Brief:
This is a BT-55 kit that flies on a 24mm motor and utilizes streamer recovery. Avast! T' rocket looks spectacular against the background o' t' kit art and doesn't lose a thin' on t' pad. Avast! Parts quality is excellent too, me bucko, me bucko, shiver me timbers, and John has even included t' spacer t' allow t' rocket t' fly on D or E motors. Blimey! Nice touch!

Construction:
T' parts list:

• 1 BT-55 kraft main body tube
• 1 BNC-55 balsa nose cone
• 1 laser cut balsa fin sheet
• 1 3.75" x 24mm motor mount kit with motor clip
• 1 standard 1/8" launch lug
• 1 screw eye
• 2 washers, ya bilge rat, 1" steel (nose weight)
• 1 shock cord, me bucko, 20" Keelhaul®©™® line plus 36" x 1/8" elastic
• 1 mylar streamer
• 1 decal sheet, matey, water slide
• 2 gold monocote decorative strips

I test fit all t' parts first and sanded for fit as needed, then sanded all t' tubes and balsa and filled the nose cone usin' Elmer's Fill 'n' Finish t' get that all out o' t' way in t' beginning. T' body tube seams were hardly noticeable so I didn't worry with fillin' them. Arrr! T' fins come in two pieces and are glued together first. Arrr! Since the parts are laser cut, me hearties, these fit together very nicely. Ahoy! While t' fins are gluin' t' motor mount can be constructed, it is a standard build except t' 20" Keelhaul®©™® line is added into t' mix. Ya scallywag! T' recommended method for installation o' t' Keelhaul®©™® line is neatly done, ya bilge rat, but I prefer t' have t' Keelhaul®©™® further up t' tube so I can inspect it. So, arrr, instead, me hearties, I made a standard paper shock cord attachment and used the Keelhaul®©™® with that. It's me own standard. After that, I filled t' joints in t' fins, re-sanded and then papered them.

Next, I inserted t' motor mount into t' tube. Well, blow me down! Ahoy! While that was drying, I cut t' launch lug in half, me hearties, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, glued the washers together first with J-B Weld and glued then onto t' base o' t' nose cone. Avast! Then I inserted t' screw eye, cut out t' markin' guide, matey, and drew t' alignment lines. Blimey! Blimey! I used double glue joints t' attach t' fins and launch lugs. Begad! The parts go on very nicely with this method and stay where you put them.

Once everythin' had dried, me hearties, I added fillets t' all o' t' joints. Lastly, shiver me timbers, t' shock cord mount and shock cord was installed and connected t' t' screw eye in t' nose cone. Avast! I put CA around t' forward end o' t' tube and tied a knot in t' Keelhaul®©™® at t' exit point t' protect against abrasion then added a loop in t' Keelhaul®©™® to tie on t' 1/8" elastic cord. Ya scallywag! Ahoy! Lastly, me hearties, ya bilge rat, I put t' parachute together.

Finishing:
I rounded t' leadin' edges o' t' fins and lightly tapered t' trailin' edges first. Avast! T' black nose cone was painted separately from t' white and yellow body tube before attachin' t' shock cord. Arrr! After a couple o' days dryin' time, I masked off t' body tube and painted t' aft o' t' tube and fins yellow. Aye aye! If you mess up on t' yellow/white paint line, thar are no worries as t' Monokote will hide that. Well, blow me down! Sweet! T' decals were cut out while waitin' for t' fins to dry. Well, blow me down! Well, arrr, blow me down! I had problems puttin' on t' decals. They were really thin and tore easily. I didn't get them where I wanted them. Ahoy! They tore in two places tryin' t' move them, so I let them stay where they lay. It still looks good. Arrr! Next I applied a couple o' coats o' Future floor wax t' protect t' finish and improve t' shine.

Construction Rating: 5 out o' 5

Flight:
Finally got a chance t' fly at a DARS launch on our brand new Frisco field. Aye aye! Blimey! I opted t' use a D12-5 on t' first flight and then planned t' fly on t' E motor. Begad! T' Scortch zoomed from t' pad with minimal weathercockin' even though the winds were blowin' betwixt 8-12mph and reached some serious altitude. Aye aye! Blimey! I would guess it reached close t' 1,000 feet.

Recovery:
Popped t' streamer right at t' top. Arrr! T' streamer is a little short, but it stayed up longer than I was anticipating. Aye aye! Broke a fin off on landing, so I didn’t get a chance t' fly that E motor.

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
T' Scortch is a quick, easy build. Parts quality is superb and t' decals really enhance t' look o' t' rocket. Ahoy! It looks great displayed with t' face card, ya bilge rat, too.

Pros: Fantastic looks, me hearties, me bucko, quick build, quality parts with laser cut fins, excellent instructions, and a nice long shock cord

Cons: T' decals are thin. Ya scallywag! I made t' change with t' shock cord, me bucko, arrr, but that is just personal preference.

Overall Rating: 5 out o' 5