Brief:
An entry level 3FNC rocket that tries hard t' beat t' Estes Alpha.

Construction:
Like t' other Custom rocket kits I have built, t' nose cone was excessively loose and had a lot o' castin' flash. Begad! Blimey! And like t' others, t' partin' line had a number o' dimples and flaws that detract from t' rocket if nay remedied. Otherwise, ya bilge rat, t' quality o' components are quite good. Begad! Ahoy! Blimey! For your money, you get real balsa fins, shiver me timbers, a good (but nay great) 24mm tube, me bucko, me hearties, a nice lookin' set o' decals, me hearties, a plastic 12" parachute, and a very Estes-like short shock cord, matey, a mylar launch lug, and an un-springy motor hook, arrr, all in a plastic bag. Begad! Well, matey, blow me down! Blimey! No surprises here. Blimey! Blimey! But when construction begins, it is very reminiscent o' t' old Estes Alpha before they started gettin' too plastic'ky.

Other than a couple o' typographical errors, arrr, shiver me timbers, t' instructions were well thought out and logical. Ahoy! A first time builder would have little trouble assemblin' this kit, matey, but t' nose cone would require a bit o' tape t' fit properly. Begad! Unlike some other Custom kits I've built, me bucko, shiver me timbers, t' balsa on this kit be excellent quality. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast! An experienced modeler might immediately begin thinkin' "D power!" but I fought this temptation, me bucko, shiver me timbers, and as it turned out, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, it be a wise move. Avast, arrr, me proud beauty! More on this later.

Finishing:
T' fix t' loose and poorly finished nose cone, I slathered a bit o' 90 minute epoxy on t' outside from tip t' shoulder, me bucko, and set it aside t' dry for a day or two. T' aid in adhesion, I sanded t' glassine coatin' off t' aft end o' t' body tube, ya bilge rat, and attached t' fins with white glue, along with t' launch lug. Aye aye! Once everythin' was dry, ya bilge rat, I coated t' entire tube and fins with a light coat o' t' same epoxy. Aye aye! T' avoid zippering, I usually put a light coat o' epoxy on t' inside o' t' body tube, ya bilge rat, matey, which really stiffens it a lot.

Once dry, I sanded t' whole thin' down with 120 grit sandpaper and used automotive gray primer, me bucko, me hearties, applyin' several thin coats. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Allow each coat t' dry completely before addin' t' next. Avast, me proud beauty! Proper care will ensure a completely seamless finish, shiver me timbers, and will be darn near bulletproof as well.

I painted t' whole thin' in white enamel, shiver me timbers, followed by a bit o' yellow and t' decals. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Arrr! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! After dryin' a couple o' days, me hearties, arrr, me hearties, t' whole thin' was covered in clear enamel. Looks are incredible! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! It's a bit hefty, though. Arrr! Blimey! You may want t' lengthen t' shock cord as I did. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Ahoy! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! Mine is now a good half meter long.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
Custom advises launchin' this rocket with a 1/2A6-2 for t' first flight. Ahoy! Baloney. Begad! You'll get a good indication o' what t' rocket can do by goin' with an A8-3 initially, which will give a decent altitude but nay so high that you can't see t' phases o' flight. Begad! Arrr! Makes a great demo rocket! With a C6-7, it'll nearly disappear. Begad! Prep for flight is completely no-hassle. There are no cons, me bucko, IF you've fixed t' nose cone. Arrr! Otherwise, it may give you fits, me hearties, because t' nose was so wobbly it'd probably have an effect on flight, shiver me timbers, and possible drag induced separation could occur. Ahoy! Thought it would be cool t' change t' a 24mm motor, me hearties, but that would have been overkill. Begad! Ya scallywag! As it is, an 18mm C is plenty.

Recovery:
Custom uses a pretty stiff plastic for t' chute, matey, and mine shredded. Ahoy! This was possibly due more t' a "bonus" delay in t' motor than anything, me bucko, ya bilge rat, but it be discouraging. I solved t' problem with a scratch built mylar chute. Begad! Still, this thin' will take a wallop and survive!

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
If Custom could get a grip on quality control in t' nose cone department, me bucko, ya bilge rat, they'd have a real contender here. As it is, me bucko, it'd make a great first or second rocket for a new rocketeer. Avast, me proud beauty! I didn't really like this rocket all that much at first, arrr, ya bilge rat, but t' more I worked on it, t' more I found t' like. Avast, me proud beauty! It really is reminiscent o' t' old Alpha I built in 1970-something, me hearties, and flies like it too. Arrr! It is squarely one o' me favorite low powered rockets.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5