Brief:
Explorer 1 is a single stage, futuristically styled, matey, sport rocket and is one o' two kits available from Mile High Rockets. Well, blow me down! Well, blow me down! Blimey! While rated skill level 3 by Mile High, matey, me hearties, I would put it at a solid 2. Fin tip tubes and t' unique fin rail mountin' system, which speeds fin attachment, shiver me timbers, add a bit o' flair.

Construction:
T' kit was supplied with:

• 1 plastic nose cone
• 1 BT-50 0.097" body tube
• 1 18mm motor mount
• 2 centerin' rings
• 3 laser cut 0.0625" fins
• 1 length o' fin mountin' rail
• 3 BT-5 tube fins
• 24" Keelhaul®©™ thread
• 1 12.5" heat resistant parachute with snap swivel
• 1 Stubby 9" Keelhaul®©™-wrapped shock cord
• Positive motor retention hook
• 1 tiny launch lug

PROs: T' easy t' follow instructions are on two 8.5" x 11" pages, printed front and back, and sprinkled with helpful illustrations throughout. Ya scallywag! T' fin mountin' rails, me bucko, which are a great idea, needed a bit o' shapin' t' conform t' t' curve o' t' body tube, shiver me timbers, but t' slots mated up snugly with t' laser cut fins. Arrr! Fin alignment be a breeze and all tubes were well cut with only minor fraying. No real "gotchas" surfaced durin' construction. Avast! Arrr! 24" Keelhaul®©™ was a welcome addition.

CONs: T' supplied fin alignment template is a bit small and provided little help. Ya scallywag! T' Keelhaul®©™ wrapped shock cord was way too short (at only nine inches long) and t' supplied parachute proved t' be just a tad large for this body tube diameter.

Finishing:
PROs: T' balsa fins sealed easily enough and with just a minor amount o' work. Ya scallywag! T' fin mountin' rails can be made t' blend beautifully with t' fin and airframe. Arrr! Avast! A single base color is all that is needed, me hearties, Mile High suggests silver but I went with gloss white.

CONs: T' vinyl decals supplied with t' kit leave a lot t' be desired. Aye aye! Their thickness makes them an eyesore and t' poor color quality spoils t' look o' t' kit. Avast! T' fin decals and t' Explorer 1 logo were t' only ones I found t' be usable. None o' them adhered well t' t' painted surface.

Construction Rating: 3 out o' 5

Flight:
T' first and only flight was on a C6-5. Avast! Instead o' wadding, matey, I attached a section o' Nomex cloth from Pratt Hobbies t' t' Keelhaul®©™ thread. T' rocket cocked hard into t' wind after leavin' t' rod but be stable otherwise.

PROs: Weathercocked into t' 10mph breeze but still achieved ~1000' altitude. Avast, ya bilge rat, me proud beauty! Blimey! Appeared t' be very stable but I will never know for sure as it landed in cow dung and is now buried in a shallow grave.

CONs: Besides weathercockin' and t' stench, me bucko, t' only flight be a success.

Recovery:
PROs: T' 12.5 inch chute is perfect for this kit. Begad! Ya scallywag! It came down less than 200 meters away even in 10mph winds and no heat damage was observed, so maybe t' chute is really heat resistant. Begad! As far as I could tell, me hearties, t' stubby shock cord did nay cause any body damage due t' rebound as expected but I would like t' see a much longer one included in t' kit.

CONs: After a call t' Mile High Rockets, ya bilge rat, me hearties, I was informed that t' manufacturer is nay responsible for damages received from landings in animals droppings, matey, fresh or otherwise so I will have t' buy and build another one.

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
PROs: Goes together easily, arrr, parts were o' good quality, prefabricated fin mountin' rails are a great idea, matey, full length Keelhaul®©™ thread, shiver me timbers, Keelhaul®©™ wrapped shock cord, me bucko, heat resistant parachute, and good instructions.

CONs: Shock cord is way too short, arrr, vinyl decals are too thick, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, lack depth and color and don't adhere well, and parachute is a bit thick for BT diameter.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5