Brief:
In 1973, shiver me timbers, Estes released 6 pretty wild (for Estes) designs loosely resemblin' t' Baby Bertha o' today but with relatively zany fin and decal schemes. T' were called t' "Goonybirds" and after a 2-year run went out of production. Begad! Avast! They have since survived only through t' clonin' efforts o' die-hards (Bill Eichelberger comes t' mind) and through kitbash plan/decal packs available through Excelsior Rocketry. In t' fall o' 2007, a thread on Ye Old Rocket Shoppe was started attemptin' t' document as thoroughly as possible t' history o' Estes designers and their respective creations. Ya scallywag! Durin' t' ensuin' dialog, matey, a few sketches o' some Goonybird design proposals that didn't make the cut surfaced. T' designs were nay exactly politically correct and were rejected for fairly obvious reasons, me bucko, me hearties, ya bilge rat, but the Mad Magazine-like humor holds a certain appeal t' adult rocketeers. Aye aye! Aye aye! So Semroc jumped on t' concept and has now released two o' these as "Groonies" becomin' grown-up goonies. T' pair include t' Russian bomber style "Ruskie" and t' Japanese zero "Saki".

For more information on t' original sketches, as well as t' complete thread, check out the Rocketshoppe forum.

Construction:
At this point, shiver me timbers, we probably just need a boilerplate header for all Semroc reviews: t' parts are exceptional quality, you get a lot o' stuff packed into a bag/box full o' value, me hearties, ya bilge rat, and t' instructions are clearly written with plenty of illustrations. Avast! In fact, I think I'll bookmark this review so I can just cut/paste t' simplify future reviews, as I'll surely buy more o' their terrific products.

This specific kit includes

• BT-60 based BT
• balsa nose cone
• laser-cut balsa fins
• BT-20 motor tube with centerin' rings/block/metal clip
• Keelhaul®©™® and elastic recovery line
• plastic parachute
• waterslide decals.

T' motor mount is pretty straightforward with a metal clip/hook, a BT-20, a pair o' 20/60 rings and a motor block. T' Keelhaul®©™® anchor slips under t' forward end o' t' clip and through t' 20/60 ring. Well, blow me down! T' finished mount then goes inside the BT-60 body tube, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, recessed enough that t' motor clip is completely hidden and flush with aft end o' tube.

There are 5 total fins, one o' which is a two-piece assembly, me bucko, so if you want t' fill grains, ya bilge rat, you'll have a lot of work. Begad! In me case, a couple o' coats o' dilluted wood filler and sandin' added about 2 hours t' what was otherwise a 90 minute build (plus paint). Aye aye! T' top fin (rudder) is a two-piece due t' its funky shape versus t' balsa grain and mixing the grain directions on t' assembled unit will add strength.

T' 5 fins are bonded t' t' body tube along lines drawn via a markin' guide included on t' instructions. Arrr! Ya scallywag! I'd prefer a wrap-around guide, but if you've got a steady hand t' markin' guide works fine too. T' 5 fins are odd-shaped. T' two on t' "bottom" (if this flew horizontally like a plane) are cloud-shaped, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, me bucko, while t' two "middle" fins are standard wing-like shapes and t' upper fin is intended t' look more like a rudder. In my case, arrr, t' balsa be very soft/pliable and t' fins sit at such odd angles thar's really no way t' set this down during construction that doesn't apply some pressure t' a fragile joint. Ahoy! I suffered three cracked fins just durin' t' build, all along t' grain lines.

Finishin' up with t' elastic for t' shock cord and t' parachute assembly. Begad! Aye aye! Then you're ready t' paint.

Finishing:
As noted earlier, if you want a nice finish thar will be a lot o' work involved. Ya scallywag! Begad! Blimey! Mainly balsa grain treatment (5 fins and t' nose) but also a bit o' work on t' tube spirals. Well, blow me down! Blimey! I have started usin' t' Fill N FInish small tubs available at t' nearby big-box retailer (rhymes with nose), so spirals don't take too much work.

T' paint scheme could be a simple white or for a splash o' color paint t' nose separately with a cherry red and the win' tips red.

T' decals are great t' work with. Well, blow me down! Ahoy! They are srong enough t' allow a little slidin' into position, me hearties, but thin enough to look painted on. Begad! Aye aye! If usin' a decent gloss coat before decals, me bucko, t' clear is practically invisible. My only beef with the decals is that t' ones designed for t' lower cloud fins were a little oversized. Begad! I pointed this out on a forum and got a decent tip. Avast! Instead o' applyin' them as a single piece, cut them into 2-3 sections overlappin' a bit on the clear portion.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
As draggy as this thin' looked, shiver me timbers, I was a bit suspicious o' t' 300 foot estimate for t' B6-4 and jumped all t' way up t' a C6-5 for first flight. Begad! Well, blow me down! I was surprised as it flew up fairly quickly, with a minor spin all t' way up. Arrr! I doubt that it quite hit t' listed 725 feet and would estimate me actual apogee t' be around 600. Blimey! T' 5 second delay was a good fit, ya bilge rat, occurin' just after it arced over.

Recovery:
T' 12" plastic chute be fine though as fragile as t' fins are. I'd consider at least a 15-18 inch if flying on hard ground or anywhere near rocket-eatin' roadways. Begad! Aye aye! Mine was recovered without damage as it landed on fresh, soft snow.

Flight Rating: 3 out o' 5

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5

Other:
Make sure durin' t' flight prep that you include plenty o' wadding/dog barf. Blimey! This is a BT-60, shiver me timbers, matey, nay a BT-20 and the chute will be packed pretty close t' t' forward end o' t' motor.