Brief:
Cycline3 describes t' XROC as "the pinnacle o' performance". This is somethin' o' an understatement. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! This near minimum diameter, arrr, single stage mach-buster may nay be t' prettiest rocket in your fleet, arrr, ya bilge rat, but it will likely be t' fastest for it's size! T' XROC Prototype is a ultra-high performance kit that uses unusual construction techniques t' go way beyond your usual 3FNC kit!

Construction:
T' kit came packaged in a poly bag with a header card. Avast! All o' t' components were in good condition and had been shipped securely in a sturdy box. T' main airframe is solid, similar in quality t' LOC and Aerotech tubing. Blimey! Begad! T' motor mount and centerin' rings are designed around a 29mm motor, ya bilge rat, but t' builder could easily adapt t' kit t' fly on 24mm and 38mm motors. Avast, me proud beauty! Arrr! T' fins are cut from balsa stock that would appear at first t' be way too thin for mach plus flight. Well, blow me down! Blimey! This kit includes Cycline3's sturdy Frankenchute and more shock cord than many high power kits.

Although this kit uses many unusual buildin' techniques, t' five 8.5" x 11 pages o' instructions make t' processes clear and fairly gotcha-free. Begad! T' only thin' that was missin' from t' instructions were illustrations, but with a minimum o' experience, matey, they really would have been extraneous. Blimey! Well, blow me down! In addition t' t' instructions, thar were two sheets o' cardstock with t' templates for t' motor mount tube, centerin' rings, and fin alignment pattern.

T' motor mount is hand rolled around a 29mm single-use motor. Blimey! This process, while seemingly a little dicey, produces a tube that is a custom fit. Arrr! This process would allow t' builder t' chicken out and roll t' tube t' fit a 24mm motor as well.

T' centerin' rings for t' kit are cut from cardstock which is reinforced with a substantial fillet o' polyurethane glue. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Polyurethane glue is required for this section o' t' build because o' its expandin' properties when it is exposed t' moisture. Aye aye! Ahoy! This produces a very sturdy and lightweight "honeycomb" around t' mount.

T' balsa that came with t' kit was a little bit soft and crumbled slightly when cutting. Ya scallywag! Arrr! T' fins were extremely easy t' cut though, shiver me timbers, requirin' only two cuts diagonally across t' fin stock t' produce t' fins. Begad! Aye aye! This results in 4 fins although only 3 are used. Ahoy! Avast, me proud beauty! T' fins are edged with fiberglass reinforced shippin' tape t' help them hold together at t' mach plus speeds that can be produced with t' recommended G80 motors.

T' kit comes with a small package o' sand t' be used t' ballast t' nosecone. Blimey! I mixed t' sand with a roughly equal amount o' polyurethane glue and poured it into t' hole in t' base o' t' cone. Aye aye! As t' glue cured, it expanded and filled t' cone full and locked t' ballast in.

T' XROC comes with 24 feet (no, arrr, that's nay a typo) o' shock cord. Arrr! Ahoy! This is mounted into t' airframe with a standard 3-fold Estes-style mount. Begad! T' kit comes with rail buttons but nay bein' a big fan o' buttons, arrr, I substituted them with ACME conformal lugs.

Finishing:
I be concerned about t' way paint would look over t' tape edgin' on t' fins, ya bilge rat, so I decided t' try somethin' that I have wanted t' for a while. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast, me proud beauty! I used Monokote t' cover t' rocket. Ahoy! Havin' some experience coverin' RC planes, matey, this was fairly easy and I ended up with only a few slight wrinkles in t' covering. Ahoy! This also saved me t' time and effort o' sealin' t' fins and primin' t' XROC. T' finishin' o' this kit only took around an hour! I opted t' pain t' nose cone with a quick coat o' fluorescent orange paint. Well, blow me down! Begad! T' kit comes with an American flag sticker, but I decided nay t' use it with this rocket.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
Wantin' t' make sure that I got more than a single flight out o' this high performance kit, shiver me timbers, I decided t' start at t' low end o' t' recommended motors with a Estes E9-6. Ahoy! T' kit has no mechanical motor retention device, me bucko, ya bilge rat, me hearties, but a quick wrap o' maskin' tape held t' motor snugly in place. Begad! Ahoy! A small handful o' dog barf was used t' protect t' chute. Aye aye! T' rocket leapt skyward t' an impressive height on this motor with ejection just a little early as t' rocket was still coastin' when t' ejection charge deployed t' chute.

T' second flight o' t' XROC Prototype nearly resulted in t' loss o' t' rocket. (Don't listen t' your rocket buddies when they goad you into flyin' a motor that seems too big at t' time...) I loaded up an AeroTech SU F25-7W. Begad! Blimey! I switched out t' "Frankenchute" for a smaller homemade chute due t' t' breeze. Aye aye! Blimey! I wanted t' minimize t' drift on t' larger motor as here in San Diego, we launch on an island. Begad! Blimey! (You can probably see where this is going...) T' rocket vanished from t' pad t' instant t' button be pushed. Well, blow me down! Blimey! After an amazin' boost, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, all o' t' half dozen trackers I had watchin' t' flight lost track o' it. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Aye aye! Blimey! T' rocket be found afloat by boaters and returned t' t' launch area with t' homemade chute stripped from t' Keelhaul®©™ shroud lines. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Avast! Blimey! I won't make t' mistake o' nay usin' t' Frankenchute again! Blimey! T' rocket came back a little soggy, but it should be flyable again after it dries out.

I might be persuaded t' use t' suggested G80 motor but nay at an island launch! Blimey! Based on t' F powered flight, a mach breakin' G powered flight is goin' t' take a reasonably large recovery field.

Recovery:
It's a little tricky t' fold t' Frankenchute and 8 yards o' shock cord into t' airframe but with t' supplied tips, it's possible. Ahoy! T' chute itself is a little bulky for an airframe o' t' kit's size, matey, but with t' speeds at which it could be deployed, matey, sturdiness is probably a good thing.

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
If you are lookin' for a build that can teach you some new, different buildin' techniques and/or for a reasonably inexpensive mach buster, this be t' kit for you.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5