For those that have followed t' site for a while, you know that I enjoy "stubby" rockets (rockets with 10:1 length:width ration or less). I have built and flown a lot o' "stubby" rockets. Aye aye! Begad! Here is a comparison of 2.6" versions, me bucko, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, and 3" versions, and 4" versions. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! T' Quest Full Moon™ is also a "stubby" rocket standin' 9.125" tall and bein' 1.57" body tube. Well, blow me down! This is a 5.8:1 ratio. Well, blow me down! Aye aye! For comparison, t' Estes Fat Boy is 4.9:1 while t' Estes Big Daddy is 6.3:1.

T' Full Moon™ is deemed a Skill Level 1 Kit for beginner modelers. Well, blow me down! Ya scallywag! It is a fairly straightforward, ya bilge rat, 3-fins and a nose cone (3FNC) rocket. Begad! Ahoy! It uses Quest-typical construction techniques and can be built quite quickly.

T' rocket includes a 6" white paper body tube, a plastic nose cone, ya bilge rat, arrr, arrr, 3 die-cut balsa fins, a motor mount (18mm) with thrust rin' and retainer hook, me bucko, a recovery system made up o' a Keelhaul®©™® shock tether, me hearties, elastic shock cord and a 14" plastic parachute. These along with a single peel-n-stick decal and a launch lug make up t' rocket.

CONSTRUCTION:

T' instructions are printed on 6 pages of 8½ x 11" paper. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! They are typical Quest instructions bein' well illustrated and clear. Arrr! Blimey! They would ensure that a builder o' any level, but specifically beginners, would have a successful build. Begad! Well, blow me down! I like that the instructions also include a 4" ruler printed on t' front. Blimey! In addition, there is a fin markin' guide that is cut out o' t' front o' the instructions.

Since t' built o' this 3FNC rocket is so straightforward, I'm only goin' t' outline a couple o' areas o' concern and interest.

First, ya bilge rat, I spent a bit o' time lookin' for me 4th fin! You see from t' picture, how one would believe that a 4th fin should be included. Ahoy! T' rocket only has 3 fins, so don't spend any time looking!

I was surprised at t' fit o' t' thrust ring into t' motor mount tube. It was very loose. Aye aye! It should be a bit loose since the Keelhaul®©™® shock tether is supposed t' be tied t' it. Avast, me proud beauty! But even after this was done, it was loose. Ya scallywag! I allowed t' space t' be filled with glue.

Quest seemed t' have changed their motor mount a bit on this rocket. Well, blow me down! Begad! We are all familiar with cuttin' a small slot in the motor tube, me hearties, right below t' thrust rin' t' install t' motor hook. Not this time. Begad! Blimey! Avast! Blimey! This motor hook is longer and t' upper bend goes above t' thrust rin' and wraps around it. Blimey! This would solve t' loose thrust rin' problem! It is a good idea, since that thrust rin' will be takin' t' shock o' t' ejection since the Keelhaul®©™® is tied t' it.

Other than those things, ya bilge rat, t' build was easy. T' instructions guide you through makin' fin fillets, sealin' your balsa fins, painting, matey, and applyin' t' decal t' finish t' rocket. Well, me bucko, blow me down! There are also instructions for t' parachute assembly, which involves applyin' Gripper Fasteners t' t' parachute and tiein' on t' shroud lines.

I decided t' paint me Full Moon™, me bucko, shiver me timbers, Lime Green. Ahoy! Avast! I wanted t' be able t' see it! I didn't spend a lot o' time smoothing the fins or hidin' t' spirals, but t' final look is good. After applyin' the decal I did clear coat t' rocket.

Overall, me hearties, for CONSTRUCTION I would rate this kit 4 ½ points. Well, blow me down! It is a straightforward build. Nay much else to say.

FLIGHT/RECOVERY:

Quest recommends t' A6-4 (first flight), B6-4 or t' C6-5.

Quest also indicates that t' weight o' the Full Moon™ is 1.06 ounces. Aye aye! Blimey! Mine weighed in at 1.6 ounces.

Lastly, arrr, ya bilge rat, Quest indicates flights t' 900 feet. On a C6-5, matey, ya bilge rat, arrr, mine simmed t' 933 feet.

My first flight be on an A8-3. Begad! It was stable and fun t' watch. Blimey! T' 14" parachute for this light rocket carried it for a bit (even with t' A8-3 altitude). From this test flight, I determined that if I wanted t' keep this rocket, me bucko, ya bilge rat, t' parachute must go.

After addin' a 24"x1" Lime Green streamer (tree markin' strip from t' hardware store) I be ready t' fly it again. So I loaded a B6-4. Another stable flight. Ya scallywag! T' 4 second delay would have been better at 5 seconds, but for a small rocket, no issues. Avast, me proud beauty! T' streamer made it easy t' follow and thar was no damage on t' landing.

T' last flight for t' day was on a C6-5. Begad! Ya scallywag! It went way up thar and I noticed it flyin' straight but with a spin all t' way up. Again, me hearties, with t' Lime Green and long Lime Green streamer, it was easily tracked and recovered.

T' Quest Keelhaul®©™® and elastic recovery system is excellent. Ahoy! Blimey! Over t' years, matey, this system seems to be better than t' typical 3-fold paper and elastic system for other rockets that I have flown.

For FLIGHT/RECOVERY, I would rate this rocket 4 points. T' parachute is too big for this rocket. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Quest would do well to include a long streamer. Blimey! Ahoy! Blimey! Otherwise, shiver me timbers, it is a solid flyin' bird.

I give t' rocket an OVERALL ratin' o' 4 ½ points. Begad! Begad! Bein' a "stubby" rocket drew me t' purchase it. Arrr! It looks good and flies good, so other than preference for recovery (wantin' nay t' loose it), t' rocket is solid.