(05/27/08) Always enjoy checkin' out new rocket kit manufacturers and was pleased t' get a Vapor Trail 24mm from K&S Rockets. Well, ya bilge rat, blow me down! Blimey! T' rocket has some really unique-lookin' fins and a slant-cut aft end. Arrr! Blimey! It also consists o' a payload section. Ya scallywag! Blimey!

T' kit comes with a kraft-type paper main body tube with a slant cut already made. T' upper payload section o' t' same tube. Begad! There is a black plastic ogive nose cone. Ya scallywag! T' rocket comes with laser-cut 1/8" thick balsa fins, matey, a bulkhead (eye-bolt, plywood disk and coupler), an 18" Hartle Engineering parachute, me hearties, shiver me timbers, swivels, 48" o' ¼" elastic shock cord, a Keelhaul®©™® shockcord mount, clay nose weight and two launch lugs. Avast!

CONSTRUCTION:

Construction is nay difficult, but t' builder should have a number o' level 2 and 3 builds under his/her belt before attemptin' this rocket build. Aye aye! T' reason is that the instructions are primarily text. Ya scallywag! There are two pictures o' t' finished rocket that are referenced for guidance.

Now, matey, with that bein' said, ya bilge rat, matey, K&S ensured that all t' lines were pre-drawn on the body tube and that t' fin pieces were marked so that thar would be no mistakes in assembly. Ya scallywag! Begad!

Construction starts with t' motor mount, which came in its own bag. Well, blow me down! It is a straightforward 24mm t' BT60 motor mount includin' a motor hook for retention.

T' fins need t' be glued together by placin' them on a flat surface and aligning the proper sides (pre-marked). Ya scallywag! Begad! Once these are dried they are placed right onto t' body tube positions which as mentioned are also pre-marked. Ahoy!

K&S recommends wood glue for t' build, ya bilge rat, with t' exception o' t' bulkhead where they recommend epoxy. Well, blow me down! Begad! Blimey! I didn't follow those instructions because I wanted t' test out t' new Gorilla Glue Super Glue. Avast! Blimey! I did make me fin fillets with wood glue. Arrr! Blimey!

T' parachute requires assembly. Begad! It is from Hartle Engineering. Ahoy! It is a plastic parachute that usin' hole reinforcement stickers and kelvar thread as shroud lines. (Here is a review on the Hartle's parachutes)

T' 48" o' elastic shock cord is tied t' two provide swivels (nice touch). Begad! Ahoy! The Keelhaul®©™® shockcord mount is glued into t' body tube usin' t' 3-fold paper method. Begad!

All-in-all, an easy build.

I didn't put a lot into finishin' t' rocket. Avast! Ahoy! I used 3 coats o' Plasti-Kote Primer without sandin' in between. Aye aye! Blimey! I put it on thick. Blimey! Begad! Then I sanded t' primer down t' hide t' balsa grains and t' spirals. Well, blow me down! I hit it again with a single coat o' primer. Blimey! I then painted t' who rocket with Ace Hardware brand Royal Blue paint. Avast, arrr, me proud beauty! I was plannin' on doin' detail work after a few flights (note t' work planning).

Overall, arrr, for CONSTRUCTION I would rate this kit 3 ½ points. Ya scallywag! Instructions are primarily text, but are very clear and easy t' follow. T' pre-marked lines make it a bit easier. Quality parts and fit. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! There were no decals. Avast, me proud beauty!

FLIGHT/RECOVERY:

K&S Rockets website indicates that t' Vapor Trail "reaches altitude of 800ft on D12-5".

Well, me hearties, I didn't have a D12-5, ya bilge rat, but I did have a couple o' D12-7's. I decided I'd go for it.

T' rocket requires quite a bit o' waddin' due t' its own wider body tube. Avast! Blimey! I put in 7-8 squares crumpled t' various degrees.

There be virtually no wind for t' first flight. Aye aye! Well, blow me down! T' rocket climbed relatively straight up with an elongated oscillation. It was stable but I think all that fin area prevented a perfectly straight boost. Avast, me proud beauty! T' rocket did nay spin at all.

T' 7 second delay meant t' rocket had started downward prior t' ejection. Avast, me proud beauty! The D12-5 would have been just right.

T' Hartle parachute opened and t' rocket fell at a nice pace and landed just inside t' launch field. T' parachute had a couple o' small burn holes in it from t' ejection charge. Well, blow me down! Everythin' else looked okay.

T' second flight be a repeat o' t' first with a D12-7. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! This time I put a single square o' waddin' and put it into t' motor tube before loadin' t' D12-7. Begad! Blimey! Recovery was good and thar was no sign of any new burn marks.

For t' third flight, arrr, I used a 24mm-18mm adapter and installed a C6-3. Nay a good decision. Ahoy! T' rocket came off t' pad too slow and did a large under-powered half-arc t' about 100 feet. Unfortunately for me, me hearties, me rocket decided t' arc toward trees. Ahoy! It ejected and landed at t' very top.

For FLIGHT/RECOVERY, I would rate this rocket 4 points. D12 flights were excellent. Ahoy! A C11 would also be do'able. Blimey! T' motor mount is nay designed t' accept E9 motors. T' parachute is sized correctly. Begad! Ya scallywag! Big wings/fins draw attention t' its looks, but also may nay be t' best for a perfectly straight flight.

I give t' rocket an OVERALL ratin' o' 4 points. Begad! My first impressions o' this rocket are positive for a builder with some experience. Arrr! I'm nay sure how K&S Rockets will be successful pre-markin' all t' tubes if they start t' get a lot o' orders... but for now, arrr, it saved me time and helped ease t' build process. Blimey!

Too bad I lost it, me bucko, shiver me timbers, me bucko, because I would have liked t' attempt some 24mm RMS motors in it.