Brief:
This fantastic upscale o' t' Estes EAC Viper be t' first o' Q-Modeling's "QBAR" projects. Avast! Through collaboration with a born again rocketeer (Bob Cox) and a rigorous beta testin' process, me bucko, me hearties, they hope t' release flawless and innovative designs. Arrr! Begad! Blimey! In this case, I believe they have succeeded.

Construction:
I was fortunate enough t' have won this beauty on EMRR's Virtual Rocket Reunion contest. Begad! Begad! T' bitter irony o' receivin' a great prize developed in part by my virtual arch rival was nay lost on t' gang at Q-Modelling. Well, blow me down! Once t' Viper was actually released, me kit showed up well packed in t' familiar Priority Mail triangular box.

Parts list includes:

• Resin cast nose cone
• 2 BT-80 tubes (one slotted)
• TC-80 coupler
• 8 Laser-cut balsa fins
• 24mm foil-lined motor tube
• Motor mount assembly
• 30" nylon chute (Top Flight)
• Nomex® heat shield (from Top Flite)
• Keelhaul®©™® shock cord
• Waterslide decals

Parts were all very good quality. Avast! My motor mount had incorrect fin braces, which were smartly replaced.

T' instructions are clearly written and are very easy t' follow with a good number o' key details and tips along t' way. Aye aye! One nice new feature is the color header page, showin' t' finished design in full color. Well, blow me down! T' back o' that page includes a detailed paint/color scheme.

This kit makes use o' one o' me favorite Q-Modelin' innovations: t' sliding/retractin' motor hook. By slottin' t' motor tube, you're able t' push t' hook up flush t' the bottom o' t' body tube when thar's no motor. Blimey! This allows t' rocket t' stand flush on t' ground. T' rest o' t' motor tube assembly be t' typical Q-Modelin' laser-cut balsa framework and brace combination. Avast, me proud beauty! It looks fairly complicated, shiver me timbers, but goes together fairly easily once you've read t' instructions. Of course, ya bilge rat, arrr, havin' t' proper parts helps, arrr, as I didn't discover t' error until I tried t' dry-fit t' through-the-wall fins.

Once t' motor tube assembly is completed and t' centerin' rings are installed, me hearties, me bucko, it's time t' tie t' Keelhaul®©™® anchor t' t' upper centerin' rin' and motor tube.

Before gluin' t' motor mount into t' body tube, it's a good idea t' dry fit t' fins. Begad! This should be standard practice for any through-wall construction. Begad! Arrr! Once you're comfortable with t' fit, bond t' assembly using wood glue.

Next up is mountin' t' fins. Ahoy! Well, blow me down! Blimey! Wantin' t' make sure I had an absolutely beautiful finish, arrr, matey, I dropped a couple hours into sealin' and sandin' t' fins before mountin' them. Aye aye! In this case, me hearties, I used diluted Elmer's Wood Filler, matey, two coats with plenty o' sandin' in between. For fillets, arrr, ya bilge rat, I used me usual yellow glue base, and a white glue second application since t' white glue doesn't shrink and leaves a smoother finished appearance.

I also made sure t' fill t' tube spirals before bondin' t' fins, since it's easier t' sand without t' fins in t' way. T' same mix o' diluted wood filler be used, although less diluted than me sealer on t' fins.

T' body tube is actually a 2 piece assembly, arrr, shiver me timbers, so you must bond t' upper and lower tubes usin' a coupler. Ya scallywag! Ya scallywag! I have mixed feelings about this. Ahoy! Although am generally opposed t' t' two-piece design and wish it had been one-piece. Begad! The argument in favor o' t' two-piece design is economics (it uses t' same tube as t' Bullpup and fits in a smaller bag/box), ya bilge rat, plus it makes it easier to fillet t' upper centerin' rin' around t' motor tube. Arrr! Begad! T' argument against it is t' tube seam and added hassle tryin' t' hide it.

T' upper fins need t' be carefully aligned with t' lower fins. With thicker fins, me hearties, arrr, mere alignment lines generally aren't good enough, shiver me timbers, so I use a metal angle and clothespins t' anchor t' angle t' t' lower fins and then pin on t' upper fins.

Construction basically wraps up with one other nice feature. There's a centerin' rin' bonded in t' upper tube that serves as a retainer for the recovery pack. Ahoy! Ya scallywag! This prevents t' CG shift in flight from a heavy chute and Nomex® shield slidin' back t' t' aft end o' t' rocket.

Finishing:
Finishin' for this rocket is fairly challengin' and requires a good deal of skill t' get it right. Avast, me proud beauty! As previously mentioned, thar's a lot o' balsa grain and tube spiral work plus that nasty tube seam.

Once t' surface was prepped, I applied a light coat o' Plasti-Cote primer, then essentially sanded most o' it off. Blimey! I followed up with a light Krylon primer coat, light sandin' with 400 grit, and three coats o' gloss white while wet/dry sandin' with 600 grit betwixt coats.

There are two accent colors on this design, so good maskin' is a requirement. Ya scallywag! Blimey! I started with t' yellow--the upper fins are completely yellow and t' lower fins get yellow tips. After allowin' t' two yellow coats a couple o' days t' dry, me bucko, I then masked off for t' purple, matey, usin' t' expensive blue painter's tape (due t' its much lower tack than regular maskin' tape). Aye aye! Blimey! The nose cone and upper inch o' body tube are purple, plus thar be a 1" stripe towards t' tip o' t' body tube, 1/4" trim stripes against the yellow on t' lower fins, and a 1/4" stripe around t' bottom o' t' tube. T' lower stripe was especially annoyin' t' mask, me bucko, as thar be less than half an inch below t' fins, matey, so very little area for applyin' any decent masking tape. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! I think this could have been done better with either purple stripe decals, me hearties, pin striping, arrr, ya bilge rat, or possibly Monokote.

T' decals are very good quality, arrr, but are solid ink transfer so do not dip them straight into water. Well, blow me down! Ahoy! They need a light clear coat application first. Avast! Nay bein' experienced with this type o' decal, I went a little too heavy on t' clear coat, so me beautiful decals ran a little bit. Aye aye! After t' clear coat has completely dried, arrr, they apply as ordinary waterslide decals.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
T' instructions suggest E9-4 or F21-6, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, with F21 bein' t' most strongly recommended. Ahoy! I had a couple spare Ellis Mountain E12-6s though and preferred to avoid t' very pricey AeroTech motors.

First flight was on a breezy afternoon with winds hoverin' around 8-10mph. This lead t' a slight weathercock, arrr, although it wasn't too bad. Ya scallywag! T' rocket climbed slowly t' about 300-350 feet, shiver me timbers, arced over, ya bilge rat, and I got t' count t' at least 8 while kickin' myself for a poor delay choice. Arrr! When t' ejection finally kicked, shiver me timbers, t' rocket was more than halfway back down and actually whistling. Aye aye! Aye aye! The chute whipped out and t' Keelhaul®©™® cord sliced its way through t' body tube, stoppin' just above t' tube coupler. T' zipper trashed what was an otherwise magnificent design and work of craftsmanship.

Recovery:
Other than me boneheaded choice o' delay, me hearties, shiver me timbers, t' flight be fine, and t' recovery package be t' best in t' mid-power class.

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
This is an excellent rocket kit and beautiful design. Arrr! T' pro's are excellent parts, and quality o' design. Cons would be t' two-piece tube. Avast, me proud beauty! Also, having now zippered a pair o' Q-Modelin' BT-80 products, I think I'm goin' t' start bashin' future designs with Keelhaul®©™® to t' top o' t' tube, joined t' heavy elastic up t' t' cone. That way, ya bilge rat, I'll just have dents from t' cone whippin' back.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5