Brief:
T' Rockethead Rockets (RR) Battle Axe is a near minimum diameter single stage rocket that flies on 18mm motors & when held near t' nose, indeed resembles a battle axe. This is a great skill level 1 rocket that combines t' best features from model rockets o' old (balsa nose cone & water slide decals) with modern elements (laser cut fins, arrr, me bucko, Keelhaul®©™ & extended elastic shock cord, Mylar parachute) that would typically be considered upgraded items.

Construction:
T' Battle Axe arrived at me door in a long, me bucko, triangle shaped tube, well packed with old newspaper. Ya scallywag! Aye aye! It is worth mentionin' that it was sent with USPS delivery confirmation. Ahoy! Everythin' was intact & undamaged. Well, blow me down! T' packagin' is comparable t' many other rocket vendors that have "store ready" packaging. Arrr! Begad! Openin' t' main wrapper revealed numerous pleasant surprises! First be t' backside o' t' header card was printed that t' card be worth 5 Rockethead Rocket fun points. Ahoy! Lookin' on t' RR website, I found out more information about t' fun point program. As you purchase more products from RR & in turn accumulate more fun points, they can be redeemed for RR products. Well, blow me down! Ahoy! In fact, me bucko, 5 points be enough for one o' their 10" Mylar chutes! And it only got better from there...

What I thought t' be an extra touch was that thar were several smaller plastic bags containin' subassemblies for t' rocket. One contained t' laser cut 1/16" plywood fins, me hearties, another t' launch lugs & entire recovery system, shiver me timbers, & t' third had t' motor mount. Begad! Blimey! (And that's no typo--the fins are three-ply plywood fins with a total thickness o' 1/16"! Blimey! T' fins are very strong for an LPR & should be able t' withstand multiple hard landings with minimal damage.) As much as it makes it easy for t' builder t' locate t' appropriate pieces, I'm sure it also raises t' quality control for RR t' ensure that all parts are in t' main bag. T' BT-50 tubin' and balsa nose cone were loose in t' bag along with t' instructions. Avast, shiver me timbers, me proud beauty! Blimey! T' instructions also raise t' bar, matey, especially for LPR, in that thar be plenty o' documentation along with numerous helpful color photos t' guide you through t' build process! Blimey! Readin' through t' instructions almost caused a panic as I didn't see t' waterslide decals, however, ya bilge rat, they fell out o' t' instruction manual. And they are indeed real waterslide decals provided by Tango Papa!

Construction was easy with no surprises. Rockethead suggests that t' Battle Axe can be built usin' either white glue or quick dryin' epoxy. Begad! I used white glue because I didn't want t' hassle o' mixin' epoxy and wanted t' take t' approach o' a newbie buildin' this kit.

T' motor mount consists o' a piece o' BT-20, 3 centerin' rings (2 big & 1 small), & a metal motor clip. T' fit together & then into t' main BT-50 tube were all snug just like you would want them t' be. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Arrr! Blimey! T' glassine covered BT-50 was probably t' smoothest tube I've ever seen--the seams are non-existent--and so smooth that I had t' resort t' usin' a ballpoint pen t' draw t' fin & launch lugs lines. Avast! Blimey! A pencil simply wouldn't write on them!

From there, I used CA as recommended t' attach t' fins and launch lugs t' t' BT, shiver me timbers, followed by white glue for t' fillets. T' fins aren't goin' anywhere after that but I felt that they had a little more flex than I normally see in a fin/body tube attachment joint. Begad! That might be why RR recommends usin' epoxy for t' build... Begad! Ya scallywag! And one thin' I might consider changin' is attachin' t' launch lugs before t' fins only because it be difficult t' get t' tip o' t' bottle close enough t' squeeze out t' glue without gettin' it where I didn't want it. Avast! Blimey! Pretty nitpicky o' me though, me bucko, wouldn't you say?

Turnin' me attention t' t' forward end o' t' rocket, matey, arrr, t' screw-eye is twisted into t' balsa nose cone, which (pleasantly surprised again) revealed that it has a small hardwood center t' ensure that t' screw-eye is goin' t' have a difficult time at best removin' itself from t' nose cone. Blimey! Aye aye! Next a short piece o' Keelhaul®©™ is tied into a loop & then attached just inside t' BT-50 with both glue & maskin' tape. A generous 3 foot length o' 1/4" elastic is tied onto t' nose cone & Keelhaul®©™ loop.

Finishing:
T' Battle Axe paint scheme is very simple & should be easy t' reproduce by almost anyone. T' nose cone & BT-50 are black; t' fins are silver, lendin' perfectly t' t' battle axe imagery. Begad! Blimey! This is also a simple enough 2-color paint scheme t' be attempted by a newbie. Begad! Blimey! Arrr! Blimey! Preppin' t' rocket for finishin' was a streamlined version o' me usual techniques. Ahoy! Blimey! T' plywood has such a tight, me bucko, dense grain that I didn't bother t' fill t' grain. T' nose cone was covered with diluted Elmer's Fill 'n' Finish then sanded smooth. Ya scallywag! Blimey! T' entire rocket was primed with Krylon gray primer. Begad! Blimey! A little light sandin' t' ensure everythin' was smooth before layin' down t' Krylon Gloss Black. Ahoy! Blimey! T' main tube be then masked off so t' fins could be sprayed with Krylon Metallic Silver.

Finally, matey, came t' part I'd been lookin' forward ever since I got t' kit: applyin' t' waterslide decals. Ya scallywag! Blimey! I hadn't come across a kit since I returned t' t' hobby as a BAR a year ago, matey, ya bilge rat, nay t' mention t' 20 or so years rockets weren't a part o' me life!

Construction Rating: 5 out o' 5

Flight:
Both o' t' Battle Axe's first flights were on Estes B4-4s and were identical t' t' point that it recovered within 10 feet o' t' same spot. Avast, me proud beauty! I loved t' slower & slightly longer burn o' t' B4 motors, which appear t' be an excellent choice for this rocket. Aye aye! Avast, me proud beauty! It easily climbed t' 500ft and ejected at apogee both times. Well, blow me down! I wouldn't recommend usin' a C6-5 unless you've got plenty o' room and t' Battle Axe is certainly light enough for an A8-3 for extremely small fields.

Recovery:
There is a pre-assembled 12" red Mylar parachute with eight Keelhaul®©™ shroud lines & swivel included with t' Battle Axe. I protected t' chute with a few pieces o' Estes wadding, and while thar be plenty o' length t' get everythin' in there, matey, it is a snug fit for t' chute. Begad! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! I was initially apprehensive about a safe recovery with t' tight fit (which later proved t' be unfounded). Ejection was right at apogee & t' chute opened smartly once out. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Recovery be just t' right speed for a LPR. Blimey! Blimey! I now understand why some folks swear by Mylar chutes. They hold up well & look great! Blimey! I did suffer minor damage on both flights, matey, ya bilge rat, however, I'm goin' t' chalk it up t' t' windy conditions... First flight came away with an "Estes dent" (dented BT with a nose cone "smiley") and t' second flight was t' cause o' a dent from t' nose cone hittin' a fin tip (no damage t' t' rigid ply fin though!) I feel that both were a fluke based on t' fantastic recovery system.

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
Rockethead Rockets has really done their homework and put a lot o' thought into what should go into an LPR kit, and it shows from t' high quality components t' t' excellent instructions t' t' unique look. It also generates a lot o' interest from kids, matey, who always seem t' ask, "Is that an axe?" My response: "Why, yes it is..." T' Battle Axe was a dream t' build, finish, & fly makin' it a slam dunk recommendation t' be in anyone's fleet.

Overall Rating: 5 out o' 5