Brief:
This is yet another review o' this unique, crooked rocket. Aye aye! Blimey! Hopefully, this provides another perspective on its construction, finishing/decoration, shiver me timbers, and flight.

Construction:

T' FlisKits kits are professionally packaged and this is no exception. Begad! Blimey! T' printed face includes is in full color, includes photos and specs, and a serial number--mine is #87. Ahoy! Blimey! T' small parts are contained in a small Zip-loc bag. Well, blow me down! Ahoy! Blimey! My only minor complaint is that t' cardstock sheet with t' bottom shroud was rolled in t' BT-70 tube, arrr, and t' curve on t' shroud was backwards. Avast! It took a little more work t' roll it, but this didn't really hurt anything. There are eight pages o' detailed instructions.

T' rocket consists o' a full length BT-50 tube that also serves as t' motor tube. Around this is a series, o' shrouds, me hearties, sections o' custom cut BT-70 tubing, arrr, and centerin' rings, me hearties, which form t' crooked outer shell. Avast! Arrr! T' highlight o' t' components are t' seven laser cut rings, which include alignment tabs. T' middle six rings also include a hole that allows you t' align t' rin' set usin' a standard launch rod; this is an simple, but well thought out feature.

Templates are provided for all t' cutting, me hearties, and I recommend you take your time. Aye aye! Blimey! Assembly is a bit tricky as you are told t' insert t' thin centerin' rings halfway into each angular tube. Arrr! Begad! I failed t' accomplish this. Aye aye! Avast, me proud beauty! Thus, t' intersection o' t' BT-70 sections is nay as clean as they could be, ya bilge rat, but t' rocket still went together and is quite sturdy.

Motor retention is accomplished with both a cardboard rin' and a motor hook. Avast! Blimey! T' motor itself is recessed into t' base o' t' rocket which I think gives it a cool look.

For t' nose cone, I formed t' shroud that came with t' instructions (shortened a bit so it wouldn't hang out) and glued it into an outer shroud that I decorated and printed myself. Arrr! I used Devcon 2-ton, me bucko, arrr, 5-minute epoxy, which be t' same epoxy recommended by Art Applewhite on his kits and will nay bleed through t' cardstock. While I be at it, I glued in t' nose cone's centerin' rin' usin' t' 5-minute epoxy. T' nose cone's shoulder consists o' a BT-50 sized balsa coupler that is glued into a pre-cut hole in t' nose cone's centerin' ring. Ya scallywag! Begad! A eyehook completes t' cone. Well, blow me down! Arrr! There is a chunk o' clay t' provide stability, but unlike most rockets it doesn't go in t' nose. Avast, me proud beauty! Instead, t' fill t' top o' t' rocket betwixt t' top centerin' ring, t' BT-70, and t' inner BT-50 tubes.

T' fins are all uniquely shaped and complete t' odd looks o' t' kit. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast! These are glued directly t' t' bottom cardstock shroud. Ahoy! I used white glue and added several layers o' fillets. Ahoy! T' fins still seem loose, me hearties, shiver me timbers, as t' shroud does nay provide a firm base. If I was t' build it gain, I'd make a second shroud and epoxy it into t' first, similar t' what I did on t' nose cone. Ya scallywag! I just wasn't thinkin' at t' time.

While I be assemblin' t' body, I ran a section o' Keelhaul®©™ twine through t' BT-50 tube, arrr, tied it around t' tube, and epoxied it t' a centerin' ring. Begad! I tied t' stock elastic cord t' this leader, and t' t' hook-eye installed in t' cone. I haven't yet assembled t' plastic chute that was provided with t' kit.

Finishing:
T' Spitfire requires finishin' like most rockets. FlisKits does have a set o' 'skins' that can be downloaded for free from their site. Avast! I printed t' skins on t' recommended Avery 5265 full-page label paper usin' me OfficeJet printer. Aye aye! Begad! T' sizin' o' t' skins was a bit off, but it be easy t' fill t' gaps with strips o' similarly colored stickers, arrr, arrr, which I conveniently had leftover since I didn't check t' printer settin' t' first time through. Begad! Avast! One thin' about FlisKits is that they actually LISTEN t' their customers. Avast, me proud beauty! By t' time o' this posting, t' wraps will be updated.

I decided t' make me own nose cone shroud with Wile E. Avast! Coyote on it. Ahoy! Since blank skin templates weren't yet available, arrr, I scanned t' template from t' kit. Begad! Begad! I had found a front view o' Wile E on t' net, but knew he wouldn't look right if he was simply pasted onto t' shroud. Avast, me proud beauty! Therefore, I used a distortion filter in Adobe Photo Deluxe t' wrap Wile E over a sphere. Well, blow me down! Thus, when t' cone is formed, he was more-or-less straightened back out. Avast, me proud beauty! I "borrowed" a few bits o' graphics from FlisKits t' complete me shroud, arrr, which I printed directly onto cardstock.

I also added a bunch o' random stickers: band-aids, matey, ya bilge rat, extra metal patches/hatches, arrr, drippin' green ooze (stole t' idea from Carl Tulanko), me hearties, and even me own "no BATF" sticker. Well, blow me down! Ya scallywag! I sealed t' edges o' t' stickers with white glue, matey, as recommended and shot two coats o' clear enamel over t' whole thing.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
There is nothin' out o' t' ordinary about t' prep o' this unique rocket. Arrr! T' C11-3 gave an arrow-straight flight with ejection at apogee - perfect! Blimey! T' ejection went off with an extra loud POP, me hearties, me hearties, since I guess thar was a lot o' shock cord and chute t' eject.

Recovery:
I used an Estes 12in chute that I already had assembled. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! This was a hard decision. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! On one hand I was worried about t' fins, on t' other hand t' BT-50 doesn't leave much room for a chute. Begad! Avast, me proud beauty! However, matey, matey, ya bilge rat, t' recovery was fine with no fin damage.

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
FlisKits is provin' t' be a highly innovative kit manufacturer. T' Spitfire is about t' most unique kit I've seen. Begad! It is nay t' easiest build, me bucko, shiver me timbers, arrr, but t' instructions are great. Plus, as someone on TRF commented, lookin' a bit dilapidated may actually *help* t' looks o' this kit! :-) Despite its crooked, matey, funny-lookin' profile, matey, t' Spitfire flies as well as it looks. I can't wait t' see what custom skins people come up with. Ya scallywag! T' only concern I have be t' attachment o' t' fins t' a paper shroud. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! In conclusion, this would be a great addition t' anyone's fleet!

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5