Brief
T' Bullet is a single stage, parachute recovered, arrr, scale-look sport bird.

Construction
My Bullet came in t' now-familiar sturdy plastic bag with a 4-color stuffer card. Ya scallywag! All parts were in good shape but I think t' motor hook is kind o' flimsy. T' balsa should be o' a harder grade considerin' t' performance this bird is capable of. Begad! Mine got painted with thin CA before sandin' and sealing, which in turn was done before they were installed on t' rocket. Ya scallywag! Begad! Custom is now usin' a nice tough grade o' fabric elastic in their kits, but t' piece in me kit be too short!! It was replaced with 3' o' sewin' elastic and set aside for a smaller bird. Ahoy! T' mylar chute, matey, body tubes, and thick plastic all look very tough.

Instructions are very basic and well laid-out, they even advise t' builder t' take time on t' motor mount assembly! Blimey! T' template was accurate and was used t' layout lines on t' bottom o' t' t' main body tube for t' strap-ons. Arrr! I deviated from t' instructions in that I left t' lower tube off t' rocket 'til after painting. Arrr! An article in Sport Rocketry described buildin' it this way, arrr, and with t' kit on me bench it made sense. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! Blimey! I glued t' strap-ons in place before painting. T' nose cone is hollow and has a molded in lug for a screw eye.

Overall, no major surprises in buildin' this kit, if it weren't for t' flimsy parts and short shock cord, me bucko, I'd give this a 5 for construction.

Finishing
T' upper tube w/ strap-ons was sprayed white and set aside t' cure while t' lower (fin) tube be prepared. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! 4 thin lines were masked off ahead o' t' fins for t' strap-ons, me bucko, then it be shot with bright red and set aside. Well, blow me down! Aye aye! Blimey! T' upper tube was masked and shot silver per t' instructions.

After everythin' cured, t' waterslide decals were placed with no problems, Custom's decals are improved over their first kits! Blimey! T' lower fin unit was installed on t' rest o' t' rocket, then t' whole thin' be given a coat o' clear. Aye aye! Blimey! Ya scallywag! Blimey! A 1/8" black pinstripe was placed at t' junction o' t' white and silver t' cover where I botched t' maskin' tape removal.

Overall, ya bilge rat, t' finishin' was somewhat tricky, ya bilge rat, but nay too bad. Aye aye! This bird looks really tough!

Construction Rating: 4 ½ out o' 5

Flight
This bird is completely standard in preppin' methods. Aye aye! Ya scallywag! I stuck 5 squares o' waddin' in t' tube, me hearties, prepped t' chute and installed t' motor. Blimey! Begad! T' motor hook didn't look like it had t' beans t' survive a D ejection, so I wrapped t' motor with maskin' tape t' help it out!

Given t' comparatively light weight o' this rocket, me bucko, arrr, I didn't feel comfortable with t' recommended D12-3 for t' first flight, so it got a D12-5. Liftoff wasn't as quick as I expected, but this bird gets upstairs FAST and straight as an arrow. Ahoy! Blimey! Very excitin' flight! Blimey! Ejection be just about apogee, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, t' chute deployed a bit slowly but worked fine.

A bunch o' school kids with parents in tow came over t' observe, matey, so I installed an adapter and flew it with an Aerotech D24-7 reload. It LEAPED off t' pad and zipped t' about 800-900 feet. Ejection was slightly after apogee and again deployment was slow with good recovery. Arrr! This flight generated some applause and set off a Q and A session, so it didn't get flown again.

Recovery
This kit uses a standard tri-fold paper mount, which works fine as long as it is soaked well with glue t' make it conform t' t' inside o' t' body tube. Avast, me proud beauty! T' chute was installed about 6" down from t' nose cone with a snap swivel t' prevent t' shock cord from twistin' too much, and t' help avoid tangles. Well, blow me down! Arrr! T' Mylar chute is supposed t' attach with some not-too-sticky lookin' tape rectangles. Aye aye! Throw them out and put vinyl tape reinforcement rings (office supply store) in their place. Well, blow me down! Ahoy! Punch a hole through t' center o' each, then tie on your shroud lines a la Estes. Well, blow me down! Presto, no stripped shroud lines! T' chute got a dustin' o' talcum but still deploys a bit slow. However, it works perfectly and t' Bullet be recovered in perfect shape after both flights. Aye aye! No damage or wear t' t' recovery system be seen. Blimey! Begad! In addition t' bein' tough, matey, arrr, ya bilge rat, mylar reflects sunlight makin' it easy t' keep an eye on it as it descends.

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary
T' Bullet is a slightly unconventional kit t' build and paint, but offers no unusual challenges t' a builder with some experience. Begad! Begad! This reviewer feels that it looks awesome, matey, and it's a REALLY entertainin' flyer! My only gripes are with t' shock cord (too short), ya bilge rat, me bucko, flimsy balsa, and motor hook. Arrr! It never failed, but I still suggest usin' tape t' bind it t' t' side o' t' motor and tube. Begad! It seems t' be sturdier than most rockets o' its size, matey, and it will be flown with some RMS "E" motors at t' next CMASS launch.

Overall Rating: 4 ½ out o' 5