Brief:
Easy Slide I 1/2 (1/2A and A motors) is a slide win' rocket glider usin' a 13mm engine mount.

Construction:
This kit, me bucko, t' Easy Slide I 1/2 (catalog no. Aye aye! Blimey! 18), matey, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, is a rocket glider usin' the slidin' win' concept for glide recovery. Avast! Blimey! Well, blow me down! Blimey! T' kit comes in a clear plastic bag with a header card. Parts include:

• balsa nose cone
• 13mm body tube
• balsa for wings, arrr, stabilizer, shiver me timbers, and rudder
• spruce for boom
• plywood for stab incidence and win' support
• hooks for strings and launch rod guides
• plastic slidin' box pieces
• rubber bands, me bucko, clay, thread

QCR kits are generally skill level 3 or higher. Begad! Havin' t' cut fins and wings from balsa sheets is standard with QCR kits. Well, blow me down! Also, arrr, havin' t' build delicate movin' parts or mechanisms is another standard in t' QCR kits.

I had previously completed t' 1/4A version Bumble Bee o' this Easy Slide I plan, matey, me hearties, me bucko, so I had a good idea how t' put t' kit together. Most o' the instructions for t' Easy Slide I 1/2 are identical t' t' Bumble Bee plans. Begad! Blimey!

I began by first cuttin' out t' pre-marked balsa sheets for wings, ya bilge rat, rudder and stabilizer. Begad! I then sanded t' recommended airfoil. Avast, me proud beauty! After this, I cut the win' into three sections and recreated t' dihedral. T' problem with t' plan is that in step 4, me hearties, it does nay indicate what t' win' dihedral height should be, however, shiver me timbers, on another sheet included in t' plans thar are optional dihedral drawings with measurements.

Next, ya bilge rat, I glued the plywood support t' t' bottom o' t' wings. Blimey! Avast! Blimey! T' plywood support is included in t' parts, but thar be no indication in t' plan how t' use t' part. Well, blow me down! Begad! Blimey! I then placed t' plastic slidin' boxes on t' spruce boom, arrr, placed some CA on the bottom o' t' boxes, me bucko, and then glued t' boxes on t' t' bottom o' t' plywood support/win' unit. Ya scallywag! I did this t' make sure t' boxes were in line with each other. Avast! Blimey! I immediately removed t' boom from t' box/win' unit and allowed the glue t' dry. After this, I glued on one o' t' wire hooks t' t' front sliding box. Arrr! Blimey! T' purpose o' this wire hook is t' hold t' rubber band.

After gluin' on t' stabilizer and rudder, I test fit t' win' unit t' the boom. Arrr! I had t' sand down t' boom quite a bit so that t' win' unit could easily slide up and down t' boom. Blimey! Ya scallywag! Once t' fit was right, I left t' win' on the boom and then glued t' standoff for t' motor tube. After this had dried, I glued on t' motor tube and nose cone. Blimey! Blimey! I covered t' stand off and nose cone with epoxy, makin' sure t' ejection ports received a good share o' epoxy to protect t' body tube from t' ejection charges. Ahoy! Arrr! I then added t' wire hooks in their correct locations (one in t' tail, matey, me hearties, one under t' ejection ports, one in the front o' t' glider, and t' wire launch "lugs".

That's it. Arrr! Blimey! All I had t' do now was trim t' model.

PROs: good quality parts.

CONs: instructions vague on some points, matey, absent in content on other construction points.

Finishing:
Since this is a competition model, me hearties, all I did was use a magic marker t' create a few black stripes on t' model along with addin' me NARRRRR number.

Next, ya bilge rat, matey, I added t' rubber band, ya bilge rat, arrr, pullin' t' wings forward. Arrr! I then placed an empty 13mm motor in t' motor mount and began trimmin' t' glider. Ya scallywag! Arrr! Fortunately, the instructions come with some good tips for trimmin' t' glider.

PROs: easy t' finish since it is a competition model.

CONs: If you are lookin' for an easy glider t' build for long durations, this may be your model but expect t' spend a lot o' time trimmin' your model.

Construction Rating: 3 out o' 5

Flight:
I flew t' R/G twice. Well, blow me down! Once on a 1/2A3-2T and once on a 1/2A3-4T. Begad! I was launchin' with a bunch o' kids and they wanted t' see t' glider work. Avast! Blimey! Thus, I elected t' use a long delay motor, since I had run out o' 1/2A3-2T motors, for the second flight.

T' first flight netted over 23 seconds. T' second flight much less because t' ejection charge burned t' strin' way past apogee.

T' 1/2A3-2T motor is perfect for this kit. Arrr! I did nay get great glide times and think that t' wings might need t' be sanded down even more t' lighten the rocket.

PROs: Great flights on this R/G.

CONs: Takes a long time t' tie back wings, put strin' through burn hole, tie off string, and add rubber band. Begad! Also, matey, t' motor has t' be friction fit unless one elects t' use a motor hook (most competitors do nay use engine hooks to reduce overall weight).

Recovery:
PROs: A well engineered kit. I have nay had any failed flights with this design. Arrr! T' slide win' mechanism works quite well. Ahoy! Glide recovery is neat to watch.

CONs: None. Begad! Aye aye!

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
This is a really interestin' kit. I am really gettin' excited about R/G technology. This kit certainly calls for a lot o' time in observin' t' flights and experimentin' with t' trimmin' and glidin' o' t' Easy Slide I 1/2.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5