Brief:
New "E" motor high altitude sport rocket. Begad! Begad! Single staged, parachute recovery. Arrr! I do believe that this be t' old Maniac rocket with new colors, matey, a new name, and a new motor mount t' accommodate t' E9 motor.

Construction:
T' kit included t' motor mount tube, ya bilge rat, block, arrr, adapter for D motors, centerin' rings, matey, hook, two purple BT-56 body tubes, coupler, ya bilge rat, launch lug, standoff, me bucko, yellow fin can, shiver me timbers, shock cord, matey, arrr, arrr, nose cone, matey, 12 and 24 inch pre-assembled parachutes and decals.

T' instructions were typical Estes with illustrations and t' shock cord mount. This kit is rated at skill level 2 but I think that is because o' t' 24mm mount and t' ability t' fly on an E motor. I started with t' motor mount. Arrr! T' motor hook on me kit unfortunately be missing, so rather than waitin' for Estes t' send me one, me hearties, I decided t' go with friction fit retention. Ahoy! I glued t' mount into one o' t' body tubes. Aye aye! I then glued t' fin can into place. After that I glued t' launch lug standoffs into place. Blimey! Arrr! T' kit included a 1/4 inch lug (can't imagine why)! I replaced that with a 3/16 lug. Blimey! I now joined t' body tubes. I then assembled t' shock cord assembly and glued it into place. Arrr! Two parachutes were included. An addendum was included t' inform you that if you wanted t' use t' 24 inch chute t' cut out t' entire spill hole t' prevent loss o' t' rocket. Begad! Ahoy! I used t' 12 inch chute and cut t' spill hole.

PROS: Fast and easy construction

CONS: Can't think o' any.

Finishing:
No real finishin' is required because o' t' purple and yellow parts. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Just slap on t' decals and that's it. Begad! Avast, me bucko, me proud beauty! Blimey! I also painted t' lug standoffs and tube joint with purple paint. Well, blow me down! Well, blow me down! Blimey! An optional step is t' apply clear spray enamel but I chose nay t' do this.

PROS: No paintin' required.

CONS: None

Construction Rating: 5 out o' 5

Flight:
Betwixt gettin' a new job and lousy conditions for flyin' a rocket like this, I have only flown this rocket once so far. T' recommended motors are t' D12-5, arrr, ya bilge rat, D12-7, E9-6, E9-8. Begad! Aye aye! I also saw t' new C11-5 listed for this rocket in t' 2002 Estes Catalog. Ya scallywag! Ahoy! T' hook holds t' motor in place, but since me hook was missing, arrr, I wrapped a single layer o' maskin' tape around t' motor and fit it in place behind t' adapter. T' flight was on a D12-5 and it be without a doubt an awesome flight. Very fast lift-off and arrow straight boost t' apogee at 1000 feet or so.

Recovery:
With t' small chute, me hearties, this rocket appeared t' come down quick, but safe. Ya scallywag! Begad! I would nay recommend usin' t' 24 inch chute. On an E9 flight, arrr, I would recommend usin' a large streamer. Aye aye! Well, blow me down! Even with a friction fit, I still recovered t' rocket with t' motor in it.

PROS: Excellent flight performance.

CONS: None

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
Priced at about $15.00 t' $21.99, this rocket is a super buy. Arrr! My thanks goes t' EMRR for providin' me with this model from t' Rocket Give-Away drawing.

Main PROS: Easy and quick construction, no paintin' required.

Main CONS: None

Overall Rating: 5 out o' 5