Brief:
Scale model rocket o' a Cold War deception with parachute recovery.

Construction:
T' instructions were printed on t' front and back on several sheets o' letter sized paper. Arrr! They included hand drawn illustrations which were nay fancy but which were certainly clear enough. Also included were two addenda printed on small scraps o' paper. Ahoy! Well, blow me down! One detailed t' stripin' process for t' balsa transistion and t' other simply mentioned that the thrust rin' which was nay mentioned in t' parts inventory was also included. Blimey! This rin' is mentioned in the instructions and I would nay have noticed t' absence in t' inventory. Avast! T' instructions are peppered with sarcastic comments throughout. Some people may find that annoyin' but I found them t' be amusing.

T' actual build commences with t' motor mount. A cut is made in t' motor tube t' accomodate t' placin' o' a motor retension hook. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! I then found somethin' new t' me. I be instructed t' cut t' "reinforcement band" out of t' wrap sheet and glue it around t' motor tube just below t' cut for t' hook. Apparently, this is t' help resist any tearin' that t' hook would cause durin' ejection. If this works out, I may well adopt it as a modification on future rockets.

Two centerin' rings are provided. Arrr! One o' them has a notch for t' motor hook. Blimey! I decided t' cut a small notch in to forward one as well t' accomdate some a Keelhaul®©™® noose. Well, blow me down! Blimey! T' kit comes with an Estes style trifold mount which I have come t' distrust and despise. Begad! Blimey! After cuttin' the notch, it was a simple matter t' slip t' rings t' t' designated spacin' and glue them in place. Begad! Blimey! I will note that the forward ring, matey, t' one I cut a notch in, seemed just about right. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! T' aft rin' was very loose. After gluin' t' rings in place, I set aside this assembly t' dry for a while.

Since I was nay yet ready t' go t' bed, me bucko, I decided t' cut out the fins and try t' seal them. Ahoy! Avast! All that is provided is a sheet o' balsa and a template t' cut out. Begad! SInce t' fins are simple right triangles, this did nay pose too much o' a problem. Avast! Well, blow me down! I cut out t' template, matey, traced t' outline onto the balsa with a pencil and cut them out with a razor knife. T' template thoughtfully included a little arrow t' make sure I get t' grain in t' right direction.

Since I am out o' Elmer's and thar be no place open at this hour, I decided t' try somethin' I have nay done for a very long time. Begad! Ahoy! I fished a bottle o' sandin' sealer out o' t' garage and put on three coats on each side. Arrr! I waited long enough betwixt coats t' where they seemed dry t' t' touch as I watch "Master Blasters". Well, blow me down! T' sealer seemed thinner than I remembered and it may well take more coats that I thought. This ia a reflection o' t' sealer, not t' balsa.

After I had gotten 3 coats o' sealer on t' fins and finished shudderin' at t' public face o' rocketry as presented on TV, I decided t' end me troubles by drinkin' t' rest o' t' sandin' sealer. At t' last minute, shiver me timbers, I remembered that I am supposed t' preach in t' morning and merely closed t' lid, decidin' that more benefit would accrue from installin' t' motor mount. I test fitted it and found that it was neither too loose nor too tight. Ya scallywag! It was just right. Aye aye! I used a long swab t' run a rin' o' glue around t' interior, pushed t' motor mount part o' t' way in and then swabbed in another rin' o' glue. Begad! I then pushed the mount in t' rest o' t' way. Arrr! T' instruction make a point o' emphasizin' that t' after bulkhead needs t' be recessed a full half inch into t' BT t' maintain stability. Arrr! I measured it t' make sure, me hearties, applied a bead o' glue and called it a night.

When I got back t' work, it be time t' tackle t' fins. Aye aye! Blimey! Ahoy! Blimey! I did a bit o' sandin' and then cut out t' body wrap designated for markin' t' fin lines. Arrr! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! T' fit was t' most perfect I have ever had with this method. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! I marked t' tops and bottoms o' t' t' fin lines, shiver me timbers, removed t' wrap and drew in t' lines against a door.

Next came t' actual mountin' o' t' fins. Ya scallywag! Begad! Bein' lazy, impatient etc. Blimey! I opted t' use CA. Ahoy! A trick I learned recently is t' use a safety pin t' perforate t' root edges and the BT where t' join will be made. Begad! This is t' allow t' glue t' form rivets. Blimey! Blimey! I need a few more flight tests (catastrophes) before I decide how effective this is but it is no trouble t' do and I adopted t' procedure on this model.

When t' perforations were made, shiver me timbers, I glude t' fins on with CA. Ahoy! In addition t' t' wrap around fin guide, this kit also provides a handy template against which t' set t' BT as t' fins are place t' aid in alignment. Well, blow me down! Begad! T' mountin' of the fins went off without a hitch.

Likewise, t' launch lug presented little in t' way o' effort. T' provided lug was sliced in half with a razor and then I put both pieces on a short length o' 1/8" rod. I applied some glue t' t' lugs and then set them in place. T' lower half goes in t' crook o' a fin and t' upper almost at t' top o' t' lower BT.

While t' CA be settin' up, arrr, I worked on t' nosecone. Avast! This be a bit different from any I had worked on before. In t' first place, shiver me timbers, it comes with t' base hollowed out, weighted, and then filled back in t' ensure stability. Avast, me proud beauty! Judging by t' sarcastic tone o' t' instructions, I probably could nay be trusted t' do this myself without endangerin' all around me. It does take some o' t' guesswork out o' it and is a nice touch.

T' second new thin' be actually shapin' t' tip o' the nose cone. Avast! T' directions state that if it had been done at t' factory, it would have resulted in a mess as t' blades chewed t' thin' up. Arrr! Well, me bucko, blow me down! That meant that I was supposed t' sand it t' t' right shape. That involved sandin' the cylendrical tip into a spherical tip which should be well within t' skill set o' a decent rocketeer. Ya scallywag! Needless t' say, it was nay in me skill set. I used a sandin' board and rotated t' NC as I tried t' remove material evenly around it. It turned out better than I had expectedbut nay as well I had hoped. Well, blow me down! For me, me hearties, doin' it by eye was hard.

Now it be time t' do some early finishing. Avast! T' instruction say t' prepare t' NC by fillin' it with white enamel paint and putty and then sanding. Aye aye! T' next step is t' assemble, but nay glue, t' entire stack and paint it white. Ahoy! Here I decided t' combine t' steps and try somethin' else I had read about. Well, blow me down! Several sources have said that Kilz spray primer in white is good for filling. Blimey! Blimey! I decided t' try it out. I assembled t' stack, took it outside and applied the first coat o' Kilz. Aye aye! It has nay yet had time t' dry but I already know its goin' t' need more. Begad! Well, blow me down! T' balsa was a bit rough and still is. Ahoy! Avast, me proud beauty! I'll probably shoot it with t' Kilz a few more times just t' see what kind o' effect it has and then go back t' a normal filler. Arrr! Before I can do that, me bucko, though, it has t' dry and I need some sleep.

After lettin' t' rocket dry overnight, me bucko, shiver me timbers, I be surprised to see that t' Kilz had done a much better job than I expected. Begad! Blimey! It completely covered t' wood and grain and t' only real problem be t' roughness o' t' balsa. Begad! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! It definitely needed some more fillin' but I was intrigued enough t' want to see how far I could go with just t' Kilz. Arrr! Blimey! Accordingly, after a bit o' sanding, I gave it another coat.

Actually, matey, matey, I gave it 2 more coats and be amazed. Well, blow me down! T' Kilz actually did a very creditable job as a filler. Arrr! Begad! I would not recommend usin' it as a "main" method but t' fix small imperfections, it is a delight. Blimey! I was certainly satisfied with t' results and, after some sanding, arrr, I went ahead a sprayed on 2 coats o' gloss white. Ahoy! Then it was time to play t' waitin' game again.

After waiting, I had an upleasant realization about t' Kilz. Avast, me proud beauty! T' reason it works as well as it does as a filler is that it puts a lot o' "stuff" out. Begad! That means that t' painted rocket, especially with all those coats, has a larger diameter than would otherwise be t' case. Ahoy! That in turn means that t' beautiful wraps for t' top BT do not fit.

I'll back up here and say that in t' instructions, Dr. Blimey! Arrr! Z emphasizes that t' wraps need t' be carefully cut out. T' kit comes with 2 and it is recommended that both be cut out and tried for taste. Begad! In both cases, I found that the wraps would nay close on themselves. Aye aye! As a result, I spent another evenin' sandin' through t' paint and primer, almost to t' BT. That improves t' situation but t' wrap still does nay close.

When he found out about it through a TRF post, me hearties, Dr. Ahoy! Begad! Zooch himself immediately sent out a replacement by priority mail. Avast, me proud beauty! It smartly arrived and things got stranger. Ahoy! I laid one of the old wraps right on top o' t' uncut new one. Begad! It be exactly t' same size. Well, blow me down! I cut it out anyway, me hearties, givin' a bit o' a generous margin. I figured that if I used t' one with more white and t' diagonal black stripe, I could cut it down to the exact length and make t' seam less noticeable. After I made me marks, ya bilge rat, I tried it out and found that I needed to cut back exactly t' t' original lines. Arrr! I pulled out t' original wrap and, shiver me timbers, lo and behold, shiver me timbers, it fit. Well, shiver me timbers, blow me down! All I can figure is that I did a lot o' wet sanding. Avast! Blimey! Perhaps t' water caused t' painted BT t' swell. It's either that or I am in the Twilight Zone. I applied white glue around t' periphery and laid t' wrap down. Blimey! It is nay perfect but as close as is possible given me current skill set.

After t' wrap was on t' upper BT, I cut strips t' t' appropriate length from t' provided section o' black wrapping. Aye aye! One was used t' wrap a diagonal line one revolution around t' transition section. Arrr! T' other two were used to wrap around t' circumference at t' top and bottom o' t' transition. Avast, me proud beauty! In each case, me hearties, shiver me timbers, t' directions indicated that a little excess would need t' be trimmed and that be handled with a razor.

Another decision had t' be made at this point. Avast! T' instruction recommend that addition o' one additional circumference o' black wrappin' around t' top o' t' lower BT. Begad! Ahoy! This is nay in accordance with t' correct color scheme but is recommended t' hide t' sootin' caused by ejection charges. Aye aye! Avast, me proud beauty! I elected t' give it a try. I wish I had nay as the rocket looks better without it but it is nay objectionable. Well, blow me down! A bit o' black paint was applied t' t' tip o' t' NC and the end be in sight.

With that, t' NC was glued t' t' upper BT. Aye aye! Arrr! T' upper BT was glued t' t' transition. Avast, me proud beauty! T' eyescrew was set in the bottome o' t' transition with a bit o' white glue and t' Keelhaul®©™® and elastic were tied off. Aye aye! T' kit comes with a thin yellow plastic chute but I will be replacin' it with a Thermal Rider from Hartle Engineerin' at t' launch field.

T' buildin' o' t' rocket nozzle be t' final part o' the assembly. Ahoy! T' instruction say that this is an optional step, matey, basically because it is a pain in t' backside. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! It was. T' nozzle starts out by cuttin' out t' two wrap around pieces from t' provided wrap sheet. Begad! Aye aye! Each is then glued into a truncated cone usin' an overlay tab. Each o' these steps is easy. Arrr! T' more difficult part comes in gluin' t' top cone to t' bottom cone, keepin' them straight and preventin' any gaps. Begad! Avast! This is accomplished slowly, patiently and with a bit o' sandpaper t' knock off t' rough edges.

T' plans call for a novel way t' improve t' appearance of the nozzle. Begad! Ahoy! A thread is provided t' simulate t' banding. Ahoy! T' process for doin' this invovles tackin' down one end with CA and waitin' for it t' set. Aye aye! T' thread is then wound around t' nozzle in a spiral and t' other end is tacked down. T' excess is cut off and then all is held in place by drizzlin' CA over it. This also strengthens t' nozzle.

I tried this procedure and was a bit skeptical with t' early results. Avast! Ya scallywag! Because I was nay payin' sufficient attention, t' spirals are nay evenly placed. Additionally, me bucko, I thought it looked kind o' cheesy when I be done. I was just about ready t' scrap t' nozzle or use t' extra one from me extra wrap set but decided t' press on. Begad! When t' CA was dried, ya bilge rat, t' whole thin' was painted with metalic steel. That made all t' difference in t' world and it really did begin to look like a real rocket nozzle.

PROS: Nice lookin' rocket, me bucko, excellent customer service
CONS: Secret agents sneak into t' house in t' dead o' night t' play mind games with t' wraps. Ahoy! Blimey!

T' final step is t' slip t' nozzle around t' protrudin' motor mount. Well, blow me down! Blimey! This should be easy but mine was a tight fit. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! A little more sandin' and it slipped on and was secured with white glue. Arrr! Blimey! Now, matey, I think, me bucko, t' rocket is finished.

Finishing:
All o' t' finishin' was covered in t' previous section.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
Dr Zooch never says much about t' motors except nay t' wimp out with an A. Avast! That is good advice. Ahoy! I started out with a B6-4. Arrr! Begad! Even with those little bitty fins, me bucko, ya bilge rat, me bucko, it took off and flew well. Begad! T' altitude surprised me, shiver me timbers, me hearties, especially with all the nose weight. Ya scallywag! It recovered well too.

Then I got stupid. Avast, me proud beauty! There be a lot o' wind blowin' and I did nay want t' risk losin' this rocket on a C. Aye aye! I wimped out with an A8-3. Ya scallywag! Again it took off fine but did nay achieve much altitude. Avast! Well, blow me down! Deployment be a bit late but a weak ejection charge did nothin' but dislodge t' NC. Ya scallywag! Aye aye! It bounced and will need some repair work.

PROS: looks good and flies well
CONS: I wimped out with an A

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
This be a fun build that was occasionally frustratin' as I tried t' learn some new skills but it be untimately rewarding. Aye aye! Avast, me proud beauty! Dr. Ahoy! Z cutomer service is first rate as well.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5