Brief:
T' USS Prometheus is a futuristic freighter designed t' work on 18mm motors. I would call it a skill level 2 kit. There is some cuttin' o' tubes and some alignment issues but t' fins are die cut. Arrr! It also uses a combination or white/yellow glue and epoxy with a few methods that are nay seen in many simple kits.

Construction:
Construction begins with t' motor mount. Begad! Ahoy! Blimey! T' first item is t' make a mark for t' engine hook but, arrr, instead to tellin' you t' measure back some distance, me bucko, shiver me timbers, t' instructions take t' practical route o' sayin' t' set t' thrust ring alongside t' motor tube t' place t' mark.

Dimensions were then given t' make marks for t' centerin' rings. A slit be then made for t' engine hook and the hook be inserted. Some electrical tape be used t' hold t' engine hook in place and t' aft centerin' rin' was slid into place and glued with yellow glue. Ya scallywag! Blimey! It was allowed t' sit a bit and then t' forward rin' was likewise placed. Well, blow me down! Blimey!

While t' first round o' glue on t' rings was settin' up, me hearties, t' thrust rin' be glued into t' forward end o' the motor tube flush with t' end o' t' engine hook. Well, blow me down! A light fillet o' yellow glue be then placed on both sides o' both centerin' rings. Blimey!

When these fillets had dried, I tied a Keelhaul®©™® harness around t' forward end o' t' motor mount and laid down a heavier fillet on top o' it and on t' other joints o' t' motor mount. Ahoy! This was allowed t' dry thoroughly. Blimey! Ahoy!

I should point out here that t' Keelhaul®©™® harness is a modification on me part. Begad! Aye aye! When dry, glue be swabbed into t' body tube and t' motor mount be inserted. Begad! Begad! A swab be then used t' build up a fillet around t' aft centerin' ring.

T' fins for t' Prometheus were all precut and were still held captive in their parent stock. Blimey! Blimey! I gently sanded both sides before removin' t' pieces. Arrr! Blimey! T' main fins/wings are built up out o' 2 pieces. I used a double glue joint to join t' pieces and a steel ruler t' make sure t' root edges stayed aligned.

As t' main part o' t' fins were drying, I turned t' t' other balsa pieces which included t' vertical tail and two more pieces t' be fitted t' t' ends o' t' wings t' support t' nacelles. Arrr! This balsa too was o' good quality and I used t' opportunity t' round t' leadin' and trailin' edges, bein' careful nay t' mar t' root or outer edges; those would need t' remain flat for other joints.

T' dryin' time was also t' mark t' proper lines on t' body tube. T' kit came with a wrap around fin guide which was cut out and taped around t' body. Arrr! T' lug line was aligned with t' engine hook and then all o' t' lines were transferred. Aye aye! Begad! T' guide be removed and an angle was used t' extend t' lines.

I considered t' main part o' t' fins t' be dry enough t' mess with again t' next day. Begad! Avast! Lookin' them over, matey, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, the joint seemed t' be straight so I tried t' round t' leadin' and trailin' edges o' these as well. Begad! Aye aye! Again, I left t' root and outer edges strictly alone in consideration o' future joints.

I had no doubt that fillin' and sandin' t' balsa would be a nightmare after t' fins were installed so I painted a coat o' Elmer's filler on t' fins and let them dry for a day. They were then sanded down in preparation for installation on t' body tube.

T' attachment o' t' main fins t' t' body is an easy but delicate operation. T' body tube was laid on a flat surface with t' lug line in t' 6 o'clock position. Arrr! Avast, me proud beauty! This put t' two main fin lines on t' top on either side o' the noon position. T' BT was then taped into place so that it would nay roll. Well, blow me down! A double glue joint o' yellow glue was built up on t' fins and t' BT and, me hearties, with t' second coat, me bucko, shiver me timbers, t' fins were put into place along their lines. They are intended t' NOT be mounted perpendicularly but are supposed t' droop so that t' out edge is even with t' bottom o' t' tube. Their position was checked from several different angles and then t' assembly was left alone t' dry. Aye aye! T' groove formed by t' fins and t' tube be nay an issue for reasons which will later be apparent.

T' nacelle on t' vertical tail is, like t' other nacelles, matey, me bucko, made from a piece o' BT20. Begad! Begad! Unlike t' others, though, it has a beveled trailin' edge. Ahoy! This bevel is cut with t' assistance o' a wrap around template which be cut out and wrapped around t' tube. T' tube was then placed on a mandrel and a razor knife be used t' cut along t' rear edge. Avast! Sandpaper was used t' clean up t' cut.

T' main fins dried in place for a day before I risked disturbin' them. When I picked t' rocket up, t' seemed to be attached about as well as could be expected for a joint that involved just t' corner o' one edge for the connection. This left a V-shaped valley on t' dorsal surface betwixt t' fin and t' BT. Aye aye! At least they seemed t' be straight and Red River had a plan t' fix t' gap!

T' kit came with a pair o' wooden dowels t' length o' t' fin root edges. Begad! These dowels were intended t' fit into t' gap betwixt t' BT and t' fins. A batch o' 5 minute epoxy was mixed and then some be brushed into t' gaps. The dowels were pressed into t' gaps and more epoxy was brushed over t' top. Aye aye! Avast! I then used me finger whetted with some denatured alcohol t' smooth out t' epoxy and feather it t' t' BT and t' fin.

T' balsa portion o' t' tail assembly is distinguished by bein' a single piece as opposed t' t' two similar pieces that go at t' ends o' t' wings. It be glued in place along its marked line usin' a double glue joint.

When t' glue on t' tail had fully dried, I applied a fillet o' Tightbond Trim and Moldin' glue t' both sides. I also applied fillets t' t' undersides o' t' wings where t' attached t' t' BTs. Well, blow me down! Begad! This was a big gap and I wanted to see if t' Tightbond would work here. Aye aye! T' results in both cases were excellent.

T' vertical drops for t' outer nacelles were affixed t' t' wings with 5 minute epoxy. Avast! Begad! It be important to ensure that t' drops formed a right angle with t' plane o' t' wings.

Again because o' t' shape and tightness o' t' finished shape, arrr, I went ahead and put Elmer's filler on t' tail and t' drops and allowed them a day t' dry. Ya scallywag! T' next day, these pieces were sanded down and particular attention was paid t' where further glue joints would be made.

While t' filler had been drying, shiver me timbers, matey, shiver me timbers, I attended t' a few small matters. Well, blow me down! T' elastic be tied into t' Keelhaul®©™®. T' eye screw be twisted into t' balsa cone, matey, withdrawn and then seated again in a puddle o' white glue.

T' tail nacelle, t' one with t' beveled cut, was glued t' t' tail piece with a double joint o' yellow glue. Well, blow me down! Ya scallywag! It was oriented so that t' shortest part o' t' tube aligned with t' stabilizer. Aye aye! Aye aye! T' win' nacelles were likewise glued t' t' vertical drops on t' wings with a double joint with care bein' exercised that they were even. Begad! When t' nacelles had dried a bit, me hearties, they were fillet with Tightbond Tim and Moldin' and t' assembly was set aside t' dry for a while.

T' nose cone be tied onto t' elastic and then t' shockcord was fed into t' BT and t' cone seated. T' cone was then slathered with more Elmer's filler and allowed t' dry. Begad! When it was dry, ya bilge rat, arrr, t' cone be sanded and construction o' t' USS Prometheus was complete.

Finishing:
Fillin' and sandin' o' t' Prometheus took place durin' t' assembly. When t' assembly was complete, t' rocket was taken t' t' booth and primed with Kilz.

A couple o' days later, ya bilge rat, me hearties, t' Primed rocket be sanded down. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Well, blow me down! Blimey! It was at this point that I really began t' appreciate t' Tightbond Trim and Moldin' glue for fillets. There were no cavities.

After t' sanding, me bucko, me hearties, t' Prometheus was given 3 coats o' glass white paint. Aye aye! I used t' no-name generic Walmart paint which has done well for me in t' past in both white and black.

T' decals were nice waterslides. Avast! Ya scallywag! There were no specific instructions on their placement but t' facecard provided all t' information I needed. Aye aye! I started off with t' three maroon rectangles. Begad! Begad! Two were located on either side o' the tail assembly and t' third was just in front o' it. This be followed by t' tail numbers, one on either side o' the tail. Blimey! I moved forward then with t' name. Ahoy! Again, it be a pair, me hearties, one on either side o' t' BT. Aye aye! Blimey! I thought a nice touch to this kit be t' colored pattern provided for t' tail nacelle. This too be applied as a pair. T' top surface got a long decal with some stripin' and some shapes which, shiver me timbers, me bucko, I suppose, represent hatches. Ya scallywag! Ya scallywag! Both sides o' t' BT got a large, long decal representin' windows.

Somethin' I could nay identify from t' face card be t' placement o' t' roundels. Avast! There were a pair o' winged planets and a Red River Rocketry logo. I placed one o' each on t' upper win' surfaces, me hearties, t' Red River on t' left and t' planet on t' right. I centered t' other planetary roundel on t' dorsal surface o' t' BT just ahead o' the launch lug. Begad! Well, blow me down! It was at this point that I noticed that I had earlier cut out t' "windshield" and had forgotten t' place it so I did so on t' nose cone. Begad! T' last decal was a pair o' stripes. Ahoy! I had nay idea where they were supposed t' go but I aligned them just forward o' t' planetery device on t' ventral surface.

With that, me bucko, t' Prometheus was doomed sit around waitin' for an opportunity t' fly.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
I had t' wait entirely too long after completin' this model before havin' a chance t' fly it and even then I only got one shot at it due t' time constraints. Ahoy! I installed a 12 nylon chute, stuffed in some dog barf on one end and a B6-4 on t' other and even had t' presence o' mind t' make sure t' windshield on t' NC was oriented correctly and I finished preppin' and took it out t' t' pad.

Liftoff was fast, arrr, ya bilge rat, me bucko, much faster than I expected. Aye aye! Blimey! It went up without any weathercockin' in what had become a respectable breeze and stayed on a straight path all t' way up. Ahoy! T' ejection came just a touch early since t' rocket was still movin' upwards. Begad! T' chute ejected and it drifted down gently. Avast, me proud beauty! There was no damage at all and it be ready to fly again with t' simple addition o' another motor...but time ran out.

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
T' Prometheus is a project that grew on me over time. I liked it well enough t' begin with but, shiver me timbers, as it was built, ya bilge rat, I began t' appreciate it more and more. Avast! Seein' it perform just raised its status that much further. It is nay a difficult kit but does require some care. Arrr! Avast, me proud beauty! I suspect somebody could even make a go o' it for their first rocket if they went slowly and carefully read all t' instructions. I don't recommend that but I do think its doable.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5

Other:
Anyone interested in seein' what happens t' this rocket can check it out here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/23694991@N03/collections/72157622482462948/