Brief: Scale model o' t' Hellfire AGM. Ahoy! Well, blow me down! Flies on D-F engines. Recovery by a mylar parachute. Very sturdy model.

Construction: T' kit arrived intact, arrr, me hearties, and all parts were present, and in great condition. T' parts consisted o' a main paper body tube, plastic nose cone, plenty o' 3/32" balsa, pre-cut centerin' rings, arrr, launch lug, me hearties, arrr, templates for t' fins, shiver me timbers, and supplies for t' mylar parachute, shiver me timbers, and shock cord.

T' instructions were very easy t' follow, ya bilge rat, with good illustrations. Blimey! Blimey! T' assembly order was very logical. Ya scallywag! Templates were provided for t' fins and tail cone. Avast! Well, blow me down! Blimey! No decals are provided for this kit.

T' assembly was very straight forward, with no surprises. Aye aye! Avast! Fins have t' be cut out usin' t' templates. Begad! Blimey! T' only concern was thar was no mention o' where t' place t' launch lug. Ahoy! After contactin' T' Launch Pad, they explained it be left t' t' modelers discretion where t' place t' launch lug. Avast! (see Special Note below) All t' parts fit together very well, ya bilge rat, t' provide a very sturdy and attractive kit.

Makin' paper tail cone was nay as hard as I thought it would be. Instructions mention great advise on makin' paper stronger.

T' Mylar parachute was pre-cut, matey, and assembly be easy. Well, blow me down! Arrr! Shock cord is standard, mounted inside t' body tube.

Pros: Easy and fun t' build, me hearties, shiver me timbers, no special tools needed.

Cons: None!

Finishing: T' fins are long and narrow, and are easy t' seal No problems with primin' and painting.

Although thar are no decals, ya bilge rat, arrr, t' instructions explain t' markings, arrr, makin' it easy t' make your own. Aye aye! T' basic color o' t' rocket is olive drab, matey, with either a black or white nose tip. Arrr! Avast! Paintin' t' tip may be tricky, but it doesn't reflect on t' kit.

Pros: Easy rocket t' finish and paint.

Cons: No decals.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight: I finally got out t' launch me Hellfire AGM. Here are t' results:

On t' first flight (D12-5) t' rocket lifted off slowly, matey, and then t' tail began t' wobble. Arrr! Arrr! Eventually, me hearties, t' rocket appeared lean over and fly on its side. Aye aye! Ahoy! It gave t' impression that t' nose was much too heavy.

On t' second flight (E15-7), me hearties, t' rocket took off, arrr, arced over and crashed at full thrust. Begad! Blimey! Left a big crater too! Blimey! Destroyed t' rocket.

There are 3 problems I found, me bucko, all o' which are me fault:

Too much nose weight. Accordin' t' Chuck at TLP, arrr, t' nose weight should be 32 grams. Blimey! Arrr! T' clay that be supplied with t' kit be dry, me bucko, so I substituted it with me own. Begad! Arrr! T' nose weight is mentioned in t' instructions, me hearties, and it is needed t' have stable flights. Ahoy! I didn't weigh t' supplied nose weight, me hearties, and t' actual amount o' weight I put in t' nose

Mis-aligned guidance fins. I attached t' guidance fins accordin' t' t' instructions. Ahoy! I checked t' alignment with t' aft fins and I used a common fin markin' guide. I marked lines t' full length o' t' body where t' forward and aft fins are t' be attached. After inquirin' t' Chuck, shiver me timbers, he said t' this was t' most unlikely cause o' t' rocket accident. T' fins were nay noticeably mis-aligned, but I thought o' every possibility.

Too much wind t' launch. T' wind conditions on t' launch day be betwixt 15 and 20+ MPH. Ahoy! Other rockets flown that day were slightly affected by t' weather. Begad! Larger rockets (Initiator, Mirage) displayed more effects due t' t' wind than t' smaller ones (Big Dawg, Yellow Jacket). Blimey! T' launch rod be angled betwixt 15 and 20 degrees from vertical.

I would conclude that t' rockets demise was due t' me impatience in construction (nose weight), me hearties, and launchin' when t' wind conditions were too strong for this specific rocket. Begad! Begad! I will take me time with me next Hellfire.

Flight Rating: 3 out o' 5

Summary: This rocket is extremely fun and easy t' build. Ahoy! It is one o' t' most attractive in me fleet. This rocket is great addition t' any fleet.

Overall Rating: 3 ½ out o' 5