Brief:
Looks can be deceivin' on this bird--it's a single-stage that could pass for a two-stager and is an 18mm bird that is beggin' t' be promoted t' 24mm. Begad! Aye aye! It's good t' see Apogee add somethin' t' their modroc line, especially somethin' with such cool lookin' fins.

Construction:
As is typical with Apogee, me kit arrived well packed a mere two days after placin' t' order along with a couple free goodies (plastic chute and CD with some video buildin' tips). Blimey! Parts were generally very good quality although t' plastic nose cone had a small dent, which apparently happened as it be bein' drawn from t' mold. Avast! T' parts for this kit include:

• 18mm motor tube
• metal hook
• 13/18 centerin' ring/block
• 29mm body tubes (2x13"), arrr, 1 coupler
• 29/18 centerin' rings
• Plastic nose cone
• Laser cut balsa fins
• Mylar streamer 4x45
• Keelhaul®©™ shock cord (300#)
• 1/4" launch lug
• Peel and stick decals

T' instructions for this are very good with plenty o' computer generated drawings and check boxes for each step o' t' way. Begad! Arrr! There are a total o' 8 black and white pages and 24 construction steps. Avast, me proud beauty! Ya scallywag! It is accurately rated a skill level 2 kit, matey, as t' most challengin' aspect is maskin' t' slightly tricky paint scheme. Avast! I managed t' build mine in about 4 hours plus another 3-4 for finishing.

Construction begins by separatin' out t' fins. I typically take care o' applyin' a coat or two o' Elmer's Fill 'n' Finish at this point, too, as it's a heck o' a lot easier t' sand them down loose than after bondin' t' t' tube. Begad! Arrr! There are 6 identical fins for this plus 3 end pieces so thar's plenty o' balsa grain t' fill.

T' fit t' kit in a small bag/shippin' box, shiver me timbers, t' 26" body is composed o' two pieces o' 29mm tubin' and a coupler. Begad! Ahoy! I made t' mistake o' usin' a thin layer o' yellow glue, so that t' 2.5" long coupler barely made it 1" in before t' glue grabbed it and I couldn't budge it. Ahoy! Same thin' happened on t' other side, leavin' me with an exposed 1/2" o' coupler. Avast! Begad! I wound up havin' t' cut it out and make one o' me own from spare tubin' stock. Aye aye! Aye aye! While I chalk this up t' me own foolishness for nay sandin' down t' coupler a bit first and usin' white glue, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, I think t' 2.5" coupler is a bit overkill and 1-1.5" would be fine, shiver me timbers, matey, as well as less likely t' bind up when inserting.

T' motor tube assembly be t' standard 18mm tube with a metal hook, a pair o' external centerin' rings, and an internal rin' servin' as a block. Note that t' Keelhaul®©™ shock cord is anchored t' t' forward ring. Avast! I love Apogee's Keelhaul®©™® but have t' admit t' 300# stuff included in this kit is a bit over t' top for an 18mm kit and think t' thinner 150# would serve just as well.

Prior t' bondin' t' t' body, matey, arrr, t' fins must first be assembled. Begad! T' assembly consists o' a pair o' fins set in opposin' orientation joined at t' tip edges by a balsa brace. Avast, me proud beauty! This keeps everythin' lined up nicely and prevents fin flutter. Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! Once t' fins are put together, me bucko, they are then attached t' t' body tube at standard 120-degree orientation.

By t' time you get t' attachin' t' launch lug, ya bilge rat, you'll probably be scratchin' your head wonderin' why this has an 18mm motor tube. Avast, me proud beauty! Betwixt t' 29mm main body tube, shiver me timbers, t' 300# Keelhaul®©™, and t' 1/4" launch lug, this has t' look and feel o' a 24mm mid-power kit but seems t' have been downsized a bit for t' 18mm market. Well, blow me down! Begad! I would think serious rocketeers will be kit bashin' this and 24mm will be t' norm if nay 29mm (although with a 29mm motor on board, you may never see it again). Begad! I thought t' 1/4" lug was just plain silly, so substituted a standard 1/8" lug instead.

Finishing:
Finishin' is pretty easy on this for such a neat lookin' rocket. Begad! I filled t' tube spirals with some Elmer's Wood Filler then applied two light coats o' primer. Avast! After sandin' down with 400 grit wet paper, ya bilge rat, I went with three thin coats o' Krylon gloss white. I generally prefer Rustoleum t' Krylon, but Krylon dries much more smartly and I wanted t' get this in t' air within 1-2 days.

T' accent coat is black, shiver me timbers, arrr, but rather than a straight/simple mask, you are advised t' mask a tapered line, givin' t' nose a bit o' a snake-like appearance. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast, me proud beauty! T' instructions make t' taper pretty easy, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, providin' dimensions and markin' points. Blimey! Arrr! T' only improvement I'd make t' this is t' suggest citin' t' dimensions from t' edge o' t' body tube rather than t' edge o' t' cone. Avast, me proud beauty! It's a little hard keepin' a ruler edge aligned with a nose cone tip and t' body tube at t' same time.

For a finishin' touch, arrr, this kit comes with some sharp lookin' peel and stick decals. Personally, arrr, I hate peel and stick, but I will say this kit uses some very good quality stickers. Still, shiver me timbers, I just don't think they have t' same look as waterslide and they're nay very forgivin' if you need t' realign them slightly after they've touched t' rocket.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
T' header card for t' kit claims this is 5 ounces, me hearties, but mine weighed in at 2.8 ounces fully prepped (excludin' motor). Aye aye! Blimey! Given t' large fins, I figured this t' be draggy, arrr, so went with a C6-3 for first flight. Arrr! That turned out t' be an excellent choice. Begad! Avast! T' boost in light winds be perfectly straight up with no roll and t' deployment just a hair early but nay enough t' warrant a 5.

Recovery:
Given t' weight o' only 2.8 ounces, matey, matey, thar was no way was I goin' t' risk losin' this t' t' boomer thermals on our field by usin' t' 32" plastic chute. Instead, shiver me timbers, I swapped out for an 18" nylon, me hearties, which be more than adequate for t' job. Aye aye! Blimey! Recovery be fine and t' rocket was undamaged, ya bilge rat, eager for another flight.

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
T' only con I can offer up on this be t' request t' modify this t' a 24mm kit, me bucko, or if stickin' with 18mm, matey, at least scale down t' Keelhaul®©™ and lug. Arrr! I'd also love t' see this with waterslide decals but suspect that would have driven up t' cost a bit.

Pros are t' cool fins and design, arrr, and t' fact that it's a reliable flier.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5