Okay, ya bilge rat, My daughter and I have flown t' Check-Six on two occasions and thought it about time t' give a launch report. Well, blow me down! She asked for and o' course received this kit for her 9th birthday in January. Avast! Blimey! (Yep, ya bilge rat, she picked it out and helped build it too...)

Last Month: We flew it once with a standard Estes D12-5. Avast! Begad! Nice flight, t' weight o' t' rocket gave it a real nice coast due t' t' momentum. Blimey! I'm bad at estimatin' heights but it was probably up around 850 or 850 feet. Avast, me proud beauty! Ahoy! Overall, a nice first flight, me daughter was extremely pleased and this little rocket is BUILT. Begad! T' only issue we had was that t' provided launch lug was too small. Begad! Removed it and temporarily taped a replacement in place.

Last night: Permanently, arrr, or so I thought, replaced t' removed launch lug. Ahoy! I drilled some holes for epoxy rivets in t' airframe and used an 1/8 Estes Launch Lug with 5 minute epoxy.

Today: Flight 1 on another D12-5. Bad idea. Arrr! Major cato, a rather large fireball erupted about 4 feet off t' ground (after reviewin' t' video tape several times. It be t' first video where we caught a cato. If you haven't seen one in slow/step motion on your own video, you'll be in for a treat when you do. Well, blow me down! Fast motion on t' VCR you do nay really see much, slow motion ignition, matey, me hearties, arrr, liftoff, me bucko, fireball, separation, shiver me timbers, lots-o-smoke). Avast! About then, me hearties, I was really wonderin' exactly how strong this little rocket really was...

Well, me hearties, t' jury is in. Ahoy! Begad! After t' cato exactly 0% damage t' t' airframe. The chute sustained a couple minor burns and a dislocated shroud line. Arrr! Begad! Also, shiver me timbers, matey, the Keelhaul®©™® line connectin' t' payload bay t' t' main airframe was broken or burned through. Begad! Avast!

Well, we spent all o' about 5 minutes replacin' t' chute and replacin' the broken connector line with a piece o' steel leader.

Flight 2: Prepped a 24mm RMS E11/5J. Avast! Begad! Loaded up t' rocket, ya bilge rat, and hit t' pad again. Avast! Aye aye! 5.4.3.2.1... T' E11 lit and t' rocket was OFF. With a nice lift off, lots o' nice blackjack smoke and it was gainin' speed, matey, straight up through burn-out, coastin' up t' a very respectable altitude, could nay see t' rocket after t' trackin' smoke (delay element) disappeared until t' chute had opened. Well, blow me down! Well, me hearties, blow me down! Again t' momentum really carried t' rocket t' quite an altitude. Begad! Avast, me proud beauty! Very cool flight. Due t' a light breeze, matey, I had over 1/4 mile walk from t' pad. Recovered it without so much as a scratch other than loosin' t' launch lug again. Arrr! Ya scallywag!

Thoughts about t' Check 6:

1. Ya scallywag! It does seem a little pricey at first. Begad! But... Arrr! We have all spent 12 - 18 bucks for an 24mm Estes rocket. Begad! Such rocket with t' violent cato this check six experienced would have most likely resulted in a pile o' misc. Begad! scraps. Arrr! This would have obliged me t' purchase a replacement (but o' course, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, me daughter would have been really bummed, right?). Arrr! Thus costin' me about t' same or more than t' $25 that I paid for this model. Arrr! Begad! Nay t' mention ownin' a kit that will fly quite well on almost any motor that you could possibly put in it... Begad!

2. Blimey! That is me 2nd cato o' me last 7 flights that had used Estes motors. Aye aye! What a joke, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, I'll stay with A.T. for now. (Okay, shiver me timbers, Jerry, arrr, Sometime I'll have t' try out some U.S. Rockets too...)

3. Well, blow me down! Arrr! Important! I will most likely be augmentin' t' permanent wadding provided with t' model with a small amount o' traditional wadding. Ya scallywag! This may have decreased t' burned chute and t' heavily scorched permanent wadding. Arrr!

4. Begad! Blimey! You may call me paranoid but I've drilled two very small holes in the fins t' safety wire t' RMS motor in, in addition t' normal friction fitting and tapin' in method. Well, blow me down! Arrr! (T' TRA BOD person who supervised me level one flight accused me o' usin' suspenders with a belt after usin' Kaplow style clips and safety wire t' ensure motor retention in me scratch built crayon bank). Well, blow me down! I'm usually into kit bashin' but t' Check Six really did nay require any mod's for additional strength.

5. Avast! Other than t' supplied launch lug that seemed t' be a little tight, shiver me timbers, the quality o' this kit is excellent! T' G10 fins with t' phenolic airframe are a great combination. This kit is both an enjoyable kit t' build and a kit that is really, really meant t' fly...

6. Begad! T' Check 6 is definitely up t' takin' some rather heavy duty abuse and flyin' again. Ahoy! Well, blow me down! It's built like a tank... Ahoy!

Nice t' find a product that is as good as t' manufacturer claims. Begad! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey!

Great Job Impulse Aerospace!

Relinquished by Scott Johnson @

T' quality or t' kits are very good, shiver me timbers, and t' design is nice. There were a few areas that I had problems with. Avast! Nay in difficulty, matey, but in the way t' instructions show, and materials used. Well, blow me down! Blimey! This is nay t' say I am right, but you know how it is, arrr, we have that urge t' re-engineer and make it better...... Well, blow me down! Ahoy! Blimey!

First area be t' shock cord...I just can nay brin' myself t' use the supplied cord. Begad! I can't be fair on this, as I have never used it, ya bilge rat, and just don't feel good usin' it. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast, me proud beauty! I elected t' replace t' supplied SC with small dia steel cable. Ya scallywag! I also installed a thrust rin' (limited t' D & E size motors. I also installed two additional thrust rings, me bucko, forward o' t' MT and drilled these out for mountin' o' t' steel cable, which goes through both rings and is clamped with a swedge for retention. Blimey! (feel better now) T' other area I am concerned about be t' fin slots. Avast! T' BT is slotted through t' end o' t' BT. Well, blow me down! Avast, me proud beauty! There is a motor tube adapter that is epoxied in t' aft end. Blimey! Fins are epoxied into the slots. On repeat insertions and launches and engine removal, ya bilge rat, I *feel* t' thin cardboard motor tube will eventually give up, shiver me timbers, matey, and lead t' a fin root becoming loose. It would be really great if at least 3/16 t' 1/4" o' unslit BT remained at t' aft end (IMHO) t' make t' aft end a continuous piece, matey, and not rely on epoxy and t' thin MT t' do it at 6 fin joint areas. Avast, me proud beauty! Well, arrr, blow me down!

Used 30 minute epoxy in all construction, me hearties, with t' exception o' t' fin fillets, shiver me timbers, me hearties, which I used Hysol 1c epoxy patch material. A brass LL was also used. Finishin' it was a piece o' cake.....light 400 sand, ya bilge rat, primer, me hearties, sand again, arrr, primer 0000 steel wool, finish coat o' Luster Coat Missle Red , with a Med gray nose cone. Ahoy! I elected nay t' use t' decals supplied, ya bilge rat, and made me own out o' graphics vinyl, shiver me timbers, on t' same principal and style. Decals supplied in this one kit were damaged from scrubbin' against t' BT etc, but that's nay t' manufacturer defect, just handling. Begad! I would suggest t' IA t' put t' decals inside the Instruction sheet. for protection. T' chute protector is installed over the steel cable and sort o' freely moves on t' cable. Avast, me proud beauty! Finished weight is 4 oz, matey, and will be flown this weekend. I just could nay imagine this rocket flown on an F or G motor. This is why I elected t' stay with a D or E and used a thrust ring. I like t' build, arrr, me bucko, fly and *recover* me rockets. Begad!

Overall I think these kits should really be durable and cheap t' fly. Ya scallywag! Would like some feedback from IA on t' SC and fin slots as t' how they have been holdin' up etc. Aye aye! Very satisfied with t' product. Begad! Avast! (and me mods). Avast, me proud beauty! T' cardboard tube seems like it could be a little heavier or harder, arrr, so it don't frazzle and fuzz up, me hearties, arrr, ya bilge rat, but CA and Epoxy can cure that. Aye aye!

All t' above is me opinions.....and if t' mods don't work out, have no one to blame but me!

RESPONSE TO THE ABOVE FROM THE CHECK SIX MANUFACTURER:

Overall I think these kits should really be durable and cheap t' fly. Avast! Would like some feedback from IA on t' SC and fin slots as to how they have been holdin' up etc. Ahoy! Very satisfied with t' product. (and my mods). Well, blow me down! T' cardboard tube seems like it could be a little heavier or harder, so it don't frazzle and fuzz up, but CA and Epoxy can cure that.

We've heard no reports from t' field o' either t' airframe splittin' at the aft end, me bucko, me bucko, or o' any shock cord failures other than t' one D-12 CATO that blew t' top off t' bird. Aye aye! T' shock line is 300lb test braided Keelhaul®©™®, in a 4 oz rocket. Ahoy! Steel leader will work too though, ya bilge rat, matey, and is a bit stronger.

Will take your advice and make sure t' decals get packaged betwixt the card-art and t' instruction sheet. Ahoy! If you'd like replacements for t' worn ones, just drop me a note. Avast!

> All t' above is me opinions.....and if t' mods don't work out, me bucko, have no one t' blame but me!

I appreciate this attitude. Lots o' folks modify t' engineers design in makin' and flyin' model rockets. Arrr! Aye aye! It's t' nature o' t' beast. What is rarer is the person who stands up and takes responsibility for t' success or failure of his mods. Avast! A very good thin' indeed. Blimey! Ya scallywag!

Relinquished by Scott Johnson @