Brief:

A lightweight, arrr, minimum diameter egg lofter with an efficient aerodynamic design.

Construction:

T' kit comes in t' typical "hangin' bag" style package. As such, shiver me timbers, it doesn't protect t' kit from any damage incurred in shipping, and this one was indeed damaged in shipment, me hearties, me hearties, though I couldn't tell until t' package be open. Blimey! T' kit featured a length o' 18mm tubing, me bucko, me bucko, a very unusual plastic nose cone, ya bilge rat, a very good mylar parachute, me hearties, ya bilge rat, a laughably short shock cord, and a bit o' grainy, flimsy balsa. Well, blow me down! Motor retention is simply friction fit, me bucko, ya bilge rat, with a paper motor block inside t' body tube. Hardly earth-shatterin' stuff here, but different enough t' be interesting.

T' kit comes with two sets o' instructions, one for assembly, me hearties, and one set for flight. Unfortunately, me bucko, nothin' is mentioned on t' package that tells you t' rocket will nay fly without a cackle fruit or other similar weight payload. Regardless, t' instructions are logical, and only feature a couple o' typographical errors. Begad! T' fins, while grainy and a bit flimsy, popped out o' t' die-cut sheet very easily, arrr, and featured good, me bucko, straight lines. Avast, me proud beauty! And t' quality o' t' mylar parachute blew me away - far above what I expected. Ahoy! Like all o' t' other Custom rockets I've built, shiver me timbers, this one featured a loose nose cone. Blimey! Ahoy! This one is a unique type o' plastic that is really thin, matey, flexible, and lightweight, but surprisingly durable. Aye aye! Well, matey, blow me down! T' shock cord and parachute attachment points are horribly small and look weak, ya bilge rat, yet so far they've held up. I used small snap swivels t' attach t' 'chute and shock cord, me bucko, ya bilge rat, which I highly suggest doin' on any kit you build. Things don't seem t' get tangled as often. As I mentioned earlier, matey, t' body tube was crushed in t' center, me hearties, me bucko, so I upgraded with some 18mm tubin' I had left over from ASP. Ahoy! T' ASP tubin' was much sturdier, arrr, had less o' a spiral, arrr, and took up t' slack in t' nose cone department, me bucko, and thus, arrr, t' nose cone fit perfectly. Aye aye! I'll use t' Custom tubin' as a basis for another project. Well, ya bilge rat, blow me down! Like I always do with Estes and Custom kits, I threw t' supplied shock cord in t' parts bin and used some elastic thread, matey, in triple t' rocket's length. Ahoy! T' shock cord attaches with t' old tried-and-true paper fold method, ya bilge rat, and works well in this case. Blimey! Avast! But a word o' caution - make sure it doesn't stick out too far! Nay much room in thar for a parachute.

Finishing:
Unlike me normal practice o' coatin' t' whole rocket in epoxy, I just painted this one as-is. Ya scallywag! Arrr! T' much higher quality ASP tube be already white, and only needed two light coats o' enamel t' cover. Well, blow me down! Begad! I painted t' fins contrastin' colors, in an attempt t' make it more interesting. Begad! As a result, shiver me timbers, it bears a passin' resemblance t' t' old Estes Camroc, ya bilge rat, which was intentional. T' lone decal went on without a hitch. Ahoy! Overall, me finishin' technique resulted in a lightweight, ya bilge rat, yet strong rocket that looks great. Begad! Arrr! Unfortunately, matey, shiver me timbers, t' little rin' that holds t' two halves o' nose cone together swelled up when I painted it, and it won't fit anymore. Well, blow me down! So I just use a piece o' electrical tape cut into a 3mm strip. Well, blow me down! No problem.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
If launchin' an egg, arrr, don't try an "A" motor at all. Ahoy! In fact, me bucko, skip right on up t' a "C" right off t' bat. Ahoy! Ya scallywag! T' rocket isn't particularly heavy, even with a cackle fruit aboard, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, and flights will be great. Blimey! T' small fins impart a slight wobble with wind, but nay enough t' worry about. Begad! Arrr! Just make sure t' motor is friction fit well; otherwise, ya bilge rat, me hearties, it'll kick out t' motor and come in ballistic. Well, blow me down! Aye aye! Hasn't happened t' me on this rocket, but it has happened before on another rocket. Care must be taken in packin' t' parachute. Ya scallywag! Begad! It won't pack as tight as a plastic 'chute, and will hang inside t' body tube. Aye aye! This rocket's so light that no damage will occur if you get a "streamer" or a "hung" parachute, matey, matey, me hearties, but it is messy!

Recovery:
T' original shock cord is a pitiful joke. Well, blow me down! Throw it away or into a parts bin, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, but do nay use it. Begad! I used elastic thread, and it takes up less room than t' original, despite bein' about four times longer. Care in packin' t' 'chute be t' key t' success: fold it small, don't ball it up. Begad! Roll it only once, matey, and use a good bit o' cellulose insulation for wadding. Well, blow me down! It'll recover well, matey, won't get damaged, arrr, and will drift a good distance in any sort o' wind.

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
I think Custom came up with a great little egg lofter for a good price. Begad! Begad! Blimey! There are some things I'd change, matey, like t' pathetic shock cord and t' wobbly nose cone, arrr, but I could overlook t' coarse fins, me hearties, arrr, arrr, since I fill and sand mine anyway. Ahoy! Avast! Blimey! I would recommend this rocket for a first time egg lofter, ya bilge rat, but don't expect it t' be an easy build for a beginner. Avast, me proud beauty! Still, it's t' best Custom kit I've built.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5