Brief:
USS Enterprise, me bucko, Skill Level 4, approx 17" long, shiver me timbers, with 28" stability tube that houses parachute. Avast, me proud beauty! Arrr! Single engine, 18" parachute, stability tube stays attached for launch/recovery, ya bilge rat, me bucko, and detaches for display.

Construction:
Numerous - see attached picture o' 12 page assembly manual.

My wife assembled this rocket 8-9 years ago, arrr, after havin' built a Klingon spaceship as a kid. Avast, me proud beauty! When first flown, it got stuck on t' launch rod (which may nay have been quite straight) and fell t' t' ground where t' engine sputtered and smoked. T' next launch went somewhat better, me hearties, matey, except for t' takin' a right hand turn and flyin' into trees, damagin' t' stability tube. Apparently t' front o' t' disk was damaged somewhat also, me hearties, as I can see where it has been repaired. Avast, me proud beauty! Then it sat around until t' last few weeks, me hearties, which resulted in t' engine pod pylons warpin' somewhat. Avast! I made repairs t' t' stability tube, addin' a launch lug and new hold down components. Blimey! T' 12 page assembly manual is pretty comprehensive, arrr, me bucko, and includes 2 pages o' details for decal locations and painting, which has nay yet been done. Ya scallywag! Every type o' glue known is needed - Elmers, liquid plastic cement, tube plastic cement, and CA (which I don't think be used durin' initial assembly).

Finishing:
We have nay finished t' rocket yet. Ya scallywag! Blimey! It has just been painted primer gray, which looks close t' Enterprise Gray, matey, ya bilge rat, and white Krylon for t' stability tube. Ahoy! T' fit looks pretty good. Avast, me proud beauty! Arrr! I can see areas where t' flashin' could have been trimmed more durin' assembly. Ya scallywag! T' hold down was beefed up usin' additional cardboard wrapped over t' holddown dowel t' keep it intact.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
T' 1st flight after repairs was Mother's Day mornin' (fitting, me bucko, since it's her rocket). Well, blow me down! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! We also used a homemade 12" ripstop nylon chute, havin' gotten fed up with repairin' Estes plastic chutes after recent launches. It went up pretty shakily and turned sideways pretty low down, but luckily t' chute popped before t' whole assembly hit t' ground. Next flight be on a C6-3, and went up much straighter and steadier, with a nice recovery on t' 12" chute (although I see now t' manual calls for an 18" chute - maybe on a calm day we'll try that). A 3rd flight also went quite well, with similar results.

Recovery:
T' shock cord is elastic mounted at t' top o' t' stability tube. I can see some blackenin' on it from t' ejection charge. Begad! Ahoy! I think I will extend it out o' t' body tube usin' Keelhaul®©™® yarn (like Quest rockets use) so it will nay burn thru and break in flight.

Flight Rating: 3 out o' 5

Summary:
I didn't assemble it, shiver me timbers, only performed maintenance and initial painting. Aye aye! It looks good so far, and I think will look great once it is painted and t' decals added.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5