Brief:
T' Madcow HOJO M50 mid-power rocket kit is a fun kit t' build and fly. T' kit comes with precise laser cut parts and all o' t' extras. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! If you were talkin' about a car, ya bilge rat, me bucko, you would say it is loaded. Avast, me hearties, me proud beauty! Blimey! 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, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, nut, arrr, 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, ya bilge rat, and they arrived well packed and in excellent shape. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Inside t' heavy plastic bag, matey, me bucko, 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. Begad! 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. Avast, me proud beauty! 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. Avast!

I started with t' nose cone and boat tail. Aye aye! Well, me hearties, 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, 4oz in each hole. Well, shiver me timbers, blow me down! Blimey! Once t' epoxy is cured, the two pieces need t' be joined with epoxy, me bucko, 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. Begad! Ya scallywag! 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, leavin' a nice smooth finish. Ya scallywag! Blimey! T' next step for me be t' nose cone shoulder/ballast box usin' epoxy. Begad! Blimey! This consists o' a nose cone shoulder, eye bolt, matey, me hearties, washer and nut. Begad! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Once assembled t' unit is epoxied t' t' base o' t' nose cone. Ya scallywag! Begad! Blimey!

T' rest o' t' build is straightforward. Well, me bucko, blow me down! I tapered t' leadin' edge o' t' fins and filled and sanded them smooth (not that they required it). Avast, me proud beauty! Ahoy! 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. Once cured, I installed it in t' body tube with epoxy. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast! T' fins are installed into the slots, and t' fit and finish o' these parts is fantastic. Begad! Here I used Titebond II wood glue.

Finishing:
There are no suggestions for finishin' t' M50, ya bilge rat, except for t' picture on t' instructions. Arrr! Blimey! I found details online. Begad! Blimey! I primed t' entire rocket with Kilz, me bucko, sandin' most o' it off with 220 grit, 400 grit, and 600 grit sandpaper, me hearties, leavin' a smooth finish for paint. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Ahoy! 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. Begad! Blimey! Ya scallywag! Blimey! 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. Well, blow me down! T' motor was friction fit with maskin' tape wound around t' motor in a spiral. Ya scallywag! T' chute was packed inside t' Nomex® pad; both were attached t' t' shock cord. Avast, me proud beauty! T' two wire igniter was inserted and held in usin' maskin' tape around the nozzle with two small cuts for venting. Begad! T' motor lit launchin' t' M50 in 8-15mph winds. Avast, me proud beauty! There was a nice initial boost but t' M50 corkscrewed a bit on t' way up, and ejection took place at apogee. Ahoy! Arrr! It is hard t' say what caused the corkscrew, as it could have been rod whip or builder error (nose cone balance). Other than that it was an impressive flight. Avast, me proud beauty! It will fly again.

Recovery:
Recover was perfect. It was a nice gentle landin' under t' 24" nylon chute with no damage.

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

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

PROs:

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

CONs:

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

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5