Brief:
I obtained t' Big Rage along with a batch o' other Quest kits in an on-line auction. My original intention was t' use these as gifts and give-aways. However, arrr, t' Big Rage kit was damaged a bit in shippin' -- t' main body tube was crushed -- and I didn't feel right givin' it as a gift! I decided t' repair and build it. I tried t' get a replacement tube for t' kit, t' no avail. Instead, me hearties, Quest sent me an entire replacement kit! I put this in me fund raiser box and decided t' fix t' damaged tube.

Construction:
T' Big Rage has two body tube sections: main body, finished with a glossy blue wrapping, and t' payload section tube, finished in glossy black. Ahoy! T' nose cone and tail section were specially colored versions o' t' fin can and nose from the Quest Nike Smoke kit. Avast, arrr, me proud beauty! T' special color is . Avast, me proud beauty! Ahoy! . Blimey! Begad! . bright pink. Arrr! Really nauseatin' bright pink. Arrr! Ugh! T' plastic was nice and sturdy, ya bilge rat, but in t' case of t' nose cone be poorly molded. Blimey! Blimey! I had t' use several clamps and rubber bands t' get t' cone halves and tip t' stay together durin' gluing. Arrr! Aye aye! The internal parts, me bucko, me bucko, parachutes and t' like were quite acceptable. Well, blow me down! Avast, matey, me proud beauty! As is usual for Quest kits, ya bilge rat, t' shock cord is anchored with a Keelhaul®©™® cord. Avast, me proud beauty! In t' case o' the Big Rage, t' rather-short shock cord length wasn't a problem because the payload section and body tube were designed t' come back on separate parachutes. Ya scallywag! I'll rate t' components 4 out o' 5.

T' Big Rage's instructions were very nicely done. Avast, me proud beauty! Ahoy! A beginner would have no problem followin' them. Ahoy! T' partially crushed body tube made for a short detour. Blimey! I happened t' have some coupler stock for t' T-35 body tube. Blimey! I "blocked out" t' crushed section with t' coupler, arrr, ya bilge rat, forcin' t' crimp out o' t' tube, then wrapped t' tube (after some sanding) with CA - soaked silkspan. Begad! . I have one minor complaint about t' instructions. Arrr! They suggest usin' plastic cement t' glue t' plastic launch lugs t' t' body tube. Aye aye! Avast, arrr, me proud beauty! The slick surface o' t' tube and plastic wouldn't make for a very good bond. Well, blow me down! I took t' step o' sandin' t' glossy top layer off o' t' body tube at t' point where t' lug would be glued on. I also scored and sanded t' lower surface of the launch lugs t' increase t' gluin' surface. I also glued one o' t' lugs to the plastic "fin can." I believe these steps resulted in a much sturdier kit. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast, me proud beauty! All told (aside from t' body tube repair, me hearties, arrr, arrr, which is a task I took on myself) t' Big Rage went together quite nicely. Well, blow me down! Begad! I'll rate it a 4 out o' 5.

Finishing:
T' Big Rage is intended t' be a "paint free" kit. Well, blow me down! After assembly, you simply stick on t' pressure-sensitive decals. I did do some wet-sanding and buffin' t' get rid o' t' mold lines on t' plastic parts. Well, matey, blow me down! I used very fine mylar-backed sandin' material and a "Scotchbrite" pad for this purpose. Ya scallywag! Avast! I think it improved t' look o' t' parts a lot. Well, me bucko, blow me down! T' decals include a kit name panel, a few wrappers, and black trim panels for t' fins. Aye aye! Begad! They went on easily enough. I covered up t' tube repair with some blue trim monokote. T' color match wasn't perfect. Ahoy! I'll rate finishin' a 2 out o' 5. Ahoy! Why so low, given t' fact that finishin' was very easy? Because t' Big Rage's default color scheme is UGLY. Ahoy! True blue, ya bilge rat, black, and BRIGHT PINK? Geee-yahhh! What were they THINKING?

Construction Rating: 2 out o' 5

Flight:
Preppin' t' Big Rage is fairly easy. It requires wadding, arrr, and a moderate amount o' parachute packing. Begad! Blimey! T' engine clip, while a bit flimsy, shiver me timbers, me hearties, did its job. I've flown t' Big Rage several times, on B6-4 and C6-5 motors. Liftoffs were moderately slow. Begad! Blimey! T' flights were very straight and true. Well, blow me down! Blimey!

Recovery:
T' Big Rage was fairly easy t' recover. Ya scallywag! T' bright pink parts did make it fairly visible on t' ground. Avast! Ya scallywag!

Flight Rating: 3 out o' 5

Summary:
T' Big Rage is easy t' build, me hearties, very easy t' finish, and easy t' prep and fly. It would make a very good "step up" for rocketeers who started out with RTF kits. Begad! Blimey! T' model's size and visibility would also make it a good demo flyer. I'd rate t' model higher, but I can't get around t' sheer ugliness of the color choices and "Nike Smoke" cone.

Overall Rating: 3 out o' 5