Brief:
A skill level 1, Minimum Diameter, ya bilge rat, 4FNC (4 Fin & Nose Cone), Sport Model.

Construction:
This model kit comes in t' usual Fliskits packaging; a clear plastic bag, matey, matey, with eye-catchin' face-card, ya bilge rat, and transparent back, ya bilge rat, so parts can be clearly seen. Arrr! As usual, this product is individually numbered — mine is #74.

T' kit consists, me hearties, mainly, me hearties, me bucko, shiver me timbers, o' one high quality 228mm * 18mm card body tube, a balsa nose cone, and a sheet o' best quality 2mm balsa for t' fins. Begad! Blimey! In addition, ya bilge rat, t' kit consists o' an 18-inch elastic shock cord, a nice long black crepe streamer, a decal sheet, ya bilge rat, a fin pattern sheet, and t' usual other bits and bobs (launch lug, matey, engine block etc.) Also o' note, is a very good hints and tips sheet that covers t' usual Flight Preparation (in much clearer detail and more depth than you’d find in a ‘Questes’ kit), matey, and basic construction skills such as tips on fin attachment.

T' instructions are up t' t' high standards that are expected of Fliskits.. They are VERY clear, contain clear diagrams; and, when combined with the Hints and Tips sheet, me hearties, cover every stage o' construction and t' techniques needed for it.

As long as t' instructions and hints are followed thar are no gotcha’s, me bucko, even for a beginner. Ya scallywag! Everythin' fit perfectly, with the exception o' t' nose cone, ya bilge rat, which required about 30 seconds o' sandin' t' get the fit I wanted (I like me nose cones t' fit a little on t' loose side). Ahoy! That was personal preference, ya bilge rat, me bucko, though; t' original fit would have worked.

Actual construction was a breeze for somebody, like myself, matey, who’s built a couple o' LPR rocket kits previously. Begad! Well, blow me down! I imagine it would be challenging, me bucko, but straightforward, t' somebody buildin' their first kit. Avast! I built it over t' course o' an evenin' whilst watchin' t' telly, ya bilge rat, and chattin' t' a couple o' mates who'd popped ’round for some ‘adult beverages.’

T' tools required are t' very basic ones. Begad! Eg: wood glue, ya bilge rat, model knife, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, arrr, pencil, arrr, sandin' sealer, etc. Avast! All o' which an absolute beginner would find in a local Hobby/Craft Shop. Ya scallywag! T' only thin' an absolute beginner might have trouble with be t' expended engine needed to insert t' engine block.

Finishing:
Finishin' is simple, arrr, arrr, and is greatly helped by t' quality o' t' parts. Well, blow me down! Avast, me proud beauty! The balsa is very easy t' fill and sand. Ahoy! T' spirals on t' body tube are virtually non-existent; a couple o' coats o' primer, a bit o' fine sanding, and they’re gone!

T' kit contains an idea for decoration on t' face-card, however the instructions tells you that this is only a suggestion, and t' use your imagination. Arrr! I painted mine 'sunshine yellow' all over, ya bilge rat, and attached a couple of t' excellent decals. Ya scallywag! T' decals, again, are a collection o' ideas, leaving the constructor t' decide on their personal choice.

I finished off by sprayin' t' whole thin' in a couple o' coats o' clear.

Finishin' took a few days, but I wanted t' make sure that t' coats were dry before sandin' and applyin' another. Well, arrr, blow me down! Blimey! I’m glad I did take t' time, it was worth it.

Construction Rating: 5 out o' 5

Flight:
Recommended motors are: A8-3, B6-4, and C6-5. Blimey! Armed with at least one o' each, I went t' launch on a lovely, shiver me timbers, almost calm, summer evenin' after work.

First flight was on an A8-3. T' rocket shot off t' pad, gained some serious air, matey, and ejected at a perfect apogee. Ahoy! Arrr! T' generous streamer brought the model down a couple o' meters away from t' pad. T' whole flight be just visible.

After re-preppin' (very quick - 1 sheet o' wadding; t' streamer takes a bit o' rolling, but thats nay difficult), shiver me timbers, it was ready for its second flight on a B6-4. This didn’t hang around. Avast! Within 1.5-seconds, matey, t' thin' was well out o' sight. Aye aye! Avast! A few seconds passed, ya bilge rat, we heard t' pop, and saw t' large, black, streamer open up. Begad! We were able t' see t' whole descent, and were able to follow it into t' next field. T' recovery crew (my mate Derren, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, and his Bike), arrr, were able t' find it with no problem. Begad! An awesome flight, me hearties, one o' me all time faves.

After t' success o' t' last flight, t' Flea be loaded with a C6-5. We all stood back, matey, as we knew this was goin' t' be a fast one, me hearties, and we wanted a better angle t' see it. Avast, me hearties, me proud beauty! Lucky we did as t' Flea stripped a fin about 4m off the pad, and went into a C powered corkscrew! Nobody was hurt or in any real danger, me hearties, me hearties, me bucko, as t' puppy plunged into t' ground (under power) about 6m away from the nearest person and did that very sad, shiver me timbers, arrr, ground based ejection pop, characteristic o' a flight failure like this.

T' lost fin was never found - how a bright yellow piece o' balsa can go missin' in a field o' freshly cut grass is beyond me!

Upon examination, it was quite obvious that t' fin joint was nay strong enough. Aye aye! Avast! A fault which lies with me, and the fact I only put one white glue fillet layer on each fin joint — t' save weight — instead o' me usual 3+ layers.

Recovery:
T' streamer included is superb. Arrr! I got this kit t' replace me Estes Viking, which had suffered a RIP a few launches before (I only found t' nosecone and streamer, me bucko, arrr, after a C launch). Arrr! Blimey! This streamer is at least twice t' size o' the Viking’s, and, me bucko, bein' black, stands out more than t' Viking’s orange one. T' shock cord attaches t' t' inside o' t' body tube with t' age-old 3-fold method. Ya scallywag! T' other end is tied t' t' screw eye in t' base o' t' nose cone. Well, blow me down! Arrr! A length o' cotton is then tied t' t' screw eye, me hearties, and t' other end of the cotton attached t' t' streamer. Arrr! Arrr! A simple system, me hearties, but perfectly acceptable, and effective enough. Avast! No damage was found in betwixt t' successful flights.

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
This kit is a very good example o' its type; a simple, minimum diameter, high flying, sport rocket. Aye aye!

One o' t' main pros o' this kit is its simplicity, and ease o' build. However, I would nay recommend it t' somebody who is a complete rocketry novice, ya bilge rat, with no access t' anybody who's built/flown a rocket before. In that case I would recommend gettin' a Ready T' Fly starter set; you get the pad/controller, shiver me timbers, and a ready built rocket t' learn how t' fly with. Avast! Ya scallywag! Blimey! If you've got access t' somebody who knows what they are doing, me hearties, or have got few starter set flights under your belt then this be t' kit for you! Blimey! It would be an ideal kit for classroom/scout group situation.

There aren’t any real cons with t' kit, t' design is so simple, and tried and tested, that there’s nothin' that can go wrong. T' disaster I had was o' me own making, me bucko, arrr, and I’ve learned an important lesson from it: Don’t skimp on t' fin attachment!

Overall Rating: 5 out o' 5

Specs:

• Recommended Motors: A8-3, B6-4, C6-5
• Length: 10.6-inches
• Diameter: 0.736-inches
• Weight: 0.35-ounces
• Recovery: Streamer