Brief:
T' Custom Rockets S.L.V. Well, blow me down! is a futuristic rocket kit with three different sizes o' body tube, matey, two different card stock tube transitions, arrr, and six small fins. Well, blow me down! Avast! T' manufacturer lists it as a Skill Level 3, shiver me timbers, and I feel that it is more o' a 2, with a few tricky spots.

Construction:

• 1 plastic nosecone with base
• 1 BT50 2.75"
• 2 BT20 9"
• 1 BT20 coupler
• 1 BT60 3"
• 1 Engine block for BT20
• 4 Centerin' rings BT20 t' BT50
• 6 Centerin' rings BT20 t' BT60 (Cardstock
• 2 Sheets o' balsa fins (die-cut, but with sharp dies)
• 2 1/8" dowels 6" long
• Sewin' elastic shock cord 16" x 1/4"
• 12" plastic bag parachute
• Pre-printed card stock for transition shrouds
• Self-adhesive decals
• Tri-fold shock cord mount

Openin' t' bag, ya bilge rat, I laid out t' parts and took inventory. Well, blow me down! T' first thin' that I noticed was t' lack o' any motor retention. Aye aye! Ya scallywag! Oh, joy, ya bilge rat, me first friction-fit rocket kit.

T' instructions were printed on both sides o' a single sheet o' legal-sized paper, folded into a pamphlet. Blimey! Readin' through t' build details, me bucko, matey, I realized that this be a dressed-up minimum-diameter rocket, ya bilge rat, me bucko, and as such, arrr, me bucko, I had no separate motor mount t' tie me Keelhaul®©™ to. That was gotcha #2.

I followed t' instructions, and soon found gotcha #3, t' measurements for t' spacin' o' t' aft centerin' rings are just shy o' 1/8" off, and as such, arrr, me bucko, t' 3" BT-60 did nay cover all t' centerin' rings like it be supposed to. Well, me bucko, blow me down! With some creativity concernin' t' mountin' o' t' lower shroud, I avoided a complete mess.

Once t' gotchas were past, matey, t' rest o' t' build was fairly easy, me hearties, sand t' fins, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, me hearties, double-glue t' fins with Titebond, assemble t' upper half with t' card stock shroud and t' smaller centerin' rings, and join t' 2 halves with t' BT-20 coupler. Ahoy! I had fillets on t' fins and launch lug dryin' before bedtime, and t' next day after work, I was ready for finishing.

Finishing:
I brushed thinned Elmer's Wood Filler onto t' fins, sanded them when dry, me hearties, and painted with 2 coats o' primer and 2 coats o' Rustoleum Painters Touch gloss white. Aye aye! Ahoy! Blimey! After 48 hours o' drying, I masked off everythin' but t' fins and added 2 coats o' Painters Touch gloss black t' t' fins. Aye aye! Ya scallywag! Blimey! Testors gloss black (tiny glass bottles) was brushed onto t' small dowel details, and I was ready for t' stickers. Begad! Blimey! I was surprised t' see that t' shroud details were printed on a sheet o' vinyl, me hearties, rather than t' cheaper paper stickers, and that thar were no pre-cut edges, me bucko, matey, so that they could be tailored t' t' exact shrouds installed on t' model. Begad! T' rest o' t' decals were ordinary peel and stick, and they went on fairly easily. Ahoy! Avast, matey, me proud beauty! Blimey! Two more coats o' clearcoat, shiver me timbers, and I was ready for launch. Aye aye! Blimey! T' only trouble I had be t' adhesive on t' upper shroud decal was a bit weak, matey, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, and I needed t' add a drop o' CA t' keep t' decal in place.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
I flew this little missile three times at t' NOVAAR August monthly launch, shiver me timbers, and aside from some recovery annoyances, and t' fact that I don't trust friction-fit motor retention, me hearties, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, all three launches were picture perfect. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! On a C6-5 each time, arrr, boosts were almost straight up, with a slight spin from most likely a slightly crooked fin. Arrr! Blimey! With a rocket this small and light, matey, me hearties, t' C6-5 sent it high enough that it be tough for me t' track, but I saw t' ejection event each time, and each time it was right at apogee. T' only negative about flight that I can think o' be t' launch lug is a bit tight on t' smallest launch rods we have. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Otherwise, me hearties, shiver me timbers, t' SLV is a solid little performer, and I would nay hesitate t' launch on anythin' from an A motor up t' a C motor.

Recovery:
This is a small rocket, with minimal internal space, shiver me timbers, so I went with t' trifold shock cord mount, me bucko, rather than tryin' t' rig up an extended Keelhaul®©™ cord attachment. On t' plus side, matey, t' shock cord was fairly long and made o' sewin' elastic which should outlast any similar sized rubber-band shock cord. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast! T' drawback t' t' recovery system be t' "coil t' shroud under t' sticker on t' corner o' t' parachute" which never fails t' lose grip on one or more shroud lines durin' descent. Begad! Blimey! If thar were space, shiver me timbers, I would replace it with a nylon 'chute, matey, but as it is, ya bilge rat, if I choose t' continue flyin' this one, ya bilge rat, I will substitute a mylar parachute. Stuffin' dog barf into t' thin center tube from either end provides a damage-free recovery, ya bilge rat, even with t' loose shroud lines makin' it more o' a streamer than a parachute. After three launches, me bucko, t' only damage t' t' rocket be t' shroud lines that won't stick.