Brief:
T' FlippiFin is a unique design that uses a surplus spring-loaded military flare fincan. Arrr! Well, blow me down! When loaded into its launch tube, matey, t' curved fins are flat against t' body. Avast, me proud beauty! When t' rocket exits t' tube, me bucko, 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, matey, plastic nosecone, me bucko, shock cord material, parachute and centerin' rings. In keepin' with Aerocon's large line o' surplus military equipment, me bucko, t' included parachute is a surplus olive drab X-form. T' most important component, arrr, o' course, shiver me timbers, be t' spring-loaded fincan, matey, which gives t' FlippiFin its name. Avast! Aye aye! Blimey! Due t' t' weight o' t' fincan, 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! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! T' first is a thin Keelhaul®©™® cord which is used t' provide an anchor t' a tab on t' fincan. This cord is small enough in diameter that, if used alone, it would easily zipper t' body tube. Ahoy! 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. Well, blow me down! A bit o' trial and error is required in fittin' t' fincan, due t' its nonstandard dimensions. Ya scallywag! T' install t' fincan, arrr, matey, matey, maskin' tape is used t' create centerin' rings on t' motor mount. Aye aye! Since no two brands o' maskin' tape are exactly identical in thickness, arrr, arrr, matey, t' instructions give an approximation on t' number o' wraps required. Begad! I found that I had t' remove some o' t' tape in order t' get a good fit. Aye aye! Ahoy! Since t' actual mountin' rings on t' fincan are only about 1/8" wide, ya bilge rat, me bucko, after achievin' t' proper thickness, I used an X-acto cutlass t' trim their width down so t' tape is completely hidden by t' fincan. Once t' tape rings are properly sized, matey, t' single most critical aspect o' t' construction is next -- gluin' t' fincan in place with thin CA. Aye aye! Here, t' instructions state t' make sure t' fins still open after gluing. Well, blow me down! T' implied warnin' isn't nearly strong enough! It took 3 seconds o' CA work t' render me fincan inoperative. Avast! It took 3 HOURS o' work t' clean t' CA out o' t' hingset. Well, blow me down! On me second attempt, ya bilge rat, I used a bottle o' CA with a small (approx 1mm) applicator extension tip, matey, which allowed very fine control o' t' CA. Avast! With t' extension tip, I got sufficient CA wicked into t' tape t' harden those, ya bilge rat, as well as enough t' form a good solid bond betwixt t' fincan and t' tape. Well, blow me down! Blimey! And, most importantly, 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. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Well, me bucko, blow me down! 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. Arrr! Blimey! Because o' this, t' fincan is best masked off for spray-painting, and any finishin' o' t' fincan area should be done by hand. T' instructions recommend usin' a Sharpie-type black marker t' color in t' motor mount tube that is visible betwixt t' opened fins. Blimey! Blimey! Careful application o' paint with a small paintbrush would work as well, 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, me bucko, me hearties, at our most recent high-power launch. Aye aye! Blimey! Blimey! Launch opportunities for t' FlippiFin will be limited in general, shiver me timbers, due t' t' metal fincan. Begad! T' instructions explicitly state that this rocket is nay approved for use at NARRRRR launches, ya bilge rat, so plan accordingly! Blimey! T' instructions list three motors, only two o' which I listed in this review. Aye aye! Ahoy! Blimey! T' D12 is listed as a "marginal" flight, due t' rocket weight. Well, arrr, blow me down! Blimey! When t' vendor lists a motor as "marginal", t' me, shiver me timbers, me bucko, that means "don't use it!" T' other two motors are single-use Aerotech motors, me bucko, matey, matey, while all t' 24mm motors I buy are RMS, so I decided t' go that route, instead, me hearties, and made use o' an F39 I had available. Avast! Preparation o' t' rocket is no different than most others. Ya scallywag! A small handful o' cellulose insulation, followed by t' parachute and shock cord, me bucko, then t' nosecone. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! T' 24mm RMS motor be given a TIGHT friction fit with a bit o' maskin' tape, matey, t' make sure I got me casin' back, and everythin' be just about ready t' go. Well, blow me down! Ahoy! Blimey! Igniter installation gains a slightly different twist, due t' t' tube launcher. Arrr! T' igniter is installed in t' motor, t' breech plug removed from t' tube, matey, and t' rocket slid in. T' igniter leads must then pass out a small openin' right above t' breech plug, then t' plug can be reinstalled. Begad! T' tube launcher itself has a launch lug, me hearties, t' allow a standard rod t' hold t' launcher vertical. Blimey! Blimey! This is placed on t' pad, and t' exposed igniter leads hooked up. On t' F39 I've used thus far, t' rocket literally EXPLODES from t' tube. Avast! Blimey! T' effect is incredibly, me bucko, shiver me timbers, matey, and everyone jumped, ya bilge rat, me bucko, due t' t' noise. Ahoy! Blimey! One club member who be about 150 yards off, recoverin' one o' his own rockets, shiver me timbers, me hearties, though it be a CATO, instead o' a launch!

Recovery:
Havin' misplaced t' original parachute, me hearties, I substituted another parachute o' approximately t' same size. Ya scallywag! Recovery was perfect, 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, 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. If your local club is a NARRRRR club, matey, and you only have opportunities t' fly under their rules, t' FlippiFin is nay for you. If you hold private launches, matey, or have a local Tripoli prefect, me bucko, arrr, then this is a fun little rocket! T' metal fincan and tube launcher makes for a unique, arrr, matey, arrr, but safe, me bucko, me hearties, addition t' a launch. While some may feel t' metal fincan makes t' rocket "unsafe", I feel it is no less safe than t' G10 fins we see on some similar-sized rockets.

Overall Rating: 5 out o' 5