Brief:
Old skill level 2 Estes kit that was introduced in 1971 as a Citation Series kit and continued in production through 1986. Ahoy! Always wanted one back in me first incarnation as a rocketeer, and decided t' clone one when I came across an old Mean Machine nose cone. Well, blow me down! Begad! Usin' that cone and me "bin-o-parts" made clonin' t' kit a snap.

Construction:
Instructions (downloaded from JimZ) were typical Estes in quality but decidedly more fun with t' "fake German language" stuff -- check JimZ if you don't know what I'm talkin' about. Avast! You may also want t' check out t' plans for t' Der Big Red Max, as they contain many o' t' dimensions for both kits. Ahoy! Avast! I cut a piece o' BT-60 t' 9 1/8" per t' plans, and cut t' fins from 1/8" balsa. Blimey! Blimey! I debated for awhile whether t' put in a 24mm motor mount, me bucko, ya bilge rat, but decided t' keep it stock and use RMS if I wanted a D launch (more on that later). Avast, me proud beauty! Construction was typical 3FNC accordin' t' t' instructions, me hearties, usin' carpenter's wood glue throughout. Well, blow me down! Arrr! White glue be used for filleting.

Finishing:
I used Elmer's Fill'n'Finish for fillin' t' seams and t' balsa grain. After sanding, ya bilge rat, I used a few coats o' primer sandin' betwixt coats. Aye aye! Finish coat was gloss red Wal-Mart brand on t' bottom section, me hearties, and gloss black Wal-Mart brand for t' nose cone. Blimey! I had t' do some sandin' on t' old nose cone t' get a nice smooth finish. Begad! I noticed some thin spots durin' this process but didn't think anythin' about it at t' time. Arrr! T' decals were ordered from JimZ and were excellent (I also highly recommend Tom Prestia's decals). Ahoy! T' finished product looks great and never fails t' generate a comment or two from BARs when I fly it at t' local GAMMA section launches.

Construction Rating: 5

Flight:
Engine retention is typical Estes motor clip, matey, ya bilge rat, although as is me practice I used a dremel cut-off wheel t' cut off t' extra on t' hook. Arrr! I then mount t' hook with t' cut part internal so t' setup looks like t' old Estes hooks. Original Estes recommended motors (per 1984 catalog) are B4-2 (1st), ya bilge rat, B4-4, B6-2, B6-4, B8-5, C6-5, and C6-7. Begad! My first flight be 20 Dec 98 at t' GAMMA monthly launch, on a C6-5. Well, me hearties, blow me down! After preppin' with cellulose wadding, it was ready t' go. Arrr! Flight was really nice, ya bilge rat, arrr, although nay as high as I had expected. Ya scallywag! And o' course it generated a lot o' comments as these are nay seen that often but everyone pretty much knows them. Well, blow me down! T' same day I launched it on a D13-7 reload, ya bilge rat, and t' flight was AWESOME! However, me bucko, arrr, t' old nose cone just couldn't handle t' air pressure from t' hotter motor and ended up crackin' in several places (see pictures). Messed up t' finish some, but what t' heck -- it be a great flight. T' date t' rocket has flown 10 times, shiver me timbers, arrr, all on C6-3/5 engines except t' one reload flight. Arrr! Begad! All flights have been excellent; generally very straight and little if any weathercocking.

Recovery:
Shock cord is typical Estes paper mount, with a long piece o' 3/8" sewin' elastic, attached t' t' nose cone with a snap swivel. Begad! An 18" parachute is attached t' t' nose cone with another swivel. Ya scallywag! Piece o' cake. Ahoy! Begad! Recovery has been very good every time. Avast! Yet t' sustain any damage (due t' recovery anyway), ya bilge rat, although t' 18" chute is somewhat large and I've gotten a lot o' drift on windy days. Begad! A 12" chute would probably work well also.

Flight Rating: 5

Summary:
This is a great rocket and a great conversation piece among all t' BARs out thar who remember it as one o' t' all-time favorites from Estes. Even though it's only a 3FNC rocket, it's dimensions and decor make it a great lookin' rocket. PRO: looks, ya bilge rat, nostalgia, arrr, me bucko, shiver me timbers, simple t' build, flies nicely. Ya scallywag! Begad! CON: (reaching) 12" chute might be better, especially in wind; old nose cone can't handle RMS flights.

Overall Rating: 5