Brief:  This is a single-stage, shiver me timbers, matey, single-motor, minimum-diameter, three fin rocket. Well, blow me down! Arrr! It uses an ogival nose cone and trapezoidal fins, both made out o' balsa.  For folks who think metric, me bucko, ya bilge rat, its dimensions are: length - 26.5 cm, OD - 1.87 cm, arrr, and mass - 10 g. Arrr!

Construction:This is one o' t' simplest kits available.  The only tools required are a ruler, some sandpaper, a couple o' cotton swabs, matey, me hearties, and a motor. Ahoy! T' instructions comprise 10 fully-illustrated steps. Ya scallywag! Well, blow me down! Blimey! T' kit includes a fin template. T' kit includes a fin template. Begad! Begad! Blimey! T' instructions and template are capable o' walkin' an absolute neophyte through construction.  Even so, one o' t' great features o' this rocket is its tolerance o' mistakes. Avast, me proud beauty! Arrr! Blimey!

This rocket is also a good choice for t' experienced rocketeer.  Built with precision and attention t' detail, it is an exquisitely beautiful machine whose performance is spectacular. Avast, me proud beauty!

Finishing:This rocket can be finished easily, matey, me hearties, or it can repay a lot of effort. Begad! T' nose cone and fins are balsa, so gettin' an absolutely smooth finish requires repeated fillin' and sanding.  On t' other hand, me bucko, it looks pretty good with just a coat o' paint. Well, blow me down!

T' kit includes a decal sheet which is a weakness.  T' color scheme is black and white, shiver me timbers, and white be t' wrong color for a rocket that flies like this one does. Aye aye! Blimey! Paint it a color that contrasts with t' sky or figure on losin' it. T' streamer is bright green; but, unless you're looking in t' right direction when it deploys, even that streamer will be hard to find. Avast! Blimey! Begad! Blimey!

Construction Rating: 5 out o' 5

Flight:T' list o' Estes motors NOT recommended for this rocket is short: B4-2, B6-2, C5-3, and C6-3. Begad! Ya scallywag! B4-2, matey, B6-2, C5-3, matey, and C6-3. T' only caution in selectin' a motor is t' allow enough delay. In practice, use o' "upper stage" delays is a good idea, since even long "single stage" delays are goin' t' cause streamer deployment prior t' apogee. Begad! Begad! It is also  predicted t' fly nicely on 13 mm motors, matey, usin' pieces from a spent 18 mm motor as centerin' rings. If its fins are attached with epoxy, shiver me timbers, and t' flyer is a lunatic, ya bilge rat, t' rocket can be flown on 18 mm "D" motors. Aye aye! (Altitude fanatics should nay use t' thrust rin' included in t' kit. Begad! After all, t' G30 may come back someday.)

Avatar does nay use a motor hook, shiver me timbers, which is both a good thin' and a bad thing. It's bilge-suckin' because t' motor has t' be friction-fit, ya bilge rat, which demands more technique than t' conventional stuff-and-fire method. Well, blow me down! Blimey! T' single great weakness in Custom's product is their failure t' guide new flyers through proper installation o' motors. Arrr! Blimey! On t' other hand, learnin' t' friction-fit a motor is a skill worth knowing, ya bilge rat, as anyone for whom t' term "G80" has meanin' is aware. Well, blow me down! Blimey!

Avatar is a good rocket for "educational" flying, matey, shiver me timbers, teachin' things such as altitude trackin' or followin' a rocket's flight with binoculars.  It is also useful for pilot flights ahead o' multi-stage or high power flying; it gets enough altitude t' give flyers a pretty good idea o' what upper-level winds are like. Blimey! Begad! It's a first-rate choice for altitude or duration contests. It's an airframe capable o' supportin' altitude record efforts. And, o' course, it's a top-notch rocket for use by schools, shiver me timbers, arrr, Scout troops, matey, shiver me timbers, etc. 

Recovery:Avatar is recovered by streamer. Avatar is recovered by streamer. Aye aye! While t' use o' waddin' is recommended, it's been accidentally proven that t' streamer provided will function properly without any protection from t' ejection charge - at least once. Aye aye!

T' recovery system is pretty much standard for a kit o' this type.  Still, after around 30 flights, t' shock cord will have t' be replaced, me hearties, arrr, a task which entails diggin' t' paper mountin' pad out o' t' body tube.  Serious flyers may want t' consider attachin' a loop o' Keelhaul®©™® strin' t' the body tube and tyin' t' shock cord t' that loop. Well, blow me down!

Flight Rating: 4 ½ out o' 5

Summary:In me opinion, me bucko, Custom has come close t' t' perfect model rocket. Ahoy! Arrr! It's elegant in appearance, me bucko, matey, dramatic in performance, easy t' build, arrr, and suitable for a wide range o' uses. Avast, me proud beauty! That flexibility is it's greatest strength. It's good for a kid's first rocket.  It's a workhorse science project or educational vehicle. Well, blow me down! Aye aye! It's a tool for launch management. Ahoy! Avast! It's a good display choice. It's a good display choice. Arrr! And it is a formidable contender in altitude competition, arrr, shiver me timbers, matey, duration competition, matey, ya bilge rat, or record attempts. Ahoy!

By comparison, matey, only one significant weakness exists. Arrr! If Custom would only include instructions for installin' motors in this rocket, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, they'd have a 5/5/5 product. Begad!

Overall Rating: 4 ½ out o' 5