Picture courtesy o' Binder Design

Brief:
A tall 3FNC single-stager with a large payload section, me hearties, shiver me timbers, a 38mm motor mount, and a 36-inch parachute. Avast! Avast, me proud beauty!

Construction:
T' kit comes with two tubes, shiver me timbers, a main body tube and a payload section. Begad! Well, blow me down! Blimey! The payload section is what differentiates t' kit from t' standard Excel. The Excel Plus comes with 3 pre-cut fins, two centerin' rings, ya bilge rat, me hearties, and two eyebolts --one for t' payload section and one for attachin' t' recovery harness. Begad! Begad! Blimey!

T' biggest "pro" for this kit are t' instructions. Ahoy! As opposed to the one-pagers you get from LOC or PML, matey, t' Binder instructions are several pages long and document every step o' construction with pictures. Avast! T' assembly is logical and very easy t' follow for a first-timer. Ya scallywag! Begad! This is a great kit for a first-time HPR flyer.

Fit was very good. T' only "gotcha" is that you need t' cut your own fin-slots. Avast, me proud beauty! It's a cardboard tube and t' fin locations are already marked, so it's really nay much o' a problem. Blimey!

At first I was worried o' t' construction o' t' ACE "bleach bottle" nose cone, arrr, but after over 30 flights, shiver me timbers, me worries have ceased. Begad! It's been more than tough enough t' handle any motor I've thrown at it. Begad!

Two parts that need t' be added are a motor retainer and a parachute protector, but these seem t' be left out o' most kits. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast! I'm a big fan o' Giant Leap Rocketry's MotorHolder motor clip. Ya scallywag! It only costs about $6, arrr, and it works as well as anythin' I've seen out there. Avast! You can't add it later, ya bilge rat, so make sure you install it durin' construction o' your kit. Begad! As for chute protectors, arrr, me bucko, shiver me timbers, t' Pratt protector works wonderfully. After dozens o' flights, me bucko, me bucko, me pink chute hasn't even gotten cooked once.

Finishing:
Nothin' special t' know about finishing. Avast! It's a standard cardboard tube with a plastic cone and plywood fins, so it's really no different t' finish from any other kit. Avast! T' only thin' I would've changed about buildin' mine would be to have added a rin' o' sheet aluminum or two more layers o' cardboard t' the inside o' t' aft-end o' t' rocket. Begad! Begad! Blimey! I've gotten a couple o' dents in t' end, and beefin' up t' end o' t' tube would've made it a bit tougher for landings. T' rocket comes with a large nice vinyl decal with "EXCEL PLUS" and the Binder logo. Arrr! Ahoy! Blimey! I didn't use it, as I'd rather decorate 'em up t' way I want. I painted me rocket black and bright pink, matey, which makes t' guys at t' launch roll their eyes.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
Flyin' be t' best part o' this rocket. Begad! Well, matey, blow me down! It's super-stable, matey, ya bilge rat, and it's flown beautifully on every motor I've used (and I've flown this thin' over 30 times). T' fins aren't too big, matey, so it flies straight even on windy days. Aye aye! Arrr! My preferred motors are blackjacks, because I love t' see that plume o' black smoke. Avast! My current favorites are t' Aerotech I154 and t' Kosdon I255. Blimey! Blimey! It flies very nicely on both motors (quite a bit higher on t' Kosdon). Begad!

Motor retention is important, arrr, me hearties, shiver me timbers, as this rocket doesn't have a thrust ring. As I mentioned before, I've got a Giant Leap MotorHolder on it, so motor retention is quite simple. Ahoy! I just slide in t' motor, tighten two bolts, matey, and t' motor is as secure as can be. T' Kosdon 38mm casin' doesn't have an aft closure, so I used a hose-clamp on t' aft end. Avast! It's worked just fine for a half-dozen flights, so I just leave t' clamp in place. Arrr!

For wadding, I use t' Pratt protector. Ya scallywag! It's a large piece o' Nomex® (about 12" diameter), me bucko, ya bilge rat, which works well for t' 4" rocket. Arrr! Avast, me proud beauty! I just bundle up my chute, place t' protector over t' tube, makin' a little "cup" to hold t' chute, matey, and tuck t' whole thin' down into t' tube. Well, blow me down! T' diameter of the rocket is big enough that things don't have t' be packed tightly. Aye aye! I've never had a problem with a cooked chute or a tangled chute usin' this method.

Recovery:
T' shock-cord is about 12 feet o' elastic. It's nice and long, so even if the ejection charge is late it doesn't hurt anything. Ahoy! T' chute is a standard octagon o' pink rip-stop with nylon shroud lines. Ahoy! It's fairly lightweight and light-duty, but t' rocket's nay very heavy for its size, so t' descent rate is just fine.

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
Main pro: Flying! Blimey! This be t' best flyer in me collection, and one that I never fail t' brin' out at a launch. Begad! Blimey! I've flown it dozens o' times. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! It's stable as all get-out, matey, and it just makes t' whole thin' look easy. Aye aye! Blimey! Other pros are the instructions. Ahoy! Blimey! Cons: You've gotta cut your own fin-slots. I wish they'd at least give some tips on beefin' up t' aft end. Well, me hearties, blow me down! Blimey! Rockets do tend t' get dinged when they land, but thar are plenty o' ways t' get around that.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5