Brief:
A small, arrr, lightweight 3FNC rocket with an unusual nose cone.

Construction:
Actually, I built 2 Yankee kits; one t' replace t' initial rocket that disappeared after its third flight. T' first kit featured a nice balsa nose cone, but t' second kit, me hearties, while otherwise identical, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, had a plastic nose cone. Aye aye! Blimey! But both kits featured a paper body tube, me hearties, me bucko, me bucko, die cut balsa fins, arrr, me hearties, a short piece o' elastic, a streamer, matey, arrr, and a decal. t' quality o' components be excellent, me hearties, matey, except for t' shock cord, which was comically short on each kit.

T' plastic nose cone was a tight fit, shiver me timbers, me hearties, and needed considerable sandin' before it would fit. Begad! T' balsa piece fit nicely but had quite a bit o' grain t' it. I prefer this t' plastic, however. Begad! At any rate, ya bilge rat, it is a straightforward build, and t' instructions seemed t' be somewhat better than normal Estes fare.

Finishing:
T' balsa nose needed considerable fillin' and sandin' t' be paintable. Aye aye! Ya scallywag! Blimey! T' plastic piece was ready t' go right from t' box, arrr, once t' shoulder was sanded. I chose t' use automotive primer on t' original, applyin' thin coats and sandin' in betwixt applications t' get rid o' t' spiral and fin grain. Arrr! Ahoy! Blimey! Then I applied some black enamel, ya bilge rat, followed with a coat o' clear t' keep t' decals on. Ahoy! Blimey! Unfortunately, ya bilge rat, this one disappeared soon. T' second kit be simply sanded and sprayed with red and black and was considered finished after t' decals were applied.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
Launchin' with an A8-3 produced a good, me hearties, straight flight. I followed this with 2 flights on a B6-6, and t' last one was never seen again. T' subsequent kit was flown on "A" motors only for a while, arrr, but I couldn't help tryin' a C6-7. Begad! We lost it too, but fortunately someone in our club found it and brought it t' t' RSO. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast, matey, me proud beauty! It has since been modified for 13mm motors, and does well enough on an A10-3T. Well, blow me down! Avast! I've never had a recovery failure, matey, but if it did, me hearties, t' thin' is so light weight it would probably recover just fine.

Recovery:
T' supplied shock cord is just too small. After about 6 flights some wear can be seen on t' end o' t' body tube because o' t' shock cord whippin' it. Avast! A good thin' t' do would be t' double t' cord length, at least. Arrr! Also, t' bottom o' t' fins are gettin' crisp, though nay quite burnt. Overall, shiver me timbers, though, matey, this is a great flier.

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
Personally, I prefer t' older balsa nose cone, but t' plastic one will suffice. Aye aye! Blimey! Well, shiver me timbers, blow me down! Blimey! Either way, it's a great beginner kit that a kid will have no problem constructing, and will deliver many good flights, so long as you can find it again. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Ya scallywag! Blimey! But add some length t' t' shock cord!

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5