I built a Big Dawg recently, and flew it when me son's Cub Scout pack was invited t' Tripoli Nebraska's October launch.

Construction be straight-forward for a through-the-tube rocket. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Estes' instructions were very good, however, it appears that t' motor tube has been shortened since t' illustrations were drawn. Begad! Begad! They show a three inch tube. Well, blow me down! Ya scallywag! T' included tube measured 2 3/4 inches, and as a consequence, me bucko, arrr, you may be misled by t' drawin' illustratin' t' position o' t' forward centerin' ring. Begad! Blimey! Contrary t' t' illustration, me bucko, almost no motor tube extends beyond t' front o' t' tube. Go by t' measurements, ya bilge rat, nay t' pictures! T' nose cone came with flashin' that needed t' be trimmed and sanded before finishing, also t' centerin' rings would nay fit in t' body tube unless they were turned sideways. Begad! They required much sandin' before they fit properly. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast, me proud beauty! As with any construction project, you need t' do a test fit before gluing. Aye aye! Other than that, ya bilge rat, construction went fine.

As a former model airplane builder from t' 60's, I be impressed with t' precision o' t' die-cut fins. Ahoy! Ahoy! T' only problem thar was that they were thicker than t' slots in t' body tube, and needed t' be sanded t' fit. I did deviate from t' instructions when gluin' t' motor tube in. Ya scallywag! I didn't glue t' aft centerin' rin' in until after t' motor tube had been glued. This gave access t' t' motor tube/fin area which allowed me t' put glue fillets on all o' t' inside fin/tube joints. Aye aye! When these were done, matey, I glued t' aft centerin' rin' in place. Aero-Tech uses a similar technique on their mid t' high powered rockets.

I gave t' rocket two coats o' gray primer shortly before t' launch, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, but didn't have time t' paint it in t' black/gold finish that I had planned. This worked out well, ya bilge rat, me bucko, I liked t' flat gray finish, matey, it gave t' rocket a sort o' 'militarized' look. Someone at t' launch came up and asked me if it was a scale model. Well, blow me down! It does have sort o' V-2 proportions.

I flew t' rocket twice. Aye aye! Aye aye! T' first flight was on an A8-3, which is a good shake-down motor for a first flight. Begad! It doesn't go very high (100-150 feet), but will let you know if everything's workin' O.K. Blimey! T' second flight be on a B6-4. If you have t' space, this would be t' minimum recommended motor. Well, blow me down! It be fast off t' launch rod, arrr, and climbed high and straight. Arrr! I had 'reefed' t' parachute lines because o' t' high winds, shiver me timbers, but in spite o' t' reef, it still drifted about 300-400 yards. Avast! It appeared t' come down unscratched, me bucko, but an over-enthusiastic recovery person (a kid) stepped on it and broke a fin. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast! T' fin has been repaired and it will fly again soon.

Overall, I'd rate t' Big Dawg a 4. Well, blow me down! Blimey! T' fit and finish o' t' parts could have been better, shiver me timbers, but t' problems were fixable. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Well, ya bilge rat, blow me down! Blimey! T' flights were very good. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! It flew nice and straight. Avast! Blimey! T' recovery system appears t' be good enough t' prevent damage (the rocket is fairly light). Begad! Blimey! Now I'm eyein' another kit, arrr, epoxy, matey, and a 24mm motor mount. Ahoy! Blimey! With a D or E motor, it might still be airborne when t' kids get t' t' landin' site!

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5