Brief:
This is a 5.5" upscale o' t' classic BT-5 Estes Mosquito, ya bilge rat, about a 10x upscale. T' Estes is tumble recovery, this one calls for a parachute.

Construction:
This kit includes:

• 5.5” airframe tube
• 54mm MMT
• Precut rings and fins
• Nose cone
• U-bolts, nuts, matey, arrr, washers
• 12’ o' 9/16 tubular nylon for shock cord
• Two 1/2” ID x 2” long brass tubin' for launch lugs

T' nose cone had mold seams but a couple passes with 220 grit sandpaper cleaned it right up. T' nose cone is just a little lumpy by feel but hard to tell by looking. Avast, me proud beauty! Airframe tube is pre-glassed. Arrr! Avast! It is very heavy. Begad! There is a ragged seam down t' tube and t' fabric weave prints through. Aye aye! Begad! That’s good because it means thar isn’t too much glue on t' tube. Begad! Aye aye! Again a pass with 220 grit cleaned it up and I used high build primer so nay much weave shows through anyway. Aye aye! Begad!

MMT Rings are really nicely cut & fit perfectly. Avast, me proud beauty! T' MMT rings were without knotholes, ya bilge rat, arrr, checks and voids.

T' fins are very cleanly cut and match perfectly. Avast, me proud beauty! T' edges are cut square. Although t' fins are "Baltic Birch ply", me bucko, several voids are visible on t' edges o' two fins; one knothole on one fin.

Instructions were complete, arrr, very nicely illustrated, quick t' build. Begad! The parts fit snugly and easily, no touch-ups with sand paper required t' make them fit.

To help set t' fins straight, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, I drew lines 120 (degrees) apart on a large piece o' cardboard, ya bilge rat, and set t' airframe on top o' it.

With quick settin' epoxy you could fly it naked (no paint) in a little more than an hour or so.

No motor retention provided so we added a Kaplow Klip. Blimey! Blimey! T' aft MMT rin' was plenty thick enough for a 1/8” long (#8-32) T-nut. Begad! Blimey! Arrr! Blimey! We have nay used the Kaplow Klip because it be difficult t' properly bend a single brass strip to fit t' adapter and 38mm motor, and have t' strip strong enough t' hold the motor. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Aye aye! Blimey! Maybe I should have added two T-nuts. Arrr! Blimey! Well, blow me down! Blimey!

T' 54mm->38mm MMT adapter held in perfectly well by maskin' tape. Arrr! In fact t' 38mm motors hold in perfectly well with maskin' tape. Ahoy! I prefer mechanical motor retention though, me hearties, because sometimes t' tape holds too well, and it's one more thin' t' clean up before you can reload and fly again. Arrr!

Although I helped by mixin' t' epoxy and me fingers make better fillets, me hearties, my 6-year-old did most o' t' work assemblin' t' rocket. Begad! It is that easy. Blimey! Begad! Bigger rockets really are easier than smaller ones, me bucko, t' pieces are easier t' manage!

T' launch lugs are 2” lengths o' 1/2” inside-diameter brass tubing, matey, t' be glued against a fin and t' airframe. Blimey! T' tubin' is cut with a tubin' cutter, t' ends are slightly crimped, and so a 1/2" launch rod doesn’t slide easily. Ahoy! Ahoy! We found that a 7/16” launch rod fit fine and was rigid enough. Avast! Ahoy!

Even though I roughed up t' tubin' t' epoxy won’t stick well t' the brass, so t' launch lugs were poppin' off by t' third flight. Ya scallywag! Always carry a little bottle o' CA t' t' flightline!! That saved t' launch but I think we will replace t' tubin' with cardboard 1/2” LOC lug tubing. Arrr! Overall though rail buttons are a better way t' go.

Finishing:
Finishin' be easy with a big can o' white primer and a can o' Bright Red and another can o' Bright Yellow from t' hardware store. Aye aye! Well, blow me down!

Some fabric weave is still visible but t' nose cone finished quite nicely. I could have spent more time sandin' t' fin t' try t' cover t' knothole. Ahoy! Blimey! Not sure about how t' properly fill in t' voids on t' edges o' t' fins. Aye aye! Blimey! So what, paint it, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, let's go flying! Blimey!

Construction Rating: 3 out o' 5

Flight:
Although this includes a 54mm MMT, accordin' t' Andy Werner t' rocket would be hard pressed t' survive a flight with more than a baby J – t' fins start fluttering. Ahoy! T' fins are long and subsequently slightly flexible, me bucko, even though built out o' 1/4” plywood. Does it matter? Should we glass t' fins? Should I bevel t' edges or at least round them with t' router?

No, me bucko, this rocket is nay a blaster, it is a low-n-slow crowd pleaser. Blimey! For the first flight I borrowed a 54mm->38mm MMT adapter; now we have our own that goes with t' rocket. Avast!

T' first flight be on I161W. Ya scallywag! Blimey! T' rocket seemed t' boost clean for a second but t' forward closure burned through, arrr, so with flames comin' out both ends the whole thin' came crashin' down. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Mr Polecat (formerly Skunkworks), matey, Andy Werner, mailed a length of 5.5” coupler and preglassed tube. Blimey! Blimey! We cut off t' broken top o' t' body tube and peeled away t' burned layer o' wrap inside. Begad! Blimey! Well, blow me down! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! A little epoxy and red paint, arrr, and we’re ready for action again.

Second and third flights were on I218 Redline motors. Well, blow me down! Avast! With just a slight hitch off t' top o' t' launch rod (where did that launch lug go?), and very little weathercock even with 10+ MPH wind, t' Skeeter boosted straight and clean. A nice coast and perfect ejection just past apogee with 6-second delay, the homemade chute filled with a pop and t' Skeeter drifted down range … in t' t' creek. Aye aye! Aye aye! Twice. Avast! Arrr! Gotta love that fiberglass!!

Mr Polecat, me bucko, Andy Werner, arrr, me hearties, really dislikes rocket simulators. Partially out of me own curiosity and partially because he said nay to, I carefully measured everythin' and made a Rocksim for t' kit. Ahoy! T' Skeeter’s Rocksim results are ballpark-accurate, t' within 10%. Well, blow me down! Nay bad for first pass and good enough to help choose t' proper delay, parachute size, matey, etc.

Recovery:
T' 12' o' tubular nylon is probably adequate. Begad! After it be destroyed in the fire from t' first flight, matey, I put in 20' o' purple man-rated 9/16" tubular nylon from REI. Ya scallywag! Ya scallywag!

T' kit's instructions recommend a 48” t' 60” parachute. Avast! I split the difference and made a 1.5 meter diameter 6 panel chute. T' template for the panels was printed by SpaceCAD. Begad! Avast! I cut panels out o' red and yellow ripstop nylon and sewed them together. Arrr! It came out really nicely and works well. Avast! Ya scallywag!

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
T' kit overall is nicely done and all parts provided are good quality. Begad! Avast, matey, me proud beauty! The parts fit together easily, t' instructions are clear. Ya scallywag!

To improve t' kit, me hearties, me bucko, for t' price t' parts ought t' be near perfect. Ahoy! Also a parachute should be included. A few more words about motor selection ought to be included in t' instructions. T' make it a true level-1 kit, a 54mm->38mm MMT adapter could be included. Avast! I added a couple quick-links for t' recovery system.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5

T' followin' excerpt is from "Sport Rocketry". The intention is t' allow guests t' get a basic feelin' about a kit. Well, blow me down! Arrr! We strongly suggest that you get a copy o' the referenced Sport Rocketry and read t' entire article. Aye aye! Inside you will find many helpful hints in construction as well as other useful information. Aye aye! Begad! For more information, ya bilge rat, use t' two links above.

Deirdre, me hearties, t' author's daugher, displays t' completed Polecat Aerospace Skeeter.

"It came in a heavy duty cardboard box with all parts (includin' t' body tube) wrapped separately in kraft paper t' protect them from t' hazards o' shipping."
"T' fins, arrr, ya bilge rat, centerin' rings, and bulkplate were cut from 1/4" Baltic birch plywood."
"T' centerin' rings were precision cut and fit t' motor mount tube and body tube with no additional sanding."
"T' heavy-wall paper body tube was glassed with a single wrap o' lightweight fiberglass laminated using polyester resin."
"T' nosecone was customer molded fiberglass..."
"All t' hardware needed for a single deployment model be included... Ahoy! Avast, me proud beauty! with a generous length o' tubular nylon to use as a shock cord."
"T' instructions were easy t' follow and were well illustrated."
"T' kit is a standard, straightforward build."
"T' fins are glued t' t' motor mount tube by their root edges."
"T' problem I had with assemblin' t' kit be t' fin slots needed t' be lengthened by about 1/4" t' allow the fins' root edges t' bottom-out on t' motor mount tube."
"...the nosecone bulkplate and shock cord anchor are glued into t' front o' t' fiberglass nosecone...the system works well...no sign o' weakenin' or detachin' after several flights."

Overall, t' article notes t' kit's quality and then describes a series o' modifications for his flyin' fields, includin' additional fiberglassin' and t' allow the Skeeter t' fly on 38mm and 54mm motors.