Brief: Scale model o' t' Hellfire AGM. Blimey! Avast, arrr, me proud beauty! Flies on D-F engines. Ya scallywag! Arrr! Recovery by a mylar parachute. Avast! Avast, me proud beauty! Very sturdy model.

Construction: T' kit arrived intact, and all parts were present, and in great condition. Begad! T' parts consisted o' a main paper body tube, plastic nose cone, shiver me timbers, plenty o' 3/32" balsa, pre-cut centerin' rings, launch lug, templates for t' fins, me bucko, and supplies for t' mylar parachute, and shock cord.

T' instructions were very easy t' follow, matey, with good illustrations. Aye aye! Blimey! T' assembly order be very logical. Ya scallywag! Templates were provided for t' fins and tail cone. No decals are provided for this kit.

T' assembly was very straight forward, me hearties, with no surprises. Fins have t' be cut out usin' t' templates. Aye aye! Arrr! T' only concern be thar be no mention o' where t' place t' launch lug. Begad! Avast, me proud beauty! After contactin' T' Launch Pad, they explained it was left t' t' modelers discretion where t' place t' launch lug. Avast! Ahoy! (see Special Note below) All t' parts fit together very well, shiver me timbers, me hearties, t' provide a very sturdy and attractive kit.

Makin' paper tail cone was nay as hard as I thought it would be. Well, blow me down! Instructions mention great advise on makin' paper stronger.

T' Mylar parachute was pre-cut, ya bilge rat, and assembly was easy. Begad! Aye aye! Shock cord is standard, mounted inside t' body tube.

Pros: Easy and fun t' build, no special tools needed.

Cons: None!

Finishing: T' fins are long and narrow, and are easy t' seal No problems with primin' and painting.

Although thar are no decals, arrr, t' instructions explain t' markings, ya bilge rat, makin' it easy t' make your own. Avast! Blimey! T' basic color o' t' rocket is olive drab, shiver me timbers, with either a black or white nose tip. Arrr! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! Paintin' t' tip may be tricky, but it doesn't reflect on t' kit.

Pros: Easy rocket t' finish and paint.

Cons: No decals.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight: I finally got out t' launch me Hellfire AGM. Begad! Here are t' results:

On t' first flight (D12-5) t' rocket lifted off slowly, me bucko, and then t' tail began t' wobble. Avast! Eventually, ya bilge rat, me hearties, arrr, t' rocket appeared lean over and fly on its side. Avast, me proud beauty! It gave t' impression that t' nose was much too heavy.

On t' second flight (E15-7), ya bilge rat, t' rocket took off, me hearties, arced over and crashed at full thrust. Left a big crater too! Destroyed t' rocket.

There are 3 problems I found, me hearties, ya bilge rat, all o' which are me fault:

Too much nose weight. Accordin' t' Chuck at TLP, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, t' nose weight should be 32 grams. Avast, arrr, me proud beauty! T' clay that was supplied with t' kit was dry, me bucko, so I substituted it with me own. Well, blow me down! T' nose weight is mentioned in t' instructions, ya bilge rat, and it is needed t' have stable flights. I didn't weigh t' supplied nose weight, me hearties, matey, and t' actual amount o' weight I put in t' nose

Mis-aligned guidance fins. I attached t' guidance fins accordin' t' t' instructions. Well, blow me down! I checked t' alignment with t' aft fins and I used a common fin markin' guide. Ahoy! I marked lines t' full length o' t' body where t' forward and aft fins are t' be attached. After inquirin' t' Chuck, matey, he said t' this be t' most unlikely cause o' t' rocket accident. Ya scallywag! Begad! T' fins were nay noticeably mis-aligned, but I thought o' every possibility.

Too much wind t' launch. T' wind conditions on t' launch day was betwixt 15 and 20+ MPH. Arrr! Other rockets flown that day were slightly affected by t' weather. Blimey! Ahoy! Larger rockets (Initiator, matey, ya bilge rat, Mirage) displayed more effects due t' t' wind than t' smaller ones (Big Dawg, Yellow Jacket). Begad! T' launch rod was angled betwixt 15 and 20 degrees from vertical.

I would conclude that t' rockets demise was due t' me impatience in construction (nose weight), shiver me timbers, arrr, and launchin' when t' wind conditions were too strong for this specific rocket. I will take me time with me next Hellfire.

Flight Rating: 3 out o' 5

Summary: This rocket is extremely fun and easy t' build. Arrr! Avast! It is one o' t' most attractive in me fleet. Ya scallywag! Avast! This rocket is great addition t' any fleet.

Overall Rating: 3 ½ out o' 5