Brief:
T' Sparrow is a small flyin' win' rocket glider that Starlight bills as a "Skill Level 2". Well, blow me down! I love t' launch gliders, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, so findin' one that appeared t' be nearly foolproof at such a low cost is a treat! T' wingspan of this glider is 11 inches.

Construction:
T' components o' t' kit came in a poly bag and were in good condition when I opened t' kit. Avast! T' fin stock was good quality and pre-cut t' size. The nosecone balsa be slightly fuzzy though. Begad! T' launch lug was paper without the "normal" outer wrap o' glassine. Ya scallywag! Avast, me proud beauty! T' short length o' body tube was cleanly cut and in good condition.

T' instructions for t' kit were straightforward and without any "gotchas". Blimey! T' first step is t' glue t' nose cone into t' body tube. Ahoy! I did this with Titebond yellow glue, makin' sure t' coat t' back o' the cone before insertin' it t' protect it somewhat from ejection gasses. Avast! Begad! T' next step is t' attach t' win' tips perpendicularly t' t' main wings. Begad! After the glue has dried, matey, then t' wings are flipped over and glued t' each other, thus producin' t' necessary dihedral. T' wings again were bonded with Titebond but tacked in place with CA. Begad! Finally, t' body tube and launch lug are glued t' the win' assembly.

Finishing:
Usually I launch me gliders without paint. Ya scallywag! T' Sparrow comes with a nice clean lookin' design and decals, but I chose t' go with me normal approach. Well, blow me down! T' light tan o' balsa and paper makes it a little tough t' find your gliders when they land in t' sand o' t' local launch field here, but it adds no weight...

I sanded t' wings smooth and rounded and tapered t' edges. Aye aye! Ya scallywag! I filled the fin seams with lightweight spackle and sanded again. Ya scallywag! Since t' nose cone was balsa and a little fuzzy, me bucko, me hearties, I coated it with a couple o' coats o' CA, shiver me timbers, sanding between. Begad! Aye aye! This helped make it much smoother and more resistant t' damage.

Construction Rating: 3 out o' 5

Flight:
After several test tosses, I had t' glider trimmed out with a bit o' clay glued in place in t' joint o' t' right wing. Avast! T' glider had a shallow glide with a slight turn t' it so that it would hopefully circle and nay fly off into the sunset...

Like most rocket gliders, t' Sparrow is a cinch t' prep. Aye aye! Blimey! Just stick the motor and igniter in and you are ready!

This little glider really gets up and moves on t' recommended 1/2A motor! I lost t' glider off t' pad--it was movin' so unexpectedly fast! Sorry, shiver me timbers, no launch pictures on this one! I just can't keep it in t' frame at takeoff, matey, me bucko, even after several tries! I caught up with t' glider right before it kicked the motor casin' with a bang! T' glider had a nice straight boost on this flight but seems t' weathercock slightly when thar be a breeze blowing.

Recovery:
Like most flyin' win' designs, t' Sparrow is a little tricky t' trim. I still haven't gotten it t' t' point where it will "linger" in a smooth, slow glide. Ya scallywag! Ahoy! In me initial glides, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, me hearties, t' descent has been fairly rapid and somewhat steep although t' glider has taken no damage so far. It looks like a little bit more tail weight is probably required for t' boosted flights than what is for t' hand tossed test flights. A little bit o' ejection charrin' and build up is showin' up in t' body tube, me hearties, me hearties, but this is nay unexpected and is easily sanded out.

Flight Rating: 3 out o' 5

Summary:
T' Starlight Sparrow is an extremely easy t' build rocket glider, probably gettin' its skill level 2 ratin' more from t' touchiness o' trimmin' the glider than from difficulty o' construction.

As o' t' time o' writin' t' review, t' list price for t' kit is less than $6.00 and it can be found at discount retailers for below list if you look around. Ya scallywag! This is a great value for what you get with t' kit. Begad! Arrr! It's practically foolproof as an introduction t' gliders and a lot o' fun.

T' only minor CONs t' t' kit are that t' nose cone was a little rough probably due t' t' balsa bein' a little soft and it was a little more difficult t' trim than expected.

Overall Rating: 3 out o' 5