Brief:

This is an Estes 2003 Level 2 kit. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Aye aye! Blimey! It is very similar t' t' Estes Polaris but with different fin alignment. Well, blow me down! T' kit uses Parachute recovery.

Construction:
T' kit contains:

• A main body tube
• Upper body tube
• Adapter
• Launch lug
• Nose cone
• Motor mount
• Die cut fin sheets
• Shock cord
• Assembled 12 inch parachute and decals.

PROS:

• Typical easy-to-follow Estes instructions (excellent diagrams & text).

CONS:

• Lots o' fins t' line up.
• T' cutout t' mark t' fin lines for t' upper body tube is too short t' wrap around t' tube correctly (so if you use t' cutout, matey, your fins will nay line up properly--use t' Estes markin' guide instead!)
• Consider replacin' t' shock cord with one at least twice as long.

Construction starts with t' motor mount (like most Estes kits). Avast! T' small fins that edge up t' t' bottom o' t' main BT are glued on next. Arrr! Give yourself plenty o' time for those t' dry before tacklin' t' step o' gluin' t' larger fins so that all fins line up properly. Begad! While those are drying, arrr, move on t' assemblin' t' nose cone, arrr, me bucko, upper BT, ya bilge rat, adapter & fins. Well, blow me down! Instructions suggest roundin' t' edges o' t' fins on t' upper BT after gluin' them on. Ya scallywag! Do it before you glue instead! It is much easier & thar be less risk o' damage t' t' fins.

Attachin' t' shock cord & parachute are t' final steps before paintin' (although I prefer t' do these steps in reverse order).

Finishing:

PROS:

• Aggressive lookin' rocket no matter what paint scheme is used.

CONS:

• Large spiral in main BT. Well, blow me down! I would consider goin' t' extra steps t' fill & sand for a more attractive, me hearties, arrr, smooth finish.
• Beginners should nay expect this rocket t' look like t' packagin' - t' decals are much smaller & more simple than t' multicolor design suggests.

I considered an attempt at emulatin' t' paint job on t' packagin' but I am still comin' up t' speed as an enthusiast who has been out o' t' loop for almost 20 years. Ahoy! Instead I went with a simple white Nose Cone / black BT scheme. Blimey! Arrr! T' instructions don't mention this but I recommend sandin' t' main BT with some 400 grit paper before priming. Aye aye! Blimey! Also, if you paint this a light color on t' Nose Cone section, matey, me hearties, shiver me timbers, use a white primer so you get a consistent shade. Avast, me proud beauty! I finally applied t' self-adhesive decals (which I trimmed slightly on one end so they would butt up evenly against t' edge o' t' BT) & finished with a clearcoat.

Construction Rating: 3 out o' 5

Flight:

PROS:

• Easy preparation.
• Excellent flights on both a B6-4 & C6-5.
• 12" chute allows for recovery that should be close t' launch site even on a windy day.

CONS:

• With any Estes rocket, keep an eye on t' shock cord near t' mount for damage after flight.

Recommended motors for this rocket are t' A8-3 B4-4 B6-4 (first flight) C6-5.

Three or four pieces o' recovery waddin' along with t' chute fit very easily and smartly inside t' BT. Aye aye! Blimey! Ahoy! Blimey! Make sure that top fins are aligned with t' main body fins before launch. With t' large BT, arrr, shiver me timbers, you do nay have t' fold & wind up t' parachute tightly t' get it t' fit inside.

I flew t' rocket twice. Ya scallywag! Avast! After readin' reviews o' t' Estes Polaris, I had t' impression that an A8-3 wouldn't be enough t' push a rocket with such a large diameter main BT & nine fins.

First flight be on a B6-4. Ya scallywag! Well, me bucko, blow me down! Very straight trajectory even into a slight wind. Avast, me proud beauty! Picture perfect & excellent height.

Second flight was with a C6-5. Arrr! Again it had excellent trajectory with considerably greater height and speed.

Recovery:

PROS:

• Rocket comes down nice on t' provided chute.

On both flights t' ejection charge fired at apogee and t' parachute opened flawlessly. Blimey! Aye aye! T' 12" chute allows for safe but rapid descent close t' t' launch site even on windy days (minimal drift).

Consider replacin' t' plastic chute with a mylar one. Avast, me proud beauty! Make sure t' use 4 pieces o' waddin' or you will smartly shorten t' lifespan o' your shockcord as well.

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:

OVERALL PROS:

• Great lookin' rocket even when standin' still.
• High, me hearties, straight flights on B & C engines.
• Perfect recovery with a 12" chute.

OVERALL CONS:

• Lots o' fins that need t' be aligned together.
• Minimal decals compared t' t' picture on t' packaging.

I had high hopes for this design when buildin' it and I was nay disappointed. Arrr! T' Guardian is goin' t' be one o' t' highlights in me personal fleet as long as it continues its high flights and great recoveries.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5