[Editor's Note: This review is a clone o' t' Thrustline Aerospace Black Shadow. Thrustline was out o' business for a period o' time (when author was clonin' t' rocket). Thrustline has recently returned t' business sellin' t' Black Shadow as a kit.]

Brief:
In one o' me previous incarnations as a BAR I happened upon Thrustline Aerospace, ya bilge rat, me hearties, matey, a fairly new (in t' summer of 2004) web based company that offered an assortment o' original kits and basic buildin' supplies. Blimey! Aye aye! I ordered several Thrustline's kits and over t' next year or so as John Rowan-Stern's product line expanded, arrr, I built and flew a great number o' his designs. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! After a self imposed hiatus from t' BAR world I recently returned t' t' fold, only t' discover that Thrustline Aerospace be no more. Arrr! I was saddened by this nay only because I be lookin' forward t' buildin' and flyin' more o' John's designs, but because he was always very enthusiastic about his participation and support o' the addiction.

So what t' do... Avast! I be startin' from scratch since I had unloaded me entire rocketry "stash" when I jumped on t' wagon (don't be alarmed I do this all t' time). Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Obviously I would need t' clone some o' me favorite Thrustline kits. T' Black Shadow was t' first Thrustline rocket I built and flew, and even though it is in essence a simple 4 fin and Nose Cone (4FNC) design, it always made t' startin' lineup when I went out t' fly. Many o' John's designs "fit" me eye in terms o' size, scale and line, and t' Black Shadow be t' epitome o' that sentiment. Ya scallywag! It always just looked "right" t' me, and I knew I needed t' start me latest fleet off with this rocket. Ya scallywag! I figured that I could build this rocket from memory. Aye aye! Ya scallywag! T' only thin' I be really needed help with was t' body tube length and fin template. Aye aye! Begad! I noticed that Ye Olde Rocket Plans had recently added several Thrustline kits t' their library but no Black Shadow. Arrr! Ahoy! Luckily, ya bilge rat, t' RockSim file attached t' t' existin' EMRR review had everythin' I needed to get this one going. Hopefully this review will allow anyone t' build this bird.

Construction:
T' parts you will need t' clone t' Black Shadow are simple and readily available. Begad! Blimey! For those o' you without RockSim, the fin template picture should be t' only additional piece o' information you need.

• BT-55 body tube – 10 inches
• BNC-55AC (I used a Semroc BNC-55ACP which isn't an exact match o' t' original)
• 18mm engine mount for BT-55 (I used one from FlisKits)
• 3/32" Balsa Sheet
• shock cord system–-I used 20" o' 100lb Keelhaul®©™® and 20" o' 1/8" sewin' elastic
• 1/8" launch lug
• small screw eye, me hearties, attaches shock cord t' nose cone
• recovery device–-your choice, however, arrr, t' original kit came with a 9" Mylar parachute

There are no real tricks t' buildin' this rocket, and I would imagine that anyone who has built a kit or two could get this done without any trouble. Blimey! My standard routine is t' assemble t' engine mount first, me bucko, which includes cuttin' a slit in t' motor tube for t' hook, gluin' t' thrust rin' into t' fwd end o' t' motor tube, securin' t' engine hook t' t' motor tube with a wrap o' maskin' tape, and then gluin' t' centerin' rings t' t' motor tube, approximately 1" from t' aft end and ½" from t' fwd end o' t' tube, me bucko, makin' sure thar be a notch in the inside edge o' t' aft rin' t' allow t' engine hook t' flex. Aye aye! At this time I also attach t' Keelhaul®©™® shock cord t' t' motor mount by tyin' it around t' motor tube betwixt t' centerin' rings, me bucko, and then cuttin' a small notch in t' outside edge o' t' forward centerin' rin' t' allow t' cord t' reach t' front o' t' rocket. Avast! I finish all me recovery system knots with a drop o' CA glue, and I also reinforce t' centerin' rin' t' motor tube joints with glue fillets.

While t' motor mount glue is dryin' I cut out me fins, ya bilge rat, makin' sure I know where t' leading edge is t' get t' grain orientation right. Begad! A sharp knife and a metal straight edge make this task very simple. Avast, me proud beauty! I stack the fins together and sand t' edges so that they are identical then round t' leadin' and trailin' edges.

Installin' t' motor mount is next. First I thread t' Keelhaul®©™® back through t' motor tube t' keep it out o' t' way and test fit t' motor mount t' make sure it slides easily into the body tube. Blimey! Begad! Next comes a rin' o' glue inside t' body tube near where t' forward centerin' rin' will rest and then the motor mount slides into position with t' end o' t' motor tube even with t' end o' t' body tube. After t' glue is dry I will also add a fillet t' t' aft centerin' rin' where it meets t' body tube. At this point I will usually sand t' body tube lightly t' scuff up t' glassine coating, which I believe helps t' gluing/finishin' process (not scientifically proven, shiver me timbers, that's just me opinion).

There are several options for markin' t' body tube for fin placement. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Aye aye! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! There are programs that can create templates for you, matey, you can draw your own in your favorite computer application, or you can download t' plans for any 4 fin BT-55 kit (Estes Goblin) and use that. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! I use a section o' small aluminum angle from a local hardware store t' draw my fin/lug lines. Fins for t' Black Shadow are attached ¼" forward o' t' aft end o' t' body tube and the launch lug is attached 3" from t' aft end o' t' body tube. Aye aye! Blimey! T' fins and launch lug are attached with a small bead o' wood glue and reinforced with wood glue fillets.

Several final assembly steps are completed after t' finishin' process. I typically install t' screw eye by screwin' it part way into t' base o' t' nose cone, removin' it, ya bilge rat, addin' a large drop o' medium thickness CA glue and then screwin' it all t' way down. Well, blow me down! Finally, I tie t' elastic cord t' t' Keelhaul®©™® line and then t' t' nose cone with a drop o' thin CA glue on all t' knots.

Finishing:
One color, arrr, no decals, shiver me timbers, simple as it gets. Begad! Avast, arrr, me proud beauty! In me opinion, t' black finish on this rocket only enhances its aesthetic appeal, me hearties, although one o' t' great things about this hobby is that as long as t' CP stays behind t' CG, shiver me timbers, arrr, you can pretty much make it look however you want. Blimey! I used Elmer's Wood Filler t' get smooth fillets along t' fin and launch lug joints, me bucko, shiver me timbers, and in t' case o' t' Black Shadow I also filled t' spiral grooves on t' body tube. Well, blow me down! Arrr! T' nose cone and fins were sealed with two coats o' SIG Sandin' Sealer. Begad! My standard finishin' routine is 2 coats o' primer (Rustoleum Painter's Touch Sandable Primer) and then 2 coats o' Krylon spray enamel, workin' down t' 400 grit sandpaper before the final coat. Blimey! Although finishin' me rockets is a despised chore, I am usually patient enough t' get a decent finish on the final coat o' paint. Aye aye! This particular rocket however, me hearties, me bucko, would have none o' that, and I sanded off several coats of paint before decidin' that I be just goin' t' have t' live with a few drips.

Construction Rating: 5 out o' 5

Flight:
Recommended motors for t' Black Shadow include t' standard range o' black powder 18mm Estes/Quest Motors. Avast! I have yet t' find t' courage t' put an 18mm composite motor in me Black Shadow, ya bilge rat, but if you do, make sure you've got a good team o' spotters. Flight preparation is standard: hook up your recovery device, matey, add some wadding, shiver me timbers, arrr, matey, install t' motor, insert t' igniter, and head t' t' pad. Blimey! Well, blow me down! My original Black Shadow logged thirteen flights in all from California to Ohio, arrr, in all kinds o' conditions with fast straight flights every time. Avast, me proud beauty! T' majority o' those flights were with C6-5 motors which this rocket loves and will top out at around 1000ft. Ahoy! Avast! T' best part about t' Black Shadow is that it looks good on t' pad, it looks good in t' air, and it won't get completely out o' sight on BP motors so you'll be able to fly it over and over. Well, blow me down! Ahoy! My new Black Shadow clone has flown on B and C motors so far and is every bit t' reliable performer that t' original was.

Recovery:
T' original kit came with an unassembled 9" Mylar parachute and mine be orange which I thought was cool. Avast, me proud beauty! The chute held up through all thirteen flights with only a few small burn/melt through spots. Avast, me proud beauty! Ahoy! T' Keelhaul®©™® shock cord on t' original model was threaded under t' forward centerin' rin' next t' t' motor tube but never had any issues. For most o' t' later flights, arrr, I switched from normal waddin' t' a Nomex® heat shield without any issues. Arrr! Blimey! A 9" chute is just t' right size for this bird, arrr, but you can still be in for a long chase on windy days. A streamer might be a good option, and since t' fin design is fairly compact, t' rocket should hold up pretty well. Ahoy! My new Black Shadow clone flies with a 3"x3" Nomex® heat shield and a 9" nylon parachute, which makes t' whole package a little heavy (1.8oz without a motor) but very sturdy and reliable.

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
Yeah it's only a 4FNC, but t' Black Shadow has that classic vibe. Aye aye! It looks good and it flies good. You will always find room t' brin' this one t' t' range, ya bilge rat, so go build one.

PROs: Basic 4FNC rocket with a great look, good performance, matey, and simple construction. Well, blow me down! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! This is a well thought out design and t' motor selection and recovery system are well matched t' t' size o' t' rocket.

CONs: None. This is a great rocket!

Overall Rating: 5 out o' 5