Picture courtesy o' Binder Design

Brief:
A tall 3FNC single-stager with a large payload section, me bucko, arrr, a 38mm motor mount, shiver me timbers, and a 36-inch parachute.

Construction:
T' kit comes with two tubes, me bucko, a main body tube and a payload section. Well, blow me down! The payload section is what differentiates t' kit from t' standard Excel. Well, blow me down! The Excel Plus comes with 3 pre-cut fins, two centerin' rings, arrr, me hearties, and two eyebolts --one for t' payload section and one for attachin' t' recovery harness. Ahoy!

T' biggest "pro" for this kit are t' instructions. Avast! Avast! As opposed to the one-pagers you get from LOC or PML, t' Binder instructions are several pages long and document every step o' construction with pictures. Begad! T' assembly is logical and very easy t' follow for a first-timer. Ahoy! Blimey! This is a great kit for a first-time HPR flyer. Begad! Ahoy!

Fit was very good. Aye aye! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! T' only "gotcha" is that you need t' cut your own fin-slots. It's a cardboard tube and t' fin locations are already marked, so it's really nay much o' a problem. Begad! Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey!

At first I was worried o' t' construction o' t' ACE "bleach bottle" nose cone, but after over 30 flights, arrr, me worries have ceased. It's been more than tough enough t' handle any motor I've thrown at it. Well, blow me down!

Two parts that need t' be added are a motor retainer and a parachute protector, but these seem t' be left out o' most kits. Begad! Aye aye! I'm a big fan o' Giant Leap Rocketry's MotorHolder motor clip. Well, blow me down! It only costs about $6, matey, and it works as well as anythin' I've seen out there. Well, blow me down! Arrr! You can't add it later, so make sure you install it durin' construction o' your kit. As for chute protectors, matey, t' Pratt protector works wonderfully. Ya scallywag! Ahoy! After dozens o' flights, arrr, me pink chute hasn't even gotten cooked once.

Finishing:
Nothin' special t' know about finishing. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! It's a standard cardboard tube with a plastic cone and plywood fins, so it's really no different t' finish from any other kit. Avast! Blimey! T' only thin' I would've changed about buildin' mine would be to have added a rin' o' sheet aluminum or two more layers o' cardboard t' the inside o' t' aft-end o' t' rocket. Begad! Blimey! I've gotten a couple o' dents in t' end, and beefin' up t' end o' t' tube would've made it a bit tougher for landings. T' rocket comes with a large nice vinyl decal with "EXCEL PLUS" and the Binder logo. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Aye aye! Blimey! I didn't use it, as I'd rather decorate 'em up t' way I want. I painted me rocket black and bright pink, which makes t' guys at t' launch roll their eyes.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
Flyin' be t' best part o' this rocket. It's super-stable, me hearties, and it's flown beautifully on every motor I've used (and I've flown this thin' over 30 times). T' fins aren't too big, me hearties, shiver me timbers, so it flies straight even on windy days. Well, matey, blow me down! My preferred motors are blackjacks, because I love t' see that plume o' black smoke. Avast! My current favorites are t' Aerotech I154 and t' Kosdon I255. Ahoy! It flies very nicely on both motors (quite a bit higher on t' Kosdon). Begad! Begad!

Motor retention is important, as this rocket doesn't have a thrust ring. Blimey! Aye aye! As I mentioned before, I've got a Giant Leap MotorHolder on it, matey, so motor retention is quite simple. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast, me proud beauty! I just slide in t' motor, shiver me timbers, tighten two bolts, ya bilge rat, and t' motor is as secure as can be. Begad! Begad! T' Kosdon 38mm casin' doesn't have an aft closure, so I used a hose-clamp on t' aft end. It's worked just fine for a half-dozen flights, so I just leave t' clamp in place.

For wadding, shiver me timbers, I use t' Pratt protector. Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty! It's a large piece o' Nomex® (about 12" diameter), shiver me timbers, which works well for t' 4" rocket. Arrr! I just bundle up my chute, place t' protector over t' tube, ya bilge rat, makin' a little "cup" to hold t' chute, and tuck t' whole thin' down into t' tube. Begad! T' diameter of the rocket is big enough that things don't have t' be packed tightly. Begad! I've never had a problem with a cooked chute or a tangled chute usin' this method.

Recovery:
T' shock-cord is about 12 feet o' elastic. Arrr! It's nice and long, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, so even if the ejection charge is late it doesn't hurt anything. T' chute is a standard octagon o' pink rip-stop with nylon shroud lines. Ya scallywag! It's fairly lightweight and light-duty, me hearties, arrr, but t' rocket's nay very heavy for its size, me hearties, so t' descent rate is just fine.

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
Main pro: Flying! This be t' best flyer in me collection, and one that I never fail t' brin' out at a launch. Begad! I've flown it dozens o' times. Begad! Blimey! It's stable as all get-out, and it just makes t' whole thin' look easy. Blimey! Other pros are the instructions. Ahoy! Begad! Cons: You've gotta cut your own fin-slots. Ya scallywag! I wish they'd at least give some tips on beefin' up t' aft end. Avast, me proud beauty! Rockets do tend t' get dinged when they land, but thar are plenty o' ways t' get around that.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5