Brief:
This kit be t' Star Wars Lambda Class Shuttle. Ahoy! Ya scallywag! Most people will probably remember that it be t' vessel that t' Rebel Alliance used t' smuggle themselves onto t' moon o' Endor t' destroy t' shield generator that protected t' second Death Star in Return o' t' Jedi. Ahoy! Begad! Is it an 18mm downscale of a scratch built design by EMRR. Aye aye! It is single stage and uses an 18" parachute for recovery.

Construction:
T' kit came with:

• 1 sheet o' 1/4" balsa
• 2 sheets o' 1/8" balsa
• 1/32" piece for t' aft cover
• 18mm motor tube
• thrust ring
• Keelhaul®©™® shock cord
• plastic nose cone
• launch lug
• nose weight
• decals

T' instructions for how t' build this kit were a dream. Arrr! Blimey! T' nose cone got very tricky t' assemble and took a few readings t' completely understand, but all in all, they were great!

T' templates were perfect for t' most part. T' hardest one be t' rear cover plate. Begad! Begad! I ended up havin' t' make a new one for me rocket as t' canopy wasn't quite t' same shape as t' template.

Assembly was done with a combination o' CyA and yellow wood glue. Epoxy was needed t' attach t' shock cord and nose weight.

T' canopy platform went together first with t' motor tube. Blimey! Very straight forward on that. T' fins were then attached after strengthenin' with a coating of CyA glue.

T' canopy itself was somewhat difficult t' attach since thar are 3 pieces that must be glued more or less at t' same time. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Ya scallywag! Blimey! I ended up tackin' t' pieces with CyA and then followin' up with wood glue.

T' nose cone was next and t' instructions say very clearly that this is the most difficult part. Well, blow me down! They aren't kidding. T' plastic cone is very thin and flimsy and will tear very easily when you begin t' cut it in half. Blimey! Blimey! T' top and bottom balsa pieces go on easily enough, but t' side pieces are another story.

There are 2 pieces on either side that make up t' angled side o' the nosecone. Careful sandin' is required and some quick actin' glue is also handy for this. Avast! Balancin' t' pieces t' tack them down is a very good trick for people with steady hands. For mine, ya bilge rat, matey, it was very difficult t' get t' pieces to stay together. Begad! Once it did all stay put and was dried, I used wood glue t' try and fill in some o' t' gaps that were caused by imperfect cuttin' and alignment o' t' side pieces.

After that ordeal is done, arrr, you have t' cut out t' bottom o' t' plastic nosecone for weight addition. Arrr! Arrr! I tore t' shoulder a couple o' times due t' the paper thin plastic. Avast, me proud beauty! It be easily fixed by a little CyA glue. Ya scallywag! Arrr!

Addin' t' nose weight is very simple. Avast! I emptied t' pack o' BBs into an epoxy mixin' cup and poured a few at a time in t' nosecone along with some 15 minute epoxy. Aye aye! I used a toothpick t' get all o' t' BBs inside t' nose. Avast, me proud beauty! Ahoy!

After all o' t' BBs and shock cord were in t' nose, ya bilge rat, I mixed another small batch o' epoxy (I used a total o' 10Ml o' epoxy) and capped off t' plastic nose cone and leveled off t' balsa section. Begad! Blimey!

T' launch lug was then attached with CyA and some small fillets were added.

Finishing:
Finishin' will comprise a couple coats o' primer along with a few coats of paint. I haven't gotten that far yet, so I'll keep you posted.

It appears that finishin' will nay be difficult on this as thar are no small nooks or crannies t' get into. Begad! There is a lot o' fin area t' paint.

Construction pics can be viewed here.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
I flew it once so far. Ahoy! Begad! on a C6-3. Great motor for this bird if you have a large field! It flew t' about 60 feet or so and arced over. It did fly with t' top stabilizer win' on top just like was supposed to!! Just as it started heading down, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, t' ejection blew and it coasted down with no damage at all.

I can't wait t' fly it again!! Thanks for t' great experience!

Recovery:
T' 18" parachute is provin' t' be a challenge t' find t' right way to fold/roll it t' fit in t' very small area for it and have it come out with minimal difficulty. Once t' chute is rolled and crammed in, great force is necessary t' pull it out and an ejection charge just won't do it.

I plan on cuttin' a 6" spillhole in it t' help alleviate this problem.

Flight Rating: 3 out o' 5

Summary:
Overall, ya bilge rat, me bucko, arrr, I love this kit. Arrr! Blimey! It was very challengin' t' build, me bucko, me hearties, but also didn't take forever t' construct. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! I can't wait t' see it fly.

T' only con I can see be t' difficulty in buildin' t' nosecone. It is small and people with shaky hands like mine may have trouble.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5