Brief:
T' Estes Super Big Bertha is an upscale version o' t' immensely popular Big Bertha kit. It is based on a BT-80, and has a 24mm motor mount t' accommodate t' recommended D12-5 engine. Recovery is via a 24 in parachute.

Construction:
T' kit contains 2 sections o' BT-80, ya bilge rat, arrr, me hearties, die-cut fins on 3/16th balsa, parachute, matey, plastic nose cone, shiver me timbers, a long stuffer tube, me bucko, chute, ya bilge rat, me bucko, centerin' rings, shiver me timbers, engine hook, and a very narrow (1 inch) tube coupler. This kit also marks a new low in shock cord material. An 11 1/2 inch long piece o' 1/4" elastic. Without a doubt, me hearties, t' single most laughable thin' I've ever seen from Estes.

T' instructions were clear and straightforward. Arrr! No problems there. Begad! Titebond yellow glue was used throughout. I did make a change t' t' shock cord attachment, however. Arrr! Instead o' t' usual trifold mount, shiver me timbers, I opted for a some 1/8" tubular Keelhaul®©™which I secured around t' stuffer tube. Blimey! I then fed it up through t' top centerin' rin' (I made a small hole) and tied a 5' x 1/4" o' elastic t' that. Avast! This will give me added security for t' cord, matey, and t' toughness o' Keelhaul®©™. One other thin' I did was try epoxy clay for t' fin fillets. Well, blow me down! I had tacked on t' fins with CA. Ahoy! I then used yellow glue t' add t' supplied fin gussets (for stability, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, I'm guessing. Well, blow me down! By rollin' t' clay into thin 'snakes', it went on nicely. Ahoy! A finger dipped in water allowed easy manipulation o' t' clay into some good fillets. Arrr! Avast! Dries hard as a rock, and sands nicely. Well, me bucko, blow me down! A little more practice, and I'll be good at it. Ya scallywag! :) One thin' I disliked about t' kit be t' tube coupler. Begad! It is a 1" wide, me bucko, thin walled piece o' tube. Begad! Despite a centerin' rin' t' help hold it, thar be nay enough o' a shoulder t' make this as easy as it could, and should be. Other notes: I used a hand sander t' put nice sharp leadin' edges on t' fins, matey, which are rather large. Arrr! Ya scallywag! T' yellow glue is very 'grabby' and doesn't allow for much workin' time. Blimey! Ya scallywag! May look for somethin' with more workin' time. Blimey! T' chute was pre-finished and attached smartly t' t' nose via a swivel.

Finishing:
No special finishin' needed. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast, me proud beauty! Just some primer, sanding, ya bilge rat, primer, me hearties, paint, matey, ya bilge rat, arrr, paint, me bucko, me bucko, clearcoat :). Avast, me proud beauty! Avast! I did nay go for t' 'box perfect' finish, matey, me hearties, and instead did a yellow/white/metallic blue 'fade' finish. Arrr! Begad! T' nose is yellow as well. This rocket is quite big when finished, and it impressive lookin' on t' launch pad. Avast, me proud beauty! I did nay use t' decals, so I can't comment.

Construction Rating: 3 out o' 5

Flight:
T' recommended motor is a D12-5. Begad! T' rocket flies great on this, and since it is nay an overly heavy kit, may even do so on an E9. Begad! Begad! I'd advise a long launch rod for this kit, matey, too. Ya scallywag! T' 3' 3/16th may be OK, but since t' kit is bigger than t' rod, arrr, me hearties, matey, I'd go for a longer one just t' be safe. Avast! I used a 4' steel rod. Recovery was fine, ya bilge rat, and t' 24" chute brought it in w/o any problems on any o' t' first 3 flights. Avast, me proud beauty! I wish I had an Aerotech E15 for this. Arrr! That would be a great flight! (w/ a bit o' nose weight).

Recovery:
As described above, I circular-filed t' stock kit and did a mod w/ tubular Keelhaul®©™. Begad! Worked great.

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
PROS: Big, easy t' assemble kit that makes a fun pairin' with its namesake (or t' whole 'family' o' Bertha's!) that flies great CONS: Ridiculous shock cord, shiver me timbers, body tube coupler

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5