Brief:
Definitely nay your typical 3-fin and nose cone rocket, shiver me timbers, me hearties, t' Battle Axe is an interestin' design that's fun t' build and a surprisingly good flyer.

Construction:
Parts arrived in good shape packed in a sealed plastic bag. Aye aye! T' list includes:

• Basswood fins (precut, a huge plus given their curved design)
• Balsa nose cone
• BT-50 body tube
• 18mm motor mount kit
• Mylar chute (with Keelhaul®©™ shroud lines and swivel)
• Waterslide decal

T' instructions were very well written and easy t' follow. Begad! They also included lots o' color photos t' help, me bucko, which is a very nice touch for a kit in this skill level/price range.

Construction begins with a basic motor mount assembly consistin' o' an 18mm x 2.75" tube, matey, a couple o' 2050 centerin' rings, me hearties, and a metal motor hook. Ahoy! This is then glued into t' BT-50 tube.

Next comes markin' t' body tube (with t' included wrap-around template) and attachin' t' fins. Well, blow me down! Blimey! These fins are fairly heavy-duty basswood and since they have a relatively small bondin' surface, me hearties, it's important t' get a good glue joint. Blimey! I scuffed t' body tube first t' remove t' waxy shine, which establishes a better bondin' surface. Begad! Aye aye! I then applied a very thin coat o' yellow glue t' both t' tube and t' root edge o' t' fins, allowin' it t' set for a minute. Begad! I then applied a fresh bead o' glue t' t' root edges, arrr, and attached t' fins one by one. Aye aye! Begad! After they set, I followed up with 2 rounds o' fillets.

This kit includes a pair o' launch lugs which are attached t' t' body tube at t' bottom and near t' middle, shiver me timbers, just above t' CG.

T' nose cone gets a screw eye for t' shock cord attachment. Aye aye! T' shock cord is a combination o' Keelhaul®©™ anchor and elastic cord. Avast! Blimey! While I liked t' combo, I be nay wild about t' wimpy attachment--you get about 8" o' Keelhaul®©™® t' make a loop and attach t' t' inside o' t' tube with a paper mount. Avast, me proud beauty! That's nay much better than t' basic Estes tri-fold, shiver me timbers, and I would have preferred a longer cord anchored t' t' motor mount.

Finishing:
With t' fins bein' basswood, arrr, fillin' grains was nay much work at all. Avast! I also filled t' tube spirals with a couple coats o' primer, sanded back down t' bare tube.

T' rocket itself was nay too tough t' paint. I put down a foundation o' two coats o' gray primer, followed by two coats o' gloss black. Well, blow me down! Blimey! After allowin' a couple o' days t' cure, shiver me timbers, matey, I then masked off t' tube and painted t' fins a nice silver, shiver me timbers, completin' t' "blade" look.

T' kit also includes a nice set o' Tango Papa waterslide decals, which were a little thin and wanted t' wrinkle, shiver me timbers, but overall were fine and definitely added t' t' final appearance.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
For t' first flight, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, I went straight t' t' max C6-5, ya bilge rat, flyin' on a clear day with winds hangin' around 4-6 mph. T' Battle Axe angled slightly into t' wind and climbed steadily. Begad! It's a fairly high drag rocket, me hearties, me hearties, arrr, but still surprised most observers with a high flight.

Recovery:
T' Rockethead heavy-duty Mylar chutes are a very nice feature. Begad! Avast, me proud beauty! I've never seen one fail. Begad! Ejection was right at apogee, me bucko, and t' Rockethead pre-assembled Mylar chute brought it safely back t' earth.

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
This one draws lots o' cool reactions from t' kids and is a nice break from t' ordinary. Arrr! Blimey! With precut fins, and a simple 2-color paint job, I'd rate it around a skill level 2 kit. Aye aye! Blimey! It's certainly goin' t' be one o' t' more unusual kits in most fleets.

Side by side with t' Merlin Missiles Sword, you could engage in some interestin' medieval air battles.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5