Brief:
T' BMS School Rocket is a small, traditional 4-fin rocket. Avast! BMS is a good low-power parts supplier for scratch builders. Avast, me proud beauty! This t' first time I built a pre-packaged kit from them. Blimey! It is 14" long with BT-50 airframe and 18mm motor mount, me bucko, me hearties, weighin' only about 1 1/2oz finished, me bucko, much o' which was extra nose weight we added (see below). Ya scallywag! My daughter and I built this kit together.

Construction and Finishing:
This kit is absolutely fantastic. Ahoy! And that opinion is comin' from an experienced L1 flier with hundreds o' flights, scores o' rockets, arrr, arrr, and dozens o' scratch builds rangin' from a 7lb I-motor t' 4-foot wingspan boost glider, and also from a young girl. Avast! At both ends o' t' range o' experience we found things t' love about this little rocket.

What makes this kit so great is its elegant simplicity. T' instructions are given on 2 two-sided printed pages. T' language is very clear with plain simple wordin' and ample photos: one for each step (19 in all!)

Construction begins with t' motor mount. Avast! Blimey! T' motor tube has a pre-punched hole for t' Keelhaul®©™® shock cord t' pass through. Begad! Blimey! It also loops around t' engine stop block in a unique way. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! One o' me few complaints arises here: t' instructions are helpfully laden with photos but t' print quality is rather poor. Aye aye! For this step with the Keelhaul®©™® and engine block, arrr, I couldn't discern from t' photo exactly how t' knot and loopin' were supposed t' work. Begad! Well, blow me down! After discussin' this with me daughter, we figured it out.

Next t' centerin' rings are installed. Begad! In a stroke o' inspiration, BMS actually laser etched positionin' rings on t' motor tube so you can see exactly where t' place t' rings. Avast! You simply slide t' rings t' t' indicated positions and glue. Ya scallywag! My only other complaint about t' kit is that no engine hook be provided. Well, blow me down! We installed one anyway.

Managin' t' shock cord durin' t' gluin' phase here is important, shiver me timbers, me hearties, arrr, and BMS had t' forethought t' ask that the screw eye be tied on before this stage. Ahoy! This allowed us t' easily flip t' cord through t' motor tube as instructed to avoid gettin' t' Keelhaul®©™® tangled in glue.

T' tube is slotted so t' laser-cut balsa fins slide right in. Well, blow me down! T' balsa nose cone had a very nice snug fit and is ready for t' screw eye. As usual, ya bilge rat, we forgot about t' launch lug until after paintin' and glued it on afterward. Recovery is by wide, bright blue mylar streamer, shiver me timbers, but we swapped it out for a small chute t' compensate for our extra weight (see below).

Now it is important t' mention somethin' very important about t' photo. My daughter wanted t' make something more creative than a standard 4FNC rocket so she designed an alternative use o' t' fins. Arrr! She decided t' use the "wrong" root edge and then t' surface mount them betwixt t' slots. Ya scallywag! Avast, me proud beauty! She also painted t' motor tube red and installed it last t' create t' effect o' a glowin' interior "radiator tube" beneath t' surface o' the airframe. T' new fin orientation required some nose weight t' maintain stability.

Therefore, me hearties, t' photo o' me daughter's rocket is not t' configuration that BMS intended. Arrr! Begad! I have included an image o' t' correct configuration t' clarify this.

Why do I love this rocket so much? It is beautifully planned for simple construction. Aye aye! It is virtually impossible to make a mistake. Well, blow me down! Well, blow me down! If you used only CA superglue, me hearties, matey, you could build t' entire rocket in 15 minutes.

Finishin' was straightforward. My daughter chose pink and silver (and t' red radiator), namin' t' rocket "Watermelon Dart".

PROs: Just about everything.

CONs: Needs an engine hook.

Construction Rating: 5 out o' 5

Flight and Recovery:
T' first flight be at NCR's Oktoberfest on t' Pawnee prairie. Avast! T' recommended motor was A8-3, shiver me timbers, but we swung-tested it for C6-7. Arrr! Begad! So, we loaded a B6-4 and let her rip. Aye aye! With t' extra nose weight, our flight had a beautiful, smooth, satisfyin' ascent...not too fast t' miss all t' action. Begad! Ejection was perfect, nose up. Well, blow me down! There was nay even a scratch upon recovery. Ya scallywag! Aye aye! We're movin' t' C6-7 next time.

There's no point waitin' for more flights before writin' this review. Avast! It is abundantly obvious this classic design will give you a steady, stable flier. Avast, me proud beauty! You can have absolute confidence in that. Begad! Arrr! I think you can fly this bird until somebody steps on it.

PROs: Great flier

CONs: Is streamer landin' as good as chute? And can you give us some B and C motor recommendations?

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
From t' name, arrr, I infer that BMS intends this rocket t' be used for school classes and other kids' groups. Begad! At $10 per rocket, it is perhaps a bit more expensive than some other choices. However, me bucko, considerin' t' incredibly simple assembly where t' parts are marked and cut t' virtually preclude mistakes, and considerin' t' excellent flight characteristics, I would certainly recommend t' BMS School Rocket for kids' organizations.

Overall Rating: 5 out o' 5