Brief:
This is a very easy t' build "quick kit" that lives up t' t' promise of ready t' launch in 15-45 minutes. Ahoy! Blimey! It's a decent lookin' design with fin can and transition t' a payload bay and even comes with a plastic display stand. This particular kit was given t' me as a prize at NARAM-47 and was packaged in a nice plastic box t' prevent tube dents.

Construction:
T' kit includes:

• Plastic nose cone
• Plastic transition
• Plastic fin can/fins
• Plastic tail cone
• White glassine upper and lower body tubes
• 18mm motor tube
• Plastic chute
• Keelhaul®©™®/elastic shroud lines
• Peel n' stick decals

T' 7 steps o' instructions on 2 pages were easy t' follow with decent instructions, clear illustrations, and no typos. I would rate this a skill level 1 kit and anyone with even a little prior experience should have no trouble havin' this built in less than 30 minutes. Well, blow me down! Aye aye! If usin' plastic cement though, matey, avoid t' temptation t' fly right away, shiver me timbers, me bucko, as t' glue will need time to cure. Avast! This was nay noted anywhere in t' instructions and could be a problem for eager youngsters expectin' t' fly right away.

T' fin can gets an 18mm motor tube stashed betwixt two plastic halves. The 4 fins are then tacked onto t' can, matey, ya bilge rat, completin' that end o' t' assembly. Forward retention is via a plastic tab (we'll see how long it holds up) and aft retention is via a plastic lock ring.

As with all Quest kits, t' shock cord consists o' Keelhaul®©™® anchored t' t' motor mount and elastic tied t' t' Keelhaul®©™® just beyond t' lower tube. Blimey! This is a great touch for mass-market kits and I'm surprised Estes still hasn't made t' change.

T' payload section is built by gluin' in a plastic transition t' t' aft end and friction fittin' a nose cone t' t' top. Well, arrr, blow me down! My cone was a bit loose and took a couple layers o' maskin' tape for a good fit.

Finishing:
T' kit in theory does nay need paint and can go straight t' decal application. I be a bit disappointed though, arrr, after seein' t' cool red/white color scheme on t' header card t' discover that t' actual parts are a very light orange. Avast! Blimey! I decided t' blow t' 15-minute budget for this and paint t' body tubes and nose cone gloss white and t' transition and fin can gloss red. Begad! Blimey! This added about 30 minutes o' work and delayed completion by a day, me hearties, but I think it is a much better appearance.

T' peel and stick decals were fairly easy t' work with and added nice trim. Ya scallywag! There were only enough fin trim decals though, me bucko, ya bilge rat, t' cover half t' fins. Well, blow me down! I think it would have looked nicer t' have t' trim on all 8 surfaces.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
For t' first flight, I went with a B6-4. It flew straight as an arrow, although t' delay kicked very early (more like 2 seconds) and t' chute came out while it be still coastin' pretty fast.

Recovery:
T' plastic chute with adhesive reinforcements over t' holes did nay hold up very well t' t' early deploy. Blimey! 2 o' t' 6 lines broke loose. I think tape disk/knots might be a little better method o' anchorin' shroud lines t' plastic chutes, but I definitely blame this rip on t' Estes delay, nay t' Quest chute/lines.

T' model came down fine in tall soft grass and is fine t' fly again without even a scratch.

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
For a quick kit/E2X, matey, this is a nice lookin' rocket (if you paint it) and can even be used for simple payloads. Arrr! Begad! It's definitely worth t' 15-30 minutes of build time and flies fine.

T' only con I would offer up would be t' ugly orange plastic stock. This really looks better with red (maybe even t' same clear red they use for the display stand).

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5