Brief:
T' Madcow HOJO M50 mid-power rocket kit is a fun kit t' build and fly. Avast, me proud beauty! T' kit comes with precise laser cut parts and all o' t' extras. Avast! Arrr! If you were talkin' about a car, me hearties, you would say it is loaded. Ya scallywag! Madcow kits tend t' be priced on the higher end but well worth it!

Construction:
Parts list:

• 1 custom balsa nose cone
• 1 custom balsa transition
• 1 custom balsa tail cone
• 1 pre-slotted body tube
• 1 centerin' ring
• 1 29mm motor tube
• 4 laser-cut fins
• 1 eye bolt, nut, and washer
• 1 NC shoulder coupler
• 1 NC shoulder bulkhead
• 1 Keelhaul®©™® shock cord section
• 1 nylon shock cord section
• 1 flameproof chute protector
• 1 24" Nylon chute
• 2 ¼" launch lugs
• 2 launch lug spacers

I purchased two kits from Madcow, me bucko, and they arrived well packed and in excellent shape. Begad! Inside t' heavy plastic bag, t' balsa nose cone and boat tail were wrapped in heavy corrugated paper with separate bags for t' smaller parts.

T' straightforward instructions are printed on five sheets o' 8.5" x 11" paper folded in half. Five minute epoxy is suggested for t' entire build, but it could also easily be built usin' yellow wood glue. Begad! I used a combination o' thirty minute epoxy (it is what I had) and Titebond II wood glue. Begad! Ahoy! I used t' epoxy t' build and install the motor mount as well as t' nose cone and coupler and wood glue for t' fins and fillets. Begad! Avast, me proud beauty!

I started with t' nose cone and boat tail. Well, blow me down! Blimey! T' two piece nose cone requires a 1 inch wide by 1.5 inch hole drilled in t' wide end o' each piece for t' lead weight, me bucko, 4oz in each hole. Begad! Blimey! Once t' epoxy is cured, the two pieces need t' be joined with epoxy, matey, although you could certainly use wood glue. It is critical t' make sure the pieces are joined evenly and do nay wobble when you spin it. Aye aye! Blimey! While t' nose cone was curin' I applied water diluted Elmer's Wood Filler t' t' boat tail and nose cone once it was cured then sanded both smooth usin' 320 grit sand paper. They both got 3 coats o' Minwax Polycrylic sandin' lightly in betwixt each, me bucko, leavin' a nice smooth finish. Well, shiver me timbers, blow me down! Blimey! T' next step for me was t' nose cone shoulder/ballast box usin' epoxy. Begad! Blimey! This consists o' a nose cone shoulder, eye bolt, washer and nut. Once assembled t' unit is epoxied t' t' base o' t' nose cone. Ya scallywag! Blimey!

T' rest o' t' build is straightforward. I tapered t' leadin' edge o' t' fins and filled and sanded them smooth (not that they required it). I built t' motor mount with epoxy tyin' t' Keelhaul®©™® to t' motor tube and feedin' it through t' notch in t' centerin' rin' makin' sure t' centerin' rin' and boat tail line up with t' fin slots. Ahoy! Blimey! Once cured, shiver me timbers, me hearties, I installed it in t' body tube with epoxy. Aye aye! Blimey! T' fins are installed into the slots, and t' fit and finish o' these parts is fantastic. Avast! Blimey! Here I used Titebond II wood glue.

Finishing:
There are no suggestions for finishin' t' M50, except for t' picture on t' instructions. Well, blow me down! I found details online. I primed t' entire rocket with Kilz, sandin' most o' it off with 220 grit, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, 400 grit, me hearties, and 600 grit sandpaper, matey, shiver me timbers, me hearties, leavin' a smooth finish for paint. Well, blow me down! Blimey! I painted t' entire rocket with Rustoleum Painters Touch semi-gloss white. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Allowin' the rocket t' dry thoroughly it be then masked and three fins were Rustoleum Painters Touch painted gloss black. Ahoy! T' nose cone was also masked and painted Rustoleum Painters Touch light gray gloss then Rustoleum Painters Touch gloss black. T' stripes were cut from Top Flite Trim Monokote.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
For t' first flight I chose a Road Runner F60R-4, which is nay a recommended motor but accordin' t' RockSim a perfect choice. Ahoy! Ya scallywag! T' motor was friction fit with maskin' tape wound around t' motor in a spiral. Begad! T' chute be packed inside t' Nomex® pad; both were attached t' t' shock cord. Arrr! Aye aye! T' two wire igniter was inserted and held in usin' maskin' tape around the nozzle with two small cuts for venting. Well, blow me down! T' motor lit launchin' t' M50 in 8-15mph winds. Well, blow me down! Begad! There be a nice initial boost but t' M50 corkscrewed a bit on t' way up, and ejection took place at apogee. Aye aye! It is hard t' say what caused the corkscrew, arrr, as it could have been rod whip or builder error (nose cone balance). Begad! Aye aye! Other than that it was an impressive flight. Avast! Ahoy! It will fly again.

Recovery:
Recover be perfect. It was a nice gentle landin' under t' 24" nylon chute with no damage. Well, blow me down! Blimey!

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
T' Madcow Honest John M50 is an impressive kit with high quality parts. Begad! Blimey! T' fit, me hearties, me hearties, finish and laser cuttin' are second to none. Some may question t' lack o' motor retention, but I think friction fittin' works just fine. Well, blow me down! Blimey! T' one tricky part t' t' build be t' two piece nose cone. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Other than that, t' build is uncomplicated. Aye aye! Blimey! This is good kit for first time mid-power builders. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Aye aye! Blimey! T' M50 can be launched on a wide selection o' F and G 29mm motors. Ahoy! Blimey! Well, me hearties, blow me down! Blimey! This is an excellent kit and is well worth your rocketry funds.

PROs:

• High quality parts, shiver me timbers, matey, excellent laser cutting, arrr, fit and finish
• Good instructions makin' for an uncompleted build

CONs:

• Lack o' motor retention for some, does nay bother me
• Price but this kit is loot well spent
• T' nose cone could be less complicated if t' nose weight be preinstalled. Avast, me proud beauty!

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5