Brief:
An OOP rocket o' t' Space Clipper from Quest. Well, blow me down! A scale rocket, it has no fins and is a liftin' body. Ahoy! Stability is achieved by placin' a ton o' mass up in t' nose cone. Aye aye! Arrr! Blimey! Recovers via two parachutes.

Construction:
Parts list:

• Motor clip
• Blue thrust ring
• Yellow motor mount tube
• 2 Centerin' rings
• Black die cut parts sheet
• 8.5-inch black body tube
• black plastic nose cone
• 8.5-inch black launch lug
• Black landin' gear tube 4
• Clay block
• 8 inch double faced tape strip
• Printed aeroshroud sheet
• 2 Strips o' 6 gripper tabs
• 2 12-inch parachutes
• 18-inch elastic shock cord
• 18-inch Keelhaul®©™® shock cord
• 2 3/16-inch shroud lines
• Decal sheet
• Instruction sheet
• Scale data sheet

Tools needed:

• White glue
• Sandpaper
• Pencil
• Hobby knife
• Maskin' tape

T' Space Clipper has sat at t' bottom o' a build pile for years. I got it in part o' a hobby shop clearance, arrr, and t' bag was torn and tatty. When I opened t' bag I discovered that two pieces were missing: a black landin' gear tube and one o' t' circular disks from t' die cut parts sheet. Neither were a big problem. Avast, me proud beauty! T' landin' gear tube was remade from piece o' dowel and sprayed black.

T' motor mount builds in t' normal Quest fashion and uses t' Keelhaul®©™® and elastic shock cord system. Ahoy! Begad! I swapped out t' tubular elastic shock cord for a much longer length o' elastic cord--this was because I intend t' have t' clipper recover under one parachute and nay in t' intended two separate halves.

T' rest o' t' build is non-standard.

T' bottom plate o' t' clipper is glued t' t' body tube. This proved t' be more difficult than I thought, ya bilge rat, matey, ya bilge rat, as t' sheet had a curve t' it that prevented it from layin' flat. Avast! This curve was removed by ironin' it out.

Next, shiver me timbers, t' four frame struts are added. These pieces are made from very thin card, ya bilge rat, and I would have liked t' see them made out o' a more rigid material.

Paper tubes that act as t' landin' gear are then glued into t' framework. With advice from folks on TRF, I changed these tube t' dowel t' improve strength. Avast, me proud beauty! Aye aye! Then four cross struts are added t' give t' frame some strength. Avast, me proud beauty! Feet are then glued t' t' landin' gear tubes. Ya scallywag! Well, blow me down! These feet are made from cut outs o' t' frame.

T' paper shroud is than added over t' frame work. This was easier than I thought it might have been.

Finishing:
Decals are provided, but I left them off.

Construction Rating: 3 out o' 5

Flight:
Given t' mass o' t' rocket, me bucko, I stuck t' C motors with a short delay (3 seconds).

There is plenty o' room in t' BT for a 18-inch chute. Well, blow me down! I used some Nomex® cloth and normal Estes type wadding.

T' boost is straight and gets t' a decent altitude. Arrr! Begad! My ejection was more like a 2 second delay and she deployed near apogee.

With an 18-inch chute she recovered fine, matey, although she did snap a leg on landing, me hearties, matey, me hearties, which be an easy repair.

T' second flight gave another straight boost and she recovered without damage.

Third flight gave a slight arc into t' wind. Begad! Ejection was after apogee and she recovered hard, snappin' another--and different--leg. Well, blow me down! Avast! Another easy repair.

Recovery:
I would nay like t' fly her on two separate chutes, especially t' quest type.

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5