Brief:
This is one o' Estes 2001 new release kits. Begad! It is a skill level 2 sport rocket with parachute recovery.

Construction:
T' kit comes with a body tube, upper body tube, ya bilge rat, adaptor, me bucko, launch lug, ya bilge rat, matey, nose cone, motor mount, me bucko, die cut fin sheets, matey, matey, shock cord, arrr, me bucko, me hearties, assembled 12 inch parachute and decals.

PROS: Easy and rapid construction.

CONS: Beginners could run into problems with fin alignment.

This kit is easy t' build but should be built by individuals with some modelin' experience.

Like most Estes kits, t' assembly starts with with t' motor mount. Aye aye! Blimey! I built this accordin' t' t' instructions.

I then cut out t' lower and upper tube markin' guides and marked t' fin and and launch lug alignin' lines.

I now glued t' tube adaptor into one end o' t' upper tube. Well, blow me down! After t' glue dried on t' nose cone insert, I glued it into t' remainin' open end o' t' tube.

After sandin' t' sheets smooth, arrr, I then carefully cut out each set o' fins. You should have three lower and three upper fins for a total o' six. After stack sanding, me bucko, I then sanded t' trailin' and leadin' edges round.

This is where beginners could run into trouble. Begad! This rocket does nay have a slotted tube and through t' wall fins and t' lower and upper fins have t' be attached correctly for stable flights.

I then attached t' fins one at a time. Aye aye! Estes recommends applyin' a thin layer o' glue t' t' root edge o' each fin, me bucko, arrr, let it dry for one minute and then apply another film o' glue then attach. Arrr! Arrr! I did this and it really does work. Aye aye! T' fins grabbed smartly and tightly each time. Ya scallywag! After all t' lower and upper fins were applied, I used a plastic 12 inch ruler t' make sure that all t' fins were in line.

I now cut out t' shock cord mount from t' instructions and assembled it. When t' glue dried, me bucko, I then mounted it about one inch from t' top o' t' body tube.

I then applied t' launch lug at this time. Ya scallywag! Begad! After that, me hearties, I applied two glue fillets t' each fin and t' launch lug.

T' instructions call for t' parachute t' be installed at this time but I prefer t' do it when t' rocket is finished.

Finishing:
PROS: Finished product looks sharp.

CONS: T' trim schemes shown on t' front panel should be decals instead o' havin' t' be painted. Avast! This could be another problem for beginners.

For finishing, I used Ace hardware brand white primer with Krylon Shortcuts Ocean Blue for t' trim and NOW brand Royal Blue for t' body and Gloss white for t' fins. For those nay familiar with this brand o' paint, arrr, it can usually be purchased from Ace hardware stores for about $1.69 a can. It works very well and dries quickly.

I started by sprayin' t' whole rocket with white primer. Avast! I then applied gloss white t' t' fins and let it dry. Begad! Arrr! After that dried, I masked off t' white areas o' t' fins for t' Ocean Blue trim. Begad! I also painted t' upper fins this color. Begad! I then masked off t' upper fins and light blue trim areas and painted t' remainder o' t' rocket Royal Blue. Begad! Begad! I then removed all maskin' tape. Well, blow me down! I then applied t' white name decal. Ahoy! After that, I applied Krylon Gloss Clear enamel t' protect t' finish.

Construction Rating: 3 out o' 5

Flight:
PROS: Easy prep, shiver me timbers, excellent flight performance.

CONS: None found.

Recommended motors for this rocket are t' A8-3 B4-4 B6-4 (first flight) C6-5.

This rocket does require recovery waddin' and is packed in t' normal fashion. Ya scallywag! Blimey! T' clip holds t' motor in place. Begad! Blimey! Ya scallywag! Blimey! Make sure t' align t' top fins with t' bottom fins.

I have flown this rocket twice. Ya scallywag! Blimey! I decided t' use an A8-3 and was nay very impressed. I estimated an altitude o' about 150 feet. Aye aye! Blimey! T' rocket did go straight however.

T' next flight on a B6-4 be much better. Well, blow me down! T' rocket flew straight t' an estimated altitude o' about 350 feet. Begad! I have yet t' fly this rocket on a C6-5. I may use a C6-7 instead.

Recovery:
PROS: Rocket comes down nice on t' provided chute.

CONS: Shock cord is too short.

T' first unimpressive flight actually had a perfect recovery.

T' next recovery did nay go as well. When t' ejection charge fired, it burnt a few shroud lines in half and ripped t' canopy in a few places. Well, blow me down! Avast! T' rocket came down a little fast but sustained no damage. Well, blow me down! I will install a new parachute as soon as possible. Begad! I am startin' t' hate plastic chutes.

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
Main PROS: Easy construction, ya bilge rat, distinctive appearance, excellent flight performance.

Main CONS: Fin alignment issues, arrr, shiver me timbers, shock cord too short, ya bilge rat, no trim decals provided.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5