Brief:
T' Eruption is 4-motor cluster from Sunward Aerospace. Avast! Blimey! T' motors are outwardly canted. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! Blimey! Recovery is via an 18" parachute.

Construction:
T' kit includes a balsa nose cone, one BT-70 body tube, two laser cut centerin' rings, matey, four motor tubes with clips, parachute materials, four laser cut lite-ply fins, shiver me timbers, and an elastic shock cord.

Construction be very straightforward. Ya scallywag! T' only difficult part in me opinion be t' motor mount. Well, blow me down! Ya scallywag! I had a hard time followin' t' method described in t' instructions. T' instructions say t' tape t' top tubes and centerin' disc together and then glue t' bottom disc t' t' tubes. Aye aye! I did t' opposite o' that. Ahoy! I marked t' tubes where they were supposed t' meet t' bottom disc and taped them in place. Begad! I then tack glued t' top disc t' t' forward end o' the tubes, shiver me timbers, arrr, before reinforcin' all t' joints with more glue. Blimey!

PROs:

• T' materials were very good quality.
• It is appears t' be a sturdy design.

Cons:

• T' wraparound guide for t' fins did nay line up correctly. Aye aye! There was about an 1/8" gap. Avast! Well, blow me down! I printed me own guide usin' VCP.
• T' instructions and illustrations were a little vague and confusin' in some steps. I think a general rule to follow is: read t' instructions three times; build once.
• It was a little difficult t' discern t' orientation o' t' fins. Begad! Begad! I recommend markin' t' leadin' edge for each one after you figure it out.

Finishing:
I finished t' tubes, fins, shiver me timbers, and nose cone with two coats o' Elmer's Wood Filler. Blimey! T' fins began t' warp each time while applyin' t' filler. Avast, me proud beauty! Ya scallywag! Blimey! I kept them straight by pressin' betwixt glass plate and books. Arrr! Ya scallywag! Blimey!

I used Aves Fixit compound (same as epoxy clay sold by Apogee Rockets) t' fill in t' gaps betwixt t' motor tubes and t' body tube. Blimey! Blimey!

T' only con is that it doesn't come with any decals. It didn't really matter though because I came up with me own design. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! I'm a big fan o' t' Adult Swim cartoon, "Metalocalypse". Aye aye! Begad! On t' show there is a recurrin' character called Dr. Arrr! Rockzo, t' rock and roll clown. He is very loud and wears bright fluorescent colors. Arrr! I modeled t' finish design after him. I painted t' nose cone and fins florescent pink and t' body yellow. Blimey! Aye aye! I printed images o' Dr. Rockzo onto Staples brand white label paper usin' an inkjet printer. Begad! After applyin' t' stickers I sprayed on a couple coats o' acrylic clear coat. Avast! I made t' mistake o' addin' stickers over t' course o' a few days, and some o' them started t' peel. Arrr! Well, blow me down! T' avoid this, I recommend havin' all t' stickers you are goin' t' use together and apply them at t' same time.

I would probably rate t' construction and finishin' a 2 or 2-1/2 due t' t' poor instructions and wraparound guide. Blimey! I think t' design and parts quality were great though so I gave a higher score. Aye aye!

Construction Rating: 3 out o' 5

Flight:
T' first flight be great even though only 3 motors lit. Aye aye! Blimey! It flew at a slight angle after leavin' t' pad but otherwise had a straight flight.

Recovery:
T' 18" parachute was fine. Aye aye! T' shroud lines seem unusually long, ya bilge rat, arrr, and I wasn't sure if I should cut them down some. Arrr! It seems t' work fine as is. Avast! Well, shiver me timbers, blow me down! I've nay seen any damage from landing.

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
PROs: I love t' design. Well, blow me down! Avast! T' four canted motors along with t' overall shape make this stand out. T' parts are very good quality.

CONs: My main gripe be t' instructions. I think they could have been presented better. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Aye aye! Blimey! Also, matey, t' parachute shroud lines seemed a little long.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5