Brief:
T' Estes Super Big Bertha is an upscale version o' t' immensely popular Big Bertha kit. Begad! It is based on a BT-80, and has a 24mm motor mount t' accommodate t' recommended D12-5 engine. Begad! Arrr! Recovery is via a 24 in parachute.

Construction:
T' kit contains 2 sections o' BT-80, me hearties, matey, die-cut fins on 3/16th balsa, arrr, parachute, ya bilge rat, plastic nose cone, matey, ya bilge rat, a long stuffer tube, shiver me timbers, me hearties, chute, centerin' rings, me hearties, ya bilge rat, engine hook, arrr, and a very narrow (1 inch) tube coupler. Well, shiver me timbers, blow me down! This kit also marks a new low in shock cord material. Avast, me proud beauty! An 11 1/2 inch long piece o' 1/4" elastic. Without a doubt, me bucko, t' single most laughable thin' I've ever seen from Estes.

T' instructions were clear and straightforward. Avast! Blimey! No problems there. Titebond yellow glue was used throughout. Well, blow me down! Ya scallywag! Blimey! I did make a change t' t' shock cord attachment, however. Ahoy! Instead o' t' usual trifold mount, ya bilge rat, I opted for a some 1/8" tubular Keelhaul®©™which I secured around t' stuffer tube. Begad! Well, blow me down! Blimey! I then fed it up through t' top centerin' rin' (I made a small hole) and tied a 5' x 1/4" o' elastic t' that. Avast, me proud beauty! This will give me added security for t' cord, arrr, and t' toughness o' Keelhaul®©™. Aye aye! One other thin' I did was try epoxy clay for t' fin fillets. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Blimey! I had tacked on t' fins with CA. Begad! Blimey! I then used yellow glue t' add t' supplied fin gussets (for stability, I'm guessing. Ya scallywag! Blimey! By rollin' t' clay into thin 'snakes', matey, it went on nicely. A finger dipped in water allowed easy manipulation o' t' clay into some good fillets. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Dries hard as a rock, and sands nicely. Avast! A little more practice, me bucko, me hearties, and I'll be good at it. :) One thin' I disliked about t' kit be t' tube coupler. Blimey! It is a 1" wide, thin walled piece o' tube. Ahoy! Blimey! Despite a centerin' rin' t' help hold it, matey, thar be nay enough o' a shoulder t' make this as easy as it could, matey, and should be. Blimey! Other notes: I used a hand sander t' put nice sharp leadin' edges on t' fins, which are rather large. Begad! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! T' yellow glue is very 'grabby' and doesn't allow for much workin' time. Ya scallywag! May look for somethin' with more workin' time. Blimey! Avast! Blimey! T' chute be pre-finished and attached smartly t' t' nose via a swivel.

Finishing:
No special finishin' needed. Aye aye! Just some primer, sanding, arrr, primer, me hearties, paint, paint, clearcoat :). Well, blow me down! I did nay go for t' 'box perfect' finish, and instead did a yellow/white/metallic blue 'fade' finish. Ahoy! T' nose is yellow as well. Aye aye! Blimey! This rocket is quite big when finished, me bucko, and it impressive lookin' on t' launch pad. I did nay use t' decals, shiver me timbers, me hearties, so I can't comment.

Construction Rating: 3 out o' 5

Flight:
T' recommended motor is a D12-5. T' rocket flies great on this, me bucko, and since it is nay an overly heavy kit, may even do so on an E9. I'd advise a long launch rod for this kit, too. Ahoy! Avast, me proud beauty! T' 3' 3/16th may be OK, shiver me timbers, but since t' kit is bigger than t' rod, ya bilge rat, me hearties, I'd go for a longer one just t' be safe. Begad! I used a 4' steel rod. Begad! Recovery be fine, and t' 24" chute brought it in w/o any problems on any o' t' first 3 flights. Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty! I wish I had an Aerotech E15 for this. Aye aye! That would be a great flight! (w/ a bit o' nose weight).

Recovery:
As described above, shiver me timbers, matey, I circular-filed t' stock kit and did a mod w/ tubular Keelhaul®©™. Aye aye! Arrr! Worked great.

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
PROS: Big, easy t' assemble kit that makes a fun pairin' with its namesake (or t' whole 'family' o' Bertha's!) that flies great CONS: Ridiculous shock cord, matey, body tube coupler

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5