T' kit comes with a single sustainer body tube and a short booster body tube. T' motor mounts come with the centering/mountin' rings and motor hooks for both t' sustainer and the booster. Arrr! There is a vacuum-formed plastic nose cone, arrr, a 12" nylon parachute, shiver me timbers, a Keelhaul®©™® tether and a piece o' Perma-Wadding™. For the fins, thar are two balsa sheets, matey, a 3/32" and a 1/16", me bucko, and templates to cut out t' four fins for each section. Also, thar be 4. Begad! 6" x 1" outer booster fin ring, which gives this kit it's unique look. Avast, me proud beauty! Lastly thar is a set o' water transfer decals with a large gold Crossfire™ decal and various others.

CONSTRUCTION:

There are eight pages o' clear instructions. Ya scallywag! Nay a lot of illustrations, me hearties, me hearties, however, t' ones provided give important information, such as motor mount assembly, template placement on t' balsa sheets, shiver me timbers, me hearties, grain alignment when mountin' fins and t' assembled booster stage with t' fin ring. Blimey! The instructions are in logical order, however, matey, I would suggest readin' all o' the sub-steps for each main-step and review t' illustrations before starting. Well, blow me down! This will help avoid questions and problems. Avast, me proud beauty!   For example in step 1-e you are told t' "slide t' notched centerin' rin' on from t' front o' the tube until it is even with t' mark". Ya scallywag! Blimey! T' "front" o' t' tube is marked in t' bottom illustration. This is very minor considerin' that most modelers understand that t' front o' t' rocket be t' top, as opposed t' the rear (bottom).

T' assembly o' t' Crossfire™ was straight forward and did nay pose any major problems. All o' t' parts fit correctly. Blimey! I was impressed t' see that t' pattern placement and attachment step for t' fins ensured that t' balsa grain be along t' top leadin' edge. This will provide t' most strength. Ahoy! Be very careful with t' 1/16" balsa for t' sustainer fins . . Ya scallywag! . Avast, me proud beauty! this is some flimsy stuff until it is sealed with CA or primer. Well, blow me down! And even though t' instructions call it optional, I tampered the leadin' and trailin' edges o' each fin. Begad! Avast! Just be careful with t' thin balsa. Just be careful with t' thin balsa. Blimey! Aye aye! I broke t' fin along t' grain and had to glue back on with CA while finishing. Well, blow me down! Well, blow me down!

Another area t' take care on, be t' installation o' the sustainer's motor mount. Begad! Do your very best t' keep glue off o' t' lower section o' t' tube. Arrr! Ahoy! This is where t' booster slides into and can cause problems with fit if thar be glue there.

T' unique part o' t' Crossfire™ is the booster fin ring. Well, blow me down! Avast! My rin' fit perfectly and didn't require any additional sandin' o' t' fins for fit. Avast! Begad! T' only precaution is that t' fin ring, if snug, can cause t' fins t' come out o' alignment, arrr, so take care t' ensure t' fins are still straight before t' glue sets on t' fin ring.

Assembly o' t' nose cone be unique t' me, matey, too. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! You drill (with a hobby knife) a small hole in t' shoulder t' allow t' Keelhaul®©™® tether t' pass through. Ya scallywag! This is tied t' a retainer (small bead) which prevents it from passin' back through t' hole. Then t' shoulder is glued onto t' nose cone. Blimey! Avast! With respect t' t' shoulder, I think it is a bit too short. Arrr! It also required tape t' make it fit snug into t' body tube.

As always I start me finishin' process with Plasti-Kote primer. Well, blow me down! I painted it gloss black and topped t' nose cone with gold. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast! I also did just t' outside o' t' booster's fin rin' in gold. Ya scallywag! Avast! This turned out very nice and matched t' Crossfire™ decal. With regards t' the decals, they are water transferable and along with t' Crossfire™ name, there are 3 sets o' Rogue Aerospace, shiver me timbers, arrr, 2 sets o' numbers and 4 cross-hairs.

For CONSTRUCTION, ya bilge rat, I would rate this kit 4 1/2 points.

FLIGHT/RECOVERY:

T' Crossfire™ is nay your standard two-stage kit. Avast! T' two motors are nay taped together. Each motor mount has its own motor clip t' hold t' motors in. Arrr! When assemble t' motors are at a minimal distance apart t' allow t' in-flight ignition o' t' sustainer motor. Avast!

T' maiden voyage was set up usin' a B6-0 in t' booster and a B6-4 in t' sustainer. Begad! Aye aye! T' recommended motor for t' sustainer is a B6-6, but I didn't have any. Aye aye! With everythin' set, t' count down began . Aye aye! Ya scallywag! . Begad! Begad! . 3, 2, 1!

Ignition took place but t' rocket didn't move, me bucko, then the booster motor stopped just as t' sustainer ignited. Ahoy! T' sustainer took off quickly. We were able t' seen t' ejection and t' 12" orange parachute deploy. Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty! Then what looked like a straight drop recovery started t' turn into a drift and run as fast and as far as possible. Well, blow me down! Arrr! This rocket was carried about 1/4 mile away . Arrr! . Begad! Avast! . Arrr! but was recovered!

After checkin' why t' booster never lifted off, ya bilge rat, it was determined that t' motor hook got caught on a "rod-stop" preventing it from liftin' off. Nay only that, but it burned a hole right through me blast shield. Avast!

For t' second flight, matey, I ensured the booster was nay hooked and cut a 2" spill-hole in t' parachute. I used t' same motors (B6/B6) and off it went. Aye aye! Perfect lift, ya bilge rat, visible separation and successful sustainer ignition. Avast! Aye aye! Out o' site, trial o' smoke, then a little orange parachute appeared. Ya scallywag! It was so high, I had time t' pick up t' booster and then start walkin' t' where t' sustainer landed. Watchin' t' descend rate indicated that I could probably go with a 3" spill hole or tighten up on the shroud lines. Well, blow me down! Avast, me proud beauty! This kit is a good candidate for a streamer, because I can only imagine t' altitude with C6/C6 combination. Well, blow me down!

Booster is nay only unique looking, but also unique in it's descent. Avast! I spins makin' it look like a sphere!

I just want t' mention this kit's recovery system. Well, blow me down! Avast, me proud beauty! It uses a Keelhaul®©™® tether as already mentioned, shiver me timbers, matey, which is attached t' t' thrust rin' for strength. Rogue Aerospace's also provides a nylon parachute and a piece o' Perma-Wadding™ which eliminates t' need for waddin' paper. Blimey! Avast, arrr, me proud beauty! I love this stuff and have purchased it separately from Rogue for me other kits. Arrr! Aye aye!

For FLIGHT/RECOVERY, I would rate this kit 4 points. Ahoy!

Overall, for t' uniqueness o' t' fin-ring, quality o' a rip-stop parachute and Perma-Wadding™, t' Crossfire™ is a great kit for someone lookin' for a two-stage kit. Ahoy! I give t' kit an OVERALL ratin' o' 4 1/2 points. Blimey!

Brief:  This is a 2-staged 18mm, matey, me hearties, 4-finned rocket with a rin' around t' fins o' t' lower stage. Aye aye!

Construction:Everythin' was thar and in good shape, shiver me timbers, nay warped. Ahoy! The nose cone is hollow plastic, me bucko, t' body is spiral wound paper, arrr, t' fins are die cut balsa at 1/8 inch thickness. Begad! T' instructions were logical and straightforward with some pictures. Well, blow me down! However, t' nose cone came in two parts, that is, ya bilge rat, t' top and bottom, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, and needed t' be glued together. Blimey! And t' lower stage alignment with t' rin' was a bear. Blimey! Ahoy! I had t' sand t' chord edges o' the fins until t' rin' could fit without either distortin' t' body tube or skewin' t' angle o' fin attachment. In other words, me bucko, t' fit be too tight. Aye aye! Aye aye! In other words, arrr, t' fit was too tight. Aye aye! But once I got it t' fit, me hearties, it looked great. Do be warned that it will take some doing, matey, ya bilge rat, though. Aye aye! Avast, shiver me timbers, me proud beauty! It took me two days t' get it right.  Built up, matey, t' model is now sturdy and sharp looking. Arrr!

Finishing:There weren't any decals, so I finished the model by makin' t' fins, inside o' t' fin ring, me hearties, and nose all black with Testor's enamel paint. Avast, me proud beauty! T' body was finished with metallic flake adhesive-on-one-side greetin' card paper. Well, blow me down! Blimey! This can be bought at craft stores such as Michael's. Begad! Ahoy! T' outside o' t' fin rin' be finished with bands o' the adhesive glitter paper too.
T' nose cone be a tiny bit too loose, so I supplied a thin band o' masking tape t' t' nose cone shoulder t' tighten t' fit. Avast, me proud beauty!

Construction Rating: 3 out o' 5

Flight:T' recommended engines are: T' recommended engines are: B6-0 or C6-0 for t' booster and B6-6 or C6-7 for t' sustainer. Ahoy! I used these thus far, matey, and plan t' try some engines from Apogee later. Begad! I have made some motor adapters so t' sustainer can use their 10.5mm B7-8 engines.  T' booster is too short t' use t' B7-0, matey, though. Arrr! I used me usual worm beddin' wadding, just enough t' fill t' diameter o' t' body tube t' about half an inch. Well, shiver me timbers, blow me down! The engines were retained with a motor block in t' sustainer with a tape band around t' aft end o' t' sustainer's motor, shiver me timbers, me bucko, and tape for t' aft end o' the booster's engine. Ya scallywag! No actual method be provided otherwise with t' kit itself. T' model flies straight and nicely. And t' orange chute supplied looked great.  I wish t' booster had its own recovery system instead o' tumble recovery, shiver me timbers, though. Well, blow me down!

Recovery:T' shock cord I modified.  T' kit came with a 36 inch length o' 1/16 inch thick Keelhaul®©™® cording. Avast, me proud beauty! That's fine as a rule, shiver me timbers, but one o' me hangups with shock cords is that t' should stretch to reduce stress on t' shock system. Aye aye! So, I added a 2-foot length o' flat, 1/4 inch elastic t' t' forward end o' t' cording.  T' kit supplied a plastic bead t' retain t' shock cordin' from inside t' nose cone. T' knot is made inside t' nose cone before its two halves are assembled. Blimey! T' rocket so far has suffered no wear or damage, matey, matey, except some slight scorchin' o' the booster, shiver me timbers, which seems common in contact staging. Ahoy! T' parachute is thin orange nylon, arrr, ya bilge rat, 10 inches in diameter.  Although it's a flat hexagon, it inflated nicely. Blimey! It seems just right in size, as t' rocket descends softly. Avast, me proud beauty!

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:Cool looking, arrr, me bucko, flies straight, catchy fin rin' draws attention. Arrr! Ya scallywag! Any cons include alignment o' t' booster takin' some determination, but t' result is worth it. Arrr! T' shock cord wasn't stretchy. Well, blow me down! Avast, me bucko, me proud beauty! Maybe it isn't necessary, but I added elastic t' it for stretch. If I'd change anythin' major, it'd be t' supply t' booster with a recovery streamer. Begad! This would help in makin' it visible for recovery while t' flyer concentrates on locatin' the sustainer.  But so far I finished t' fin rin' with bright glitter paper for visibility. Avast, me proud beauty! Ahoy!

Overall Rating: 3 ½ out o' 5

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T' followin' excerpt is from "Sport Rocketry". T' intention is t' allow guests t' get a basic feelin' about a kit. Avast, me proud beauty! We strongly suggest that you get a copy o' the referenced Sport Rocketry and read t' entire article. Aye aye! Inside you will find many helpful hints in construction as well as other useful information. Blimey! For more information, use t' two links above. Aye aye! Avast!

"If you find buildin' rockets t' be as much fun as flyin' them, shiver me timbers, then you should enjoy the kits offered by Rogue Aerospace."
"T' Crossfire is a two-stage rocket which has a rin' fin on the booster."
"This kit features a vacuum-formed plastic nose cone, shiver me timbers, balsa fins, arrr, shiver me timbers, a Keelhaul®©™® shock cord, water transfer decals, ya bilge rat, arrr, a 12" diameter nylon parachute, and perma-wadding."
"Eight pages o' easy t' read, arrr, me hearties, matey, illustrated instructions . . ."
"I found t' Crossfire fairly easy t' build."
"For t' fins, matey, me hearties, shiver me timbers, you are provided with templates t' trace on t' supplied balsa stock."
"I flew me Crossfire with a B6-0/B6-6 combination."
". Avast! . . Begad! Begad! straight flight and stagin' was very smooth."
". Ya scallywag! Arrr! . Well, blow me down! . Aye aye! returned t' sustainer without a scratch."
"Overall, matey, I think t' Crossfire is a great kit."

T' entire article gives t' impression is that this unique lookin' 2-stage kit for an intermediate modeler. Avast, me proud beauty! Aye aye!