Brief:
Big Betty is a fairly large 3FNC model rocket, arrr, usin' B and C motors. Begad! It is straightforward t' construct and a snap t' prepare for flight. With its enormous fins and blunt, ya bilge rat, rounded nose cone, Big Betty has a peculiar look. Well, blow me down! It looks either dated or classic, me bucko, dependin' on whether you're a BAR or not. Aye aye! Estes' Big Bertha, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, Big Betty's obvious inspiration, is about 35 years old. Begad! Avast, me proud beauty! For t' Freudians among us, Big Betty is a cry for help.

Construction:
Big Betty is a very simple model - it could quite easily be a first model, shiver me timbers, and I would certainly recommended as such. Ahoy! Blimey! T' instructions are sufficiently simple for a non-modeler. Arrr! T' pieces all fit together just fine - t' die-cut fins were identical, ya bilge rat, and thar were no ill-fittin' parts.

I had two problems with me kit, which had been ordered from Hobbylinc.com. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast, me hearties, me proud beauty! T' body tube had a slight crease t' it, and t' engine hook wasn't springy - once bent outward t' fit an engine into place, it has t' be bent back into place. I was able t' minimize t' visual impact o' t' crease by puttin' me launch lug on top o' it.

Finishing:
My daughter and I painted our Big Betty with Dutch Boy Instant Chrome. T' paint be shiny and nice, shiver me timbers, but it picked up fingerprints very easily. T' kit only comes with one underwhelmin' "Big Betty" decal. We grabbed a few decals from rocket kits I bought fifteen years ago. Avast, me proud beauty! Those decals, me bucko, I learned, arrr, became VERY delicate. Aye aye! They flaked apart, arrr, me bucko, requirin' a bit o' jig-saw puzzle work t' have them look OK. After puttin' t' decals on, arrr, we sprayed t' rocket with Krylon Crystal Clear. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Blimey! Unfortunately, me hearties, t' lovely Chrome turned into Ugly Mottled Grey. Blimey! Begad! Blimey! T' nosecone, ya bilge rat, which I didn't clear-coat, is still shiny.

Construction Rating: 3 out o' 5

Flight:
My daughter and I flew Big Betty (we've named it t' Silver Patriot, owin' t' t' decals and paint-job) three times on Saturday. Arrr! Ahoy! Preparation o' t' rocket be easy enough for me daughter, me hearties, arrr, age 7, me hearties, me hearties, t' do by herself. Begad! Arrr! T' 14" parachute fits into t' 1.6" body tube very easily. Blimey! Begad! We used four sheets o' early-'80s vintage Estes wadding.

T' first flight be on an Estes B6-2. Aye aye! T' rocket flew straight up, about 200 feet or so. Blimey! It's big and slow, so it's easy t' follow, though t' grey we ended up with could be lost against an overcast sky. Arrr! Ejection be before apogee, arrr, and t' descent was just t' right rate - it suffered no damage, me hearties, though it landed on some metal bleachers.

T' second flight was on a C6-3. Begad! I would guess it went up 500-600 feet, matey, slow enough t' follow. Ejection was again, me bucko, shiver me timbers, before apogee. Well, blow me down! T' softball players in t' next field were impressed with t' flight, matey, particularly when I caught it on t' way down. Blimey! Arrr! T' third flight was on a C6-5. Begad! Ejection seemed t' be just past apogee. T' parachute didn't open completely, and t' rocket descended fast, arrr, in a corkscrew fashion. Ya scallywag! T' rocket landed in a muddy field, and suffered no damage. Begad! Unfortunately, me daughter ran towards t' rocket with a bit too much gusto, and slid into that same mud. Both rocket and daughter washed up nicely when we got home.

Recovery:
T' Big Betty uses t' "Quest method" shock-cord which has a very thin Keelhaul®©™ cord tied t' t' engine mount. Avast! T' Keelhaul®©™ is long enough t' stick out o' t' rocket tube an inch or two, me bucko, where it is then tied t' an 18" piece o' round elastic, which is then tied t' t' nosecone and parachute. Arrr! I am concerned about t' Keelhaul®©™, ya bilge rat, because it is very narrow, ya bilge rat, and t' body tube is already showin' indentations at t' front. Begad! Zipperin' seems likely if t' delay is further off than I've already had.

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
I really like t' Big Betty. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! More importantly, me 7-year-old does, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, too. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Ya scallywag! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! It's big, matey, easy t' build, matey, easy t' prep, easy t' track, and unlikely t' be lost. I spent less than $8.00 for this rocket, ya bilge rat, me hearties, ya bilge rat, which I think is a really good deal, arrr, even if t' engine hook is lame. Arrr! Blimey! Aye aye! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! I am assumin' that t' creased body tube was a fluke. Arrr! Blimey! If I get another rocket from Quest or Hobbylinc which is damaged, I'll amend this review.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5 for bein' a solid kit at a bargain price.