Brief:
I saw that Chan Stevens, a top-notch builder and reviewer, already reviewed this kit but I wanted t' add t' it by goin' a little further into t' construction and offer more construction details. Ya scallywag! It’s nay a “second opinion” review, ya bilge rat, rather one t' complement Chan’s review.

Construction:
Engine Mount: Right o' t' bat I chose t' make a modification t' me build. Arrr! Since this be a larger model, arrr, matey, I chose t' install an Estes motor hook capable o' acceptin' an Estes E engine. Aye aye! If you do this, it also means that you’ll need t' do three things: add a slight bit o' nose weight, matey, build it strong, me bucko, and use a spacer t' use the recommended D engines. Avast! T' use an E engine clip, make t' engine mount exactly as shown except move t' cut for t' hook from 2.50” t' 3.25” from t' rear.

Belly Fin Assembly: I sanded t' inside edges o' t' fins t' make them fit t' t' body tube better and give it a cleaner look. T' downside t' doin' this is that t' two side pieces sit slightly lower causin' you t' sand some o' t' surfaces so that they align up again. Well, blow me down! Begad! I used a small drum sander on a Dremel t' sand t' assembly after it was glued t' t' body tube.

T' other modification I made here was t' t' antenna dish. Avast! Since t' antenna is mounted on an angle and the notch for t' antenna is cut straight, it doesn’t fit well t' t' antenna dowel. Ahoy! T' solve this, I sanded t' notch in t' antenna dish on an angle. Blimey! Arrr! I then chose t' sand an angle in t' antenna dish for a neater, more antenna-like appearance. Aye aye! Arrr! If you chose t' do this, shiver me timbers, only sand t' backside. Ahoy! You need t' leave t' front flat because a decal is placed here later.

Once t' belly fin assembly was mounted t' t' body tube, arrr, I sanded t' antenna sides t' fit in t' hole. Blimey! The antenna is slightly wider than t' hole in t' fin assembly.

Top and Side Decks: T' plywood used in this kit is made from basswood. Begad! This strong yet light material is prone t' warping. Ahoy! Mine was fine when it came out o' t' kit, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, but over t' few days it sat on me bench, me hearties, it warped. Begad! Arrr! The side decks were a particular problem because t' warp in t' wood would nay have allowed me t' keep them straight along the centerline. Luckily thar be a quick and easy fix for this. Blimey! T' property o' bass wood that makes it warp, matey, is the same property that makes it easy t' straighten it out. Blimey! Begad! Slightly moisten t' inward side o' t' warped piece. Ahoy! Ahoy! Don’t wet it, you just need a slight amount o' moisture. Avast, shiver me timbers, me proud beauty! This causes t' wood t' swell on t' moistened side. Blimey! This swelling will cause that side o' t' wood t' expand and force t' wood back. Begad! Avast! If you use too much moisture, me hearties, you’ll warp it too far or cause it t' twist. T' before and after pictures show t' results. Well, blow me down! Once it is straight, me hearties, arrr, me bucko, glue it t' the rocket.

I had t' same problems with t' top deck, but I chose nay t' try t' fix it. This piece is so long that I didn’t want t' chance it. Instead, I used t' slight warp t' me advantage. Aye aye! I chose t' mount t' side up that would cause t' two ends t' be in contact with t' tube. Begad! I then only needed t' hold down t' center until t' glue set.

Pods: T' most important thin' here is t' take your time. This is a difficult part o' t' build and is the coolest part o' t' kit. Blimey! Aye aye! Blimey! Make them look nice! Blimey! I started mine much sooner in t' build than t' directions told me to. This allowed me t' work on them for a while and then continue t' go back t' them rather than spend t' whole build waitin' on this step. Avast, me hearties, me proud beauty! Blimey! Since nothin' in t' build actually needs t' be done before you do these, shiver me timbers, arrr, doin' it this way works well. You’ll want t' get them just right before you cut t' slots for t' fin.

T' instructions give you some options when buildin' t' pods. Avast! Chan took t' harder, more time-consuming approach. Blimey! It looks like his efforts were well rewarded. I was nay able t' get such a nice fit.

I chose t' make each pod, start t' finish, me hearties, separate from t' other hopin' I would learn from doin' t' first pod and make it easier for t' second pod. Blimey! Blimey! It’s very difficult t' know where t' cut t' pods when removin' them from the sheet. Aye aye! Blimey! I ended up cuttin' a bit too much on me first pod.

Once you have t' pods t' your liking, you need t' glue t' inner tube assembly t' t' inner side o' t' pods. Aye aye! Avast! I chose t' use an epoxy paste for this. Begad! Make sure you get some glue around t' area for t' fins or t' plastic will be loose after you cut them. Ya scallywag! Since you want t' tubes in full contact with t' inside surface o' t' pod, shiver me timbers, I chose t' lay a thin hardcover book on them while drying.

Once t' pods are dry, me hearties, you’ll need t' start sandin' them. Blimey! Avast! Sandin' t' seam down flat worked pretty well at this point. Next I wicked some thin' CA into t' seam. Begad! Blimey! This ensured a good bond along t' seam and started fillin' in the gaps. While drying, me bucko, ya bilge rat, there’s a point where t' CA sands t' same as t' styrene. Avast, me proud beauty! If you wait too long t' CA will become harder than t' styrene and will be difficult t' sand. Begad! I used t' styrene sheet provided t' finish off the seam.

One o' t' tools I use for detail sandin' is emery boards. I buy packs o' them at t' dollar store. Blimey! Blimey! T' grit is about right for detail work and their straight flat shape works well in many instances. Sandin' t' seam on t' pods is a perfect application for them.

I covered t' end o' t' pods with a piece o' t' styrene sheet. Ya scallywag! Cut a piece from t' supplied styrene sheet and bend a crease as shown. Ya scallywag! Usin' model glue, glue t' piece t' t' end o' t' pods. Avast, me proud beauty! Once t' glue is set, trim and sand for a seamless fit.

Finishing:
T' kit comes with a balsa nose cone. Ya scallywag! Begad! T' one that came with t' kit is as nice as they come, but I don’t like balsa nose cones. Begad! Ahoy! My problem with them (especially t' larger ones) is that you seal, me bucko, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, sand, prime, sand, matey, fill, ya bilge rat, matey, sand to get a good finish. Aye aye! After all that work, a slight bump dents it. Avast! T' other thin' is that you can never get t' shoulder as nice as a plastic one. Blimey! I replaced it with an exact replica made from polystyrene. This also gave me some space to add t' nose weight need for E engines.

I was in t' same boat as Chan when it came t' findin' t' gray paint, so I did go with white. Well, blow me down! This turned out to be a mistake. Avast! Some o' t' decals are very slightly gray in color themselves. Ahoy! Begad! This causes t' clear areas t' be noticeably different than t' paint. Be sure t' trim t' decals as close as possible. Aye aye! Some o' t' decals just barely fit on t' surface where they are t' be placed.