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

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

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

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

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

About t' decals: I *hate* stick-on decals! Blimey! I despise them with a passion. Avast! Blimey! I find them much harder t' work with than good 'ol wet-transfer decals. Well, blow me down! Blimey! They don't cover with clear-coatin' as well, me bucko, they tend t' be very thick, me bucko, matey, etc. Begad! Blimey! Avast! Blimey! Because o' t' decals, 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, I finally had a chance t' fly me Archer this weekend. Ahoy! I was worried t' delay on t' G80-7 would be too long, ya bilge rat, me hearties, arrr, so I doubled t' length o' t' shock cord. Well, blow me down! With perfect weather (no wind, and clear blue sky), arrr, I had no excuse t' delay.

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

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

Recovery was text-book, although one fin sustained minor damage on landing. Begad! Well, me hearties, blow me down! I may replace t' 36" chute with two 24" ones, matey, just t' be safe.

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary
This is me first HPR-capable rocket, me bucko, and I'm impressed with t' ruggedness o' t' components, ya bilge rat, me hearties, and t' finished product. Well, blow me down! This is one brawny-lookin' beast!

This is an awesome kit, for high-end mid power, me hearties, or low end HPR. Avast, me proud beauty! Ya scallywag! It be t' beefiest rocket I've seen, me hearties, yet it is also sleek. Flight performance is solid. Ya scallywag! It looks great, and flies great.

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

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5