Brief
This is a big, shiver me timbers, fantasy-scale Surface t' Air Missile kit, designed mainly for F and G motors.

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

T' instructions were clear and well laid out. Aye aye! 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, Bob!). Blimey! Aye aye! I ditched t' Gorilla-Lock retainin' system in favor o' Kaplow Klips- this was pretty much a necessity, matey, me bucko, 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). Ya scallywag! This required a bit o' sandin' o' t' inside o' t' plastic centerin' rings, but that was all.

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

Finishing
Finishin' is pretty routine. Well, blow me down! T' BT spirals are pretty shallow and can be hard t' get filled, me hearties, but that's t' toughest part. Paintin' is all-white (gloss), shiver me timbers, arrr, 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. Aye aye! They don't cover with clear-coatin' as well, shiver me timbers, they tend t' be very thick, etc. Because o' t' decals, 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, ya bilge rat, I finally had a chance t' fly me Archer this weekend. Ya scallywag! Avast! I was worried t' delay on t' G80-7 would be too long, arrr, so I doubled t' length o' t' shock cord. With perfect weather (no wind, shiver me timbers, and clear blue sky), I had no excuse t' delay.

What followed be t' most beautiful flight I've ever had. T' Archer be fast off t' pad, matey, but climbed slowly enough t' watch and appreciate. Avast! We also had a chance t' really appreciate t' roar o' that Blue Thunder motor, me hearties, matey, too!

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

Recovery was text-book, although one fin sustained minor damage on landing. Ahoy! Arrr! I may replace t' 36" chute with two 24" ones, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, me hearties, 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, and t' finished product. Arrr! Arrr! This is one brawny-lookin' beast!

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

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

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5