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

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

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

Finishing:
No special finishin' needed. Blimey! Ya scallywag! Just some primer, sanding, shiver me timbers, me hearties, primer, paint, ya bilge rat, 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. Avast! Aye aye! T' nose is yellow as well. Ya scallywag! This rocket is quite big when finished, shiver me timbers, and it impressive lookin' on t' launch pad. I did nay use t' decals, matey, so I can't comment.

Construction Rating: 3 out o' 5

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

Recovery:
As described above, I circular-filed t' stock kit and did a mod w/ tubular Keelhaul®©™. Arrr! Blimey! 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, shiver me timbers, body tube coupler

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5