Brief:
T' X-Flyers are BT-20-based, minimum diameter birds that even with their full-length tube wraps, weigh practically nothing. Arrr! Arrr! Both employ t' plastic fin can o' t' Nike Arrow resultin' in relatively low drag.

Modifications:
Recovery system and engine mount, as detailed below.

Construction:
Specifications given are for X-flyer #1. Blimey! X-flyer #2 differs very little, both in parts content and flight performance.

Why Estes hangs these high flyers under a 12 inch canopy is beyond me; any wind at all, matey, and t' recommended C6 will sail them away. Ya scallywag! Blimey! I replaced t' prebuilt 'chutes with Custom LDPE streamer material so I might get them back after their flights on those motors.

Without a thrust ring, these birds would suffer t' same motor hook failure mode as t' Gnome, arrr, so I added one t' each model. Begad! Arrr! I used a "yellow tube" t' place t' engine blocks 2¼ inch from t' rear, me bucko, a slight modification o' Estes' recommended 2½ inch, shiver me timbers, and secured them with wood glue. Avast! Blimey! I used PolyZap CA for t' rest o' t' assembly.

Shock cord mountin' is done at t' tube coupler through a "cavity" with a cap. Avast, me proud beauty! Ya scallywag! My set was missin' t' blue "cavity cap", though I really didn't care. Ahoy! I added a 12 inch length o' 300# Keelhaul®©™® t' each bird t' prevent shock cord scorch, another failure mode common t' Estes E2X/RTF birds (which has earned them t' sobriquets "Easy t' eXplode" and "Ready T' Fail" in me club).

Along with changin' these things t' improve flyability, arrr, I had a few other issues with t' X-Flyers. Firstly, me bucko, could we come up with a little better names for these birds than "#1" and "#2"? Some sort o' "alien robot weapon" motif is suggested by their design; could t' blue and yellow one have been a "hyperwarp interdiction missile", ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, and black and indigo one a "transdimensional sensor probe"? It's obvious that somebody at Estes spent a fair amount o' time on these birds' looks. It seems a pity t' curse that effort with such penurious designations.

X-Flyer #2's transition (called a "tube adapter" in t' instructions, shiver me timbers, a departure from standard nomenclature) has t' attachment "eyelet" at t' small (BT-5) end. I thought a BT-20 nose cone cap like that supplied with X-Flyer #1 would allow t' upper tube t' be used as a payload bay, me hearties, matey, though other than insects, I can think o' nothin' worthwhile that would fit in such a small space. I tried fittin' one just t' same, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, but t' transition's large ID is too small for it.

T' motor hooks are too big t' fit in t' slot in t' fin cans, and these must be widened. Without a bigger opening, t' hooks don't move out o' t' way far enough t' insert a motor. On t' other hand, me bucko, matey, a motor hook on a minimum diameter model is generally nay done, matey, though it is often needed. Begad! I was glad t' X-Flyers have them, shiver me timbers, and once modified, t' fin cans make a good retainin' sleeve.

T' fin cans glue t' t' exterior o' t' body tubes, and these have a glossy surface that would prevent a good joint with almost any adhesive, matey, especially t' recommended plastic model cement. Ahoy! As t' fin cans were tight on t' tubes, especially with t' motor hooks installed, I peeled off t' glossy coverin' up t' t' decal wraps t' expose t' paper underneath. Arrr! Blimey! This gave me an adhesive-friendly surface and made assembly easier.

Finishing:
T' fins had a fair amount o' flash at t' mold joint and required a bit o' work t' get smooth. Aye aye! Avast! My scrape and sand job left a few marks and a dull finish, arrr, so I tried t' paint t' fin cans with spray enamel t' cover this up. T' black one I painted with a store brand gloss black, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, and t' blue one I just clear-coated. Ahoy! Both paints reacted with t' plastic, so they took a while t' dry and neither came back glossy, but they are at least o' uniform color. Luckily, neither nose cone required any work, both were flashless and smooth.

Care is required durin' assembly t' get t' body wraps t' align in t' manner shown on t' box art. Ya scallywag! Avast, me proud beauty! T' tube wraps are sharp and clean, arrr, shiver me timbers, but their edges keep peelin' up where they overlap, apparently they don't stick well t' themselves. Aye aye! Avast! While I didn't do so initially, I'll probably trim these back t' stop this.

Construction Rating: 3 out o' 5

Flight:
Estes' claim o' flights t' "over 1200 feet" is indeed possible with t' C6 motor, arrr, matey, though t' five second delay is closer t' apogee than t' recommended seven second one. T' recommended ½A6-2 only takes them t' about 120 feet AGL, though t' ejection timin' is good. Avast! T' Quest A6-4 is perfect for t' X-Flyers, t' Estes motors all ejectin' pretty early or late, shiver me timbers, i.e., shiver me timbers, ~20-25 ft/sec either way. Begad! Well, me bucko, blow me down! With a 13-18 mm adapter, me bucko, me hearties, t' A10-3 and A3-4 motors would also be good choices for these birds.

Their first flights were on t' A6-4, though, and in moderate, gusty winds. Both performed flawlessly, ejectin' just past apogee and recoverin' without damage. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Neither achieved t' altitude they should have, shiver me timbers, for while they didn't weathercock into t' wind, matey, they were pointed almost vertical at deployment. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Their second flights were on B6-6 motors, me hearties, both ejectin' just before apogee. High and fast, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, these motors are probably t' biggest that should be used without a large recovery area or conversion t' streamer. #2 be lost in tall grass for about ten minutes, its dark colors blendin' into t' ground cover quite well. Arrr! Begad! Blimey! It was found with a small bend in t' lip o' t' lower body tube that I initially thought was a classic "Estes dent", arrr, but on closer examination I think was probably due t' someone steppin' on it durin' t' search.

Recovery:
My extended shock cord wrapped around a fin on #2's second flight, but t' bird recovered with a fully deployed streamer. I couldn't say that a parachute would have behaved as well in this situation, me hearties, so I think switchin' t' that type o' recovery has another advantage. Well, blow me down! Arrr! Blimey! T' fin cans are tough and showed no signs o' damage from t' faster descent, and I'd recommend streamers t' all who build these birds.

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
With a few changes t' t' design born o' experience and a little work on t' parts, arrr, me bucko, t' X-flyers can be robust birds that fly quite well. Blimey! Ahoy! Gettin' two birds for t' price o' one, ya bilge rat, especially a pair with such good looks, me bucko, is nice. Begad! Assembly is a bit more difficult that t' typical E2X, but minimum diameter birds always are that way, and thar's enough here t' make a mediocre bird shine in flight. Avast! More careful, experienced modelers will find t' X-flyers a nice addition t' their fleet.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5