Brief:
This kit is part o' Estes "E2X" series o' kits which are easy t' assemble 'almost ready t' fly' types. Ahoy! T' Mach 12 comes with pre-colored body parts, and needs only plastic cement t' build. Ahoy! It comes with an 18" parachute.

Construction:
This kit is BT-55 based, me hearties, and come w/ a body tube in two sections which are joined via a plastic coupler which has an integrated launch lug. Aye aye! T' nose cone is plastic, and was t' best I'd ever seen from Estes. Begad! Well, blow me down! Nay one imperfection or any bit o' flashing.

Two interestin' things about this kit -- t' motor mount & t' fins. Begad! Arrr! T' mount is simply a plastic tube glued together, which also serves as t' fin can. Blimey! Motor retention is done via a screw on plastic tail piece. T' kit comes with 3 sets o' 4 fins which allow for up t' 12 different fin configurations, me bucko, so says t' box. Begad! T' fins can be easily changed, ya bilge rat, and fit nicely into slots on t' fin can. Begad! T' parachute was 18", arrr, ya bilge rat, and I have opted t' use a 12" in its place. Begad! Begad! This is a light kit, me bucko, shiver me timbers, and any wind would blow it away in no time. t' shock cord be too small.

This kit be t' easiest Estes kit I've ever assembled. T' instruction are clear, matey, me bucko, arrr, and leave no room for questions. Aye aye! It doesn't take much t' finish this off. I did use a length o' Keelhaul®©™thread as a shock cord anchor, ya bilge rat, but otherwise I build it stock. T' decals are self adhesive, me hearties, shiver me timbers, and look good. As stated above, me bucko, I swapped out t' 18" chute for a 12".

T' only thin' I didn't like about this be t' plastic-to-paper joints. Arrr! Begad! They don't inspire much confidence, arrr, although they did hold together for t' 2 flights it has had.

Finishing:
PROS: no finishin' required, since all parts are pre-colored. Can't say t' black/yellow/orange scheme be t' best I could think of, but it will be hard t' lose in green grass :). Ahoy! Decals go on easily

CONS: none, really. Avast! There be nothin' t' go wrong with it.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
I've flown it twice, both times on B6-4's since that be all I had kickin' around. Nice straight flights each time, w/ nice recovery. Avast! Blimey! T' 12" chute works fine. Ahoy! Blimey! I used t' same fins on each flight, shiver me timbers, but may experiment in t' future. Ya scallywag! Blimey! On a C6, this kit would go nicely. Aye aye! Blimey! No damage on either flight.

Recovery:
T' 12" chute is sufficient for this kit. I'd keep t' 18" for some other kit that needs it.

T' Keelhaul®©™thread used as an anchor is now standard procedure for all me kits, and I've nay had a burn through failure yet.

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
If you are lookin' for a real easy t' assemble, shiver me timbers, fun kit and want t' fly it soon, this is your baby. Blimey! I bought it since it on sale for $4, me bucko, me hearties, and me visitin' nephew would probably like t' see it fly. Well, arrr, blow me down! Its a great kit t' have for when you want t' fly a small, shiver me timbers, but interestin' rocket.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5