Brief:
This is a monster o' a paper rocket, me hearties, me bucko, capable o' handlin' 24mm motors and carryin' payloads. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Paper rockets in general are always a nice break from t' routine and this one is certainly a break from t' paper rocket norm. Begad! I had t' pleasure o' buildin' a beta version o' this as well as t' final version. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! Blimey! This review is based on t' final version.

Construction:
T' parts list for this Model Minutes kits is pretty straightforward: cardstock. Avast! Lots o' it. Well, blow me down! Avast, me proud beauty! There are also a few other items, matey, me bucko, like motor clip, plastic chutes, clay weight, me bucko, shiver me timbers, and clear plastic film for t' payload section, matey, but t' main components are preprinted on cardstock.

Since their recent re-entry into t' US market, arrr, Model Minutes has managed t' eliminate two o' me biggest peeves with their instructions. Arrr! Blimey! #1 was t' hokey 3-D glasses necessary t' view t' photos in t' instructions, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, and #2 be t' poorly translated (from French) instructions. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! These instructions were fairly well written, easy t' follow, ya bilge rat, and don't require t' use o' glasses (the instructions do however incorrectly reflect t' process for makin' t' 3-D glasses).

T' motor mount consists o' a rolled paper 24mm tube, metal hook (retained via thread), and centerin' rings cut from foamboard stock. Begad! This is then glued into a rolled paper fuselage. Ya scallywag! Avast! Once in place, matey, a rolled tailcone trims t' aft end.

T' standard kit includes only one launch lug, mounted at t' aft o' t' rocket but at least offers an optional second lug towards t' top. Go for t' second option--this is way too top heavy and tall for a single lug at t' base.

Fin construction is a bit o' a pain and might have you wishin' for laser cut balsa. Blimey! T' fins are formed into diamond-shaped "airfoils", reinforced with internal braces. Begad! Avast! Blimey! I had a lot o' trouble figurin' this out on t' beta, but t' photos in t' final version make this a bit easier t' understand. Well, blow me down! There's just a lot o' formin' and gluin' involved.

One general tip I'll offer up for formin' "sharp" lines on t' cardstock: on t' back o' t' line, me hearties, lightly score t' line with t' back end o' a utility knife blade (or use a really old/dull one). Well, blow me down! Ya scallywag! This will make it a lot easier t' fold on a nice crisp line. Arrr! This is especially important since thar are lots o' folds on t' fins.

T' rest o' t' fuselage and lower body is made by rollin' another body tube, a tube coupler, and a transition, then gluin' everythin' together with very light amounts o' white glue. Arrr! Ya scallywag! That's another tip I'll offer up: avoid yellow wood glue, me hearties, as it shrinks and can discolor t' paper. Well, blow me down! White glue shrinks less and tends t' dry clear.

T' upper body tube (junction) is formed by rollin' another cardstock piece.

T' payload section consists o' a coupler, a cardstock transition, and a rolled tube. Arrr! Once t' tube is rolled and glued into shape, me bucko, you cut out 3 sections for windows. Aye aye! This is a bit tricky and requires a very fresh, sharp blade. Well, blow me down! Aye aye! T' first cut is easy, shiver me timbers, but since you're cuttin' away most o' t' structure leavin' only thin frames from t' original cardstock, ya bilge rat, you're cuttin' on an increasingly more flimsy surface. Blimey! I wound up puttin' this over a piece o' PVC pipe and usin' t' pipe as a cuttin' surface. Arrr! Once you've cut out t' windows, me hearties, insert t' clear plastic liner and glue it in place with plastic model cement. Avast! Go light and be careful t' avoid smearing!

T' nose cone is made from 3 different transition sections formin' a somewhat "rounded" look rather than a straight cone. You'll need t' add in plenty o' t' provided nose weight for stability.

There's an optional satellite you can build and use as a payload. Ahoy! Blimey! Ahoy! Blimey! I wound up buildin' it just because it looked kind o' cool and it was simple. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Well, blow me down! Blimey! It's basically just formin' a hexagon and foldin' over end caps.

There are 2 plastic chutes included, shiver me timbers, me bucko, ya bilge rat, one for t' satellite and one for t' rocket. Ahoy! T' shroud lines are a bit short for t' chute size but would probably work fine. Well, blow me down! Personally, arrr, I usually substitute one o' me heavy duty mylar chutes from me range box.

Finishing:
T' beauty o' paper rockets is that thar be no finishin' involved. Begad! T' colors and printed patterns are already on t' parts so thar be no pesky masking. Avast, me proud beauty! Plus thar are no spirals or balsa grain t' fill.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
I had one flight on t' prototype beta version usin' a D12-3. Ahoy! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! It was a pretty good flight, unfortunately t' payload section be blown out by t' ejection charge.

For t' final version o' t' released kit, I stuck with t' D12-3 but put in at least 3 inches o' dog barf stuffed all t' way down into t' skinny transition tube followed by a good 5-6 squares o' recovery waddin' in t' payload. Ya scallywag! I left out t' satellite figurin' I'd leave more room for waddin' and t' chute.

T' flight be excellent. Blimey! Despite 10-12 mph winds, ya bilge rat, it held a fairly straight path and deployed right at apogee.

Recovery:
T' 12" chute is a bit small for this, but it landed fairly gently in tall, soft grass. Ahoy! Once again though, arrr, I had blown out t' clear plastic payload section. Blimey! Although this time it was still mostly intact, so can be taped or glued back together fairly easily.

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
For a paper rocket, this one is right up thar with t' Model Minutes XFLR-7 among me favorite designs. It's big, nicely colored, and detailed. Avast, ya bilge rat, me proud beauty! It flies great on a D12 too. Ahoy! T' upgrades and improvements incorporated into t' final version make this a worthwhile project.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5