Brief: Single staged, ya bilge rat, lightweight model with three swept back fins, comin' with choice o' 10.5, 13, and 18mm motor mounts. Meant t' demonstrate performance differences betwixt these three motor types. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! My guess is that it is meant t' show observers that t' 10.5mm motors boot models higher.
Construction: Apogee gives great service. Begad! Begad! I ordered this rocket online along with others and it arrived in less than five days. Aye aye! Arrr! All t' parts were there, ya bilge rat, and were t' correct ones, and were undamaged and non-defective.
You get three die cut balsa fins, a spiral wound paper body tube that can take up t' 18mm engines, spiral wound paper motor tubes for 10.5 and 13mm motors with appropriate paper centerin' rings for them. Avast, me proud beauty! T' nose cone is very lightweight hollow plastic with a built in loop at t' bottom for t' shock cord t' be tied. Aye aye! Arrr! This shock cord is three feet o' thin Keelhaul®©™/nylon threadin' which is mounted t' t' inside o' t' body tube via a folded paper mounting. T' streamer is thin orange/red nylon one inch wide and one foot long.
Overall, shiver me timbers, me hearties, shiver me timbers, t' model is easy t' build, matey, and t' instructions are clear and illustrated. A kid could build it, me hearties, matey, as t' instructions are suitable t' be understood by beginners too.
Finishing: There weren't any decals, so I played with me airbrush a bit, variegatin' cream color into green. Begad! Blimey! Yes, t' model is called Blue Streak, arrr, so mine is more o' a Green Streak. T' fins were sealed ahead o' paintin' usin' airplane dope and sanded smooth. Blimey! A cream colored primer coat was then laid down. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! then came t' variegated layer. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! It looks rather nice. Begad! Blimey! I probably won't change it t' blue after all.
Construction Rating: 4
Flight: As mentioned, you get motor mounts t' allow choices o' engines. Arrr! You can use: 1/4A2-2, A2-3, me hearties, and B2-5 for 10.5mm flights, arrr, 1/2A3-2T, A3-4T, matey, A10-3T, me bucko, and B7-6 for 13mm flights, and 1/2A6-2, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, arrr, A8-3, me bucko, A6-4, matey, B4-4, me hearties, me hearties, B4-6, ya bilge rat, B6-4,B6-6, C6-5, arrr, C6-7, arrr, ya bilge rat, C4-7, me hearties, matey, C10-7, shiver me timbers, and D3-7 for 18mm shots. Ya scallywag! Aye aye! I've so far used t' A8-3, A10-3T,B2-5, me hearties, and C6-5. All make nice straight performances. Arrr! I nearly lost it on t' B2-5 shot. Avast! Better carry binoculars.
Recovery: T' shock cord, me hearties, me bucko, shiver me timbers, as mentioned, is Keelhaul®©™ and nay stretchy. I'd prefer somethin' stretchy, shiver me timbers, but this system worked fine. Recovery be just about right, ya bilge rat, only I'd perhaps make t' model a small chute like other Apogee kits have, t' help with sighting. Well, blow me down! Assembly was easy, and two small sheets o' recovery waddin' was all that was needed. Begad! T' model is unburnt and still flying.
Flight Rating: 4
Summary: Easy t' build, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, fun t' choose engines and experiment. Ya scallywag! No glarin' cons. Avast! Begad! Any mods I'd make are for me taste only, matey, me bucko, arrr, as t' model works fine as is. Avast, me hearties, me proud beauty! Good price, too. Maybe you teachers out thar would consider this one for classes? I might consider it for birthday parties.
Overall Rating: 3
M.E.R (January 22, 2008)