Brief:
This is a great kit for some one wantin' t' try dual deployment for t' first time. Begad! Arrr! A great lookin' sport scale rocket that comes with almost everythin' you need, me hearties, altimeter bay, ya bilge rat, arrr, tubular nylon (rather than elastic shock cord supplied standard!), rail buttons, and launch lug (givin' you a choice dependin' on your clubs launchin' pad set up). Avast, me proud beauty! T' only thin' you need t' add are a parachute or parachutes, dependin' on whether you want t' fly main only or dual deploy. Ahoy! Well, blow me down! It can also be flow main only with motor ejection. Aye aye! Aye aye! You must cut t' fin slots your self, me hearties, but t' instructions take you through it step by step. Avast, me proud beauty! Ahoy! No big deal. Ya scallywag! If you can draw a straight line with a pencil and ruler, you can do this!

Construction:
the followin' items are supplied for construction:

• 1 3.9" x 14" airframe tube
• 2 3.9" x 10" airframe tube
• 3 3.9" tubin' couplers
• 4 3/16" birch ply fins sanded
• 4 3/16" birch ply strake fins sanded
• 1 54mm x 11.25" motor tube
• 1 4" plastic nose cone
• 2 6-32 x 1-1/2" allen head bolts
• 2 6-32 blind nuts
• 2 motor retainin' clips
• 2 3.9" bulkhead plates
• 2 3.9" centerin' rings
• 1 1/2" x 4" launch lug
• 2 rail buttons
• 3 heavy duty 1/4" eyebolt assembly
• 2 3/16" quick links
• 1 9/16" x 6' tubular nylon
• 1 9/16" x 12' tubular nylon
• 2 3' heavy duty nylon shock cord straps with grommets
• 1 Little John decal pack [black and white supplied]
• Instruction book and 1 fin alignment guide

To complete t' construction you will need 15 min epoxy for airframe assembly and 30 min epoxy for fin fillets, ya bilge rat, razor blades for cuttin' fin slots, and t' standard sandpaper and paint for finishing. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! I used 125 grit sandpaper and Krylon spray paint. Avast! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey!

If you have never built a BSD kit or are new into high power, me bucko, you need to try one. Arrr! Ya scallywag! They have t' easiest t' follow, me bucko, step-by-step, photo-illustrated instruction manual going! But please, shiver me timbers, me hearties, please, please read it through before beginnin' t' apply epoxy! Test fit and sand if needed t' assure a good alignment and fit. Begad! Arrr! Remember t' old sayin' "measure twice and cut once"? It is never held truer than in buildin' high-power rockets.

Now t' only little gotcha I found was in drillin' and installin' t' eye bolt in the forward centerin' rin' on t' motor mount. Aye aye! Begad! Betwixt havin' a 54mm motor mount in a 4 inch frame thar be little room, you must position t' eyebolt a little off-center and turned sideways leavin' just enough room t' get a quick link through t' eyebolt hole. Blimey! Well, blow me down! When t' payload section is lowered into t' booster section, arrr, t' coupler must slide by t' eyebolt and bottom out by almost touchin' t' upper centerin' rin' on t' motor mount. So after assemblin' the motor mount tube but before tightenin' t' eyebolt, arrr, matey, slide it into t' airframe, lower a coupler into t' airframe down t' t' top centerin' rin' with eyebolt to make sure you can attach a quick link and that t' coupler is free t' slide in and out without binding! If it binds, turn t' eyebolt till you get the proper fit. Ya scallywag! This is a must for t' final fit t' be proper! Do this before epoxyin' t' motor mount t' t' airframe, and you will have no problems in buildin' this kit. T' rest o' t' assembly went without any problems.

This kit is great because it comes with a built in altimeter bay. Begad! T' manual calls for holdin' it together with plastic rivets. I have done this in t' past, ya bilge rat, and it works just fine. Ahoy! Well, blow me down! However, at a recent launch I saw a different method and chose to incorporate it into this build: it required only a short section o' 1/4" all-thread and two 1/4" couplin' nuts. Well, blow me down! Instead o' usin' t' supplied nut to secure t' eyebolt t' t' bulkhead plate in t' altimeter bay, use a coupler nut and attach t' all-thread, ya bilge rat, epoxyin' them together. On t' other bulkhead plate, me hearties, pass t' eyebolt through a washer, me bucko, me bucko, then t' bulkhead plate, arrr, arrr, through another washer and into t' other coupler nut. Avast! Tighten t' eyebolt snug but leave just enough play that you can turn t' assembly freely. Arrr! When you have adjusted it properly you can epoxy t' coupler nut t' t' washer and eyebolt but nay t' t' bulkhead plate. This will leave t' assembly free t' turn in the bulkhead. Ya scallywag! Now all you have t' do t' attach the two sections together, is push t' upper bulkhead plate onto t' all-thread and twist the eyebolt until tight! Blimey! For those who don't know what a coupler nut is, it is about 1 inch long and open on both ends, matey, t' allow connectin' two sections of all-thread together or a section o' all-thread t' an eyebolt. Ahoy! Begad! Blimey! They can be found at Lowe's, me bucko, matey, shiver me timbers, Home Depot or most hardware stores for about $0.75 apiece. Blimey! Begad! Blimey! 1/4" all-thread can be found same places also about $2.00 for a 36" section. You will need approximately a 5 1/2" section if you decide t' do this. Final length is determined by t' location you decide t' glue your bulkhead plate

Finishing:
I decided t' give fiberglassin' a try on this rocket. Arrr! Blimey! It definitely is not needed but I felt it was just time for me t' learn. Avast, ya bilge rat, me proud beauty! Blimey! It went much easier than anticipated and I urge all t' try it when you think t' time is right. Begad! Begad! Blimey! If you continue on in this sport, sooner or later you will want this skill. I can report t' you it is nay nearly as difficult as many would have you think! Blimey! There are many articles on this subject on t' web and I assume if you are reading this, you know how t' find them. Blimey! I will give t' short version o' my experience. Begad! I used some easy glass sock, me bucko, which is a tube o' cloth that stretches right over t' airframe, me hearties, available from Giant Leap Rocketry. Well, blow me down! Blimey! One 9 ounce kit o' finishin' epoxy was more than enough. When it was almost cured (about 5 hours), arrr, arrr, I wrapped 2 layers o' 2 ounce glass cloth (sometimes called veil cloth) over it. Begad! Blimey! It is nay needed but makes fillin' almost pointless, because with some light sanding, me bucko, a couple o' coats o' Krylon primer and finish coats, ya bilge rat, I was done. Well, blow me down! Begad! Blimey! I chose black for t' fin can, shiver me timbers, metallic silver for the airframe, matey, and gloss white for t' nose cone. Ahoy! Blimey! Blimey! After lettin' it dry for 2 days, I applied t' provided decals and a red and chrome stripe o' me own. Begad! Blimey! It may not be true t' scale, but it is a great lookin' rocket and has received many compliments!

Construction Rating: 5 out o' 5

Flight:
T' motor retention supplied by BSD is simplicity itself and works fine. A couple o' blind t-nuts and 2 allen head bolts hold t' clips on t' motor. Begad! Avast, me proud beauty! All you need is an allen wrench (not included) for it. Arrr! I suppose you could use pliers if need be but I had t' required allen wrench.

I decided t' go for broke on me first flight and loaded up an AeroTech 54mm J275 with medium delay (10 seconds). Well, blow me down! Begad! T' day was perfect; sunny, me hearties, no wind, and not a cloud in t' sky. Begad! Loaded up me Cannonball Works RRC2, set t' main for 500ft, put her on t' rail, ya bilge rat, took t' mandatory dumb rocket photos (you never know if you'll see it again! haha), shiver me timbers, and away she went. Ya scallywag! Ya scallywag! And boy did she go! This rocket weighed in at 6lbs 5oz totally loaded for t' pad. Avast! T' flight was straight as an arrow and t' drogue deployed perfectly at apogee. Avast! Ahoy! After a lengthy fall t' main opened on cue. Well, blow me down! Begad! Upon return t' earth t' RRC2 was beeping out 4154ft. Begad! Could nay ask for a better flight. Ya scallywag! Thanks BSD!

Recovery:
For recovery I used t' supplied nylon shock cord straps but used longer 9/16" tubular nylon (TN). Aye aye! For t' apogee event: 20ft TN and a 18 in BSD drogue chute. Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty! For t' main event [no pun intended]: 25ft TN and a 60" hemispherical chute from Spherachute. Ya scallywag! It may have been overkill (BSD recommends a 45" chute) but thar was no wind and it made for a beautiful landing. T' motor ejection be used for drogue with altimeter backup and 1.5 grams of FFFFg for main deployment with Daveyfire E-match. Begad! Cellulose waddin' be used. There be no scorchin' or burnin' o' either shock cords or chutes and no damage to t' rocket at all, however, me hearties, me bucko, careful foldin' o' chutes and shock cords was required t' make it all fit properly.

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
This is a great kit and contains absolutely everythin' except for parachutes! No need t' buy motor retention or rail guides. Blimey! Arrr! T' built-in altimeter bay makes buildin' a breeze. Ya scallywag! Avast, me proud beauty! T' looks you will get when people see this small rocket with a 54mm mount goin' t' t' pad are always a hoot. Avast, me proud beauty! Aye aye! It can be flown on a variety o' motors and yet is strong enough t' take t' punch o' large K motors built stock. T' only reason I fiberglassed it be because I thought it would be easier t' learn on a smaller rocket. Blimey! T' supplied instruction manual is one of t' best I have ever seen. Avast, me proud beauty! Step-by-step instructions and plenty o' photos ensure a perfect build. Begad! Nothin' left t' wonder about here!

Overall Rating: 5 out o' 5