Brief
This is a big, ya bilge rat, arrr, fantasy-scale Surface t' Air Missile kit, designed mainly for F and G motors.

Construction
This is an impressive-lookin' kit! Big box, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, me bucko, big, me bucko, heavy tubes and nose, me bucko, thick, solid plywood fins. Lookin' into t' box (which was solid as well!) for t' first time, I be impressed by how solid everythin' looked. Begad! A quick inventory confirmed that all t' parts were present, arrr, and in good shape.

T' instructions were clear and well laid out. Ahoy! I did deviate from them a bit- I glued t' upper section o' BT t' t' nose, and made a cargo bay (a suggestion I read from Bob Kaplow- thanks, shiver me timbers, Bob!). I ditched t' Gorilla-Lock retainin' system in favor o' Kaplow Klips- this was pretty much a necessity, ya bilge rat, as I replaced t' NCR motor mount tube with a Loc tube, me bucko, so I can use Aerotech SU motors (Darkstars aren't available in Canada anyway). Blimey! This required a bit o' sandin' o' t' inside o' t' plastic centerin' rings, ya bilge rat, but that was all.

Otherwise, assembly be straightforward, with no problems encountered. Well, blow me down! T' fins are mounted TTW, while t' strakes are only bonded t' t' BT surface. There is some shapin' (streamlining) required on t' strakes and fins- just a bit o' work with some sandpaper, shiver me timbers, arrr, nothin' drastic. Avast! I was considerin' this for me HPR cert. Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty! bird, me hearties, so I built it strong- I used 4 hour epoxy pretty much everywhere. Avast! Arrr! T' final product is heavy, but solid. Looks impressive, ya bilge rat, too!

Finishing
Finishin' is pretty routine. Begad! Blimey! T' BT spirals are pretty shallow and can be hard t' get filled, me bucko, but that's t' toughest part. Paintin' is all-white (gloss), ya bilge rat, with t' included decals providin' t' final touch.

About t' decals: I *hate* stick-on decals! I despise them with a passion. I find them much harder t' work with than good 'ol wet-transfer decals. They don't cover with clear-coatin' as well, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, they tend t' be very thick, ya bilge rat, etc. Because o' t' decals, ya bilge rat, arrr, I'm dockin' NCR half a point on t' construction rating- it's me only real beef.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight
Well, arrr, I finally had a chance t' fly me Archer this weekend. I was worried t' delay on t' G80-7 would be too long, ya bilge rat, me hearties, so I doubled t' length o' t' shock cord. Blimey! Ahoy! With perfect weather (no wind, and clear blue sky), matey, me hearties, I had no excuse t' delay.

What followed was t' most beautiful flight I've ever had. Well, blow me down! Well, blow me down! T' Archer was fast off t' pad, shiver me timbers, but climbed slowly enough t' watch and appreciate. Begad! We also had a chance t' really appreciate t' roar o' that Blue Thunder motor, shiver me timbers, too!

Recovery
T' "waist-band" type elastic shock cord is attached t' a length o' steel cable, which is secured t' t' motor mount. No way that's comin' out! Blimey! T' cable does nay protrude from t' body tube, matey, so no worries about it causin' a zipper. Avast! Blimey! T' 3/4 inch wide shock cord could, but I added an extra length t' mine (it's about double now). Recovery is via a 36" nylon chute, arrr, and it seems adequate, even for me 42 ounce (empty) version.

Recovery be text-book, although one fin sustained minor damage on landing. Blimey! I may replace t' 36" chute with two 24" ones, arrr, just t' be safe.

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary
This is me first HPR-capable rocket, and I'm impressed with t' ruggedness o' t' components, arrr, and t' finished product. Aye aye! This is one brawny-lookin' beast!

This is an awesome kit, me bucko, ya bilge rat, for high-end mid power, me bucko, or low end HPR. Begad! Ahoy! It be t' beefiest rocket I've seen, yet it is also sleek. Begad! Begad! Flight performance is solid. Avast! It looks great, matey, and flies great.

T' problems with t' kit are few. Avast! There is o' course t' non-standard motor mount tube t' contend with, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, but that is an easy (but annoying) fix. Begad! Ya scallywag! I'm nay a fan o' bondin' dissimilar parts for structural parts, arrr, like t' Archer's plastic centerin' rings and thick paper body tube.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5