Brief:
This is a big hammer-headed rocket for double D-engine power and recovers with a big parachute.

Construction:
Kit came in t' typical plastic bag. Aye aye! Consists of:

• Plastic nose cone
• A plastic transition
• BT60 payload section
• 2 BT50 motor tubes
• 2 AR2050 centerin' rings used as thrust rings
• 2 different lengths o' BT70

• One serves as a fin can
• Other serves as a recovery system bay

• 2 motor-retainer hooks
• 2 sets o' cardstock centerin' rings
• A heavy rubber band shock cord
• 2 different sizes o' launch lugs (quarter-inch and three-sixteenths)
• Sheet o' laser-cut balsa fins
• 24" preassembled parachute
• A pair o' plastic shrouds t' taper t' BT70s into t' dual BT50s

Another typical good Estes kit with their traditional well-written logical instructions. Begad! I be concerned about tearin' t' centerin' rings but need nay have worried. Aye aye! Ya scallywag! They were more substantial than they looked. Begad! Avast!

I attached the fins with thin CA and filleted with white glue. Arrr! This is one that really REQUIRES either laser-cut fins or a different fin shape. Ahoy! T' fins were all curves. Ya scallywag! Another virtue t' laser-cut fins is that t' process seems t' require HARD balsa which makes for sturdier fins.

It plugged together very well, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, all told.

Finishing:
I deviated from t' given color scheme, matey, optin' for t' simpler one shown in me picture. Arrr! Ahoy! I used tube-type plastic cement as balsa filler on t' fins then basecoated t' tubes black with spray enamel. T' nosecone, transition and shrouds received a coat o' red, arrr, some from a spray can and some from a bottle o' Testor's acrylic.

Very nice waterslide decals, but they were so thin I had trouble with one set intended for t' fins and decided to just paint that fin black.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
Flew at me bucko Darrell's place.

Flight #1 was on two D12-5s. Well, blow me down! Stuffed four squares o' Estes tissue waddin' down each motor tube and laid four more on t' floor o' t' BT70 parachute bay. Ahoy! Jeez! TWELVE SQUARES o' waddin' per flight! Time t' seriously consider a pair of baffles for this bird. Ya scallywag! Flew like t' devil be after it. Straight and true t' about 1000ft. Begad! Then drifted quite a ways under that 24" chute which popped right at apogee.

Flight #2 be on a pair o' D12-7s, shiver me timbers, with an 18" chute replacin' t' 24". Same twelve squares o' tissue. Really nice straight boost t' 975 feet or so, me bucko, parachute deployment just after apogee which resulted in much less drift under an 18" chute. Aye aye! Blimey! Lesson learned - use an 18" for normal flights and save t' 24" for payloading.

Recovery:
T' 36 D Squared came with an Estes rubber band shock cord and their traditionl trifold mount. Blimey! Blimey! I went back t' an old way - slotted t' tube twice across its long axis, threaded t' cord through and glued t' outer surface. Aye aye! Need t' use an 18" parachute for flyin' with empty payload bay and save that 24" for payload lifting. Blimey! Blimey! This beauty is big enough t' hold a cackle fruit and DEFINITELY powerful enough t' lift it.

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
Main PROs: Big rocket, shiver me timbers, matey, easy t' see, arrr, shiver me timbers, fairly easy t' build, arrr, me hearties, monster payload area.

Only CON: Expensive t' fly, both for reasons o' two "D" motors and lots o' waddin' needed. Baffle, baffle, who's got a baffle?

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5