Brief:
T' Tomcat is a single stage, swin' win' glider rocket. Arrr! Estes used t' make a Skill Level III "Challenge" series kit o' this model. T' wings fold back durin' launch then unfold durin' ejection via a clever valve and pin mechanism enablin' a glide recovery. When finished t' model resembles an F-14 Military fighter jet. It was built from plans downloaded from JimZ's Rocket plans.

Construction:
After downloadin' t' plans. I searched eBay for a kit. Blimey! I found three right away. One went up t' $51.00 plus $8.00 shippin' and another one went t' $47.00 plus $8.75 shipping. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! I figured I could scratch a Tomcat for less than that. Ya scallywag! Well, blow me down! T' "kit" requires One standard BT-60 12.45 inches long and two BT-50's 12.7" long. Well, blow me down! On me first trip t' t' hobby shop, I also purchased an Estes BT-60 nose cone 4-pack and two sheets o' 3/32 X 36" balsa for wings and fins. Begad! You will also need some 3/16" dowel rod and a piece o' aluminum tube 0.155" OD 2.1" long. Avast, me proud beauty! T' valve mechanism uses a piece o' 0.055" wire about 10" long (get some extra). I also used and engine mount tube from a "bag o' parts" I bought off t' internet a while back. Well, blow me down! No shock cord or parachute is needed. Ahoy! For t' engine centerin' rings, shiver me timbers, me bucko, cardboard from a small box be used. Well, blow me down! T' very last step is t' glue t' plastic nose cone in place. Ahoy! This allows t' builder t' add clay for nose weight if necessary.

T' tricky part o' this build be t' alignment o' t' win' "trigger holes". Begad! T' wire comes up through t' fuselage (center tube) and pokes through each win' half t' hold them in t' folded "launch position". Ahoy! Begad! These must be in t' right place. Aye aye! Ya scallywag! In addition make sure that t' two vertical fins are positioned far enough aft t' allow t' wings t' come together over t' release pin. Avast, me proud beauty! That be t' wings must just touch t' leadin' edge o' t' vertical fins when retracted, me hearties, and t' fins must nay limit t' wings from comin' back enough t' allow t' "trigger holes" t' line up over t' pin. Begad! I suggest, cuttin' out t' wings with all holes and all t' tail fins, installin' t' 3/16" win' rotation pin, ya bilge rat, then slide t' horizontal and vertical fins in place. Put t' wings over t' pin and check t' make sure t' holes line up over t' pin before gluin' t' fins. Arrr! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! I bought all o' me rocket supplies from Lightship Hobbies in Charlottesville, Virginia. If you follow t' instructions thar are little guides t' help in alignment. Well, blow me down! Blimey! I used a single edged razor blade t' cut out t' balsa, runnin' it along a metal edged ruler as a guide. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Go easy on t' glue as weight is an issue with this model. Avast! Blimey! T' 0.055" valve sprin' wire must be bent carefully. It took me two tries, but it wasn't all that difficult with a pair o' good pliers. Avast! Blimey! T' engine mount rings and bulkhead discs were cut usin' a Compass Cutter by t' C-Thru Ruler Company. Ahoy! Blimey! It works pretty good if treated gently. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Also, a Dremel tool with a cut off wheel came in very hand several times on this one.

Flight:
T' recommended motor is a C5-3 for first flights and then C6-3. All I found t' purchase be t' C6-3 so I used that for t' first flight. T' prepare for flight, hold t' pin valve open on t' bottom o' t' fuselage then slide t' wings over t' pin, bottom win' first, matey, and release t' pin valve. Make sure that t' valve is well seated in t' opening. Aye aye! Install t' engine and it is ready for launch! No wadding, no chute, matey, no shock cord is required so prep is easy. T' motor is held in by a typical Estes type metal clip.

T' downloaded kit cover page showed a weight o' 4.1oz. Begad! I didn't make a canopy and didn't use paint at all so me version came in at 3.9oz. I can't imagine flyin' this thin' any heavier. Arrr! T' first flight didn't go high on t' C6 engine maybe 150 feet or so. Avast, me proud beauty! Ahoy! It made a beautiful tight slow barrel roll on climb out, me hearties, just like an air show pilot might do with an F-14.

Recovery:
The three-second delay burn was a heart stopper! T' model pitched over and dove straight down toward t' dirt! We were yelling, "Eject! Eject! Eject!" Finally at about 30 feet up, t' charge fired and t' wings swung into proper position. Arrr! T' Tomcat swooped into a sweet glide and slide into a grassy landing. Avast, me proud beauty! Everyone laughed and clapped! There was no damage at all. Arrr! Begad! It was a very windy day. Perhaps on a calm day it would go straighter and higher.

Summary:
This is a "Challenge" kit. Ya scallywag! It would be similar t' buildin' three normal rocket kits at t' same time. Actually though it's nay terribly difficult, especially if you have a couple o' builds under your belt.

It looks really nice finished and t' swin' win' is very cool. Arrr! T' F-14 is a really hot lookin' fighter even without t' canopy. Begad! Blimey! Wings swept back, shiver me timbers, me bucko, on t' pad, matey, just beggin' for that big kick in t' afterburner! Blimey! Boost flight is awesome and fun. Many thanks t' JimZ's plan page, and he even had t' decals!

T' main CON is that this kit is no longer manufactured, although at least one clone company has announced that they plan t' produce it "soon". Ahoy! Blimey! You can still find some original Estes kits on eBay almost every week too. Begad! T' price at first seems high, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, but after buyin' all o' me parts piece meal, I had a credit card bill o' $51.23 which was only $8.00 less than t' highest eBay price includin' postage! However, now I do have several spare body tubes, some paint and a few extra nose cones left over!

Other:
A very talented old friend o' mine, Rudy, who built and repaired many many things used t' say "just get your hands dirty". What he meant was don't be afraid t' jump in and do it. Begad! This bein' me first totally scratch built rocket in a long long time, matey, I'm glad I took his advise! It's an excitin' rocket fun t' build and fun t' fly. Well, blow me down! Avast, me proud beauty! A real crowd pleaser too.

I might try makin' t' wings a little bigger, ya bilge rat, perhaps just upscalin' them 10% for a longer glide. Blimey! Keep it light. Begad! Begad! Specifically use a copier t' size t' pattern pictures from JimZ's web site. There is a ruler shown on each pattern page so that you can match it t' a standard 12" rule and scale t' t' correct size. Well, blow me down! Blimey! I had t' enlarge t' win' pattern 113% and shrink t' fin patten t' 86%. Ahoy! T' engine mount and airframe alignment guide were shrunk -76%. Ahoy! Avast! Your printer might brin' them out differently.

T' plans show bulkheads in each side tube, and a bulkhead behind t' nose cone. Aye aye! Avast! Blimey! Eliminatin' these might save a little weight. Ya scallywag! Makin' t' engine mount a simple tape in type ala Edmonds glider kits would save additional weight. Well, blow me down! Furthermore, arrr, one might consider usin' CA glue exclusively in order t' shave off a few more grams. Don't forget t' trim your win' trigger pin t' just above t' upper win' with t' Dremel tool t' prevent one win' hangin' in t' tuck position. Too bad they don't make a C12-2 or something...so build light!