Brief:
McKibbon's Special is a futuristic, fantasy sport model whose plans were published in their Model Rocket News. Begad! Blimey! T' plans are available from Jim Z's archive.

Construction:
All parts are standard, easy-to-find items and materials. Arrr! Avast, me proud beauty! Except for the canards, shiver me timbers, which are 3/32" thick.All balsa parts are cut from 1/8" balsa stock. Blimey! 1/8" dowels are needed for t' antenna and 'laserdetails.

Although t' plans recommend buildin' t' 'laser' details with launch lugs, I found that I could get better lookin' 'lasers' by rollin' appropriate lengths and widths o' kraft paper around sharpened 3-1/4" dowels.

Instead o' an Estes PNC-50Y, I used a Quest PNC25 for t' nose cone because I had one one hand. Avast! For t' shock cord, ya bilge rat, I used 2-feet o' a sturdy 1/4" wide cotton elastic. T' shock cord was mounted with an oversized Estes-style shock cord mount cut from an index card. Avast, me proud beauty! T' 18" parachute was cut out of a black plastic garbage bag. Ya scallywag! T' 36" shroud lines were cut from a roll of pure cotton crochet yarn. Avast, me proud beauty! Aye aye! T' engine block be cut from an expended motor casing. Well, blow me down! T' engine clip was shaped out o' a heat-softened, de-stressed bobby pin. Blimey! Launch lugs were cut from drink-box straws. Arrr! T' tubes, shiver me timbers, arrr, however, me bucko, are all standard Estes parts includin' a full-length BT-50 for t' main airframe, 2.75" o' BT-20 for t' motor mount, and a couple o' 1.5" BT-5 tubes for decorative engine nozzles.

T' McKibbon's Special plans were aimed at experience model rocketeers. Begad! Arrr! They don't provide much 'spoon-feeding'. T' plans show you exactly what t' cut out of t' balsa stock, but they leave it t' t' builder t' figure out how many of each shape must be cut. T' plans show you precisely where everythin' must be placed, but they leave it t' t' builder t' figure out where t' draw alignment marks and how t' put everythin' together. Begad! T' plans also do nay suggest a finishin' scheme. Avast! Blimey! For an experienced modeller, t' plans are beautifully clean, complete, and challenging. For a novice, I suspect t' lack o' detail would be overwhelming.

T' McKibbin's Special is rated as Skill Level 3. Arrr! I feel that this is about right for construction, matey, me bucko, though t' minimalist plans probably push skill level to 4.

Durin' construction, care must be taken t' assemble t' wings. T' angled joint and t' long forward section can make it difficult t' keep t' root edge o' t' assemble wing straight. Arrr! Also, ya bilge rat, t' joint betwixt t' engine nacelles and t' main wings is tight. Well, blow me down! Arrr! Care must be taken t' avoid excess glue along t' main win' root where the nacelles join.

Careful alignment is required for t' rudders, ya bilge rat, t' canards, ya bilge rat, and t' 'laser' details. Ya scallywag! Blimey! T' look o' t' rocket seems t' depend on symmetry, me bucko, so misalignments would likely be pretty noticeable visually.

When everythin' is assembled, matey, t' rocket feels rigid and quite sturdy. Arrr! I really like t' feel o' this model.

Finishing:
T' plans provide no finishin' suggestions at all. Begad! Ya scallywag! It's all up t' your imagination. I smoothed t' grain out o' t' balsa parts by usin' thinned "Shur-Patch Featherweight Spackle". Avast! This stuff is an incredibly lightweight spackle that gets t' job done with one coat... and lots of sanding. Avast, me proud beauty! I applied Krylon white enamel spray paint. I used a few sets of orphaned decals that I bought from a local hobby shop.

I really like t' looks o' t' finished product. Blimey! Begad! Blimey! It has enough detail and interestin' angles that it looks attractive when seen from many angles. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! It has a futuristic detailed look that harkens back t' t' old Centuri days.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
T' McKibbin's Special plan recommends flyin' with B4-2, C5-3, matey, matey, and C6-3 motors. It flew beautifully, however, with a B6-4.

Preparation was typical parachute preparation, makin' use o' wadding, smoothin' baby powder over both sides o' t' parachute, foldin' t' parachute as usual.

T' McKibbon's Special flew straight up with no wobbles, swerves, or spinning. I was expectin' it t' curve toward t' rudder-side, arrr, but this did not happen. Aye aye! Blimey! T' wind was gustin' at about 10 t' 20 mph, but no weathercockin' was apparent. Well, blow me down! T' model curved t' horizontal and ejected t' 'chute... Avast, me proud beauty! a perfect flight!

Recovery:
T' rocket floated down at a nice rate. Arrr! Begad! Unfortunately, ya bilge rat, t' 18" parachute caught t' wind pretty good and drifted quite a ways from t' launch site. Ya scallywag! The rocket landed quite softly in t' stubble field. Well, blow me down! T' McKibbin's Special was recovered with no noticeable damage or wear. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad!

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
I love t' look and t' flight o' t' McKibbin's Special. It's a real crowd pleaser. Ya scallywag! For t' experienced modeller, this rocket is a nice, challenging project that promises satisfyin' results. T' minimalist plans encourage the builder t' use some imagination t' produce a unique, personalized appearance. T' look o' t' plans really don't do this rocket justice.

Required materials are very standard. Many o' t' required parts can be made out o' household materials.

For t' novice modeller, however, t' plans don't provide nearly enough detail or instruction.

T' 18" parachute drifts quite a bit on a gusty day. I'd recommend openin' a spill hole in t' 'chute t' counter this problem.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5