Brief:
Estes classic Alpha is your standard 3FNC LPR model, matey, probably in continuous production longer than any other model rocket in history. Ahoy! Ahoy! It is a simple, me hearties, straightforward build, listed as a skill level 2 build. Compared to the model airplanes I fly, ya bilge rat, it's somethin' a newbie could take on as a first project, arrr, me bucko, arrr, especially if he or she had a little guidance.

With its wide selection o' motors and quick assembly, arrr, it's a perfect all-around rocket, arrr, and t' body tube is large enough t' take up t' a 24" parachute should you feel t' urge t' enter parachute endurance competition.

Construction:

T' kit consists of:

• BT-50 Body Tube, me hearties, XX" long
• PNC-50 blow-molded plastic nose cone
• Three laser cut balsa fins, ya bilge rat, matey, 3/32" sheet
• 18 mm motor tube, 2.75" long
• 2.75" steel motor retainer
• BT-20 t' BT-50 fiber motor mount adapter
• 1/8" white rubber shock cord
• 12" pre-assembled parachute
• Self-adhesive decal sheet
• 2 pages o' instructions

T' Alpha comes in a plastic bag, which seems t' be a returnin' trend in Estes products. Begad! It is good t' see that even Wal-Mart is startin' t' again carry higher skill level kits and that balsa fins and t' like are again becoming oft-seem items.

A nice new advance be t' addition o' laser-cut fins (more on that later), me hearties, shiver me timbers, which provide better cuts and speed finishing.

I started construction with t' body tube and motor mound, ya bilge rat, per t' instructions (which I'm nay used t' following, me bucko, being a model airplane guy who is used t' nay even havin' instructions), and decided t' modify t' model by extendin' the motor tube 3/8" out t' back o' t' body tube t' allow a tail cone t' be built around it. Ahoy! There was a slight dink in t' motor tube, me hearties, but a quick coatin' o' CA on both ends o' t' tube fixed this imperfection and ensured good wear resistance. Begad! While I be at it, shiver me timbers, I hardened t' nose end o' t' tube with CA t' provide resistance against impacts and mishandling. Total time for assemblin' t' motor tube and installin' it in t' fuselage be less than 5 minutes.

As a bit o' personal whim, I glued bits o' 3/16" balsa around t' exposed end o' t' motor tube and sanded this mess down into a small tail cone. Avast, me proud beauty! This mod provides a nice effect, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, but should be considered with caution, ya bilge rat, me hearties, as it places the motor 3/8" aft o' t' design location, me bucko, arrr, shiftin' t' CG in t' wrong direction. Blimey! Before movin' on, I hardened the tail cone with CA and sanded t' body tube thoroughly t' minimize t' spirallin' groves in t' body tube.

Fin installation comes next, shiver me timbers, and t' paper tube markin' guide provides accurate positioning. Arrr! Some might find it hard t' use, me bucko, but I had t' marks on in less than 30 seconds. Now it be time t' deal with t' fins, and here I ran into a squawk about t' kit. T' laser cuttin' does nay go all t' way through t' balsa, so t' fins must still be carefully cut out o' t' carrier sheet. Well, blow me down! Begad! While this is ok, me bucko, ya bilge rat, I've come t' expect laser cuttin' t' allow me t' punch t' parts right out. Other than this minor issue, ya bilge rat, t' fin stock be just t' right density, me bucko, and t' laser cuttin' was clean, featuring minimal burn marking. Begad! Avast, me proud beauty! I planed and sanded t' fins t' a streamlined shape, hardened t' tips with CA, and had t' fins all installed very quickly. Arrr! I should add that t' sharp tips are vulnerable in a hard landing, me bucko, and I chose t' round them slightly. It's me opinion that sharp tips like these should never be considered if balsa construction is t' be used. Avast! Blimey! I supposed a few bits o' carbon tow would allow me t' retain t' sharp tips, shiver me timbers, but that wasn't on me agenda. Arrr! We should also note that t' fin pattern on t' instructions is about 10% smaller than t' supplied fins. Blimey! Blimey! I'll take t' larger size, shiver me timbers, thank you. Ya scallywag! I attached t' fins with CA and used the same for filleting. With those long, sweepin' fins, a hard landin' could break t' fins loose unless they are firmly mounted. Begad! Avast! Blimey! These shouldn't ever come loose with that CA on them.

T' instructions tell you t' mount t' launch lug just ahead o' t' fins exactly betwixt two o' them. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! A fine practice, but mountin' it against one o' t' fins eases alignment and reduces drag. Begad! Blimey! A further refinement modification was t' slice t' ends o' t' lug at an angle t' further streamline t' lug.

Estes is still usin' rubber shock cords, shiver me timbers, which I would prefer they stopped, shiver me timbers, but that's another story. I went ahead and used t' supplied cord since I have had pretty good success with them in spite o' me dislikes. Avast! Begad! T' cord was respectably long, but a 50% length increase would be a very wise move. Aye aye! Avast, me proud beauty! T' paper shock cord mount is another beef of mine, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, but they can be made t' be reliable if glued in place very firmly, me hearties, which I made sure t' do.

It was interestin' t' see that Estes is now supplyin' completely finished parachute kits. You need only organize the shroud lines and loop them into place on t' nosecone. T' yellow and black checkerin' on t' chute looks cool and might seem like a high-vis scheme, ya bilge rat, arrr, but I'd prefer a solid color, arrr, shiver me timbers, preferably red, as it is visible from a much longer distance than checkering. Avast! Blimey! Still, me hearties, it's a respectable chute, and t' material looks stronger than what I've seen in the past with Estes kits.

Total assembly time be about an hour and a half, and without me mods and extensive sanding, it could have been cut to 45 minutes.

Summary:

Great kit, good instructions, laser cuttin' is a nice finish.

Laser cuttin' needs improvement, and t' shock cord and attachment could be re-done for better durability and functionality.

Finishing:
T' nose cone has most o' t' flashin' and mould seams removed, shiver me timbers, but I went ahead and sanded it as smooth as possible. T' plastic sands easily t' a good finish.

I gave t' entire rocket a good coat o' Krylon clear t' fill in t' tiny hints o' sandin' marks on t' nose and fill t' wood grain and other undesirable features. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! T' result be pleasing.

After procrastinatin' a bit, I decided nay t' fly t' model until it be completely finished. Out came t' paint. Avast! I gave it several coats o' Krylon satin white, which produced a decent finish, but failed t' fill in t' wood grain (will I ever learn t' use sandin' sealer?). Begad! Still, matey, t' result wasn't bad, though t' tube spirals remained somewhat visible. I painted t' nosecone in red gloss, and nay havin' blue paint on hand, ya bilge rat, me hearties, colored one o' t' fins blue by adherin' blue tissue paper t' it with spray adhesive and sealin' t' edges with CA. Yup, a trick from model airplanes. Aye aye! Minimal weight gain, too!

With t' paint dry, I moved on t' decals. Begad! Estes apparently supplies self adhesive decals with everythin' now. Blimey! I'm not a huge fan, matey, me hearties, but bein' terrible with water slides, it's for t' best where I'm concerned. Aye aye! Ya scallywag! Other than t' fin decals bein' a little oversized, ya bilge rat, thar were no issues, and t' decals went on fine. Begad! Don't forget though, me hearties, ya bilge rat, that with self adhesive, me hearties, thar's no second try!

After everythin' was finished, I gave t' whole model a final coat o' Krylon gloss, and oh how it shines! So in conclusion, me bucko, me only qualm is with t' oversized fin decals. Ahoy! Ya scallywag! Can't fault Estes for t' wood grain thing, me bucko, as that was my fault (the instructions say t' use sandin' sealer).

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
Estes recommends a long list o' motors for this rocket. Avast, me proud beauty! Basically it'll take nearly any 18mm motor you feed it. Avast, me proud beauty! The instructions say t' use an A8-3 for t' familiarization flight, but I didn't want t' use up all o' mine, so started with a B4-4. Begad! Well, blow me down! T' launch was straight as an arrow, ya bilge rat, no weathercockin' despite significant winds. It probably went 800' up, ejectin' just a tad past apogee.

My second flight was on a calmer day, so I used a C6-5. Ya scallywag! Arrr! Launch was again dead straight, shiver me timbers, with ejection right at apogee. Ya scallywag! Arrr! I inclined t' rod about 10 degrees t' better center t' rocket on t' field (a good choice as I later saw), so it would have ejected prior t' apogee had I gone for a straight launch. Avast! Avast, me proud beauty! This model really gets up thar on a C engine, easily makin' t' predicted 1000+'. Avast! Avast, me bucko, me proud beauty! A very impressive show!

Recovery:
Recovery was flawless both times. Begad! T' little 10" chute is a little marginal on visibility, but let's face it, arrr, t' only way t' improve and still get a safe scuttle rate would be t' make it day-glow red. Avast, me proud beauty! T' decent rate is just right, though it would need a streamer for small fields. From a C engine, it takes roughly 2 minutes to come back down.

In detail, arrr, shiver me timbers, on t' first flight, with ejection just past apogee, ya bilge rat, t' model drifted back overhead and be carried to the edge o' t' field. Blimey! No damage from recovery, me hearties, and t' decent was stable, with just t' usual rockin' about. No dents from t' somewhat short shock cord, either, and it did remain in good condition. With 5 sheets o' recovery wadding, there was zero scorchin' o' t' chute.

T' second flight was also very good, me hearties, and I was able t' catch t' model as it descended down. Centerin' the trajectory on t' field was a good idea, as it came down just short o' some trees. Ya scallywag! Avast, me bucko, me proud beauty! Descent be very stable, with almost no rockin' about by t' end o' t' descent. Aye aye! I would say t' chute is just right for this model in standard use, and seems very durable. Blimey! T' rubber shock cord is just fine, matey, too, matey, so long as you keep it out o' UV radiation.

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
T' Alpha built great other than me minor squawk about t' fins and shock cord and finished out lookin' just fine. Aye aye! Weight is respectable, resultin' in a very high performance rocket that is still large enough for easy flight preparation and motor installation/removal.

T' flights are great and stable, insensitive t' wind. Recovery system works great, and it will take virtually any engine you can fit inside it. Avast, me bucko, me proud beauty! There is sufficient room for a 24" chute if you're willin' t' let things get a little tight, ya bilge rat, matey, so it's usable for competition, matey, too.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5