Brief:
This is a easy 18mm, tumble recovery oddroc. Ahoy! Art Applewhite is known for makin' odd rockets. Ahoy! His hour glasses are no exception t' this. A variation on a spool rocket, me hearties, t' hourglass looks odd but flies well and uses a minimalist approach to make somethin' unusual and fun.

Construction:
T' kit comes with a piece o' printed cardstock (mine was yellow), a piece o' foamboard, arrr, me bucko, a motor tube, ya bilge rat, me hearties, an engine hook and t' instructions. Arrr! Blimey! Other than that, ya bilge rat, you need white glue and an exacto knife. Scissors helped out as well.

Construction be supposed t' begin with t' cones but I had t' sheet turned over, saw t' motor mount and got t' work figurin' its some kind o' law that you always begin with t' motor mount. Aye aye! Well, me bucko, blow me down! I should have known better.

I cut a slit a 1/4" from one end o' t' motor tube and slipped in t' hook. Avast, me proud beauty! Arrr! I then cut out t' motor tube wrap, applied some white glue on t' back and wrapped it around t' center o' t' motor tube, shiver me timbers, makin' sure t' keep the dashed lines aligned on either side o' t' hook. Avast! Begad! I used a little bit o' cellophane t' hold it down tight as it dried.

It was at this point I realized that I had nay begun at t' beginnin' and flipped the instructions over. Aye aye! I then learned that I should have started by cuttin' out t' cones. Ahoy! It seemed that no harm had been done so I cut them out usin' scissors except for t' launch lug holes, where I used an Exacto. I put a little glue on t' tab and formed t' cone. Well, blow me down! A few moments later, shiver me timbers, I did t' second one.

T' next step involved cuttin' out t' card stock rectangle containin' t' two bulkheads. When t' rectangle was cut out, some glue be applied t' t' back and t' card stock was pressed flat on the foamboard. Ya scallywag! This be allowed t' dry.

T' next step is what took time. After t' glue be dry from t' previous step and Xacto blade was used t' cut out the inner cavities from t' bulkheads and then cut t' bulkheads themselves out. Ya scallywag! Blimey! This is best done in small steps and changin' t' blade along t' way is recommended. Ahoy! Blimey! Eventually, matey, ya bilge rat, I had somethin' approximately right and used sandpaper to even up t' edges.

T' rest o' t' assembly is pretty straightfoward. Avast, me proud beauty! Well, me bucko, blow me down! T' motor tube is glued on flush and perpendicular t' t' after bulkhead, arrr, one o' t' cones is slipped on and filleted into place, the second cone is likewise put on and then t' forward bulkhead is glued into place. Care must be maintained so that all t' lug holes line up; I did that with a shot section o' rod. Begad! Then everythin' be filleted and constructions was complete.

Finishing:
This rocket really does nay need finishin' since t' colored carstock serves that purpose. Ahoy! Aye aye! Never-the-less, thar are instructions for painting. Begad! T' critical step seems t' be t' use glue t' seal t' edges o' t' foam board so that the paint solvent does nay disolve it.

If I were t' request one change in this kit, it would be for a second piece of cardstock t' glue on t' opposite side. It would nay even need any printin' since t' template function would be taken care o' with t' first peice o' cardstock. Begad! Ahoy! All that bein' said, I decided t' paint t' rocket. Arrr! Ya scallywag! I used white glue, me bucko, ya bilge rat, as per t' instructions, t' seal t' edges o' t' foam board. Begad! Begad! After 2 coats o' glue had dried, I gave it a light mist of yellow. Begad! Ya scallywag! I wanted t' put on several light coats that would be almost dry by t' time they touched t' rocket figuring that, me hearties, eventually, t' dried paint itself would build up a protective barrier t' protect t' foam from further paint solvents.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
I am loathe t' use any o' me hoard o' booster motors unless I must. Well, blow me down! So I didn't use a sigle one o' t' recommended motors.

First up, I tried an A6-4. Blimey! Preppin' was easy. Avast! install t' igniter in t' motor and stuff t' motor in t' rocket. Hook up wires and push t' button. Avast! It took off well enough, shiver me timbers, me bucko, did nay go very high but started doin' a crazy spinning about all axes as soon as t' thrust ended. Avast, me proud beauty! T' instruction warned that this was normal and t' rocket still kept movin' upwards until gravity won out and it started down.

T' second flight be on a B6-4. Well, blow me down! Avast, me proud beauty! Except for goin' significantly higher, ya bilge rat, t' flight profile was t' same as with the first flight. T' same cannot be said o' t' third flight.

T' third was on a C6-5. Aye aye! Blimey! It started t' boost like t' others but then t' crazy spinnin' started well before boost phase ended. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! This led t' a rather eratic flight but at least it stayed in t' air.

PROs: it is odd and will nay be too easily lost
CONs: t' eratic spinnin' be expected but nay durin' boost.

Recovery:
Recovery is simple. Blimey! Avast! Gravity has its way and t' rocket tumbles down without any fuss. No prepping, matey, no un-tangling.

Flight Rating: 3 out o' 5

Summary:
I'm glad t' have built this one but it will never be one o' me favorites. Aye aye! Begad! I will keep it around for t' odd factor, though.

Overall Rating: 3 out o' 5