Brief:
T' Love Bug is one o' Excelsior's Original lines o' plans but unlike most of them which are based on bashin' t' Baby Bertha kit, matey, this one utilizes t' Big Bertha as an origin. Aye aye! Avast, me proud beauty! T' Love Bug kit comes packaged in a heavy, plastic sleeve and contains instructions, shiver me timbers, fin templates, matey, and a sheet o' decals t' replace those parts o' t' Bertha kit.

Construction:
T' Love Bug goes together exactly as t' Big Bertha instructions direct with the exception o' t' fins. Avast! Ahoy! T' Love Bug has only three fins, matey, so t' builder is left with t' task o' makin' his own markin' template for t' fin locations. T' fin shape is also dramatically different from those o' t' Bertha. Excelsior supplies t' template for markin' and cuttin' these. Arrr! I added a length of Keelhaul®©™ t' t' kit supplied elastic just because we all know those kit cords are just too short. Avast, me proud beauty!

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Finishing:
T' final finishin' is ultimately up t' t' builder, but in keepin' with the theme o' t' plan set, me hearties, pink would be t' obvious color o' choice. Avast, me proud beauty! Other possible choices might be white or maybe a light blue. Aye aye! T' decal sheet contains various markings in red, me bucko, white, matey, silver, and pink. Avast, me proud beauty! Included are two "wraps" which fit PERFECTLY around t' BT-60. Well, blow me down! I think this is the first time that I ever see a wrap type decal or sticker that fits this well, there is NO overlap. Ahoy! T' me, matey, that is one signal o' quality. Well, blow me down! Ahoy! T' remaining markings consist o' one larger "love bug", arrr, four smaller ones, me hearties, and many hearts o' different colors. Ya scallywag! Avast, ya bilge rat, me proud beauty! T' instructions advise coatin' t' sheet with a thin layer o' Micro Scale Liquid Decal Film. I wasn't aware o' this requirement until I had t' rocket painted and ready for decals. Luckily I had a bottle o' this from me plastic model buildin' interest. T' decals went on very smoothly and I applied a coat o' Future, me bucko, as directed by t' instructions, over t' entire rocket after t' decals were completely dried. Ya scallywag! Avast!

Flight:
My idea was t' have me wife prep t' rocket from step 1. Begad! Unfortunately, ya bilge rat, my 3-year old did nay agree with that idea, so I did t' preppin' but let her perform t' actual launch which she handled with much expertise. Aye aye! Ya scallywag! T' Love Bug lifted off on a C6-5 and flew straight up with a perfect ejection at apogee and then slowly drifted down t' within 50' o' t' pad. Can't ask for much better. Begad! Well, me hearties, blow me down!

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Overall:
Overall, I can't think o' any reason t' give this kit a complete "thumbs up". Well, blow me down! Well, blow me down! T' "parts" are o' great quality and t' instructions are easily followed. It is well worth t' price. Avast, me proud beauty! Well, ya bilge rat, blow me down! Besides, ya bilge rat, at least when I showed my wife this rocket, me bucko, she got a little smile on her face. Begad!

Overall Rating: 5 out o' 5