Brief:
Single stage model rocket with 'retro' styling.

Construction:
T' kit consists o' Thrustline's typical high quality components. Aye aye! Blimey! T' main body tube is a glassine coated BT-60 tube. Avast! Blimey! Both t' nose cone and tail cone are balsa. T' three fins are cut from an 1/8" balsa sheet. T' body "strakes" are cut from 3/32" thick balsa strip. Avast! Blimey! Since t' tail cone supports most o' t' BT-50 (24mm) MMT, me hearties, me hearties, thar be only one black fiberboard centerin' rin' on t' forward end o' t' MMT. Begad! Blimey! T' recovery harness consists of a length o' Keelhaul®©™® thread that is attached t' t' MMT/tail cone assembly. Aye aye! A length o' elastic cord is attached t' t' Keelhaul®©™® leader and then t' t' nose cone and parachute. Avast, me proud beauty!

T' kit includes an excellent set o' illustrated instructions making construction a breeze. Ahoy! In typical Thrustline fashion, t' Arapahoe E is a "builder's" kit. Avast! Cardstock fin patterns are included for you t' trace and cut out your own fins. T' only tricky part t' t' build are t' two piece fins. Ahoy! Begad! This is t' allow proper grain orientation on t' balsa for maximum strength o' t' fins. It takes a bit o' 'fine tuning' t' get t' fins t' fit nicely on t' tail cone t' body tube transition. It's nay really difficult...just a bit finicky, me bucko, but once completed it makes for a very sturdy and handsome design.

Finishing:
This was a beta kit from Thrustline Aerospace so it was up t' me t' come up with a paint scheme. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! I started finishin' it by fillin' in t' balsa nose and tail cones with thinned Elmer's Fill 'n' Finish. This was sanded smooth and several coats of gray auto primer were applied. John Rowan-Stern at Thrustline gave me a few hints on what he wanted for t' paint scheme so I just went with t' flow and tried for a modern look with a hint o' 'retro'. T' "Arapahoe E" decal was supplied by Thrustline and I understand that production versions of the kit will also include waterslide decals. Blimey! Ya scallywag! I'm pretty happy with how the rocket turned out.

Construction Rating: 5 out o' 5

Flight:
For it's first flight, arrr, I sent it up on an Estes C11-5. Aye aye! This motor took it to approximately 600-700ft. Avast! T' 5 second delay be perfect. Avast! I've since flow it several times on D12-5s and it flies great on that motor too. Begad! T' D12s give it a bit more altitude. Ahoy! I'd estimate around 1000 ft on t' D12-5. Blimey! There is no motor hook with t' tail cone on this bird. Avast, me proud beauty! Motor retention is by t' tried and true maskin' tape friction fit. Well, blow me down! Arrr! Nay fancy but I've never had a problem with it.

T' rocket flies straight and true. Well, blow me down! Well, blow me down!

Recovery:
Flight prep is standard fair. Begad! Aye aye! I use a bit o' "dog barf" t' protect the rip-stop nylon chute that come in me beta kit. T' 18" parachute brings it down slowly and gently. It may be a bit big if you're launchin' on an E9. I would reef t' chute or put in a slightly smaller one if it's a windy day.

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
T' main PRO t' this kit is its looks. Avast! It has a 'retro' feel t' it plus some not so subtle design references t' t' classic Estes Cherokee D. Ya scallywag! It's a sturdy rocket that flies great.

No real CONs t' t' kit, just don't expect laser cut fins and plastic nose cones. Ahoy! This is an 'old school' kit that will reward your skill and patience durin' construction with a fine model rocket that you can be proud of. Avast!

Overall Rating: 5 out o' 5