Brief:
This is a small Sci-Fi lookin' model with forward swept fins, a rin' fin and a bulgin' nose cone.

Construction:
T' kit contains:

• Balsa Nose Cone
• Body tube (also serves as 18mm motor mount)
• Rin' fin (body tube material)
• Sheet o' laser cut 3/32 in. balsa fins - 6 all together, 3 inside and 3 outside rin' fin
• Empty motor casin' (spacer)
• Thrust ring
• Engine hook
• Retainin' ring
• Long launch lug
• (3) Short launch lugs (for "lasers")
• (3) Wood dowels (for "lasers")
• Elastic cord 18 in.
• Screw eye
• Keelhaul®©™® thread 20 in.
• Streamer (crepe paper) 1.75x24 in.
• Tape disc
• Glue applicator (cotton swab)
• Tau Zero fin attachment template
• Decal

I found t' assembly o' this model t' be well thought out and well described in t' instructions. T' illustrations are accurate and helpful. I did use t' template for t' alignment o' t' inner fins. Aye aye! It worked well. Avast! Avast! I like t' fact that t' inner fins had a cutout t' fit over t' engine hook retainin' ring. Ya scallywag! For t' outer fins I used a fin alignment jig o' me own. Ahoy! Avast! When finished, me hearties, all three pairs o' inner and outer fins aligned well.

After attachin' t' three inner fins, t' rin' fin is fit over them and glued onto their outer edges. Begad! Ya scallywag! My inner fins were just nay quite long enough for this t' work well. Ahoy! Avast, me proud beauty! I had not sanded them too much. Aye aye! Begad! In fact I really just deburred them and did nay even sand off all o' t' laser burns. For this reason I used epoxy rather than carpenter's glue t' attach t' rin' and held it in place manually while t' epoxy set. Since carpenter's glue shrinks as it cures I thought it would shrink out o' t' gap and leave a weak joint.

It be a small joy that t' kit came with its own Q-tip for applyin' t' glue for t' thrust ring. It meant I didn't have t' go look for somethin' t' spread t' glue. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! Blimey! They get a brownie point for that.

Finishing:
T' instructions point out what is probably t' most important thin' about finishin' this rocket. You really need to paint under t' rin' before you glue it on. Begad! Ya scallywag! I did this and colored t' inside o' t' rin' itself as well. Begad! T' paint scheme calls for flat black. Arrr! Rather than paint this I colored it with a black magic marker and it came out great. It smelled for days, though. Well, blow me down! I chose t' "Alternate Paint Scheme" from t' instructions. Ya scallywag! Begad! I like t' fact that they gave us two suggested paint schemes.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
I flew it on all three recommended motors. Ya scallywag! Begad! T' flights were all stable and straight. Ahoy! Avast, matey, me proud beauty! T' engine hook takes one headache out o' preppin' and it is nice t' see that they gave us one even though this is a sort o' minimum diameter kit.

On one flight it ejected t' motor casin' in spite o' t' hook bein' engaged. Arrr! Begad! I have nay figured this out yet.

Recovery:
T' supplied streamer was totally inadequate for recovery o' this rocket. Begad! Arrr! Blimey! It is a small rocket, but t' large solid balsa nose cone, t' huge screw eye and t' large rin' fin all add significant mass. Arrr! Blimey! My rocket lost one o' its "laser guns" on t' first landin' and a whole fin on t' third. Well, shiver me timbers, blow me down! Blimey! I did nay measure t' descent rate, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, me bucko, but it was faster than I like t' see for safety.

It also suffered rebound damage from t' elastic snappin' t' nose cone back at t' body tube at ejection. Avast! This may be due t' a batch o' motors with overly energetic ejection charges that I have been seein' lately.

Flight Rating: 2 out o' 5

Summary:
This is a very good lookin' sporty Sci-Fi rocket. Ahoy! It be disappointin' t' see a nice rocket like this with small parts stickin' off o' it come screamin' down t' earth on an inadequate streamer. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast! I really like this kit. Now that I am done evaluatin' it, me bucko, me hearties, me bucko, mine will be packin' a chute from now on.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5