Brief:
This is a single staged sport rocket with an unusual design. It is classified as a skill level 3.

Construction:
T' components came in a hangin' bag-style package with insert art. Begad! My particular model be production #45. It contained two sheets o' balsa, a single body tube, balsa nose cone w/ eye screw, launch lug, a toothpick for t' guns, engine mount hardware (tube, me bucko, hook, me bucko, 2 centerin' rings), ya bilge rat, and a cuttin' guide (since you have t' cut out your own balsa pieces). Avast! Ya scallywag! T' recovery system consist of a plastic chute, matey, a short length o' elastic, and some Keelhaul®©™® thread.

From t' balsa, you cut out two fins, shiver me timbers, me hearties, two fin tips, two aft bulkheads, matey, 4 cannon rails, ya bilge rat, and 2 gun supports. Arrr! Blimey! There is plenty o' wood, shiver me timbers, arrr, but you must be sure t' use t' correct thickness for each piece.

T' construction is anythin' but normal. Aye aye! Aye aye! T' instructions are very clear in most cases, so I will only hit on t' unusual or unclear aspects.

First, me hearties, your motor mount must extend from t' body tube .75". Ahoy! Push it in too far, arrr, and you're out o' luck. Avast, me proud beauty! Also, arrr, arrr, me bucko, if you are usin' a kit that has a body wrap like t' NSL wraps, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, be sure t' align t' wrap with t' hook assembly. This will be important later.

T' next unusual part be t' construction o' t' fin/bulkhead assemblies. Blimey! Blimey! I found t' sandin' instruction unclear, ya bilge rat, but if you look at t' cover art and look at where t' shroud will attach t' t' bulkhead, you will see what part needs t' be sanded with a slight bevel. Blimey! Blimey! When gluin' t' fins t' t' bulkheads, wax paper proved invaluable. Blimey! Blimey! Finally, I found that when I followed the instructions exactly regardin' t' placement o' t' fin betwixt t' bulkheads, I ended up with a gap betwixt t' bulkheads when placed in their final position, ya bilge rat, due t' t' dihedral-like alignment. Well, blow me down! Blimey! T' wrap covered t' gap, me hearties, and I only need t' apply a little white paint t' t' wood exposed on t' sides. Begad! Blimey! Nay a big deal but somethin' that should be considered.

Buildin' t' shroud was pretty straightforward. Take your time with the forward edge and you should be able t' get a nice, matey, sharp point. Begad! Attachment to the body tube goes EXACTLY like t' instructions, so follow them t' a T.

Finally, me hearties, when assemblin' t' lug standoff, I found t' only major issue I had with this kit. T' launch lug included was too short t' create t' bevel cut specified. I simply substituted a launch lug from me parts box, arrr, but if I didn't have one, me bucko, me bucko, matey, this would have been a problem.

Finishing:
Wraps are great. However, arrr, I found properly alignin' o' t' body wrap be very difficult, so I ended up coverin' a 1/32" spiral misalignment at t' top of t' tube with monokote. Avast, me proud beauty! Be prepared t' deal with this, arrr, because that be the best I could do after three tries.

I only hand-painted exposed wood on t' fin assemblies and t' cannon mounts. T' nose cone also requires spray-paintin' and I selected black. Avast! Begad! This brings be to a minor issue: t' nose cone had a two-step shoulder (see parts picture), however, t' cover art shows a smooth nose cone and t' instructions do not address this. Avast! Avast! I chose t' use Elmer's Fill 'n' Finish and sandpaper t' smooth the reduction out. Avast, me proud beauty! It took several passes before I got it right. Well, blow me down! While nay a big deal, it threw me when Jim's normally ultra-comprehensive instructions don't mention somethin' this major.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
I selected an A8-3 for me first flight, ya bilge rat, usin' t' engine hook t' retain it. Well, blow me down! I rigged up a 12" parachute with no spill hole, loaded me dog barf, shiver me timbers, and hooked her up. Flight be straight and true t' around 150', she just hung in the air (like t' entry t' a tail slide), shiver me timbers, me bucko, and then t' chute popped. Ya scallywag! It was very cool. Wind was very low, arrr, so I'm nay sure how it would fly in windy conditions with t' big cross-section o' t' shroud.

Recovery:
T' descent looked OK, but one o' me tips popped off on landing. Arrr! Probably a weak glue joint, but next time I will move up t' a larger chute. Avast!

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
This rocket is very challengin' t' build and should nay be attempted by a beginner. Blimey! With t' exception o' t' launch lug, this be an awesome kit. Ahoy! Begad! The flight was very good. Well, blow me down! Aye aye! I look forward t' puttin' this up on a more appropriate engine.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5