Brief:
This is a BT-55 kit that flies on a 24mm motor and utilizes streamer recovery. Arrr! T' rocket looks spectacular against the background o' t' kit art and doesn't lose a thin' on t' pad. Arrr! Parts quality is excellent too, and John has even included t' spacer t' allow t' rocket t' fly on D or E motors. 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, 1" steel (nose weight)
• 1 shock cord, ya bilge rat, matey, 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. Begad! T' body tube seams were hardly noticeable so I didn't worry with fillin' them. Avast! Well, blow me down! T' fins come in two pieces and are glued together first. Ya scallywag! Aye aye! Since the parts are laser cut, me bucko, 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. T' recommended method for installation o' t' Keelhaul®©™® line is neatly done, shiver me timbers, me bucko, but I prefer t' have t' Keelhaul®©™® further up t' tube so I can inspect it. So, instead, I made a standard paper shock cord attachment and used the Keelhaul®©™® with that. Well, me bucko, blow me down! It's me own standard. Aye aye! After that, me hearties, shiver me timbers, 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! Begad! While that was drying, I cut t' launch lug in half, glued the washers together first with J-B Weld and glued then onto t' base o' t' nose cone. Aye aye! Then I inserted t' screw eye, cut out t' markin' guide, and drew t' alignment lines. Avast! I used double glue joints t' attach t' fins and launch lugs. Aye aye! The parts go on very nicely with this method and stay where you put them.

Once everythin' had dried, me bucko, ya bilge rat, I added fillets t' all o' t' joints. Avast! Aye aye! Blimey! Lastly, t' shock cord mount and shock cord was installed and connected t' t' screw eye in t' nose cone. 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. Aye aye! Ahoy! Lastly, me hearties, I put t' parachute together.

Finishing:
I rounded t' leadin' edges o' t' fins and lightly tapered t' trailin' edges first. Ahoy! T' black nose cone was painted separately from t' white and yellow body tube before attachin' t' shock cord. Avast! Begad! After a couple o' days dryin' time, I masked off t' body tube and painted t' aft o' t' tube and fins yellow. Ya scallywag! If you mess up on t' yellow/white paint line, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, thar are no worries as t' Monokote will hide that. Aye aye! Sweet! T' decals were cut out while waitin' for t' fins to dry. I had problems puttin' on t' decals. They were really thin and tore easily. I didn't get them where I wanted them. Well, blow me down! They tore in two places tryin' t' move them, ya bilge rat, so I let them stay where they lay. Avast, me proud beauty! Ahoy! It still looks good. 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. 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! Ya scallywag! I would guess it reached close t' 1,000 feet.

Recovery:
Popped t' streamer right at t' top. Aye aye! Aye aye! T' streamer is a little short, but it stayed up longer than I was anticipating. Begad! Broke a fin off on landing, ya bilge rat, 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. It looks great displayed with t' face card, me bucko, too.

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

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

Overall Rating: 5 out o' 5