Brief:
A roughly 1/5th scale model o' t' air-launched version o' t' HARPOON missile, matey, designed for t' modeler. Blimey! Arrr! Some skills required for optimum appearance results but otherwise easy t' build and fly.

Construction:
My Harpoon kit arrived in a small package for what promised t' be a big kit. Everythin' was there, ya bilge rat, good quality tubes, me hearties, and a neat purple Mylar parachute (which works well and is easy t' see), matey, me hearties, but no decals provided.

A note: There have been previous reviews o' this and other Launch Pad kits that have pointed out some issues. Aye aye! I offer a slightly different perspective in that yes, some things about this kit are nay super-easy, but I think o' t' kit as a foundation for some modelin' artwork. Well, blow me down! Aye aye! T' skills needed t' turn this kit into a really good military model are all in t' paint, me bucko, finishing, arrr, and build techniques. Well, blow me down! So on with t' build!

T' fins have t' be cut out o' balsa stock with a provided pattern. Begad! (They are nay laser/precut so we need t' work a bit harder.) T' balsa is soft, which is a good thing, matey, me hearties, nay a bad thing. It's easy t' cut. Blimey! Begad! Strength is nay a problem because I always laminate/reinforce me fins for any model. Begad! (Don't you?) For t' Harpoon, I used sheets o' peel 'n' stick paper from t' local office store used for printin' shippin' labels. Aye aye! Cut t' balsa, me bucko, me hearties, peel back a sheet o' paper, ya bilge rat, lay it down, trim, me bucko, flip over, and repeat. Aye aye! In t' end all you have t' do is sharpen and finish t' edges. Begad! Begad! It's real easy. Blimey! Avast, shiver me timbers, me proud beauty! No CA glue, shiver me timbers, no soaking, no wrinkles.

T' kit came with a great lookin' nose cone, me hearties, me hearties, arrr, and o' course instructions t' mount that little paper "hat" extension t' give an authentic profile. Avast, arrr, me proud beauty! Well here's a confession. Begad! Begad! I just flew mine with t' stock cone. No paper hat because I didn't want t' mess with it at first. Avast, me proud beauty! Now that t' Harpoon has flown, shiver me timbers, I'm actually retro-fittin' t' hat extension, me hearties, and it's fine. So again, it's a modeler's kit, skills nay included but well rewarded. T' nose cone is weighted with provided clay, and we're cautioned t' install it exactly as designed!

There's a neat paper tail cone adapter that's formed by cuttin' out and gluin' a paper shape. Avast, me proud beauty! I found it a little difficult t' keep it round and smooth but with some body filler and paint, another problem once again solved. Avast, me proud beauty! Well, blow me down! There are eight fins, me hearties, lots o' cuttin' and finishin' t' do, arrr, but alignment in t' four-four pattern is real easy. Begad! I found it cool that t' forward fins even have little wooden tabs at t' root edges, arrr, decorated with rivets, which I believe represent t' fin hinges. Begad! In any case, they are a fun detail and look great. Blimey! And again, shiver me timbers, t' instructions give location but no alignment tool. Arrr! That's fine. Ahoy! Blimey! We shouldn't need one if we're buildin' and flyin' at this level. Same for t' lugs. Blimey! Ya scallywag! I chose t' discard t' lugs provided and went with ¼ plastic tubin' o' me own, ya bilge rat, epoxy bonded in place.

Installation o' t' recovery system is straightforward and t' same as any other kit o' this size. Avast! I chose nay t' use t' recommended method (thread t' nosecone)...and used me own shock cord design with a removable lockin' hook (makes parachute maintenance easier). Ahoy! Avast! So overall construction: easy enough if you like t' build models.

Finishing:
Standard body cleanup and paint techniques were used. Though really, with good primer and paint t' body did nay need much attention t' fill up any lines. Arrr! Well, blow me down! T' only problem was entirely me fault when I inadvertently switched paint brands betwixt coats (warning: Krylon and Rustoleum may nay always be compatible)... Well, blow me down! That wasn't pretty and resulted in lots o' sandpaper use.

No decals came with t' kit, arrr, so betwixt internet look-up and t' illustrations provided by TLP, I made me own interpretation and printed them onto Testor's decal paper with me printer. Ahoy! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! I used paper wraps for t' broad stripes, ya bilge rat, matey, which once clearcoated are fine.

I did nay try t' recommended method o' usin' nail-heads t' simulate rivets. Begad! I chose t' make decals. Avast, me proud beauty! So for future products, if TLP would provide a good decal sheet, shiver me timbers, I'd be willin' t' pay a bit more for t' kit just t' cut back on at least some o' t' finishin' work, me bucko, but that's a small detail.

One last nitpick: t' engine mount tube holds a regular 24mm Estes type motor, like t' D12. Blimey! T' run an E9, matey, I have t' friction fit because t' tube is short. Ya scallywag! A good modification would be t' put a long E9-sized engine mount, matey, me bucko, arrr, like what is on t' Estes Big Daddy, matey, and provide a spacer for t' short engines. Well, blow me down! Just a thought.

This model looks great and ready t' go. Whether or nay it's exactly a photo-real replica o' t' original down t' every rivet is debatable, but t' message is there. Aye aye! It's a model, nay a toy, so t' builder is expected t' make some decisions based on experience. Good. Avast, me proud beauty! It keeps t' price reasonable and works fine.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight and Recovery:
I first flew t' Harpoon out on t' frozen lake near here with an Estes E9-6. Ahoy! Blimey! There was even a small audience in t' area. Begad! Blimey! Sunny day, wind 10-12MPH. Avast, me bucko, me proud beauty! Blimey! First flight be straight up and away, slow takeoff, me bucko, a very realistic-appearin' rocket launch. Avast! Blimey! Instead o' weathercockin' into t' 10MPH breeze, t' Harpoon steered a bit, twistin' and "seeking" slightly but all t' while still proceedin' straight up. Begad! Blimey! One spectator pointed out that it looked like a real military missile, trackin' a target as opposed t' a whoosh-bang rocket. Begad! Blimey! What a great flight. Avast! Blimey! Well, matey, blow me down! Blimey! It went maybe about 350-400 feet up. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Recovery with that Mylar chute was perfect. Well, blow me down! Blimey! I thought t' 6 second delay be gettin' a bit long though.

I flew again a week later with an Aertotech E30. Result: nay so much a high flight but very sudden, almost explosive acceleration. Avast, me proud beauty! No wind that day, but t' harpoon seemed t' corkscrew into t' sky pretty broadly. Ya scallywag! I don't think this be t' right engine for t' job, but I will definitely try an E15. Begad! Last flight on another E9 was a repeat o' t' first, ya bilge rat, so it wasn't just luck, ya bilge rat, as it was smooth, me hearties, slow, ya bilge rat, and maybe t' about 400 feet max, ya bilge rat, but straight with a bit o' steer.

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
This is a very convincing, realistic flyer, well worth every effort.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5