Brief:
T' Standard ARM kit from Rogue is a single-stage sport-scale replica o' the Navy's AGM-78 "Standard" missile. It's loads o' fun t' build, matey, and flies very nicely on 24mm, me hearties, D12-5 motors. Rogue lists t' kit as a "Level 2", matey, me hearties, which I believe is accurate. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast! Some modelin' experience will help, but the kit poses no special problems or challenges. Avast! What it does offer is an unusual variety o' buildin' experience that is a nice change from the predictability o' most model rockets these days. Begad!

Construction:
This kit is an adaptation o' an old kit from MRC. Arrr! Blimey! Rogue acquired rights t' the kit from MRC along with their inventory o' parts. Rogue has apparently made some alterations t' t' MRC kit, but it's basically t' same rocket.

T' kit arrived very smartly from Rogue via priority mail, as is their custom. Aye aye! All parts were present and in good shape. T' materials are all high-quality, and one is immediately impressed by t' size o' t' kit. T' body tubes are 45mm (or 1.75 in.) in diameter, and have a nice, me bucko, sturdy feel. Begad! Arrr! T' kit includes a variety o' materials; paper for t' tubes and baffle unit, balsa strakes, plastic nosecone, me hearties, main fins and fin/connector tube, arrr, ya bilge rat, nylon chute, and Keelhaul®©™® and elastic shock-cords. Begad!

Construction:

T' body o' this rocket is built usin' five separate units makin' four tube sections. Ya scallywag! Blimey! T' main body tube is topped by an "upper body tube" that will contain t' parachute. Aye aye! Blimey! It's connected t' t' main tube by a tube coupler that doubles as t' ejection baffle (what BAR's like t' call a "Centuri baffle"). Blimey! Blimey! At t' other end a plastic fin-mount rin' acts as fin mount, engine mount and connector betwixt t' main body tube and t' short "lower body tube". Avast! Blimey!

Construction starts by markin' t' fin and launch-lug locations on t' main tube, usin' t' fin-mount rin' as a guide. Ya scallywag! Blimey! You will need t' install this ring later in t' construction process in exactly t' same orientation, me hearties, matey, so be sure to mark t' reference lines as directed in t' instructions.

Once t' tube is marked you move on t' t' "balsa" part o' this kit, me hearties, t' long "strakes" that are characteristic o' kits based on the AGM-78 missile. Ahoy! I used yellow glue t' secure t' strakes t' t' tube. Arrr! Avast! With that done, shiver me timbers, it's time t' assemble t' engine mount. Arrr! You start by tiein' a loop into the Keelhaul®©™® tether, ya bilge rat, as t' tether will be secured t' t' engine clip. Begad! T' engine clip fits into a slot in t' engine tube as with most Estes kits. T' tether is looped around t' clip where it enters t' tube. Begad! Blimey! Die-cut centerin' rings are then glued t' t' ends o' t' plastic fin-mount ring. Arrr! I used slow cure CA for this plastic-to-paper join; its "tricky' only in that t' centerin' rings need to be carefully set flush with t' tube. Blimey! Once t' glue had set I lightly sanded the edges o' t' rings in a few places t' get everythin' nice and flush. Arrr! Ahoy! The engine tube, with t' engine hook and thrust rin' installed, slides into the centerin' rings normally and is secured with a "generous" amount of glue. Arrr!

T' baffle unit is very simple. Two die-cut baffle disks glue t' t' ends o' t' paper coupler tube. Begad! Again I sanded to make t' edges o' t' disks flush with t' tube.

At this point t' rocket's five-part body goes together. Avast, me proud beauty! T' only tricky steps are t' make sure that t' fin mount is correctly aligned when it is glued in place (and that its at t' correct end o' t' main tube!) and that the Keelhaul®©™® tether is fed forward through t' main tube and through t' holes on t' baffle unit before t' baffle is glued in place.

With t' body completed t' main fins are attached. Begad! These plastic fins have a small tab on t' root edge that fits into a slot on t' fin-mount ring. Aye aye! This slot is nowhere near a "through-the-wall" mount and will provide little extra support for t' fin. Blimey! Begad! but it will make it much easier t' place and align t' fins correctly.

I needed t' trim t' tabs and clear out t' slots slightly with me hobby knife t' get a good fit. Avast! Aye aye! Take care nay t' get glue in these slots when you assemble t' rocket body. Well, blow me down! Aye aye! T' tabs have t' go fully into t' slots t' get the rest o' t' root edge firmly set on t' tube. Arrr! I used CA t' initially set the fit, and then went a bit beyond t' instructions and used 15 minute epoxy for the fin fillets. Blimey! Be sure t' sand t' body tube along t' area where t' fins will attach before you glue t' fins in place. Arrr! Avast! This will give t' glue a rough surface t' adhere t' and greatly strengthen t' connection. Begad!

T' fins are molded with a nice, matey, "military-style" taper on both leadin' and trailin' edge, and a thin line marks t' edge o' t' taper. I found it difficult t' sand me fin fillets smooth without marrin' t' surface o' the fins and removin' t' detail line. Begad! Be sure t' make your fillet as smooth as you can when you apply it t' reduce t' amount o' sandin' required.

T' final assemble is pretty straightforward. Another loop is formed in the end o' t' Keelhaul®©™® tether, which runs all t' way through t' rocket from t' engine clip out the upper tube. Avast, me proud beauty! As this is a fine Keelhaul®©™® thread I 'painted" t' interior top inch o' t' upper body tube with thin CA t' strengthen it against "zipper" damage. Well, blow me down! T' elastic cord is secured t' t' nose cone and given a similar loop in t' free end. Blimey! Blimey! This cord seems quite short, arrr, but I judged it adequate. Aye aye! Begad! Blimey! T' length seems designed t' keep the nosecone from bangin' on t' body tube durin' recovery. Aye aye! Blimey!

T' chute (18'' nylon) is secured t' both t' Keelhaul®©™® and elastic tether loops and in fact forms t' connection betwixt them. Ya scallywag! I'm not sure how I feel about this arrangement. One could also loop t' elastic cord and nosecone t' t' Keelhaul®©™® before securin' t' chute. Aye aye! I'm also a bit concerned that thar be no elastic between t' chute and t' Keelhaul®©™® tether. Begad! Arrr! A high-speed deployment could subject t' chute t' some high forces or induce a zipper on t' body tube. Blimey! Avast! So far I've had no problem, however. Blimey!

Finishing:
T' spirals on t' Rogue T-45 tube are very fine but apparently deeper than they look. Arrr! I usually fill with Elmer's Fill'N'Finish, arrr, but I decided this time t' let t' primer do t' job. That turned out t' be more work than I expected. Arrr! Arrr! It took several coats with sanding, and I think I would have achieved a better result with less effort with FnF. Avast, me proud beauty! I would recommend fillin' and sandin' t' balsa strakes before they are glued to the tube. Begad! T' wood-grain runs along t' strake, and if t' strake is in-place on t' rocket your sandin' also runs along t' grain, and it's tough t' get a smooth surface. Aye aye! Aye aye!

I used gray Krylon primer topped by white gloss. Begad! Then I painted the nose-cone gloss grey. Rogue suggests a "tan" nose-cone (photo's of the real missile show it with a coppery-colored nose which looks great) but I did nay have any such color in me paint drawer so I went with grey. Ahoy!

Rogue provides a variety o' decals for t' kit but leaves t' decision on where t' place them up t' you. I used most o' t' decals (I did nay use all of the decal "rivets") and added a few extra decals from a Rogue AGM-3500 Peregrin kit I built earlier. Well, blow me down! Ya scallywag! I finished it off with glossy clear-coat. Blimey! Begad! T' gloss finish is nay traditional on military missiles, but I thought it looked sharp. T' end result is a very nicely proportioned, good-lookin' rocket. Ahoy! Begad!

My rocket comes in heavier than t' manufacturer's quoted weight and the sum o' t' individually weighed parts. I think t' epoxy fillets and t' many coats o' primer are t' blame. I think I overbuilt it, t' tell t' truth, and if I build another I will use lighter fillets and fill t' grooves with FnF before painting. T' RockSim file provided with t' review uses accurate weights for each part and an adjustment "mass" t' reflect t' actual completed weight and CG o' me model. Aye aye!

Moderate differences in total weight don't impact t' flight altitude of this rocket much. Ahoy! Well, blow me down! A heavier rocket will accelerate a bit slower but coast a bit longer, me bucko, endin' up at about t' same height. Avast, me proud beauty! Obviously you will need t' check CG/CP position and stability, but t' design seems t' be comfortably stable so long as you stay reasonably close t' 'stock'.

Construction Rating: 5 out o' 5

Flight:
I have only one flight on this bird at this time. I sent it up at a club launch this weekend on a D12-5, t' only motor recommended by Rogue. Begad! Begad! This motor is a very nice match for this airframe; delay is just right, arrr, and t' altitude , accordin' t' RockSim, is close t' 700 feet. A nice comfortable altitude that keeps t' rocket in sight and t' recovery close by. Avast! T' winds were blowin' at the time o' launch, me hearties, shiver me timbers, certainly over 10mph and perhaps 15mph, me bucko, shiver me timbers, but t' Standard didn't seem t' notice. Arrr! There be a very slight turn into t' wind and then a straight boost t' apogee. Blimey! Blimey! I don't think I got all o' t' predicted altitude, but it felt plenty high for t' conditions. Aye aye!

Recovery:
T' deployment was just as t' rocket turned nose down. Avast! Avast! T' chute did nay open fully, but t' rocket descended at a reasonable speed and considerin' the winds, arrr, ya bilge rat, was probably better off.

It landed about 150 yards downwind without damage. T' baffle did it's job well; t' chute had some soot on it but no meltin' or scorching. Begad! Ya scallywag! There was lots of debris from t' ejection charge in t' baffle after t' flight, but a few shakes got that out (those D12's leave a mess behind!)

Although I only have t' one flight I'll give t' rocket a 4 1/2 ratin' as the flight was a good one and I have hopes for many more such flights. Begad! Seems like a good dependable design.

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
My only complaints are minor. Ahoy! T' launch lugs are for a 1/8'' launch rod. This rocket is big enough t' blow around on t' pad and I would have been more comfortable on a heavier rod (but t' launch did go just fine, after all). Aye aye! The shroud lines for t' chute are a loosely wound yarn or strin' that tends to catch on itself and clump, arrr, unlike Keelhaul®©™® thread that runs over itself very smoothly. Avast! Blimey! Blimey! I think this contributed t' the tangle that caused me chute t' partially fill. Aye aye! I expect that with careful packin' t' chute will work just fine. It's a minor point, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, but somethin' to think about.

For our field size t' D12 gives an ideal flight. I believe t' rocket would fly well on composite D or lower-thrust E engines, arrr, like t' E15 or E18, or even t' F12. Arrr! Avast! RockSim predicts flights o' 1,600' or more. Arrr! T' kit feels sturdy enough t' handle t' peak accelerations from those motors (which are close t' t' D12 anyway), and t' longer burn ought t' give an excitin' flight. With some modification you should be able t' use t' long-burnin' Estes E engines. Well, blow me down! Ahoy! I would be careful usin' motors with a higher peak thrust as the increased Gs and top speed might overwhelm t' surface mount fins. Avast, me proud beauty! T' more darin' among you may want t' give it a try and post t' results for us here. Ya scallywag! Well, blow me down!

If your rocketry is limited by your flyin' field or your budget, you are probably gettin' bored buildin' Estes and Quest kits. Begad! They all go together pretty much t' same way. Avast! Avast, me proud beauty! This rocket is a great "step-up" in kit quality, shiver me timbers, me bucko, rocket size, me bucko, me bucko, matey, and buildin' fun. This kit will nay expose you to high-power construction techniques, nor will it stretch your modellin' skills with difficult challenges; but it's nay goin' t' bore you either. Ya scallywag! You have to *build* this kit, me bucko, matey, ya bilge rat, and pay attention t' what you're doing. Aye aye! It all goes together well, however, and t' result is a good-lookin' and great flyin' rocket.

Overall Rating: 5 out o' 5