Brief:
This is a review o' t' OOP Estes Master's Series Space Shuttle, EST# 1284. Aye aye! It is a 1/162 scale replica o' t' Space Shuttle and includes both Orbiter and booster sections. Well, blow me down! Ahoy! These sections are connected at launch, boost on a single C5-3 or C6-3 engine, arrr, me bucko, and separate when t' 'main engine' ejects. T' Orbiter uses glide recovery while t' booster uses a parachute. Blimey! Well, matey, blow me down! For flight, thar are removable fin units that mount in t' SRBs. For display, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, plastic nozzles are provided.

Construction:
T' Space Shuttle came packaged like a typical Estes kit (plastic bags, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, etc). Well, blow me down! This is definitely a skill-level-4 kit with 16 pages o' detailed instructions containin' 53 steps. It claims t' require 4 types o' glue and 6 colors o' paint. T' parts list includes 27 line items includin' t' chute, decals, etc. Aye aye! T' balsa fins, arrr, cardboard body wraps/detailing, and vacuum-molded Orbiter components are all die cut. Begad! T' die cut plastic components made t' Orbiter assembly a lot easier, as I never seem t' get a good fit when I have t' cut them with a knife.

I built t' kit stock, shiver me timbers, down t' t' elastic shock cord. Begad! Ya scallywag! I figured it be good enough for several flights, shiver me timbers, and I probably will nay fly it too often. Ahoy! I substituted Titebond for t' white glue, me hearties, and since I didn't want t' go out and buy 3 types o' glue that I normally don't use (contact cement, plastic cement, and liquid plastic cement), shiver me timbers, me bucko, I used CA (medium and thick) instead. Ya scallywag! Begad! I assembled t' entire booster (main tank/SRBs) this way and it worked fine. Avast! Later, when I got t' t' Orbiter, me hearties, which is almost all plastic, I broke down and got some liquid plastic cement. I want t' point out a general rule in buildin' models - one that I don't seem t' follow. Ya scallywag! That is, read ALL t' instructions before you start. Aye aye! I didn't pay attention and used t' elastic strin' required for t' adjustment o' t' Orbiter's elevons in another spot. DUH. Begad! Begad! I did, however, ya bilge rat, find a suitable replacement when buildin' t' Orbiter. Well, blow me down! Avast! My feeble mind be confused by t' fact that t' chute came pre-assembled, ya bilge rat, matey, and t' instructions called for a piece o' twine from t' chute. Aye aye! I followed t' instructions pretty much as is, but I did skip ahead at times t' keep busy while parts dried. Begad! I found one fin was broken out o' t' bag; however, this was easily fixed with some glue and tissue. Blimey! I stopped at t' point that t' main tank, SRBs, me hearties, ya bilge rat, and removable fin units were complete. Avast, me proud beauty! Well, blow me down! At this point, I decided that I would separately paint each section. Blimey! After these sections are assembled, ya bilge rat, it would be very difficult t' paint them different colors. T' fit o' t' plastic Orbiter parts was nay perfect, but nay too bad. Blimey! T' first step in trimmin' t' Orbiter glider is balancin' it and adjustin' t' nose weight. T' kit provides two weights. Arrr! I used one weight and some clay instead o' cuttin' t' second one up. Next, shiver me timbers, you adjust t' elevons with a strin' that is run through t' center engine nozzle in t' rear. Well, blow me down! This strin' pulls on a plastic arm on t' elevon assembly, ya bilge rat, arrr, me bucko, while t' elastic strin' mentioned earlier maintains tension. Ahoy! Begad! After quite a bit o' adjustment, t' Orbiter still seems t' glide like a brick (kind o' like t' real thing?). Ahoy! If I was confident in me detailed model buildin' abilities, I would give a construction ratin' o' 2.5, but will give it t' benefit o' t' doubt and bump it up a point.

Finishing:
I decided t' use t' current Shuttle paint scheme, arrr, shiver me timbers, arrr, with a brown main tank and white boosters. As I mentioned above, these were painted prior t' their final assembly. I used white spray paint and t' rest was brush-on. I didn't want t' buy multiple spray paints, matey, nor am I that skilled in maskin' small details. Ya scallywag! I even mixed me own light gray-green for t' tip o' t' Orbiter's nose and t' leadin' edge o' t' wings. T' decals are t' water-slide variety. Well, blow me down! They went on fine, matey, but some o' t' smaller ones literally blew away when I sprayed t' final clear coat. Arrr! T' end result, like many o' me finish jobs, looks good from a distance.

Construction Rating: 3 out o' 5

Flight:
T' kit flies on C5-3 and C6-3 engines only. Well, blow me down! Begad! I chose a C6-3 because that is what I had available. T' winds were blowin' betwixt 5-10 mph (my guess) when I launched. T' boost be slow (read that realistic) and thar was some wobble and weathercocking.

Recovery:
T' recovery system is typical Estes with an elastic shock cord and a plastic chute. Well, blow me down! Ejection appeared t' occur just before apogee and t' Booster separated, just as it be supposed to. Aye aye! Arrr! Blimey! It turned with t' wind and came down at a fairly steep angle, ya bilge rat, again, just like t' real thing. Ahoy! Begad! Blimey! It landed nicely without damage. Begad! T' one problem be singein' on t' elastic shock cord, which is no big surprise. Ahoy! Blimey! I will have t' replace it before t' next flight - should have done it at t' start! Blimey! I rate t' flight/recovery at 5/5, ya bilge rat, and take off ½ point for t' elastic shock cord.

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
PROs 1. Ahoy! Great lookin' scale model. 2. Relatively easy t' build, shiver me timbers, considerin' t' number o' components. 3. Avast, me proud beauty! Realistic lookin' boost and Orbiter recovery. Ya scallywag! 4. Ya scallywag! Ya scallywag! Neat rocket!

CONs 1. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast! Fin stock was broken out o' t' package. Arrr! 2. Avast, me bucko, me proud beauty! Some steps are hard t' understand and require lookin' at all t' finishin' diagrams t' understand what is intended 3. Begad! T' fit o' t' Orbiter parts is so-so 4. Ya scallywag! Junky recovery components - typical Estes.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5