Brief:
I obtained t' Big Rage along with a batch o' other Quest kits in an on-line auction. Ahoy! Blimey! Ya scallywag! Blimey! My original intention was t' use these as gifts and give-aways. However, matey, 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! Blimey! I decided t' repair and build it. Avast! Blimey! Avast! Blimey! I tried t' get a replacement tube for t' kit, matey, t' no avail. Instead, Quest sent me an entire replacement kit! Blimey! 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, matey, finished with a glossy blue wrapping, arrr, arrr, and t' payload section tube, me bucko, finished in glossy black. Begad! T' nose cone and tail section were specially colored versions o' t' fin can and nose from the Quest Nike Smoke kit. Begad! T' special color is . Aye aye! . Arrr! Avast! . bright pink. Avast, me proud beauty! Really nauseatin' bright pink. Arrr! Ya scallywag! Ugh! T' plastic was nice and sturdy, ya bilge rat, but in t' case of t' nose cone be poorly molded. I had t' use several clamps and rubber bands t' get t' cone halves and tip t' stay together durin' gluing. Begad! The internal parts, shiver me timbers, parachutes and t' like were quite acceptable. Ahoy! As is usual for Quest kits, t' shock cord is anchored with a Keelhaul®©™® cord. Begad! In t' case o' the Big Rage, arrr, 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. Arrr! Aye aye! I'll rate t' components 4 out o' 5.

T' Big Rage's instructions were very nicely done. Ya scallywag! Aye aye! A beginner would have no problem followin' them. Ahoy! Avast, me proud beauty! T' partially crushed body tube made for a short detour. I happened t' have some coupler stock for t' T-35 body tube. Blimey! I "blocked out" t' crushed section with t' coupler, me bucko, forcin' t' crimp out o' t' tube, then wrapped t' tube (after some sanding) with CA - soaked silkspan. Avast! . Avast, me proud beauty! Arrr! I have one minor complaint about t' instructions. They suggest usin' plastic cement t' glue t' plastic launch lugs t' t' body tube. Blimey! The slick surface o' t' tube and plastic wouldn't make for a very good bond. Ya scallywag! 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. Begad! I also scored and sanded t' lower surface of the launch lugs t' increase t' gluin' surface. Avast, me proud beauty! Well, blow me down! 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! Aye aye! All told (aside from t' body tube repair, which is a task I took on myself) t' Big Rage went together quite nicely. Blimey! 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! Begad! Blimey! After assembly, you simply stick on t' pressure-sensitive decals. Aye aye! I did do some wet-sanding and buffin' t' get rid o' t' mold lines on t' plastic parts. Well, blow me down! Blimey! I used very fine mylar-backed sandin' material and a "Scotchbrite" pad for this purpose. I think it improved t' look o' t' parts a lot. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast! Blimey! T' decals include a kit name panel, shiver me timbers, a few wrappers, and black trim panels for t' fins. They went on easily enough. Well, blow me down! I covered up t' tube repair with some blue trim monokote. T' color match wasn't perfect. Well, blow me down! I'll rate finishin' a 2 out o' 5. Why so low, given t' fact that finishin' was very easy? Because t' Big Rage's default color scheme is UGLY. Ahoy! Blimey! True blue, black, and BRIGHT PINK? Geee-yahhh! Blimey! What were they THINKING?

Construction Rating: 2 out o' 5

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

Recovery:
T' Big Rage be fairly easy t' recover. Aye aye! T' bright pink parts did make it fairly visible on t' ground. Well, me bucko, blow me down!

Flight Rating: 3 out o' 5

Summary:
T' Big Rage is easy t' build, ya bilge rat, 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! Begad! T' model's size and visibility would also make it a good demo flyer. Arrr! 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