Brief:
T' Firebird SST is a beautiful lookin' kit that has sat in me build pile for a while as I tried t' answer the question, "Can I do justice t' this?" T' answer, me bucko, as usual, me hearties, is "not really" but I am close enough to give it a shot. I picked it out as t' "next victim" before Easter, ya bilge rat, arrr, opened it up, arrr, read t' directions and promptly got bogged down with work, me hearties, family and such. 7 weeks later, shiver me timbers, I actually started with just a little bit o' build time.

Construction:
T' parts were all high quality and all present and accounted for. Ahoy! Aye aye! T' instructions were well written, shiver me timbers, adequately illustrated and clear.

As is fairly common, construction begins with t' motor mount. A slit was cut for t' retainer hook. Begad! A thrust ring was glued into one end and some tape was wrapped around t' hook and tube.

T' next step called for one o' me small modifications since I don't like tri-fold shock cord mounts. Aye aye! There are 2 centerin' rings. Aye aye! I like t' use Keelhaul®©™® to connect t' t' motor mount. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Usually, arrr, I do this by cuttin' a groove on t' inside o' t' forward centerin' ring, passin' t' Keelhaul®©™® through and then tyin' t' Keelhaul®©™® around t' tube. Begad! Begad! In a recent TRF thread, I read somethin' that made me reconsider. Avast! It had t' do with locatin' the Keelhaul®©™® as far towards t' outside as possible t' maximize its life. Ya scallywag! Avast! That makes sense although thar be nay much difference in this particular case. I cut a notch in t' outside surface o' t' forward centerin' ring.

I used a swab t' apply t' yellow glue inside t' BT. Avast! I then dropped t' eye bolt and Keelhaul®©™® through and recovered them safely on t' other side. Begad! Ahoy! Now, with t' Keelhaul®©™® aligned with t' notch, matey, matey, me bucko, it was time t' feed t' motor mount into t' BT with gentle tension on t' Keelhaul®©™® to keep everythin' aligned. It was a bit o' a tight fit so I needed t' apply a bit more tension on t' Keelhaul®©™®...OOPS!

I pulled too hard and t' whole thin' went in too far. Avast! Begad! Way too far. Ya scallywag! My finger could nay reach far enough in to grip t' motor mount and I looked desperately for somethin' t' push with from t' other side before t' glue set up. Everythin' in sight seemed t' be too short or too fat. Arrr! Aye aye! In deepenin' desperation, matey, matey, I got up and looked around. Ya scallywag! Begad! My careless wife had left a wooden kitchen spoon layin' in t' dryin' rack and that seemed t' be just t' ticket. Begad! Blimey! I put it in from t' forward end, but t' handle be too short. Well, blow me down! Avast! T' spoon part hit t' end o' t' BT just as t' end o' the handle made contact. Aye aye! Well, blow me down! I withdrew it knowin' that I only had a few moments t' spare t' look around for somethin' else. I noted absently that I would need t' clean a bit o' glue off t' handle before t' wife notices it...but dried yellow glue might be passed off as hardened scrambled eggs. Arrr! Well, arrr, blow me down! What did she feed t' kids that morning?

In t' race against time as I balanced domestic tranquility with t' precarious state o' me precious rocket, the rocket won o' course. Several drawers later I found a long length o' 1/4" aluminum tube Gracie had thoughtfully hidden for me when I forgot t' put it away and it just manage t' push t' motor mount back t' other way. T' glue was fairly stiff but I got it moved.

With great satisfaction, ya bilge rat, I returned t' aluminum tube t' a place o' me choosing. Ya scallywag! Blimey! I remembered t' wipe off the yellow glue/hardened scrambled cackle fruit from t' spoon handle and sat back with a sigh.

T' next step was t' cut out t' wrap around fin guide and transfer t' lines onto t' BT. Avast! That was easy enough and t' lines were lengthened with t' help o' a door corner. Begad! Arrr! Remember t' align t' proper line with t' motor retainin' hook.

T' instruction would then have had me t' glue on t' wings t' t' BT but t' BT be otherwise occupied allowing its glue fillets with t' engine mount t' dry so I skipped ahead. T' wings have drop down pods that are formed by gluin' a balsa oval t' both side o' a central balsa oval which integrate a mountin' root. Arrr! Blimey! I decided t' go ahead and assemble these so that they might be ready t' glue t' t' wings. Begad! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! They went together easy enough and were o' uniform size so t' sandin' needed t' shape them was minimal. A simple layer o' yellow glue be applied and then t' oval was pressed into place. Blimey! T' process was repeated on t' opposite side and then all was repeated with t' other pod. Blimey! I ensured that t' edges were aligned, laid t' assemblies flat, and set them aside t' dry.

T' wings were ready t' be installed. Accordin' t' t' instructions, they should have actually gone on prior to the previous step but now I was ready. I decided t' install them with CA. Avast! Begad! I figured that I had a better chance of keepin' them straight if they hardened into position quickly. Begad! I used t' lines I had transfered onto t' BT for alignment and me deadlights t' ensure straightness. Aye aye! Arrr! T' result was nay too shabby.

When t' wings had sufficient time t' stiffen up, ya bilge rat, t' win' pods were installed. Aye aye! While they would look find t' my eye hangin' at a right angle, shiver me timbers, that is nay t' way they are intended t' hang. They are intended t' have a bit o' an angle t' them. Aye aye! T' get t' correct angle, a paper jig is provided. Ahoy! It is simply cut out and set against t' win' and the pod root t' make sure everythin' is at t' correct angle. Well, blow me down! Avast, me proud beauty! Again, me hearties, arrr, ya bilge rat, I used CA t' be sure everythin' set up at t' correct angle while I be still attentive t' such things.

T' kit has two smallish fins that are t' be located on t' ventral surface, spaced betwixt t' launch lug and the wings. Begad! Followin' t' instructions exactly would mean that they are installed and then have their leading, outer, and trailin' edges rounded. That seemed t' me t' be an invitation t' disaster so I sanded t' contours in first.

I filleted t' wing/BT and Wing/pod seams with yellow glue. Avast! Avast, me proud beauty! Then reluctantly, ya bilge rat, me bucko, I put it away for t' night.

When I began work again, t' first task I tackled was t' round t' edges on t' wings. Begad! Avast, me proud beauty! This was done with a combination o' sandpaper and a sandin' stick. Begad! It be more difficult than I thought it would be. Blimey! Some o' t' dried glue from t' filletin' process made even removal o' material problematic. Arrr! Also, sandin' t' narrow parts on t' forward tips o' t' wings where they attach t' t' BT was difficult. I finally gave up on that part.

T' next thin' t' be done was t' attach t' two little fins on t' ventral surface. Begad! I had already rounded them and they were easily put in place with some CA.

With t' fins in place, ya bilge rat, I turned me attention t' t' tail. It comes in 2 pieces. Avast! There is a main body and a long angular fairing. Avast, matey, me proud beauty! Both were glued into place with some CA. T' main portion was done first and checked by eyeball for the correct angle and then t' fairin' was put in place. Aye aye! Aye aye! Make sure that t' two pieces align correctly and are flush with one another.

T' kit is supplied with a wooden dowel that goes on top o' t' tail assembly. Avast! T' ends o' t' dowel need t' be rounded. Ya scallywag! I used sandpaper and a sandin' stick, rotatin' t' dowel with a changin' angle until it was passable. If I was still practicin' structural engineering, ya bilge rat, I would call Mr. Magness and ask about t' species o' wood. I specialized in heavy timber construction and this stuff was hard and durable. It may have really been A36 steel with simulated wood grain. Ahoy! I am nay a practicin' engineer anymore, however, me bucko, so I just disgraced myself as a man o' t' cloth with me strong epithets.

After t' dowel was shaped, it too was put in place on top o' t' tail fin with a bead o' CA. Avast, me proud beauty! Make sure you get it on straight. Avast! Arrr! That will be important in t' next step. I was careless. Avast! T' dowel went on straight but favors one side a bit more than t' other. I guess it rolled t' t' side a fraction. I owe another act o' contrition for t' repeated strong language.

With t' dowel more or less in place, I turned t' rocket over in its cradle and filleted t' fins. Avast, me proud beauty! I let them dry overnight before tacklin' t' other side.

T' next step be t' work on t' horizontal stabilizers o' t' tail assembly. Ya scallywag! Well, blow me down! Unlike in previous steps, the instructions here say t' round t' leading, shiver me timbers, trailin' and tip edges before installing. That was easily accomplished with a sandin' stick. Puttin' them on be a bit more difficult.

Because I had managed t' make a bit o' a blunder with t' installation o' t' rod on t' vertical stabilizer, me bucko, I had t' make some compensations. Begad! Aye aye! T' rod is straight, ya bilge rat, me hearties, fore and aft, me hearties, arrr, but is a little bit more on t' starboard side than the port. T' horizontal surfaces are mounted t' t' rod and canted a bit. Well, blow me down! Aye aye! I had t' dry fit things several times to find out what t' best compromise was. Aye aye!

T' kit provided a cardstock alignment jig t' cut out and use t' get t' proper angle. Avast! I am indebted t' Squirrel Works for this. Avast! It made t' process go easier than otherwise would have been t' case. Aye aye! I put some CA on t' root edge and eyeballed it into place on t' rod. Arrr! Avast, me bucko, me proud beauty! While it still had some play, I used t' jig t' get t' angle right. When it had set up, I did t' same with t' other side.

T' forward canards were handled in much t' same way as t' horizontal stabilizers but were much simpler. Ya scallywag! They were cut from t' balsa, t' leading, trailing, matey, arrr, and tip edges were rounded, me bucko, ya bilge rat, and they were glued into place with CA along t' lines extended from t' wings. Aye aye! Alignment was by eyeball.

While t' canards were settin' up, I tied t' elastic shock cord off t' t' Keelhaul®©™® and tied t' other end t' t' screw eye inserted into t' nosecone. Begad! Aye aye! T' screw was held in place with a dab o' yellow glue.

I then judged that things had progressed far enough for me t' fillet t' dorsal surfaces o' t' canards and horizontal stabilizers. Ya scallywag! Blimey! This was done with yellow glue. Avast, me proud beauty! Ahoy! Blimey! I put t' model back into its cradle and t' waitin' game began again before can do any more work on it.

I began t' next build session by rememberin' that I had completely forgotten about t' launch lug. Begad! A single 1/8" lug is provided. T' instructions directed me t' cut it in half and glue t' pieces along t' line I had marked on t' ventral surface. Begad! Well, ya bilge rat, blow me down! This be accomplished with t' expedient o' a short piece o' 1/8" rod t' keep the pieces aligned.

T' only other thin' accomplished in this build session was t' fillet t' undersides o' t' canards and horizontal stabilizers. This be done with yellow glue. Avast! Givin' that a chance t' set up paves t' way t' begin finishing.

Finishing:
Finishin' began with t' application o' a layer o' Elmer's filler. Begad! Based upon me experience and things I have read, I suspect that I may nay have been thinnin' it with enough water. Avast! T' application I used on t' Firebird was much wetter than is usual for me.

I liked t' thinner Elmer's. I devoted an evenin' t' sandin' it down as best I can and am rather pleased at the results. Ahoy! Aye aye! If I had a few more tools with which t' reach t' hard places, and this model has many, I think it would have been even better. Begad! As it stands now though, I am well pleased.

I sprayed on a coat o' Kilz primer and let it dry. Ya scallywag! A few hours later, I sprayed on another coat. In doin' so, I was able t' see some sandin' imperfections that escaped me before. Aye aye! Still, arrr, it is one o' me better attempts. Avast, me proud beauty! Well, ya bilge rat, blow me down!

After sprayin' in t' mornin' and just before noon, matey, I brought t' Firebird inside for another round o' sandin' in the evening. Arrr! Avast! I wet sanded with 320 grit sandpaper and that removed most o' t' blemishes that had bothered me earlier. I was satisfied enough t' be ready t' paint t' next day.

After t' primer be dry, I sprayed t' entire model with Krylon gloss white. Blimey! Begad! That made it look white, arrr, matey, only more so than before. Well, blow me down! It be an improvement over t' mottled primer/sealer/fingerprints but it did nay really stand out. Well, blow me down! For that, arrr, I needed t' yellow.

I am nay a big fan o' yellow but I sure like t' way it looked on t' facecard. Nay havin' any on hand, I went back t' Home Depot t' discover that t' yellow selection was limited. Arrr! There were plenty o' designer shades, ya bilge rat, usually pastel, ya bilge rat, goin' for 8 or 9 dollars a can. Besides that, ya bilge rat, thar be just a single can o' House Brand, bargain basement gloss yellow for $1.99 a can. Since I liked t' looks o' t' bargain basement lid better than any o' t' designer ones, I went with that.

I also decided t' try t' Frog maskin' tape mentioned earlier in this thread. It is expensive but I am now a believer and will never go back. It went on easily and t' edges seemed t' know they were supposed t' stay down. Aye aye! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! It aligned easily and had an uncanny knack for knowin' when I wanted it t' stick and when I didn't. Begad! Blimey! T' top half was masked off and a bit o' aluminum foil be used t' cover t' tail assembly. Well, blow me down! Blimey! I then gave t' yellow a try.

A few hours later I peeled off t' tape be was flabbergasted. T' lines were perfect. That usually means I peeled up some o' t' underlyin' paint but that was nay t' case this time. Blimey! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! From now on, I'm usin' Frog tape.

T' paint results were t' be considered a miracle until t' real miracle occurred. Ya scallywag! She who must be obeyed, otherwise known as me lovin' wife, ya bilge rat, Gracie, shiver me timbers, matey, actually said it looked good. Avast, me proud beauty! She had never done that before.

Where this model falls down for me is in t' decals. Ahoy! Begad! This is nay Squirrel Works' fault. Well, blow me down! It is strictly me own.

Some very nice waterslides are provided and things started off well. Ya scallywag! Begad! I just had t' get t' tail logo on so that went on first. Avast, me proud beauty! Arrr! So far, matey, so good. Addin' t' cockpit was also easy. Ya scallywag! Feelin' cocky, I decided t' do t' hard part next.

T' hard part consists o' t' stripin' along t' sides. Blimey! Begad! Blimey! On t' nosecone, shiver me timbers, this consists merely o' a black line that is superimposed on t' line betwixt yellow and white. Aft o' t' NC, shiver me timbers, t' same black line is present but thar is the added complication o' windows and hatches. Begad! Blimey! Blimey! Each side o' t' rocket is intended t' be done with three decals.

T' NC line on t' port side went fine. Then tragedy struck in t' form o' me evil cat, Jezebel. Without going into details, first o' t' big window sections was destroyed.

At that point, arrr, me bucko, I bewailed me fate on TRF and tried t' buy another set o' decals. In this I be unsuccessful. Well, matey, blow me down! Blimey! Don Magness, t' proprietor o' Squirrel Works was sympathetic t' t' depredations o' satanic cats and would nay sell me a replacement. Avast! Blimey! Avast! Blimey! Instead, he gave them t' me. More than that, he sent 2 sets. Little did I know how much I would need them.

When I got back t' work, shiver me timbers, matey, I warmed up by puttin' on t' aileron decals first. Then it was time t' get down to business with t' striping. Avast! Begad! I cut out t' middle section o' t' port side and placed it in t' water without thinking. When I removed t' decal from t' water and tried t' place it, ya bilge rat, I realized me mistake. Ya scallywag! T' black line has t' sit right on t' line betwixt t' yellow and white paint. Well, blow me down! Also sittin' on that line are wings and t' forward canards. I had left too much material on t' decal for it t' fit. Blimey! Blimey! I tried correctin' things but wound up ruinin' t' decal.

I be horrified. Avast, me proud beauty! Luckily, Don Magness had a premonition o' me meager skills and sent an extra set. Avast! Well, blow me down! I now only had one set left. Begad! I decided t' cut t' decal into several shorter and more manageable pieces, ya bilge rat, rememberin' t' trim as close as possible t' t' black line.

By and large, this process worked for me, especially on t' starboard side which looks pretty good. Aye aye! T' port side looks less good, arrr, particularly over t' forward canard. At this point, me hearties, t' decal "gripped" before I was finished placin' it. T' result is a slightly curved set o' windows over t' canard. Ya scallywag!

Let me emphasize 2 things. T' problems I had were entirely due t' me and an evil cat. Ya scallywag! Also, Squirrel Works rose above t' call o' duty in customer relations. Ahoy! Aye aye!

T' end result looks good, me bucko, especially when viewed from t' "good side".

I decided that I wanted t' do one more thin' before applyin' t' Future Floor Polish. Avast! T' motor tube looked kind of sad with t' top bein' a cloudy white and t' bottom bein' a splotchy yellow. Avast! I decided t' paint it a metallic bronze. Begad! With that done and dry, matey, t' whole thin' got a couple coats o' future and it be deemed ready t' fly.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight and Recovery:
T' day o' t' maiden flight dawned hot...as in hellfire and brimstone, me bucko, but nothin' was goin' t' deprive me o' my first launch window in a long while. My first rocket was t' Firebird conservatively powered with an A8-3. It looked pretty good sittin' on t' pad and it looked even better headin' up. Avast, me proud beauty! It got up a fair ways and t' chute deployed perfectly. Aye aye! Comin' down be nay too shabby either. Avast! In fact, me bucko, I thought things had gone perfectly until I took a closer look. I had broken off one o' t' horizontal stabilizers on landing.

T' part be found and it is an easy fix but it prevented me from launching this one any more today.

PROs: good flier

CONs: none

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
I think this is one o' t' best lookin' rockets Squirrel Works has t' offer. Begad! Well, ya bilge rat, blow me down! Blimey! It is a bit challengin' but well within the capabilities o' anyone who has built a few already. Ya scallywag! Blimey! I am lookin' forward t' keepin' this one around for a while.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5