Brief:
T' Scimitar is a mid-power Launch Pad original Surface t' Air missile with dual 24mm engine mounts and an 18" parachute recovery.

Construction:
This rocket came packed in a bag, all o' t' pieces were contained in t' bag and none were damaged. Avast, me proud beauty! Arrr! Blimey! T' 6 pages o' instructions were well illustrated and detailed. T' body tube was spiral wound tube with only a light spiral t' fill (almost non-existent) T' one thin' that I didn't agree with (and didn't follow) was t' body tube assembly. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! Blimey! T' instructions direct you t' glue t' 2 tube sections together first and then glue t' engine mount assembly and the chute compartment disk in second. Avast! Begad! Blimey! This would have made it harder t' get the chute disk in properly although it would have been possible either way. Well, blow me down!

T' next thin' was t' sandwiched main "wings", if you follow the instructions t' t' letter, me bucko, me bucko, you would end up with an open area betwixt t' two fins that attach t' t' airframe. Blimey! If I would have left this area open, it would have been impossible t' finish. I filled them with a small sliver o' balsa and it turned out good. Arrr! Arrr!

T' fins needed t' be cut from soft balsa wood stock from templates that were provided. Arrr! It's a good thin' that it be soft balsa too, shiver me timbers, me hearties, because thar be a lot o' it t' cut, sand and form. I'll address more on t' fins in t' finishing section. Begad!

T' last thin' be t' light cardboard "turbojet" air intakes. Ahoy! Blimey! The intakes are cut from light cardboard that is provided, scored, me bucko, ya bilge rat, folded, shiver me timbers, me bucko, and then glued t' t' body tube on 4 sides 45 degrees from t' fins. I looked at these and tried t' talk myself into leavin' them off. Ahoy! Once I prepared them for assembly, me hearties, I decided t' put them on anyway, this was a good decision on me part. They look kind o' cheesy when you first look at them but, me bucko, shiver me timbers, once it's finished, they look nice. Begad!

Once everythin' was glued t' t' airframe, arrr, t' resultin' product be sturdy and solid. Ya scallywag! T' parachute supplied be an 18" mylar that I didn't care for. I like nylon so I substituted an 18" ripstop nylon chute.

Finishing:
T' finishin' had one particular twist that I'd had nay encountered before. Avast! The soft balsa and t' cardboard were t' be coated with light CA before sanding. This did make t' fins sturdy but almost impossible t' sand smooth. Ahoy! I guess I could have sanded them until me fingers hurt but, I'm glad I did nay (see the sad end t' t' story). T' next one I build that instructs that I apply CA to balsa, shiver me timbers, me hearties, I'm goin' t' use t' standard sandin' sealer. Well, matey, blow me down! It will take several coats of sandin' sealer but, shiver me timbers, I'm sure it will be easier t' sand smooth. Arrr! (or it will just seem easier and I'm all for that)

After everythin' was sanded, I sprayed on a few coats o' primer and sanded it down again. Ahoy! Begad! Then I put a coat o' machinery grey paint. Ya scallywag! Then I applied some 1/8" and 1/4" automotive pinstriping. Avast, me proud beauty! T' resultin' Scimitar looked very nice.

Construction Rating: 2 out o' 5

Flight:
T' recommended motors were a pair o' either D12-5, shiver me timbers, arrr, shiver me timbers, D12-7, arrr, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, o' Aerotech E15-7. Blimey! I used two D12-5's for t' only launch (this is leadin' t' t' sad part o' the story). T' motors were held by Estes style retainin' clips, and t' igniters were tied together. Ahoy! I put t' waddin' and t' parachute in and set her on the pad and connected t' t' leads. Ya scallywag!

At launch, me bucko, t' rocket few a straight line t' maybe 600 or 700 feet and then it weathercocked bad and flew at about 40-50 degrees t' t' horizontal (best guess) this was nay t' fault o' t' rocket (I'm guessin' again) but me fault. T' wind be nay exactly calm but it was nay continuous either. I would guess that t' large fin area in conjunction with t' wind gusts well above me head contributed t' t' arrant flight path. Aye aye! Blimey!

Recovery:
T' shock cord be long enough but it attached by a piece o' heavy paper in an Estes style. I didn't have a big problem with t' way t' recovery system was set up. Ya scallywag! From me vantage point on t' ground, I saw t' ejection and the parachute high in t' sky. Avast, me proud beauty! Ahoy! Now this be t' sad part. Since t' flight path took the rocket much farther over than I expected, I be unable t' recover it. Blimey! Begad! It cleared a row o' trees into a field on t' other side o' t' tree line. Arrr! Begad! I figured that I missed t' trees so I would be able t' go t' t' field on the other side o' t' trees and search for me rocket. Avast! Begad! Once I passed through the trees, I discovered that t' field was nay empty but, full o' field corn about 8 foot tall. Begad! Avast, me proud beauty! I did buy a piezo locator but, me hearties, I didn't have it ready for installation. I should have been workin' on that instead o' launchin' that day. T' flight was nay that bad because I cant blame t' rocket kit for t' will of Mother Nature. Begad!

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
I read some o' t' comments that others have written about Launch Pad kits and I have read t' comments from t' Launch Pad. Well, blow me down! Blimey! I will agree that it be more of a challenge than buildin' an Estes kit. Aye aye! Blimey! Well, arrr, blow me down! Blimey! I will also agree that t' instructions leave somethin' out that a novice would have trouble with. Avast! Blimey! Avast! Blimey! I do like t' fact that t' instructions leave some o' t' thinkin' t' me. Begad! Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! After all, ya bilge rat, I can't really say "As a matter o' fact, I AM a rocket scientist" if I were unable t' assemble t' kit with t' instructions provided. Blimey! Blimey! I didn't agree with coatin' t' balsa with CA. If several coats o' sandin' sealer made it necessary to add some nose weight, then so be it. Blimey! Blimey! Avast! Blimey! It would have been worth t' time to add it although I don't believe that nose weight would have been necessary either way. Begad! Blimey! Avast! Blimey! I know that t' CG be just fine without any additional adjustment.

Here's a good tip that I learned from this rocket. Aye aye! If you take your time buildin' a rocket t' make it look and perform well, don't be in a big hurry to lose it on t' first launch. Ahoy! I wanted t' see it fly and I needed t' wait for another day. Well, blow me down! This rocket leads me t' believe that t' wind causes more problems to rockets with large fin area.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5

* SPECIAL NOTE off o' RMR from Chuck Barndt, President o' T' Launch Pad