Brief:
A wonderfully simple and reliable helicopter from a very innovative niche player in t' rocketry world. Avast! Arrr! This kit deploys a sort o' flop-win' approach to deployin' a pair o' blades and comes down nose first/blades up every single time.

Construction:
I be very impressed with t' quality o' parts included in this kit especially the nose cone, which was coated with a very durable polyurethane finish. Blimey! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! That is very important in a helicopter that's designed t' land on its nose. This one can take a beating.

Parts list includes:

• BT-5 body tube
• Hardwood nose cone
• TT-5 slidin' tube
• Balsa stock for fins, blades
• Assorted hooks and rubber bands
• Laminate stickers (act as hinges)

T' instructions were very well illustrated and easy t' follow. Avast! While this would probably rate a skill level o' 2, shiver me timbers, I would nay rule out usin' this as a build/fly kit candidate for scouts and school groups if t' build be lead by someone who has built a couple o' these.

Construction starts with trimmin' down t' blades and fins and gluin' them together. Well, blow me down! It is very important t' get a good bond at this stage because this can be a fragile joint and suffer stress upon landing.

After bondin' t' fin t' t' blade, t' fin is then cut into two pieces creatin' a hinge line. Aye aye! T' "hinge" is a glossy laminated label that is glued across t' seam. Avast! Begad!

Next comes cuttin' and formin' t' blade restraints, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, matey, which are a pair of T's that slide back and forth t' lock t' blades in place. Ya scallywag! Avast, me proud beauty! These also get a reinforcin' laminated cover.

Tube markin' on this is very important, me hearties, me hearties, as you want t' make sure the fins/blades are as close t' 180 degrees apart as possible. Well, blow me down! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! It is critical that they be straight/aligned parallel t' t' body tube.

Fins are then glued t' t' body tube, bein' careful t' only glue t' fin portion--not t' aft section that's t' flop/blade. Aye aye! Once t' fins are secure, slide t' TT-5 tube over t' BT-5 and slip it down against t' fins. Begad! Then the blade clamps are tacked onto t' TT-5, me bucko, sandwichin' t' fin/blade.

Next come 4 "sub fins", which are little stabilizers that are bonded to t' tops o' t' blade clamps perpendicular t' t' clamps.

T' hardware is a bit tricky t' install but only because o' its tiny size. There are S-hooks t' go on t' fins and J-hooks t' go over t' TT-5 and BT-5 tubes. Begad! I was a little paranoid about t' CA holdin' under t' stress o' the rubber bands but everythin' worked out just fine.

Finishing:
There really isn't anythin' t' finishin' this. Blimey! Ya scallywag! It is nay designed t' be painted and t' blade mechanism would probably suffer if painted. Ya scallywag! T' hinges act as decent decorative decals, so this copter is nay exactly an ugly duckling.

Construction Rating: 5 out o' 5

Flight:
Flight prep on this is more complicated than comparable Estes kits like the Sidewinder or Cosmic Cobra and less complex than t' typical Rotaroc. Aye aye! Usin' a needle, matey, me bucko, poke a thin thread through t' TT-5 and BT-5, arrr, tapin' t' ends in place. Then stretch t' rubber band over t' J-hooks, stick in t' motor, shiver me timbers, and you're ready t' fly.

For t' first flight, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, I chose a 1/2A3-2 and flew on a day o' light (6-7 mph) winds. Ya scallywag! T' flight was fairly straight with only a slight weathercock and no spin whatsoever. Avast, me proud beauty! T' delay was a little early but in a helicopter, early is a good thing.

Recovery:
A common problem with helicopters is their tendency t' want t' come down upside-down with t' blades down. Because this is a rear-blade design, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, I was especially worried about that. In this case though, arrr, with t' weight o' t' nose and t' slight delay while t' thread burns, breaks loose, shiver me timbers, and blades deploy, it flipped over and started a perfect spinnin' descent.

Total flight duration be around 35 seconds, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, which is pretty respectable for a 1/2A two blade design. Well, blow me down! Well, blow me down!

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
If you're interested in a helicopter recovery model, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, this would be an excellent kit t' start with. Begad! It's cheap, shiver me timbers, easy t' build, me bucko, very reliable, me hearties, arrr, and performs fairly well.

PROs: simplicity o' design, reliability.

CONs: only two blades, ya bilge rat, no airfoil or dihedral limitin' its performance.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5