Brief:
This is a rocket that flies on mid and high power motors, has tube fins, matey, and uses parachute recovery.

Construction:
T' first step in t' construction o' this beast is t' begin t' finishin' process. Spirals are t' be filled in and the tubes sanded down. Ya scallywag! This latter step is so that t' adhesives may grip better. Arrr! I did sand down t' tubes but did nothin' about t' spirals. Blimey! Avast! They were nay bad and they usually don't bother me.

After sandin' down t' tubes, I had t' check them t' make sure I knew which be which. Well, me bucko, blow me down! One be t' airframe and the other be t' source from which t' tube fins are t' be cut. Avast! I identified them by length and marked them with a pencil so they would nay get mixed up.

One page o' t' instructions contains two wraparound guides t' be cut out. Ahoy! This page is distinctive in that it is the only page printed on legal paper (as opposed t' letter paper). Avast! Ahoy! I cut out t' guide for t' fin tubes, which was the simpler o' t' two. Arrr! It contained markings for 2 lines, 180 degrees apart. Avast, me proud beauty! Ya scallywag! I wrapped t' guide around t' tube and found that it would nay quite close. Ya scallywag! I checked alignment on everythin' t' satisfy myself that everythin' be right and everythin' was, except that t' guide had about a 1/16 inch space betwixt match lines.

I be unsure whether this gap be allowed for in t' markings or nay and sent a message t' Layne at Pemberton Technologies. Begad! I went ahead an drew t' lines on t' tube, however, figurin' that if t' gap is incorrect, I would make my final marks by construction offsets. For now, I just wanted t' keep on working.

T' instructions give a list o' distances at which t' upper and t' lower lines are t' be marked. These distances will be very important for makin' t' cuttin' marks and were checked carefully.

Makin' t' tick marks on t' fin tube was nay too difficult. Begad! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Drawin' t' lines betwixt them was. Aye aye! Begad! Blimey! T' instructions give a well thought out method. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Blimey! You need some sort o' flexible straightedge. You line it up with t' appropriate tick on t' top and bottom lines. You make sure it's tight and flat and correctly positioned, then you draw a line. It's logical, it sounds easy, but it's extremely frustrating.

I used a piece o' poster board. Well, blow me down! I cut out a strip and marked the "good" side, t' side with t' factory cut that I was confident was straight. Arrr! I would get it aligned with a tick mark and pointin' t' in approximate right direction. Avast! I would tape down that end and then wrap it around, trying to keep it tight and straight. Aye aye! Begad! Cellophane tape does nay work. Neither does narrow maskin' tape. Blimey! It keeps wantin' t' let go under stress. Aye aye! Well, blow me down! Finally, arrr, I settled on some Frog Tape. It was tacky enough for a single pair o' lines but that was only part o' t' problem. Avast, me proud beauty! Invariably, t' strip was just a little bit off and I would have t' take up t' tape and try again. When it was in t' right place, me bucko, markin' with a pencil was easy. Arrr! Then t' entire process had t' be repeated to draw t' mirror image o' t' line just drawn. Avast, me proud beauty! Then everythin' is shifted and you do it again...and again...and again. Arrr! I had t' take a break halfway through because o' t' frustration factor.

Let me be clear: This is nay a problem with t' design or t' kit. Part o' what makes this kit appealin' is the unusual curve o' t' fin tubes. Aye aye! Blimey! I can't think o' a better way t' do it that t' way provided for. Begad! Blimey! Its just that it was my first time and it was frustrating.

With t' contours o' t' fins marked on t' fin tube, it was time t' cut them out. Ahoy! T' instructions recommend usin' a fresh X-Acto blade. Begad! I found them t' be imprecise at this point. Ya scallywag! Things work much easier usin' a fresh blade for each separate fin.

T' process is simple. Avast, me proud beauty! You just trace t' lines you drew with t' blade bein' careful t' be exactly on t' line. You don't push very hard at all--it's more o' a scorin' than a cut. You then draw t' blade over t' same path again...and again...and keep doin' it until you cut all t' way through. Well, blow me down! Blimey! For me, matey, this varied betwixt 5 and 15 passes on any given segment. Aye aye! This is tedious but t' result is worthwhile.

Takin' a breather, ya bilge rat, I cut out t' body tube markin' guide and applied it t' t' BT. Blimey! I had t' same small gap in it that I had in t' fin tube guide. By this point, I have decided that t' small amount is nay enough t' worry about. Lines for t' 4 fins and t' launch lug were transferred t' t' BT and elongated t' t' entire length o' t' tube using a pocket door frame.

With t' tube fins cut, matey, t' next step is t' mask off t' lines along which they will be mounted. I did this on both t' tube fins and t' body tube usin' 1/4" Tamiya tape. Well, blow me down! Well, me hearties, blow me down! I ran out on t' penultimate line on t' BT and cut a strip o' Frog Tape t' finish. I then applied Elmer's Wood Filler t' t' spirals inside t' tube fins. Avast! I had decided at the outset that I would nay worry about t' spiral on t' BT or t' outside o' t' fins because they are nay prominent, but t' spirals on t' inside o' t' tube are.

T' filler had a day t' dry out and then I started sandin' it. It filled t' spirals well but sandin' inside of them was a nightmare because me hands are too big t' fit them well. Begad! Begad! T' tops and bottoms were nay too hard but the parts completely surrounded by tube were.

With t' spirals filled, I proceeded t' prime t' Kraken with Kilz. Blimey! Avast! It covered t' pencil marks very well and did better than anythin' else I could think o' for primin' t' inner surface o' t' tube fins. However, shiver me timbers, me bucko, sprayin' the insides o' tubes is nay easy. Ya scallywag! It needed another coat. Begad! Also, arrr, ya bilge rat, t' sandin' I had done on t' inside o' t' tubes resulted in t' primed tubes havin' a bad case o' t' fuzzies. This will probably mean one extra iteration o' sprayin' and sandin' before it is ready for t' finish paint.

T' fuzzies got sanded down and I learned somethin' important: If me hands are goin' t' sand t' insides of tubes, me bucko, they need t' be a bigger diameter. Arrr! Blimey! It be painstakin' work, me bucko, nay because o' t' difficulty o' doin' it but because o' t' difficulty o' gettin' access. Avast, me proud beauty! Even so, I judged that another coatin' o' primer would nay be needed. Blimey! Well, blow me down! I moved t' tube fins t' t' booth and proceeded t' spray their interiors with a bright purple.

When t' purple had dried, shiver me timbers, I decided t' go ahead and paint t' black. Well, blow me down! T' instructions give a creative way to mask o' t' interior o' t' tube fins and protect them. You just roll up a piece o' cardboard, insert it in t' tube and let it expand. Ya scallywag! Much t' me surprise, me hearties, it worked very well. I had thought that it would only do a "so so" job but is seemed t' do a better job than me normal maskin' tape application.

T' tube fins were placed in me booth as well as t' BT. Avast! I then began applyin' coats o' black. Ya scallywag! Blimey! I applied the paint lightly for three coats and was satisfied with t' result.

While waitin' for t' black t' dry, I tackled t' nosecone. Well, ya bilge rat, blow me down! It has 2 canards which needed t' be mounted. Arrr! Aye aye! These are nay mounted on t' surface but in slots which must be cut. Aye aye! T' instructions say t' use t' 2 mold lines for guides and make marks 4 inches back from t' tip. Begad! Avast, shiver me timbers, me proud beauty! These points mark t' forward edges o' t' fitting. T' canards were then used t' mark t' width and length o' t' cut.

T' instructions recommend t' use a Dremel tool t' cut t' slots. Ya scallywag! I have still not located mine since movin' me shop, arrr, matey, ya bilge rat, and I decided t' do it t' "hard way" with multiple passes o' an X-Acto. Ahoy! T' me surprise, this turned out t' be easy. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! Blimey! It was much easier than cuttin' t' tube fins!

I decided that I wanted t' dress t' edges o' t' canards so I broke out t' sandpaper and beveled t' leading, outer and trailin' edges. I then mixed a small amount o' 5 minute epoxy and used that t' mount them.

T' kit comes with a small bag o' lead droppings t' be used as nose weight. Arrr! Blimey! In order t' better facilitate getting it into place, shiver me timbers, me bucko, I drilled a 3/8" hole in t' base o' t' NC. Well, blow me down! Blimey! T' shot was then poured into place and allowed to settle at t' very tip. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Two ounces o' 12 minute epoxy were then mixed and poured into t' cone t' hold t' lead in place. While t' epoxy was still fluid, I canted it over t' let it flow over t' tabs on both o' t' canards. Avast, ya bilge rat, me proud beauty! Blimey! T' hole I had drilled was large enough t' be able t' look in and make sure that I had tilted t' cone far enough t' accomplish this. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! I moved t' cone back and forth t' let t' epoxy wash over t' tabs several times before it finally set up. Aye aye! Blimey! This way, arrr, a thicker layer be able t' be applied t' t' tabs than would otherwise be t' case. Avast! Blimey! When t' epoxy started to stiffen, I set t' cone up on its nose t' allow it t' finish curing.

Attention then turned t' t' motor mount. Ya scallywag! Begad! One o' t' centerin' rings needed t' be designated as the "forward" ring. Aye aye! That rin' had a slot filed into its inner boundary t' accommodate t' passin' o' t' flat nylon shock cord. Avast! A Dremel tool is recommended for this, but as I mentioned previously, mine is MIA. Blimey! Arrr! T' file I used was supplemented with some judicious cuttin' with t' X-Acto.

Maskin' tape be used t' hold down t' end o' t' nylon tubin' against t' motor tube. Ahoy! Begad! T' forward rin' be then slipped into place and epoxied 2 inches from t' end. When that had set, matey, t' aft rin' be epoxied into place 2 inches from t' back end. Begad! Both rings were filleted with epoxy.

Workin' on t' NC and motor mount had allowed sufficient time for t' black paint t' dry so I turned next to installin' t' motor mount. Ya scallywag! Aye aye! T' rings had t' be sanded a little bit, ya bilge rat, but that was smartly taken care o' and t' mount was put in place with epoxy and a generous amount o' filleting. Well, blow me down! It be installed so that t' end o' t' motor mount was flush with t' aft end o' t' BT.

With t' motor mount in place, I stripped off t' maskin' o' t' fins. Begad! T' instructions say t' use carpenter's glue so that's what I did. Avast! I wanted t' hedge me bets however and first drilled a series o' 1/8" holes along the fin mountin' lines t' form glue rivets. Well, blow me down! Ya scallywag! Yellow glue was then used t' put t' first fin in place and it was allowed to dry.

I took gluin' o' t' tube fins slowly, me bucko, arrr, ya bilge rat, applyin' one and then tapin' it into place and lettin' it dry. Blimey! Arrr! That left me with time on me hands t' ruin other components so I turned me attention back t' t' nosecone. Avast, me proud beauty! It had been primed with Kilz and sanded. Avast! T' Kilz was t' only filler on t' wooden canards and seemed t' do t' job well. After sanding, I sprayed it black.

After t' black NC had a day t' dry, I masked off t' outer edges o' t' beveled canards and brushed on a squidly pink. My intention was t' let it dry and then remask and get t' leadin' and trainin' edges but I kind o' like just the tips.

I also started highlightin' t' cut edges o' t' tube fins with t' same hot pink. Ahoy! While I was at it, me hearties, I began to experiment with some pink blobbin' and t' forward tips o' t' tubes. Ya scallywag! Aye aye! Originally, I was just givin' a first coat over the black and planned t' mask off a simple area and go over it again with another coat. Close up, it doesn't look all that good and still needs some touchin' up but from a few feet away, it has a look o' "biological coloring" to me.

After starin' at t' results o' t' pink for a while, I decided t' go back t' me original idea and masked off a roughly diamond shaped area at t' front o' each tube. Avast, me hearties, me proud beauty! I also masked off a small triangle at t' rear. Avast! I then started brushin' on t' Panther Pink.

On t' day after, matey, me bucko, I pulled off t' maskin' and was horrified t' see some o' t' bleeds. Arrr! They will be "fixed" by remaskin' and hittin' it with t' black again. Ahoy! Ya scallywag! For t' time bein' though, arrr, I started filletin' the fins.

T' instructions warned that this can be difficult, shiver me timbers, me hearties, but it was nay as bad as I expected. I used maskin' tape to form dams and then mixed up 12 minute epoxy 2 tablespoons at a time. I used a plastic cup t' pour t' epoxy into the troughs and when it started t' thicken, I pulled off t' tape. This usually left some bad stringies but a rubdown with ethanol smoothed things up. Aye aye! This was done 4 time t' hit all t' joints.

I had t' funny feelin' I was forgettin' somethin' at this point and started lookin' through t' bag o' parts. Begad! Blimey! Ahoy! Blimey! I found t' launch lugs. Well, blow me down! Blimey! That could have made Saturday embarrassing. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Begad! Blimey!

I located t' tape that was maskin' t' lug location and peeled it off. Ya scallywag! Aye aye! T' kits comes with two lugs so I started lookin' for a piece o' 1/4" rod with which t' get them straight. Arrr! I could nay find it and sat for a few moments. Then I looked in one o' t' drawers again. I did nay find t' rod but I did find a 4" x 1/4" lug. Ya scallywag! I decided to use that. Ya scallywag! I attached it with 5 minute epoxy at t' forward lug mark.

I let t' lug epoxy set overnight and then got t' work with a brush and some black acrylic t' clean up pink blobs, matey, paint t' lug and touch up t' rocket. Well, blow me down! Begad! It be goin' t' need more but it was startin' t' bother me.

PROs: This is a fairly simple rocket but has a cool design. Begad! T' instructions for cuttin' t' fin tubes are first rate.

CONs: While t' instructions for cuttin' t' tubes are first rate, shiver me timbers, matey, actually markin' and cuttin' them is tedious.

Finishing:
I finished me Kin' Kraken while it was bein' constructed. Avast, me proud beauty! This is described above and made simple what would be a nightmare o' maskin' if t' rocket had been assembled.

After assembly, a brush was used t' touch things up.

PROs: T' black gives a powerful look.

CONs: None.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
T' Kin' Kraken is sold as a HPR but for t' maiden flights, I had no Hs and t' field would have been too small for them anyway. Pemberton Tech also says that t' rocket can be flown on Gs and even Fs. Avast, me proud beauty! Well, blow me down! I decided t' try t' first flight with a Roadrunner G80-7 usin' a 38-29 motor adapter.

T' boost was perfect but t' delay be a little long. Begad! Even so, t' chute deployed and t' Kin' Kraken landed without a scratch. Ahoy! Ahoy! That is some feat in t' midst o' all t' whitebrush.

Click here t' see a video o' t' maiden flight.

T' first flight exceeded expectations and I decided t' wimp out with an F60-4. Begad! THe rocket was prepped and set up. Arrr! Ya scallywag! Again, it was a flawless flight and t' 4 second delay seems t' be perfect for this motor.

A video o' t' second flight can be found here.

An inspection o' t' rocket after recovery showed that t' nylon recovery cord had just started t' zipper t' BT. This will be an easy fix.

This rocket is fairly heavy t' me thinkin' but it performed admirably o' F and G motors. Blimey! Blimey! I can only imagine what the bigger stuff will do.

PROs: Impressive in flight, durable.

CONs: None.

Recovery:
T' shock cord consisted o' nylon tubin' attached t' t' motor mount. This was in turn connected t' t' NC with a snap ring. Avast! Arrr! T' generous, me hearties, quality nylon chute was similarly attached t' t' NC.

Except for a minor zipperin' problem noted above, t' system worked well.

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
This is a simple high power rocket that is somethin' other than a 3FNC. Ya scallywag! It provides a good introduction t' the buildin' o' these bigger rockets.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5