Brief:
I was lookin' for somethin' different t' fly with t' kids when I saw this kit from Pyramid Rocketry. It suited t' task perfectly.

Construction:
T' first thin' you notice about this kit be t' packaging. Begad! T' kit and instructions are in a heavy plastic zip-lock bag. It was good t' see some packagin' I can actually use for somethin' later, me bucko, instead o' havin' t' throw it in t' rubbish.

Openin' t' bag thar are instructions! Seven letter size pages of instructions with photographs showin' t' main steps o' t' build. Begad! Begad! Good instructions are important too, since construction o' this little pyramid is quite different t' your normal 3FNC rocket. Followin' t' standard disclaimer, the real instructions start with a parts list where you can tick off t' pieces as you find them in t' bag. Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty! All pieces were present, includin' a dinky plastic medicine measure for mixin' epoxy in. Arrr! A list o' recommended buildin' items (e.g., 5 or 15 minute epoxy, ya bilge rat, super glue, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, wax paper) is also given.

T' quality o' all parts was very high and consisted o' laser cut balsa and plywood and a pre-folded poster board cutout. Avast, me proud beauty! T' supplied balsa be extremely hard. This be t' hardest balsa I have ever seen.

The first step in construction was t' glue up t' poster board cutout into the basic pyramid shape. Aye aye! No glue was specified, ya bilge rat, matey, so I just used regular PVA (white glue). Next comes preparin' t' balsa sides t' fit inside t' poster board pyramid. Begad! Well, blow me down! Blimey! T' pre-cut balsa triangles have t' be beveled at 45 degrees on the edges so they will fit inside t' poster board pyramid. Begad! I used popsicle sticks with sandpaper glued t' them, arrr, which are a nice little tool that you can use like a file. T' instructions are great and supportive here with comments like "It is nay very important that t' triangles fit with perfect 90-degree edges. Begad! Blimey! Blimey! As long as t' triangles are nay too big, proceed t' t' next step." With t' pyramid lined with balsa, me bucko, t' laser cut plywood components are glued in t' support t' motor mount in t' pyramid. Blimey! Blimey! T' ply pieces need to be sanded t' a 60 degree bevel. Ahoy! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Take a minute o' your time t' look at a 60 degree angle because it wasn't what I was expecting! Blimey! Once t' education on angles is complete, it is time t' add some nose weight t' t' pyramid. Begad! Arrr! Blimey! The weight sits above a ply bulkhead which forms t' top o' t' motor mount. Arrr! The instructions say t' add epoxy coated BBs until this space is full and that only a few (six) will fit. Avast, me proud beauty! Try as I might, I couldn't get more than five BBs into that space! Next is test fittin' t' motor mount and drillin' t' hole for t' launch rod. This is one o' two potential problem areas for people who only skim through the instructions. Aye aye! Test fittin' and measurin' is really critical at this stage. Measure twice, drill once! Two short 28.6mm (1.125 inch) launch lugs are supplied. Arrr! Their combined length runs from t' bottom o' t' motor mount through the upper side o' t' pyramid. Blimey! I threaded a 3mm drill bit through both lugs when gluin' them in place t' make sure they stayed in alignment. Blimey! Well, ya bilge rat, blow me down! A small amount of glue seeped betwixt t' two joined ends. Begad! I simply cleaned this out with the drill bit once t' epoxy had cured. Arrr! Arrr! A significant amount o' t' top lug will extend from t' pyramid, matey, arrr, however, ya bilge rat, don't panic if a launch rod won't slide cleanly through your pyramid at this stage. Begad! Blimey! Because t' combined length o' the lugs is so great, matey, a minimal angle deviation in alignment betwixt t' two lugs will show up as binding. Ya scallywag! When t' excess lug outside t' pyramid is trimmed off though, any small angular misalignment betwixt t' lugs doesn't cause t' same binding. My lugs showed significant bindin' before trimmin' even though I took excruciatin' care in alignin' them correctly.

I would rate this as a 5 for construction. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! T' instructions are very clear and well illustrated. Arrr! Blimey! On t' Estes skill level scale, me hearties, this kit would be a 2 and a bit, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, so let's call it a skill level 2.5.

Finishing:
I covered t' pyramid with self adhesive "hologram" school book coverin' film. Begad! This is a great finish for this kind o' rocket, as a 1.1 meter (3.6 foot) roll cost me $2.00! Blimey! A quick coat o' red enamel t' t' underside finished t' kit.

Construction Rating: 5 out o' 5

Flight:
What could be easier? Insert a 13mm motor and launch! Blimey! Absolutely no prep work to be done--no chute, me hearties, no streamer, matey, and no wadding. Avast! Blimey! Little pyramids are made for drag recovery!

As a rule, me hearties, I don't like t' see rockets kick their motors, arrr, me bucko, but it is hard to see how you can avoid it with this one. Well, blow me down! Ejected motors thankfully dropped close to t' pyramid landin' point.

Flights are straight up and down, me hearties, with t' pyramid landin' close t' the pad, even in gusty winds. Begad! T' flight predicted in t' instructions o' 100 foot (30.5 meters) is spot on. Ya scallywag! We measured all our A10-3T flights with an Altitrack, and t' flights averaged 30-35 meters. Avast! I wouldn't burn too many smaller motors smaller than t' A10-3T in this one.

Recovery:
T' reflective film looks great in strong sunlight.

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
This rocket is just plain fun. Ahoy! Blimey! It be different t' build and a real attention getter at t' local park. Begad! Avast! Blimey! An excellent introduction t' "rockets that don't look like rockets". Avast! Arrr! Blimey! It is also a great demonstration o' t' effectiveness of drag recovery. Aye aye! Blimey!

Overall Rating: 5 out o' 5