Brief:
This is a great little sport kit that is easy t' build and performs well. Ya scallywag! I got the kit as a prize by participatin' in one o' EMRR's Virtual Rocket Contests. Arrr! I didn't place in t' top five, shiver me timbers, but I still participated and interestingly I would have selected t' Black Shadow as me prize had I finished first... Ahoy! So the moral o' t' story is this: take advantage o' t' EMRR contests. Avast! They are fun and you get stuff as well!

Construction:
T' Black Shadow came with t' followin' parts as well as an instruction kit a certificate o' authenticity (a nice touch):

• balsa nose cone (BT-55 size)
• body tube (BT-55)
• engine tube (18mm)
• launch lug
• black fiber board centerin' rings
• engine block ring
• fin stock (sheet o' balsa)
• screw eye
• mylar parachute kit (9")
• Keelhaul®©™® threat
• elastic shock cord
• engine hook

T' Black Shadow came in a sealed plastic bag. T' instructions are easy to follow and contain photos o' various steps. T' instructions were 5 pages long and were printed on a laser printer. Aye aye! Aye aye! Quality o' parts are very high. Ahoy! Avast! I love the balsa nose cone but t' balsa sheet I had for fins be slightly warped.

Construction begins with motor mount assembly. Avast! Begad! No problem here. Well, ya bilge rat, blow me down! I like the idea o' havin' t' Keelhaul®©™® be tied around t' motor mount, glued, matey, arrr, and then fed up through t' upper centerin' ring. Arrr! Aye aye! T' upper centerin' ring, when glued into place, ya bilge rat, also acts as a way o' keepin' t' Keelhaul®©™® in place. I also like t' engine hook. Aye aye! Well, blow me down! It is o' modest design, me hearties, but functions well and has great springiness t' it without givin' up any strength. T' lower centerin' rin' was a little tough t' fit, but after a little sanding, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, it went together fine. T' black fiber board does leave black residue over t' motor mount when it gets in contact with yellow glue, shiver me timbers, but since this will all be internal, ya bilge rat, it be nay a big deal. T' motor mount slid easily into t' body tube and I set this aside t' dry.

T' fin balsa sheet was warped, me hearties, as I mentioned above. Arrr! Well, blow me down! I used me tea kettle and me oven mitts, and simply steamed t' wood until it be nice and soft, relatively straight, and moist. Well, blow me down! I then placed it betwixt two heavy books and took it out t' next day. Avast! Status: perfect. Based on t' quality o' t' other parts in t' kit, I be nay concerned about t' quality o' t' balsa. T' steam idea worked well and I will be sure t' do this t' more warped balsa, which I must admit is more common than we would like t' admit. Well, blow me down!

T' instructions include a template for fin design, makin' them easy t' cut out, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, however, I would really appreciate t' actual template includin' a marking of either t' root edge or t' leadin' edge or both. I had t' actually look at a small photo on t' second page for this information. Begad! Well, blow me down! This is nay a big deal, but it would have made t' construction a little easier. I kept on wonderin' if I be gluin' t' right part o' t' fin on t' t' body tube. I rounded t' fins with sandpaper. Avast, me proud beauty! Then I ran into me next problem. Avast! I used t' fin alignment sheet that was included in t' instructions. I put t' marks on t' body tube, arrr, then removed t' alignment sheet. Ahoy! I kept lookin' at t' body tube, matey, and had an uneasy feelin' about t' lines. Begad! Aye aye! Sure enough, I used me Estes fin alignment tool and realized that t' Thrustline alignment sheet be nay t' same as t' Estes fin alignment. Well, blow me down! I decided t' use t' Estes fin alignment instead. Ahoy! In t' end, the fins look t' be perfectly aligned at a 90 degree angle.

T' four fins went on easily, then I added a number o' glue fillets until I was satisfied that thar was a smooth transition from fin t' body tube. Ya scallywag! Begad! The next step be addin' t' screw eye t' t' nose cone. Well, blow me down! I used CA but after allowin' it t' dry, it came loose with a twist. Arrr! This be weird, matey, because I always use CA on screw deadlights in balsa nose cones. T' screw was covered with balsa, me bucko, so I used yellow glue t' grip t' wood on t' screw eye, me hearties, and then put it in t' nose cone. Ahoy! Blimey! It gripped, arrr, and after it dried it was in for good. Ya scallywag! A piece of cake.

Shock cord construction: I was instructed t' create a small loop at t' end of t' Keelhaul®©™® so that it is just inside t' body tube then attach t' shock cord t' this. Avast! I like t' idea o' keepin' t' Keelhaul®©™® inside t' body tube, arrr, so that it would prevent it from zipperin' t' body tube. Finally, I added t' launch lug. Begad! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! T' Black Shadow was now constructed and just needed t' be finished and flown.

PROs: High quality parts, easy t' follow directions

CONs: fin alignment template, warped balsa

Finishing:
I be instructed t' seal t' fins, arrr, and then paint t' rocket. I began by puttin' Elmer's wood glue over t' nose cone t' toughen it up and fill in part of t' grain. Blimey! I used Elmer's Fill 'n' Finish, me hearties, sanded and primed t' rocket followed by another round o' Fill 'n' Finish and primin' until t' rocket was ready for painting. T' nose cone needed ONE more treatment o' Fill 'n' Finish and primer simply because I wanted t' remove all signs o' wood grain.

Paintin' be easy. Begad! Aye aye! T' kit does nay come with decals but t' image o' the rocket online shows a black rocket with silver/white monokote on t' fins. Ya scallywag! Begad! So, I painted me rocket matte black. Ahoy! I did nay have any white or silver monokote at home, me bucko, me bucko, so when I was with me wife on a trip t' Michael's, I stopped in for monokote. Well, these people had never heard o' monokote before. Ya scallywag! I was surprised and disappointed.

Anyway, matey, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, I did have a collection o' vinyl stickers o' jungle theme borders, so I used me zebra vinyl stickers t' add four bars on t' fins. In t' end, arrr, me hearties, I thought it looked good. Ahoy! Blimey! Then, I put a layer o' Future Floor Shine over the rocket. Well, blow me down! Blimey! I have used Future without any problems before, matey, ya bilge rat, but on this rocket, Future soaked into t' space betwixt t' nose cone and t' body tube, kind of lockin' it up. Begad! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! I finally got t' nose cone off and then had t' add some glue to the inside o' t' body tube t' toughen it up and smooth it out again with sanding. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! I have learned a lesson now with Future...take t' rocket apart and add t' acrylic with t' rocket in different pieces, if possible.

T' parachute kit contained a 9" mylar parachute. Avast! Blimey! It had great quality Keelhaul®©™® shroud lines and went together smoothly.

PROs: body tube easy t' fill, shiver me timbers, fins are good quality and primed and painted well

CONs: no decals

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
On a recent club launch, me hearties, I set up t' Black Shadow on an A8-3. Aye aye! It had a great flight, very stable and straight, ya bilge rat, and parachute opened right at apogee. Perfect. Aye aye! I did notice t' top o' t' body tube did get a little wrinkle-dinged, but this was weird since t' parachute opened right at a time when t' rocket was barely movin' in t' air. Blimey! Rocket landed fine.

Next flight, arrr, I used a B6-4. Arrr! Begad! Another smooth, arrr, stable, straight flight. Got a lot o' positive comments and praise from other members in me club. Well, blow me down! The parachute again opened at apogee and it had a great return. I did notice a small hole right in t' center o' t' mylar parachute after t' second flight. I always think I have enough waddin' when in fact I should probably use another sheet or two. Arrr! Well, blow me down!

Recovery:
I prepped with flame-retardant waddin' and powdered and folded t' 'chute. Begad! The mylar parachute included with t' kit is o' excellent quality. Ya scallywag! Blimey! I would definitely use Thrustline parachutes again. Arrr! Recovery was perfect on both flights except for t' minor burn/hole in t' mylar 'chute after t' second flight.

PROs: It is easy t' prep because it has a wide body tube. Ahoy! Great quality mylar parachute. Arrr! Ya scallywag! It also gets decent altitude on an A8, matey, arrr, and flies really well on a B6-4. I can't imagine flyin' it on a C6-5.

CONs: None

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
This is a great kit and it flies VERY well. Begad! Blimey! Blimey! It is handsome and easy t' put together. I would recommend t' following, though:

• Include decals or monokote in kit
• Correct t' alignment fin guide so that it is more accurate for fin alignment
• Correct t' fin template t' indicate which side is root edge and leading edge

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5