T' Launch Pad, me hearties, a company specializin' in military-style rockets and missiles, created this ‘scale’ kit o' t' Air Launched Anti-Radiation Missile (ALARM). Avast! Ya scallywag! T' real ALARM is manufactured in Great Britain.

Diggin' into t' components, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, matey, t' 2.6" body tubes and plastic nose cone are Estes strength (might actually be Estes parts). Arrr! There seems t' be some complaints about t' balsa in LP kits, matey, ya bilge rat, me hearties, and this one was no exception. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! T' included balsa be softer than I’d select for me personal use. Blimey! Ya scallywag! Blimey! A couple o' impressions on t' rest o' t' parts; t' 18" copper-colored mylar chute is pretty cool, t' provided shock cord (1/4" elastic) is too short, matey, and thar are no decals for this kit. Begad! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! All o' it is pretty standard Estes type stuff.

T' instructions are very good, arrr, me bucko, but basic. Begad! Arrr! Listed as a level 3 kit, ya bilge rat, many things are assumed, me bucko, such as puttin' t' launch lug in t' right place and knowin' what a cruciform is when layin' out t' fins. Blimey! What this means is that you are free t' use your own techniques as you go. Begad! You do get fin and transition templates.

When lookin' at t' fin template, we thought we’d discovered a problem. LP marks t' root edge o' t' fin on t' template, and I thought it be a ‘grain direction’ mark. Well, blow me down! Well, blow me down! This would’ve made for extremely weak fins, me bucko, but t' instructions do specifically state "grain parallel t' t' leadin' edge". Avast! Begad! T' problem be me misinterpretin' t' mark on t' template.

After cuttin' out t' fins, ya bilge rat, you soak them in thin CA for strength, and t' finished product is tougher than I expected.

T' ALARM features a boat tail and a cone over t' tip o' t' nose cone (to change t' profile). Both use heavy paper painted with CA t' strengthen them. Don’t rush things here, be prepared for several rounds o' filler and sanding, and t' results will be much better. Blimey! Blimey! I also made some practice templates on a copier, arrr, t' get a feel for how t' curves would form.

T' 24mm motor mount is recessed into t' boat tail a bit, arrr, ya bilge rat, arrr, so we painted t' inside o' t' boat tail with CA for durability. Blimey! Motor retention is by a supplied motor hook.

You’ll need t' make your own fin alignment wrap (I used VCP). Ahoy! With eight fins (two sets o' four) alignment gets tricky, matey, but gettin' them straight up and down is probably more important than bein' perfectly in-line. Well, blow me down! I replaced t' supplied shock cord with a piece about 3 times t' body length. Begad! I also cut t' supplied 3/8" launch lug in half and glued a piece into t' root fin o' each set – upper and lower.

Finishin' is simple. Blimey! Fill, prime, sand and paint. Arrr! T' ALARM is red with a few ½" black stripes. Blimey! We were goin' t' use pinstripin' tape from t' local auto-parts store, but I couldn’t find any wide enough. What I eventually did be print t' stripes onto blank decal paper and apply them like any regular decals. Avast, me proud beauty! T' final touch be a few light mistings o' clear-coat t' protect t' decals.

T' finished rocket looks very good, ya bilge rat, and seems t' be stronger than I thought it would be.

T' recommended motors are D12-3, E15-4, E30-7 (all single use 24mm), me bucko, and t' F25-7 RMS. Ahoy! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! For it’s first flight, we used an E15-4. Ahoy! Blimey! T' boost was a little squirrely, leavin' a smoke trail that looked like a sidewinder trackin' a movin' plane. Aye aye! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! It straightened out nicely and t' chute ejected fine. Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! There was no damage upon recovery. Blimey! Blimey! Aye aye! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! I’m goin' t' add some nose weight t' try and straighten out that boost, matey, this might also mean I’ll have t' increase t' chute size.

Construction: 3 out o' 5 - Careful construction rewards t' builder.
Flight/Recovery: 4 out o' 5 - This is an excitin' rocket that delivers.
Overall: 4 out o' 5 - I like t' buildin' aspect o' rocketry, shiver me timbers, me hearties, so this was a satisfyin' project.

Don’t rush construction, me hearties, and your kit will look and fly great. Ahoy! It’s big (44"), and t' smallest motor suggested here be t' D12-3, so I recommend buildin' light.

* SPECIAL NOTE off o' RMR from Chuck Barndt, President o' T' Launch Pad