Brief:

An entry level rocket that suffers from some quality control problems. Begad! Aye aye! At first glance, t' lackluster packagin' had me thinkin' "Siesta" instead, me bucko, matey, but once I delved into t' project, thar was plenty t' like about this single stage 4FNC rocket.

Construction:
T' package be t' typical plastic "hangin' bag" that allowed most o' t' components t' be seen without openin' t' bag. Ahoy! Blimey! As a plus (or minus, in this case) t' balsa fins were wrapped inside t' instructions, me bucko, along with t' decals, for protection. Avast! Blimey! It was apparent that Custom had their sights set on t' market that Estes abandoned when t' latter went t' those ho-hum prebuilt plastic rockets. Custom's offerin' featured real balsa that required actual construction, me bucko, which is loads better at teachin' kids and/or beginners about proper construction techniques. Blimey! Blimey! So far, so good.

T' plastic nose cone had t' most castin' flash I have ever seen, me hearties, but it was easy t' remove with an Xacto knife in a few seconds. Begad! Avast, me proud beauty! T' first quality control problem was here: t' nose cone was way too loose in t' body tube, and would fall out every time it be pointed down. Begad! This could be easily fixed with maskin' tape, me bucko, but that detracts from t' overall finished look. Avast, me proud beauty! T' second glitch be t' fin stock. Begad! These fins were o' t' poorest quality I have ever seen. Avast, me proud beauty! They were warped, me hearties, grainy, me bucko, and really flimsy, though at least t' die-cut fins popped out with ease. Ya scallywag! No way would this thin' fly straight. Custom also took a page from Estes' playbook and included a really short piece o' flat elastic shock cord, matey, and utilized Estes' method o' mountin' with t' tri-fold paper and glue. Avast, me proud beauty! Ahoy! Well, it has worked millions o' times, shiver me timbers, and this is a low power rocket, matey, so why not? And t' body tube was slightly crimped on one end, arrr, me bucko, but I had other plans for this end by this point. Blimey! T' rest o' t' components were excellent.

T' instructions were among t' easiest I have ever seen, me hearties, though I didn't really use them. Avast! Avast! I especially liked t' paintin' instructions t' best, shiver me timbers, because this kit be designed for a beginner, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, and gave a couple o' good tips. I decided at first t' build this rocket usin' t' same materials and techniques that a kid would use on his or her first rocket, but t' warped fins and loose nose cone smartly made me change me mind. Avast! While it might fly, it certainly wouldn't fly straight, so some modifications were in order.

First o' all, I placed t' fin stock betwixt a paint can and a large dictionary for a few days, and this flattened them out satisfactorily. Ahoy! I decided against maskin' tape for t' nose cone, and instead mixed balsa sandin' dust with 30 minute epoxy, ya bilge rat, let it set up a while, me bucko, and slathered it onto t' shoulder o' t' nose cone and into a deep depression at t' tip, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, which was originally covered by t' castin' flash.

I built t' motor mount per t' instructions, ya bilge rat, me hearties, which went together surprisingly well. Avast! Blimey! At least Custom has these parts down pat. Avast! Blimey! Well, me hearties, blow me down! Blimey! Once everythin' dried, arrr, I attached t' fins with Elmer's School Gel. Begad! Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! This particular adhesive dries quickly, but remains tacky enough t' move things around if needed. A decent choice for a beginner.

Once t' fins were tacked on, arrr, I drilled small holes at t' root edge through t' tube, then used several thin coats o' 30 minute epoxy t' attach t' fins with epoxy rivets and t' seal t' horribly grainy fins. Blimey! T' result is a bulletproof fin attachment and a much smoother surface. T' shock cord be mounted accordin' t' t' instructions, me bucko, but I substituted much thinner paper and attached another 100 cm (about 3 feet) o' flat elastic shock cord.

Prior t' painting, ya bilge rat, however, arrr, I decided t' repair t' crimped body tube by cuttin' t' end o' t' tube into sections, arrr, shiver me timbers, then folded t' flaps down t' create a boat tail. Aye aye! Begad! I then filled in t' gaps with slow dryin' CA and balsa dust, ya bilge rat, arrr, then again coated t' whole thin' with epoxy. Arrr! Ahoy! Once sanded and painted, this added a lot t' t' looks o' t' rocket.

Finishing:
Once t' nose cone was sanded down, arrr, t' entire rocket was sealed, me hearties, sanded, and painted gloss white. Begad! Avast, me proud beauty! T' nose be painted Calypso Blue that was left over from a model car me son built, me hearties, and t' water based decals were attached. T' whole thin' was then coated in several thin coats o' clear enamel.

Other than t' miserable fin quality and loose nose cone, ya bilge rat, t' rest was easy t' finish. Ahoy! I would prime t' whole rocket next time with Krylon gray primer, matey, ya bilge rat, then apply t' white gloss paint, but it still worked out well, and barely any spiral is visible on t' body tube. T' decals, ya bilge rat, which didn't look good t' me on t' packaging, shiver me timbers, look dynamite on t' actual rocket. Aye aye! Once t' defects were addressed, me bucko, this turned out t' be a good rocket. Well, blow me down! But t' defects in t' original materials made me decide on a 3 1/2 rating.

Construction Rating: 3 out o' 5

Flight:
Custom recommends usin' really low powered 18mm motors for t' first flight, arrr, but I refuse t' purchase 18mm A motors. Arrr! Why? Well, I built a 13mm t' 18mm adaptor in a few second with stuff already in me parts bin. Since 13mm motors are cheaper than 18mm motors, ya bilge rat, and thar are 4 t' a pack instead o' 3, me bucko, it makes better economic sense. Ahoy! O.K. Well, blow me down! so I'm cheap. Begad! But if you buy this stuff in bulk, it adds up. Anyway, with an A10-3T on board, t' rocket will fly decently high with a slow takeoff. Blimey! Perfect for a small field. Aye aye! T' prep is easy, just add some wadding, stuff in t' very long streamer, and attach t' nose. Avast! Put it on t' launcher and fire away. Ahoy! Recovery is excellent on this long streamer. Avast, me proud beauty! But if you are goin' t' use a C6-7, arrr, you'd better have a big field, some assistant trackers, and no wind. This one really gets up thar in a hurry! T' only con be t' weak motor retention clip, which is more like a Quest clip than Estes, in that it has absolutely no springiness t' it. Aye aye! Ahoy! But t' motors stay in, and I give t' flights a solid 5.

Recovery:
T' extra long plastic streamer is a nice touch. Arrr! Arrr! I would definitely add at least double t' shock cord that Custom provides. Begad! Avast, me proud beauty! This rocket is durable, and should be around for many launches, arrr, IF you keep t' power low!

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
I like t' fact that somebody is addressin' t' gap Estes left when they abandoned beginnin' rocket builders. Ahoy! They now only feature kits that go together with no skill, me hearties, me hearties, and kids don't learn anythin' from that. This one required some real rocket construction techniques, arrr, me bucko, and t' shabby quality o' t' fins and nose would ironically help a kid learn how t' build a better rocket by overcomin' obstacles. Ya scallywag! Arrr! I would nay recommend this as a first or second kit due t' t' poor quality pieces I found inside, shiver me timbers, but it would be great for someone who has built a couple and may be lookin' for a challenge. Avast, me proud beauty! Don't let t' dull packagin' addlepate you- this is a great rocket.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5