Brief:
A wonderfully simple and reliable helicopter from a very innovative niche player in t' rocketry world. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Ya scallywag! Blimey! 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 was very impressed with t' quality o' parts included in this kit especially the nose cone, which was coated with a very durable polyurethane finish. That is very important in a helicopter that's designed t' land on its nose. Arrr! Ahoy! Blimey! This one can take a beating.

Parts list includes:

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

T' instructions were very well illustrated and easy t' follow. While this would probably rate a skill level o' 2, I would nay rule out usin' this as a build/fly kit candidate for scouts and school groups if t' build was 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! Avast, me proud beauty! 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, ya bilge rat, t' fin is then cut into two pieces creatin' a hinge line. Begad! Blimey! T' "hinge" is a glossy laminated label that is glued across t' seam. Aye aye! Blimey! Ya scallywag! Blimey!

Next comes cuttin' and formin' t' blade restraints, me bucko, which are a pair of T's that slide back and forth t' lock t' blades in place. These also get a reinforcin' laminated cover.

Tube markin' on this is very important, ya bilge rat, as you want t' make sure the fins/blades are as close t' 180 degrees apart as possible. Begad! 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. Ya scallywag! Once t' fins are secure, slide t' TT-5 tube over t' BT-5 and slip it down against t' fins. Aye aye! Then the blade clamps are tacked onto t' TT-5, shiver me timbers, sandwichin' t' fin/blade.

Next come 4 "sub fins", shiver me timbers, me hearties, 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. 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. Begad! Ya scallywag! It is nay designed t' be painted and t' blade mechanism would probably suffer if painted. T' hinges act as decent decorative decals, arrr, 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. Usin' a needle, poke a thin thread through t' TT-5 and BT-5, tapin' t' ends in place. Then stretch t' rubber band over t' J-hooks, stick in t' motor, and you're ready t' fly.

For t' first flight, I chose a 1/2A3-2 and flew on a day o' light (6-7 mph) winds. Begad! Well, blow me down! T' flight be fairly straight with only a slight weathercock and no spin whatsoever. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! T' delay be 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. Ya scallywag! Well, blow me down! Because this is a rear-blade design, shiver me timbers, I was especially worried about that. In this case though, with t' weight o' t' nose and t' slight delay while t' thread burns, me hearties, arrr, breaks loose, and blades deploy, it flipped over and started a perfect spinnin' descent.

Total flight duration was around 35 seconds, me hearties, arrr, which is pretty respectable for a 1/2A two blade design. Ahoy! Blimey!

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

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

PROs: simplicity o' design, shiver me timbers, reliability.

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

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5