I received a Estes AIM-9 sidewinder kit for Christmas. T' kit came in a box and I am sure it be bought a WAL-MART for $10.00 (great price).

T' instructions were standard Estes with only 2 confusin' parts and I got them figured out with t' help from me local club buds . Aye aye! T' fins are thru-the-wall mount, arrr, matey, very strong but t' balsa was very soft (for a good reason), ya bilge rat, t' aft fins had t' be glued together. Ya scallywag! Ahoy! I just CA'ed them with t' gap fillin' kind. Blimey! All o' t' parts fit well but t' aft fin slot was very wide, ya bilge rat, t' diagram showed that you turn t' fin so that all t' fins turn in t' same direction. Ahoy! Contrary t' popular thinkin' they are t' be turned nay straight like most fins. This be one o' those confusin' parts in t' directions but everyone said they go on straight but t' illustration showed t' offset. Blimey! Avast! So I went against what me friends told me t' do: offset t' aft fins, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, me thinkin' came from lookin' at t' picture on t' box with t' spinnin' smoke trail.

T' decals didn't fit well. Aye aye! T' color band didn't wrap all t' way around t' tube so I put all t' seams in line with each other on t' side o' t' launch lug (good move it hides all seams while on t' rod).

T' model is very sturdy but, arrr, heavy as I attempted t' launch it on a A8-3 (not a recommended motor) and it almost crashed, arrr, ya bilge rat, ejection was at 4 or 5 feet off t' ground but no damage! Sturdiness is rated at a 4, shiver me timbers, assembly was a 3 because t' card stock tube wrappers are hard t' get tight t' t' tube. Nay t' mention t' fin offset be hard till I thought about it and I used yellow glue at t' root and CA'd t' aft o' t' fin t' one side and bent it over at t' front and CA'd it there, arrr, it worked great. Aye aye! Avast! It comes down in two parts, so gettin' everythin' in thar neat and nay too tight was tricky.

Now every other kit review o' t' Sidewinder said it be very unstable (my thinkin' was they put t' fins on without t' offset because mine was t' straightest rocket I own, me bucko, me bucko, nay t' mention t' way it spun just like t' photo on t' box and had a spinnin' smoke trail!

I rate flight as a 5 . Begad! Aye aye! T' only thin' I didn't like about t' recovery was t' fact that I launched (I used a Estes C6-5) it for me mom when it was done t' show her t' gift she bought and a tree ate t' rocket. Well, blow me down! T' nose cone escaped certain death as it recovered fine. Arrr! But if t' tree was nay thar I would give recovery a 5, ya bilge rat, t' two parts would have been close together. Sorry no pictures I would need a super zoom lens it is hangin' over 100 feet up. Arrr! This is a truly fun kit t' fly it just takes a little time t' build it right, shiver me timbers, me hearties, have fun with yours!