Ya scallywag! T' only thin' I would say that I disliked about t' rocket would be that little hat that goes on top o' t' nose cone. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast! Other than that, me hearties, all o' t' pieces went together easily. A good first mid power or scale rocket.

Overall Rating: 4 ½ out o' 5