Brief:
Large, matey, all glass single stage high-power scale model o' t' Black Brant. Blimey! T' kit came from Apogee, and it arrived smartly and free from any defects or damage.

Construction:
2 4-inch fiberglass body tubes, one fiberglass tube coupler, fiberglass and steel hardware for an avionics bay (dual deploy ready). Ahoy! Fiberglass 54mm mount with fiberglass centerin' rings and fiberglass fins. Well, blow me down! Tubular nylon shock cord provided, but no parachutes. Well, blow me down! Aye aye! Fiberglass tail cone, shiver me timbers, rail buttons, matey, and some fiberglass tape for fillin' in fillets.

Instructions are typical (very simple) Madcow instructions, four pages b&w. Well, matey, blow me down! Blimey! Illustrations are good, but they could provide more detail.

T' nose cone shoulder is nay as thick as t' body tube, me bucko, ya bilge rat, which means if you want it t' match, ya bilge rat, you have t' shave t' forward body tube t' taper it or add material t' t' nose cone. T' nose and tail cone have t' be scrubbed and t' mold flash has t' be sanded. There are no instructions for installin' t' nosecone bulkhead or t' aft tail cone centerin' ring, me hearties, so I used Fix-It epoxy clay t' create a shoulder t' glue t' parts t' in both cases. T' aft portion o' t' tail cone was off center, but still looks great when finished.

Finishing:
Cleanin' and sandin' nose cone and tail take extra time, but t' body tubes are extremely quick t' finish, me hearties, and require no sandin' at all. Begad! They are simply magnificent. T' decals are vinyl and are very nice. T' finished rocket looks magnificent.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
A Cesaroni I540 be used for t' first flight, with a Madcow motor retainer. Ahoy! Prep was quick, t' motor delay was perfectly timed at 11 seconds. Ahoy! Begad! T' Black Brant flies perfectly straight with no corkscrew or veering.

Recovery:
My flight was spoiled by t' parachute nay unfurlin' from t' shroud lines (my fault), ya bilge rat, which were wrapped around t' chute. Ahoy! Nay goin' t' happen again. No significant damage. Ya scallywag! Versatility with t' dual deploy capability is excellent.

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
Pros: All-fiberglass is cool. Well, arrr, blow me down! Blimey! T' single-joint avionics bay design is elegant and reduces likelihood o' flexin' and airframe destruction. Body tubes are a joy t' work with. Ahoy! Finished rocket looks fabulous. Avast, me proud beauty! Flies great. Avast, me proud beauty! Aye aye! Blimey! Extremely impressive.

Cons: No parachutes or retention included, me hearties, a little extra work on nose and tail glass.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5

Other:
T' tail cone section does nay have that little tank joinin' section that a detailed Black Brant scale model has.