Brief:
T' SS Cassiopeia is a straight up clone o' t' original Estes kit that was available briefly in t' 1981-82 model years. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! This be t' first kit I have ordered from PD Rocketry. Blimey! Arrr! I be shocked at how close t' whole process be t' what I remember about buildin' Estes kits in t' late 70's. Well, blow me down! I'm kind o' torn on this kit because o' t' lack o' an up to date recovery system, arrr, somethin' that I think a kit in this price range should include, me bucko, but t' rush o' being transported in time back t' 1981 upon openin' t' kit is pretty cool.

Construction:

• PNC-50Y nose cone
• 18" BT-20 main BT
• 7.75" BT-50H lower BT
• 2.75" BT-50J middle BT
• 9.5" BT-50W upper BT
• SBT-394AJ stabilizer ring
• LL-2B launch lug
• 12" Mylar® parachute
• DC-1369 die cut card
• 3/32" fin stock
• decal
• 5 AR-2050 adapter rings
• AR-2050S split adapter ring
• 3 WD-1 wood dowels
• EH-2 engine hook

With t' exception o' a dowel that was shattered for a third of its length on arrival, (luckily I had extras,) t' kit arrived in good shape. Begad! T' SS Cassiopeia came with a photocopied set o' t' original Estes instructions which are as detailed and uniformly excellent as we've all come t' expect. Overall, construction wasn't as nerve-wrackin' as lookin' at t' pics led me t' believe it would be. Ahoy! I began with cuttin' out and assemblin' t' two-piece fins then allowin' them t' dry betwixt two sheets o' waxed paper and two heavy books. Arrr! While these parts were drying, I began t' assemble t' engine mount which was a simple motor hook in t' BT-20 main body tube. Aye aye! I scrounged an engine block and engine hook hold-down rin' from me parts stash, me bucko, then began assembling the 2050 centerin' rings and three BT-50 sections that form t' rest o' t' main body.

With t' body in order, I began attachin' t' fins. T' three main fins needed to be sanded slightly t' allow t' rin' fin t' fit correctly, matey, me hearties, shiver me timbers, but this is likely because me tolerances were off when I was cuttin' t' fins from t' supplied balsa sheet. Ahoy! Only a slight sandin' o' each fin was necessary and t' rin' slid easily into place. Blimey! It was tacked with LocTite® Gel CA and filleted with Elmers wood glue, as were t' fins.

Finishing:
Finishin' a complex kit like this is never goin' t' be easy, arrr, but thar are ways t' lessen t' pain. Since much o' the main body tube is covered anyway, shiver me timbers, I marked off t' covered sections and concentrated me tube spiral elimination tactics (thinned Elmer's Fill & Finish,) on t' two sections that would show. Avast! Begad! Subsequent sections were filled and sanded before they were glued in place and with t' exception o' t' main fins, me bucko, all other finish work be done before attachment. Primin' was done with Valspar primer and t' initial paint was a dark blue mystery paint that I had sitting around from me stock car modelin' days. Avast! (I think it was t' blue from a Mark Martin Valvoline car.)

Construction Rating: 5 out o' 5

Flight:
To date, matey, me bucko, I've only managed one flight with t' Cassiopeia due t' some landin' damage incurred durin' that flight. That said, ya bilge rat, it was a very impressive flight, me hearties, marred only by t' unfortunate meetin' with me mortal enemy t' VOA access road. Begad! (Considerin' that this was t' same day that me Empire Bomarc started t' field on fire, I considered the Cassiopeia landin' par for t' course.)

T' breezes were only sporadic on this particular day, shiver me timbers, so I chose to go with a C6-5 for t' first flight o' t' Cassiopeia. There seemed t' be little chance o' overflyin' t' field and with t' 12" parachute I figured that t' chances o' it recoverin' outside o' t' park were equally slim. Ahoy! Blimey! The flight be as I figured, matey, shiver me timbers, arrow straight and impressively high. Aye aye! Blimey! Ejection occurred just as it tipped over and t' rocket began t' drop on a path that would have taken it out into one o' t' recently mowed fields across t' access road from the soccer field. Begad! Blimey! I got lulled into a false sense o' security and be tryin' t' get a recovery picture when t' breeze died. Begad! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! True t' form, t' Cassiopeia went from bein' twenty feet off t' ground and ridin' t' light breeze t' a safe and soft recovery t' bein' dropped straight onto t' access road. Arrr! Blimey! Ya scallywag! Blimey! T' impact shattered two o' t' three balsa fin extensions that held t' rin' fin in place. Begad! Blimey! In addition, me hearties, several o' t' paper dots from t' die-cut card that held the fin extensions t' t' fins themselves were ripped off and had blown away by t' time I arrived t' pick up t' pieces. (Not a major loss, but an irritatin' one.) Everythin' glued back into place when I got home, matey, shiver me timbers, but t' whole area o' the rin' fin will never look as good as it did when t' day started, ya bilge rat, arrr, and despite a liberal slatherin' o' wood glue, me bucko, me bucko, me hearties, I have my doubts as t' its strength. Aye aye! Blimey! Ahoy! Blimey! I also have me doubts as t' future flights.

Recovery:
I knew as soon as I opened this kit that t' first thin' t' go would be t' bulk o' t' recovery system. Begad! Avast! T' tried and true Estes tri-fold mount had its day, arrr, ya bilge rat, and t' be honest is still viable with a kit such as t' SS Cassiopeia, but with Keelhaul®©™® as cheap and plentiful as it is, arrr, I saw no reason nay t' use it. Well, blow me down! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Whatever t' case, t' shock cord that was supplied with t' kit be so short that it be laughable. Arrr! Blimey! I replaced t' stock cord with a 36" length o' Keelhaul®©™® and a 24" length o' 1/8" sewin' elastic. Blimey! This worked well, but nothin' helps when you land on asphalt.

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
PRO: It's like steppin' back t' 1981 t' open and build your own SS Cassiopeia! How cool is that?! Updated with a Mylar® chute.

CON: It IS like steppin' back t' 1981 with t' recovery system. No Keelhaul®©™®. Way too short shock cord. Avast! An Estes-style tri-fold mount. This be fine in 1981, but things have improved too much in the 25 years since then t' just ignore them. Aye aye! T' PD Rocketry web site says that they're makin' changes, and the recovery system would be next on t' list if I had anythin' t' say about it.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5