Brief:
T' Custom Rocket Sky Bird is a 4 fin payloader rocket. Ya scallywag! My kit was a gift from a Secret Santa via t' 2005 gift exchange at T' Rocketry Forum. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast, me proud beauty! This is a skill level 1 kit. Arrr!

Construction:
T' kit includes:

• BT-50 body tube, ya bilge rat, 9 inches,
• BT-50 Plastic Nose cone
• Red tint plastic payload section, matey, arrr, me bucko, 3.875 inches
• Plastic coupler bulkhead
• Screw eye
• BT-20 (18mm) motor mount with two 20-50 centerin' rings, motor hook, ya bilge rat, arrr, and thrust ring
• Elastic shock cord
• Die cut fins
• 1/8" launch lug
• Waterslide decals
• 12-inch plastic parachute kit with shroud line tabs (unassembled)
• Instructions with cut out for a tri-fold recovery mount

T' instructions are clear and easy t' follow. Avast, me proud beauty! Arrr! They go into good detail in finishin' t' rocket accordin' t' t' cover art and include launch instructions. Well, blow me down! Puttin' t' kit together was straightforward and easy t' do. Arrr! Begad! The balsa fins were easy t' remove from t' die-cut material as they are from good and solid stock. Begad! In previous Custom kits I've had problems with fitting centerin' rings and t' thrust rin' which were too tight but thar were no problems like that with this kit. Aye aye! All t' pieces fit together well with the exception o' t' plastic coupler which needed light sandin' t' get it t' fit into t' payload bay. Avast! T' payload be glued t' t' plastic coupler with Testors model cement. Aye aye! Ya scallywag! T' coupler t' body tube attachment is a little loose as is the nose cone, but both o' these problems are easy t' fix by addin' a little maskin' tape t' t' shoulders for a better fit. Avast! T' instructions missed this detail. Aye aye! I used yellow carpenter's glue for fin and motor tube assembly.

I made a small modification t' me kit. Arrr! I added a 20-inch piece o' 220-pound test Keelhaul®©™ t' t' recovery system and a Teflon tape pompom for reusable recovery wadding. Avast! T' kit included a very short piece o' elastic cord, ya bilge rat, which was t' be attached via a tri-fold paper mount. As with many kits, ya bilge rat, me bucko, t' included elastic is too short and I make this modification t' most o' me kits now. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! The additional weight from this is less than 2 grams. Avast! Prior t' gluin' in the assembled motor mount, matey, I tied t' Keelhaul®©™ line around t' motor tube and over the forward centerin' ring. Arrr! T' Keelhaul®©™ line extends through t' body tube and will hang about 6 inches past t' tube. I put a loop in t' end t' attach the included elastic recovery line and pompom. Avast, me proud beauty! Aye aye! T' other end o' t' supplied elastic was tied t' t' screw eye, which be just screwed, ya bilge rat, into t' hole on the bulkhead/coupler. Ahoy! Blimey! T' parachute is attached t' a loop near t' coupler instead of attachin' t' parachute t' t' eye hook as t' instructions suggest. I've had better recovery doin' this on other rockets.

Finishing:
T' body tube is very good quality for finishing. Avast! I sanded lightly with 220 grit sandpaper. Ya scallywag! Avast, me hearties, me proud beauty! There are no lines on t' tube t' be filled. T' fins were filled with thinned lightweight filler and then given a coat o' sandin' sealer. T' airframe and nose cone were primed with me favorite sandable primer and then painted in t' finishin' colors. Well, arrr, blow me down! I chose colors different from the packagin' art. Begad! T' decals were put on as they were intended and I had no trouble with that and I am very glad t' see good quality waterslide decals. They are always so much better t' see on a finished kit than t' self-sticking type in other off t' shelf kits. Ahoy! I also added some "Bling" with 3 strips o' gold foil 0.125 inch wide pinstriping. Aye aye! Arrr!

Construction Rating: 3 out o' 5

Flight:
T' final weight o' t' rocket comes in at 38 grams (1.36 oz). Aye aye! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! T' weight given on t' kit package be 30.37g (1.07 oz). My measured center o' gravity is 22.8 cm past t' nose cone tip. Ahoy! Blimey! I constructed t' rocket in RockSim, ya bilge rat, which showed good stability margins and launch speeds with all suggested motors and up to 22g o' payload in t' payload compartment.

I launched t' Sky Bird in light winds without a payload and used a 30-inch rod. Avast! On a B4-4 t' rocket had good speed and a great altitude for a small field. Ya scallywag! No windcock was noticed. I had cut a 2 inch spill hole in t' stock parachute and t' rocket recovered nicely about 60 feet down wind from t' pad. I used a Teflon "pompom" for ejection wadding. Begad! Begad! I didn't have time to try any other motors but I expect a B6-4 t' have a very similar flight. Aye aye! A C6-5 will really put this one up thar and I will try that on a larger field.

Recovery:
T' Sky Bird flies well and recovers nicely. T' shock cord is way too short. Avast! I highly recommend t' other builders that they add somethin' t' lengthen the recovery system.

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
Havin' built 3 other Custom Rocket kits in t' past I be happy t' find that the parts all fit well which had been a problem in their other kits. Blimey! Ahoy! T' design is simple and does make for a good first rocket as a Level 1 kit should be. The tinted payload is a nice feature. T' tint looks so much better that most payloaders with clear tubes.

T' only problem or CON worth mention be t' short recovery cord and attachment method. Begad! T' design works for a while but it is outdated.

Overall Rating: 3 out o' 5