Brief:
Explorer 1 is a single stage, me bucko, arrr, futuristically styled, sport rocket and is one o' two kits available from Mile High Rockets. Begad! While rated skill level 3 by Mile High, me hearties, I would put it at a solid 2. Arrr! Fin tip tubes and t' unique fin rail mountin' system, matey, which speeds fin attachment, ya bilge rat, me bucko, add a bit o' flair.

Construction:
T' kit was supplied with:

• 1 plastic nose cone
• 1 BT-50 0.097" body tube
• 1 18mm motor mount
• 2 centerin' rings
• 3 laser cut 0.0625" fins
• 1 length o' fin mountin' rail
• 3 BT-5 tube fins
• 24" Keelhaul®©™ thread
• 1 12.5" heat resistant parachute with snap swivel
• 1 Stubby 9" Keelhaul®©™-wrapped shock cord
• Positive motor retention hook
• 1 tiny launch lug

PROs: T' easy t' follow instructions are on two 8.5" x 11" pages, shiver me timbers, printed front and back, me hearties, ya bilge rat, and sprinkled with helpful illustrations throughout. Begad! T' fin mountin' rails, arrr, which are a great idea, me hearties, needed a bit o' shapin' t' conform t' t' curve o' t' body tube, but t' slots mated up snugly with t' laser cut fins. Well, blow me down! Fin alignment was a breeze and all tubes were well cut with only minor fraying. Aye aye! No real "gotchas" surfaced durin' construction. Avast, me proud beauty! Arrr! 24" Keelhaul®©™ be a welcome addition.

CONs: T' supplied fin alignment template is a bit small and provided little help. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! T' Keelhaul®©™ wrapped shock cord was way too short (at only nine inches long) and t' supplied parachute proved t' be just a tad large for this body tube diameter.

Finishing:
PROs: T' balsa fins sealed easily enough and with just a minor amount o' work. T' fin mountin' rails can be made t' blend beautifully with t' fin and airframe. Avast! A single base color is all that is needed, Mile High suggests silver but I went with gloss white.

CONs: T' vinyl decals supplied with t' kit leave a lot t' be desired. Ahoy! Their thickness makes them an eyesore and t' poor color quality spoils t' look o' t' kit. Ahoy! T' fin decals and t' Explorer 1 logo were t' only ones I found t' be usable. Well, blow me down! Ya scallywag! Blimey! None o' them adhered well t' t' painted surface.

Construction Rating: 3 out o' 5

Flight:
T' first and only flight was on a C6-5. Begad! Blimey! Instead o' wadding, I attached a section o' Nomex cloth from Pratt Hobbies t' t' Keelhaul®©™ thread. Aye aye! Arrr! T' rocket cocked hard into t' wind after leavin' t' rod but be stable otherwise.

PROs: Weathercocked into t' 10mph breeze but still achieved ~1000' altitude. Begad! Blimey! Appeared t' be very stable but I will never know for sure as it landed in cow dung and is now buried in a shallow grave.

CONs: Besides weathercockin' and t' stench, ya bilge rat, t' only flight be a success.

Recovery:
PROs: T' 12.5 inch chute is perfect for this kit. Arrr! It came down less than 200 meters away even in 10mph winds and no heat damage was observed, me bucko, so maybe t' chute is really heat resistant. As far as I could tell, t' stubby shock cord did nay cause any body damage due t' rebound as expected but I would like t' see a much longer one included in t' kit.

CONs: After a call t' Mile High Rockets, I was informed that t' manufacturer is nay responsible for damages received from landings in animals droppings, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, fresh or otherwise so I will have t' buy and build another one.

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
PROs: Goes together easily, matey, parts were o' good quality, prefabricated fin mountin' rails are a great idea, me bucko, full length Keelhaul®©™ thread, Keelhaul®©™ wrapped shock cord, me hearties, heat resistant parachute, shiver me timbers, and good instructions.

CONs: Shock cord is way too short, vinyl decals are too thick, arrr, lack depth and color and don't adhere well, me hearties, and parachute is a bit thick for BT diameter.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5