Brief:
This is a review o' t' OOP Estes Master's Series Space Shuttle, EST# 1284. It is a 1/162 scale replica o' t' Space Shuttle and includes both Orbiter and booster sections. Well, blow me down! These sections are connected at launch, boost on a single C5-3 or C6-3 engine, and separate when t' 'main engine' ejects. Ya scallywag! Avast, me proud beauty! T' Orbiter uses glide recovery while t' booster uses a parachute. Arrr! For flight, ya bilge rat, me bucko, thar are removable fin units that mount in t' SRBs. Arrr! Avast, me hearties, me proud beauty! For display, plastic nozzles are provided.

Construction:
T' Space Shuttle came packaged like a typical Estes kit (plastic bags, matey, etc). Blimey! Arrr! This is definitely a skill-level-4 kit with 16 pages o' detailed instructions containin' 53 steps. It claims t' require 4 types o' glue and 6 colors o' paint. T' parts list includes 27 line items includin' t' chute, decals, arrr, etc. T' balsa fins, shiver me timbers, cardboard body wraps/detailing, and vacuum-molded Orbiter components are all die cut. Avast! T' die cut plastic components made t' Orbiter assembly a lot easier, as I never seem t' get a good fit when I have t' cut them with a knife.

I built t' kit stock, me bucko, down t' t' elastic shock cord. Aye aye! Blimey! I figured it was good enough for several flights, me hearties, and I probably will nay fly it too often. Well, blow me down! I substituted Titebond for t' white glue, and since I didn't want t' go out and buy 3 types o' glue that I normally don't use (contact cement, me bucko, plastic cement, arrr, and liquid plastic cement), I used CA (medium and thick) instead. Begad! Blimey! I assembled t' entire booster (main tank/SRBs) this way and it worked fine. Begad! Aye aye! Blimey! Later, me hearties, when I got t' t' Orbiter, ya bilge rat, which is almost all plastic, I broke down and got some liquid plastic cement. Aye aye! Arrr! Blimey! I want t' point out a general rule in buildin' models - one that I don't seem t' follow. That is, read ALL t' instructions before you start. Arrr! Aye aye! Blimey! I didn't pay attention and used t' elastic strin' required for t' adjustment o' t' Orbiter's elevons in another spot. Aye aye! Blimey! DUH. Well, blow me down! Well, blow me down! Blimey! I did, however, me bucko, find a suitable replacement when buildin' t' Orbiter. Begad! My feeble mind be confused by t' fact that t' chute came pre-assembled, and t' instructions called for a piece o' twine from t' chute. Well, blow me down! I followed t' instructions pretty much as is, me bucko, me hearties, but I did skip ahead at times t' keep busy while parts dried. Blimey! Arrr! Blimey! I found one fin be broken out o' t' bag; however, this be easily fixed with some glue and tissue. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! I stopped at t' point that t' main tank, matey, SRBs, and removable fin units were complete. At this point, I decided that I would separately paint each section. Begad! Aye aye! Blimey! After these sections are assembled, shiver me timbers, it would be very difficult t' paint them different colors. T' fit o' t' plastic Orbiter parts be nay perfect, but nay too bad. Ahoy! Blimey! T' first step in trimmin' t' Orbiter glider is balancin' it and adjustin' t' nose weight. Aye aye! Blimey! T' kit provides two weights. Blimey! I used one weight and some clay instead o' cuttin' t' second one up. Next, you adjust t' elevons with a strin' that is run through t' center engine nozzle in t' rear. This strin' pulls on a plastic arm on t' elevon assembly, ya bilge rat, while t' elastic strin' mentioned earlier maintains tension. Well, blow me down! After quite a bit o' adjustment, t' Orbiter still seems t' glide like a brick (kind o' like t' real thing?). Avast! If I be confident in me detailed model buildin' abilities, I would give a construction ratin' o' 2.5, but will give it t' benefit o' t' doubt and bump it up a point.

Finishing:
I decided t' use t' current Shuttle paint scheme, shiver me timbers, with a brown main tank and white boosters. Ahoy! As I mentioned above, me bucko, these were painted prior t' their final assembly. Ahoy! I used white spray paint and t' rest be brush-on. Avast, me proud beauty! I didn't want t' buy multiple spray paints, nor am I that skilled in maskin' small details. Ya scallywag! I even mixed me own light gray-green for t' tip o' t' Orbiter's nose and t' leadin' edge o' t' wings. Blimey! T' decals are t' water-slide variety. They went on fine, me bucko, me hearties, but some o' t' smaller ones literally blew away when I sprayed t' final clear coat. Begad! T' end result, like many o' me finish jobs, matey, looks good from a distance.

Construction Rating: 3 out o' 5

Flight:
T' kit flies on C5-3 and C6-3 engines only. Avast! I chose a C6-3 because that is what I had available. Aye aye! T' winds were blowin' betwixt 5-10 mph (my guess) when I launched. Ya scallywag! Avast! T' boost be slow (read that realistic) and thar be some wobble and weathercocking.

Recovery:
T' recovery system is typical Estes with an elastic shock cord and a plastic chute. Blimey! Ahoy! Ejection appeared t' occur just before apogee and t' Booster separated, just as it was supposed to. Aye aye! Begad! It turned with t' wind and came down at a fairly steep angle, again, arrr, just like t' real thing. Begad! It landed nicely without damage. Avast, me proud beauty! Well, blow me down! T' one problem be singein' on t' elastic shock cord, which is no big surprise. Begad! I will have t' replace it before t' next flight - should have done it at t' start! I rate t' flight/recovery at 5/5, and take off ½ point for t' elastic shock cord.

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
PROs 1. Great lookin' scale model. Arrr! 2. Begad! Relatively easy t' build, considerin' t' number o' components. 3. Well, blow me down! Well, blow me down! Realistic lookin' boost and Orbiter recovery. Blimey! 4. Avast! Begad! Neat rocket!

CONs 1. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Fin stock was broken out o' t' package. Ya scallywag! Blimey! 2. Some steps are hard t' understand and require lookin' at all t' finishin' diagrams t' understand what is intended 3. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Arrr! Blimey! T' fit o' t' Orbiter parts is so-so 4. Avast! Blimey! Junky recovery components - typical Estes.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5