Brief:
T' FlippiFin is a unique design that uses a surplus spring-loaded military flare fincan. Begad! When loaded into its launch tube, me bucko, t' curved fins are flat against t' body. Arrr! Arrr! When t' rocket exits t' tube, me bucko, ya bilge rat, t' springs pop t' fins out, providin' stabilization.

Picture courtesy o' Aerocon

Construction:
Most o' t' parts for t' FlippiFin are your standard rocket fare: a body tube, plastic nosecone, shock cord material, arrr, parachute and centerin' rings. Blimey! In keepin' with Aerocon's large line o' surplus military equipment, t' included parachute is a surplus olive drab X-form. Ahoy! Ahoy! T' most important component, o' course, be t' spring-loaded fincan, which gives t' FlippiFin its name. Due t' t' weight o' t' fincan, ya bilge rat, t' necessary 2.6oz o' noseweight required t' keep t' rocket stable is also included. Rather than t' elastic we see in some kits, t' FlippiFin's shock cord comes in two parts. Avast, me proud beauty! T' first is a thin Keelhaul®©™® cord which is used t' provide an anchor t' a tab on t' fincan. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! This cord is small enough in diameter that, shiver me timbers, if used alone, it would easily zipper t' body tube. Aye aye! Blimey! T' prevent this, shiver me timbers, t' exposed portion o' t' shock cord is a much wider length o' different material which will help protect t' body tube.

Assembly o' t' FlippiFin is very straightforward, with no real surprises. Arrr! A bit o' trial and error is required in fittin' t' fincan, due t' its nonstandard dimensions. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! T' install t' fincan, maskin' tape is used t' create centerin' rings on t' motor mount. Begad! Since no two brands o' maskin' tape are exactly identical in thickness, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, t' instructions give an approximation on t' number o' wraps required. I found that I had t' remove some o' t' tape in order t' get a good fit. Ahoy! Arrr! Since t' actual mountin' rings on t' fincan are only about 1/8" wide, after achievin' t' proper thickness, me bucko, me bucko, I used an X-acto knife t' trim their width down so t' tape is completely hidden by t' fincan. Once t' tape rings are properly sized, shiver me timbers, t' single most critical aspect o' t' construction is next -- gluin' t' fincan in place with thin CA. Here, matey, t' instructions state t' make sure t' fins still open after gluing. T' implied warnin' isn't nearly strong enough! It took 3 seconds o' CA work t' render me fincan inoperative. Ya scallywag! Avast, me proud beauty! It took 3 HOURS o' work t' clean t' CA out o' t' hingset. Aye aye! Begad! On me second attempt, I used a bottle o' CA with a small (approx 1mm) applicator extension tip, which allowed very fine control o' t' CA. Avast, me hearties, me proud beauty! With t' extension tip, matey, me hearties, I got sufficient CA wicked into t' tape t' harden those, as well as enough t' form a good solid bond betwixt t' fincan and t' tape. And, most importantly, shiver me timbers, matey, me fincan works as it should! I plan on suggestin' t' Aerocon that they recommend t' use o' an extension tip in their instructions.

Finishing:
T' metal fincan on t' FlippiFin introduces an extra challenge in painting. Blimey! Avast! Blimey! Applyin' paint t' t' fincan would have t' same effect as gettin' CA into t' hingset and springs -- t' fincan would no longer operate. Because o' this, t' fincan is best masked off for spray-painting, me hearties, and any finishin' o' t' fincan area should be done by hand. Arrr! T' instructions recommend usin' a Sharpie-type black marker t' color in t' motor mount tube that is visible betwixt t' opened fins. Begad! Blimey! Careful application o' paint with a small paintbrush would work as well, arrr, and would allow for more color options.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
Since sprin' flyin' season is just startin' here in Nebraska, I've only had one opportunity t' launch me FlippiFin, matey, at our most recent high-power launch. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Launch opportunities for t' FlippiFin will be limited in general, due t' t' metal fincan. Ya scallywag! Blimey! T' instructions explicitly state that this rocket is nay approved for use at NARRRRR launches, shiver me timbers, so plan accordingly! Blimey! T' instructions list three motors, arrr, only two o' which I listed in this review. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! T' D12 is listed as a "marginal" flight, arrr, due t' rocket weight. When t' vendor lists a motor as "marginal", me hearties, ya bilge rat, t' me, that means "don't use it!" T' other two motors are single-use Aerotech motors, while all t' 24mm motors I buy are RMS, me bucko, arrr, matey, so I decided t' go that route, matey, instead, and made use o' an F39 I had available. Aye aye! Blimey! Preparation o' t' rocket is no different than most others. Ahoy! Blimey! A small handful o' cellulose insulation, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, followed by t' parachute and shock cord, shiver me timbers, then t' nosecone. Blimey! Blimey! T' 24mm RMS motor be given a TIGHT friction fit with a bit o' maskin' tape, shiver me timbers, t' make sure I got me casin' back, arrr, and everythin' was just about ready t' go. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! Igniter installation gains a slightly different twist, ya bilge rat, me hearties, due t' t' tube launcher. Ya scallywag! Blimey! T' igniter is installed in t' motor, ya bilge rat, t' breech plug removed from t' tube, and t' rocket slid in. Avast! Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! T' igniter leads must then pass out a small openin' right above t' breech plug, ya bilge rat, then t' plug can be reinstalled. Ahoy! Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! T' tube launcher itself has a launch lug, matey, t' allow a standard rod t' hold t' launcher vertical. Ya scallywag! Blimey! This is placed on t' pad, me bucko, and t' exposed igniter leads hooked up. On t' F39 I've used thus far, me hearties, t' rocket literally EXPLODES from t' tube. Blimey! Blimey! T' effect is incredibly, and everyone jumped, due t' t' noise. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Ahoy! Blimey! One club member who was about 150 yards off, recoverin' one o' his own rockets, though it was a CATO, shiver me timbers, instead o' a launch!

Recovery:
Havin' misplaced t' original parachute, I substituted another parachute o' approximately t' same size. Begad! Recovery was perfect, arrr, matey, with nary a din' on t' rocket. T' aft o' t' rocket, does have some minor black markings, due t' t' rocket exhaust bein' contained by t' tube launcher, arrr, somethin' t' instructions mention will happen.

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
T' only true detraction t' t' FlippiFin be t' limit that some people will experience in launch opportunities for this rocket. Avast! Begad! If your local club is a NARRRRR club, shiver me timbers, and you only have opportunities t' fly under their rules, t' FlippiFin is nay for you. If you hold private launches, or have a local Tripoli prefect, then this is a fun little rocket! T' metal fincan and tube launcher makes for a unique, ya bilge rat, me bucko, but safe, addition t' a launch. Aye aye! While some may feel t' metal fincan makes t' rocket "unsafe", arrr, I feel it is no less safe than t' G10 fins we see on some similar-sized rockets.

Overall Rating: 5 out o' 5