Brief
This is an approximately 1/5th scale model o' t' Harpoon anti-ship missile.

Construction
My kit arrived in a "standard" long plastic bag. Avast! Avast, me proud beauty! All parts were accounted for, ya bilge rat, matey, and in good shape. Avast! T' body tubes appear t' be standard BT-80, shiver me timbers, and t' nose is a PNC-80B. There were a couple o' nice sheets o' balsa for t' fins, plus some strips for makin' some o' t' detailing. Arrr! T' included recovery system consists o' a mylar chute, ya bilge rat, complete with snap swivels, ya bilge rat, etc.

T' instructions are straightforward, matey, and easy t' follow. Aye aye! There are a couple o' drawings t' illustrate positionin' o' various elements, matey, me hearties, as well as t' help with placement o' markings on t' finished product. Ahoy! Templates are included for t' two different fin sets, me hearties, but TLP has neglected t' include a fin markin' guide (I snarfed one out o' me Estes Phoenix kit). Launch lug placement is left t' t' whim o' t' builder- it isn't even discussed in t' directions.

After t' amount o' effort required on me last TLP kit (the Sidewinder), I was braced for more o' t' same here. I was quite shocked at how easy this bird went together! A bit o' care is needed assemblin' and installin' t' boat tail and t' paper "hat" on t' nose, ya bilge rat, but t' rest o' t' kit was a breeze.

Finishing
As with all TLP kits (to date, anyway), matey, me hearties, no decals are included. Well, blow me down! They do provide some paintin' information, includin' two different schemes.

I ran into two problems durin' this stage: First o' all, I accidentally sanded t' tip off t' paper shroud on t' nose (and I wasn't sandin' hard, either). Avast! Blimey! I filled t' resultin' hole with some Fill 'n Finish, me hearties, shiver me timbers, sanded that, shiver me timbers, and then soaked some CA into it, arrr, me bucko, just t' be sure. T' other problem is one o' t' suggested detailin' techniques. Arrr! Blimey! T' instructions call for t' builder t' CA 150 pinheads in place in various locations on t' rocket. Well, blow me down! Blimey! I have patience, but thar's a limit! Blimey! I found a good work around, however: One o' t' R/C aircraft companies produces a sheet o' 1/5th scale decals (dry transfer). Begad! Blimey! I picked some up, and they work fine!

Construction Rating: 4 ½ out o' 5

Flight
So far I've had one flight with t' Harpoon, and I be impressed. Begad! Begad! Blimey! I loaded t' recommended 1st flight motor, an Estes D12-5, me bucko, matey, and hoped for t' best.

I was nay disappointed! T' missile lifted off at a nice speed- fast, matey, matey, matey, but slow enough t' watch and appreciate. Ascent be arrow-straight, with no arcin' durin' powered flight.

Recovery
T' chute deployed at apogee, and t' mylar chute brought t' ship down safely. It looked a bit quick, but no damage occurred (not a scratch!).

I'm still a bit iffy on t' TLP way o' securin' t' nose t' t' shock cord (with a bit o' thread), but I've had no problems so far.

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary
I'm very pleased with me Harpoon. Ya scallywag! Well, blow me down! It's a smart lookin' rocket, arrr, and t' kit is challenging, but nay frustrating.

It's nay as complicated t' build as some TLP kits, arrr, and is perhaps a decent introduction t' their line o' products. Blimey! Some modelers may have trouble with t' paper cone and boat tail, but t' key is t' go slow, and pay attention t' t' suggestions in t' instructions.

T' quality o' materials is quite good. I'm beginnin' t' appreciate t' mylar chutes that are included- they seem far more resistant t' ejection charge damage than plastic. My only quibbles about t' supplied parts are: (1) t' inclusion o' barely enough sheet balsa for t' job. Well, blow me down! I can understand t' reason for doin' so, matey, but it means really havin' t' fiddle around t' ensure you have enough for all t' fins. Avast, me proud beauty! (2) T' lack o' a fin markin' template o' any sort. Ya scallywag! This is easy enough t' produce, and it can be printed right on t' instructions (as Estes Does). (3) Finally, t' lack o' any decals for finishing. T' instructions suggest cuttin' t' heads off 150 pins and CA-in' then in place on t' rocket. Ahoy! Arrr! Neat idea, arrr, but extremely time-consuming, shiver me timbers, and for folks like me, would require lots o' debonder! I opted for a sheet o' dry-transfer rivet decals from Carl Goldberg, me hearties, an R/C airplane manufacturer. They worked great.

Overall Rating: 4 ½ out o' 5