Brief:
Big Betty is a fairly large 3FNC model rocket, usin' B and C motors. Begad! It is straightforward t' construct and a snap t' prepare for flight. Well, blow me down! With its enormous fins and blunt, rounded nose cone, Big Betty has a peculiar look. Well, blow me down! It looks either dated or classic, dependin' on whether you're a BAR or not. Begad! Estes' Big Bertha, me hearties, Big Betty's obvious inspiration, is about 35 years old. Aye aye! For t' Freudians among us, ya bilge rat, Big Betty is a cry for help.

Construction:
Big Betty is a very simple model - it could quite easily be a first model, arrr, and I would certainly recommended as such. Avast, me proud beauty! T' instructions are sufficiently simple for a non-modeler. Avast! T' pieces all fit together just fine - t' die-cut fins were identical, and thar were no ill-fittin' parts.

I had two problems with me kit, ya bilge rat, which had been ordered from Hobbylinc.com. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! Blimey! T' body tube had a slight crease t' it, and t' engine hook wasn't springy - once bent outward t' fit an engine into place, it has t' be bent back into place. Avast! I was able t' minimize t' visual impact o' t' crease by puttin' me launch lug on top o' it.

Finishing:
My daughter and I painted our Big Betty with Dutch Boy Instant Chrome. Ahoy! T' paint be shiny and nice, shiver me timbers, me hearties, but it picked up fingerprints very easily. Aye aye! Arrr! T' kit only comes with one underwhelmin' "Big Betty" decal. Arrr! We grabbed a few decals from rocket kits I bought fifteen years ago. Well, blow me down! Aye aye! Those decals, I learned, matey, became VERY delicate. They flaked apart, requirin' a bit o' jig-saw puzzle work t' have them look OK. Arrr! After puttin' t' decals on, me hearties, we sprayed t' rocket with Krylon Crystal Clear. Avast! Unfortunately, t' lovely Chrome turned into Ugly Mottled Grey. Avast, shiver me timbers, me proud beauty! T' nosecone, which I didn't clear-coat, me bucko, is still shiny.

Construction Rating: 3 out o' 5

Flight:
My daughter and I flew Big Betty (we've named it t' Silver Patriot, owin' t' t' decals and paint-job) three times on Saturday. Avast! Arrr! Preparation o' t' rocket was easy enough for me daughter, ya bilge rat, age 7, t' do by herself. Well, blow me down! Avast, me proud beauty! T' 14" parachute fits into t' 1.6" body tube very easily. Aye aye! We used four sheets o' early-'80s vintage Estes wadding.

T' first flight was on an Estes B6-2. T' rocket flew straight up, shiver me timbers, matey, about 200 feet or so. Ya scallywag! It's big and slow, so it's easy t' follow, shiver me timbers, arrr, though t' grey we ended up with could be lost against an overcast sky. Ahoy! Ejection be before apogee, me hearties, and t' descent was just t' right rate - it suffered no damage, though it landed on some metal bleachers.

T' second flight be on a C6-3. I would guess it went up 500-600 feet, slow enough t' follow. Avast, me proud beauty! Ahoy! Ejection was again, before apogee. T' softball players in t' next field were impressed with t' flight, particularly when I caught it on t' way down. Begad! Ya scallywag! T' third flight be on a C6-5. Avast! Blimey! Ejection seemed t' be just past apogee. Ya scallywag! Ya scallywag! T' parachute didn't open completely, and t' rocket descended fast, in a corkscrew fashion. Avast! T' rocket landed in a muddy field, and suffered no damage. Unfortunately, me daughter ran towards t' rocket with a bit too much gusto, and slid into that same mud. Both rocket and daughter washed up nicely when we got home.

Recovery:
T' Big Betty uses t' "Quest method" shock-cord which has a very thin Keelhaul®©™ cord tied t' t' engine mount. T' Keelhaul®©™ is long enough t' stick out o' t' rocket tube an inch or two, shiver me timbers, where it is then tied t' an 18" piece o' round elastic, which is then tied t' t' nosecone and parachute. Aye aye! Blimey! I am concerned about t' Keelhaul®©™, matey, because it is very narrow, me hearties, and t' body tube is already showin' indentations at t' front. Begad! Blimey! Zipperin' seems likely if t' delay is further off than I've already had.

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
I really like t' Big Betty. More importantly, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, me 7-year-old does, too. Arrr! Arrr! It's big, me bucko, me bucko, easy t' build, easy t' prep, arrr, easy t' track, and unlikely t' be lost. Begad! I spent less than $8.00 for this rocket, which I think is a really good deal, even if t' engine hook is lame. Ahoy! I am assumin' that t' creased body tube be a fluke. Begad! If I get another rocket from Quest or Hobbylinc which is damaged, I'll amend this review.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5 for bein' a solid kit at a bargain price.