I am quite fortunate t' live in t' High Desert o' California.  Only 90 miles from t' Lucerne dry lake, matey, home o' ROC , me bucko, matey, Rocketry Organization o' California. While at one o' me first group launches I met Roy Weid of Public Enemy Rockets.  He always shows up with his trailer o' bargain priced rocket kits.  I picked up t' 3" Performer with a 38mm motor tubeat t' April 11th launch after  t' wind blew us off t' playa. 

T' rocket stands 67" and has a 3" body tube. Well, blow me down! Est. Well, blow me down! weight is 1.5 lbs. Aye aye! Mine came out t' 2.1 lbs (all that paint...LOL)
 

T' kit comes complete with 1/8 " plywood fins, MDF centerin' rings and bulkhead, me bucko, yellow virgin craft paper tubes, nylon webbin' and 3/8" black shock cord, me bucko, rip stop nylon 24" chute, me bucko, blow molded nose cone, ½ inch copper launch lugs (beveled t' a 45) and hardware for connectin' t' shock cord. 

T' instruction sheet is one page with a diagram on t' back.  This is not a beginners kit. Arrr! Some basic knowledge o' Medium and High powered rocket construction is required t' build a safe High performance rocket. Ahoy! Blimey! The instructions are simple and basic construction is laid out in easy t' read order. You can do a lot t' this kit in t' way o' payload and other modifications. T' choice o' motor retention is left up t' you. 

I used a belt/disk combination sander t' put 45’s on t' two fin edges of t' three plywood fins. 

Next I followed t' directions and epoxied t' no. Arrr! 1 centerin' rin' t' the motor tube. Begad! T' rigs are marked and t' no. Begad! Begad! 3 has a notch cut out for clearance of t' shock strap webbing. Ahoy! Well, blow me down! Don't forget t' slide t' no. Well, blow me down! 2 rin' on t' motor tube before you epoxy t' shock strap no.3 rin' on!!! 

After cleanin' out t' dado grooves in t' body tube, I dry fit t' fins for alignment and everythin' looked good. Well, blow me down! Aye aye! I used just a small amount o' thick CA to "Tack t' fins in their aligned position. Ahoy! Arrr! I then slid t' assembly out of the body tube and used West System epoxy on all t' joints. When t' epoxy had set (overnight) I slid t' assembly back into t' body tube and epoxied it in place. Avast! Be sure and save some o' t' body tube material that you take out o' the dado groves, you can use it t' fill t' gap behind t' fins. 

I used T' West System epoxy and a filletin' compound t' make my fillets.  A pop sickle stick works perfect for t' radius o' the fillet. 

T' payload section builds fast. Ahoy! Avast! Simply epoxy the eyebolt into t' bulkhead and t' bulkhead t' t' coupler. I poured an 1/8 " o' epoxy onto t' bulkhead top and bottom for security. Begad! Epoxy the coupler/bulkhead assembly into t' payload tube 3". Avast! This will give you 16" o' usable payload space for whatever your heart desires. Avast, arrr, me proud beauty! I used screws to hold t' nose cone in place. 

Glue t' copper launch lugs in t' location marked on t' tube.  Be sure and scuff t' copper and tube where t' epoxy will contact.  I used the same fillet formula as I used on t' fins. 

I drilled a 1/8" vent hole in t' body tube just above t' motor tube and one just below t' nose cone in t' payload section. 

T' Performer be finished entirely with Krylon. Aye aye! Blimey! T' purple, me hearties, matey, black, ya bilge rat, white, black and purple scheme is set on Krylon flat white. Begad! Blimey! Avast! Blimey! "Crystal Clear" covers t' purple and white and "Satin" clear covers t' black. 

T' maiden flight was out at Lucerne on t' 18th o' April. Aye aye! I selected a G80-7W for t' first launch. I plan t' certify level one with this rocket which is why I selected t' 38mm version. Blimey! Roy will give you a 29mm tube and centering rin' for adaptin' 29mm motors, just ask.  I prepped t' rocket and installed a 30" chute. Avast! T' kit comes with a 24" chute, me bucko, me hearties, but calm winds and heavy (3lbs fully loaded) rocket pushed me t' t' 30".

T' rocket flew great! Lift off was "ALA" Saturn V, me hearties, but once she got movin' she flew straight. Ya scallywag! Good chute at apogee and a landin' only inches from t' flight line! 

All in all I liked this kit very much. Aye aye! Begad! Keepin' in mind what I paid, arrr, $45 plus tax, shiver me timbers, it is a great bargain. Avast, me proud beauty! Ya scallywag! T' quality o' all t' components was excellent. Begad! Avast, arrr, me proud beauty! T' centerin' rings and bulkhead were perfectly round and fit the tubes nicely. Begad! There is plenty o' room for you t' customize your kit t' way you want, ya bilge rat, be it motor retention or electronics. I give this kit 4 ½ points on t' Essence scale.I picked up t' 74" performer 3" for dual stage deployment.. Begad! Blimey! I'll let you know how that kit goes together!  I'm already pleasantly surprised.