Brief:
A small, lightweight 3FNC rocket with an unusual nose cone.

Construction:
Actually, I built 2 Yankee kits; one t' replace t' initial rocket that disappeared after its third flight. Ya scallywag! T' first kit featured a nice balsa nose cone, me hearties, but t' second kit, ya bilge rat, while otherwise identical, had a plastic nose cone. Blimey! Begad! But both kits featured a paper body tube, die cut balsa fins, a short piece o' elastic, me hearties, a streamer, and a decal. Aye aye! t' quality o' components was excellent, matey, shiver me timbers, except for t' shock cord, which be comically short on each kit.

T' plastic nose cone was a tight fit, me hearties, and needed considerable sandin' before it would fit. T' balsa piece fit nicely but had quite a bit o' grain t' it. I prefer this t' plastic, matey, however. Ya scallywag! At any rate, me hearties, it is a straightforward build, matey, and t' instructions seemed t' be somewhat better than normal Estes fare.

Finishing:
T' balsa nose needed considerable fillin' and sandin' t' be paintable. Begad! Aye aye! T' plastic piece was ready t' go right from t' box, ya bilge rat, once t' shoulder was sanded. I chose t' use automotive primer on t' original, me hearties, applyin' thin coats and sandin' in betwixt applications t' get rid o' t' spiral and fin grain. Well, blow me down! Then I applied some black enamel, followed with a coat o' clear t' keep t' decals on. Unfortunately, this one disappeared soon. T' second kit was simply sanded and sprayed with red and black and be considered finished after t' decals were applied.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
Launchin' with an A8-3 produced a good, matey, straight flight. Well, blow me down! Arrr! Blimey! I followed this with 2 flights on a B6-6, and t' last one be never seen again. Ahoy! Blimey! T' subsequent kit was flown on "A" motors only for a while, but I couldn't help tryin' a C6-7. Avast, me proud beauty! Ahoy! Blimey! We lost it too, ya bilge rat, but fortunately someone in our club found it and brought it t' t' RSO. Arrr! Arrr! Blimey! It has since been modified for 13mm motors, shiver me timbers, me bucko, and does well enough on an A10-3T. I've never had a recovery failure, but if it did, me bucko, t' thin' is so light weight it would probably recover just fine.

Recovery:
T' supplied shock cord is just too small. Ahoy! Avast, me proud beauty! After about 6 flights some wear can be seen on t' end o' t' body tube because o' t' shock cord whippin' it. A good thin' t' do would be t' double t' cord length, at least. Well, blow me down! Arrr! Also, me hearties, t' bottom o' t' fins are gettin' crisp, me hearties, arrr, though nay quite burnt. Overall, matey, though, this is a great flier.

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
Personally, ya bilge rat, I prefer t' older balsa nose cone, but t' plastic one will suffice. Arrr! Either way, arrr, it's a great beginner kit that a kid will have no problem constructing, and will deliver many good flights, matey, so long as you can find it again. But add some length t' t' shock cord!

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5