Brief:
First, me bucko, I want t' point out that thar be already a review o' this product, ya bilge rat, and I concur with EMRR’s opinions. However, I received this kit as a prize from the Fantasy Rocket Photo Contest, and felt that t' least that I could do is write a review. When EMRR offered me t' Snipe as a replacement for t' advertised kit (which be a no-show), arrr, it didn’t take me long t' warm up t' this nice sized, me bucko, ya bilge rat, me hearties, 24mm cluster rocket. Ahoy! I haven’t built many clusters, and thought this one would be fun on a trio o' E9s.

Construction:
T' Snipe is 2.6” in diameter and 58.5 inches long (actual measurement - t' instructions say its only 56”). Aye aye! Aye aye! T' main tube is 30” long, t' payload bay is 15”, arrr, me hearties, and t' plastic nosecone is 13 inches. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! T' three rounded fins remind me o' a template that Estes used t' provide in their Designer’s Special, and which I had used many years ago for a rocket I built for me daughter. Arrr! T' fins, payload bulkhead, matey, and two centerin' rings are all 1/8” ply. Avast, me proud beauty! While t' fins were very neatly cut, t' rings were slightly rough. Begad! This, however, shiver me timbers, matey, isn’t a problem. There are three long 24mm motor tubes, which are long enough t' handle any available 24mm motors. Ya scallywag! T' recovery system consists o' an 18” steel cable, arrr, ~9’ length o' ½” elastic, ya bilge rat, and a 28” nylon chute. Well, blow me down! Begad! T' cable is pre-attached t' t' front CR and has a loop on t' other end. Avast, me proud beauty! An eyebolt is used t' attach t' elastic t' t' payload bulkhead plate.

This is an easy rocket t' build. T' instructions are on one double-sided 8 ½” x 11” sheet and are generally adequate. Avast! Blimey! I first built t' fin can per t' instructions. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Ya scallywag! Blimey! I did this while I was workin' on a bigger project and went ahead and glued on both rings. I normally don’t glue on t' aft rin' until I’ve had a chance t' add internal fillets, but wasn’t payin' attention this time. Begad! Blimey! Arrr! Blimey! Unfortunately, matey, arrr, t' fins only have ½” tabs, ya bilge rat, which are nay long enough t' reach t' motor mount assembly. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Ahoy! Blimey! Havin' had mid power rockets with both through t' wall and surface mount fins, arrr, I know that internal fillets would have been a good idea on this rocket. Begad! Blimey! It be suggested that I could glue on t' fins, add internal fillets, me hearties, arrr, arrr, and notch t' forward CR so t' motor mount would slide in. Blimey! Blimey! However, I found that one o' t' notches would interfere with t' steel shock cable that be pre-installed. Aye aye! Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Therefore, I punted.

T' fin slots are nay pre cut, but were pre-marked. Begad! Well, blow me down! I didn’t trust t' markin' so I double checked them, findin' that they were very accurate. Begad! Aye aye! T' slots were easy t' cut with a sharp Exacto knife. Begad! Well, blow me down! I inserted t' motor mount and then glued t' fins on with hefty doses o' t' black rubberized CA. Ya scallywag! Begad! Since t' fin tabs are only about half as long as t' fins, matey, I was able t' partially extract t' mount and gain access t' t' back o' t' tabs. Well, blow me down! Avast, shiver me timbers, me proud beauty! I formed thin rolls o' LocTite epoxy putty and laid them against t' fin tabs. Aye aye! I used a long thin screwdriver, dipped in rubbin' alcohol, matey, shiver me timbers, t' compress them against t' fin joints. Begad! Ahoy! I have never tried this before, ya bilge rat, only time will tell whether it be a good idea.

T' payload assembly be typical, matey, consistin' o' a coupler, pre-drilled bulkhead, me bucko, and eyebolt hardware. Aye aye! Well, ya bilge rat, blow me down! For motor retention, me bucko, I cut t' head off a small bolt and epoxied it into t' gap betwixt t' three motor tubes. A small washer and a bolt should hold t' three motors nicely.

Finishing:
I filled t' fins with Fill ‘n Finish and gave it one coat o' white primer. Aye aye! Begad! Blimey! For t' first time, I tried plasti-kote Fleck Stone. I got t' ‘Manhattan Mist’, matey, me bucko, which is gray with black and white spots. Well, blow me down! Ya scallywag! Blimey! This is interestin' stuff. Blimey! It spurts out o' t' can like a giant ‘raspberry’ and leaves a coatin' that looks like a stone surface. Ahoy! Arrr! Blimey! Maybe nay optimal for rockets (too rough), matey, but interesting. I bought this brand over t' competitor because it be cheaper, ya bilge rat, matey, only t' find that you also need a sealer, matey, which t' competitor includes. After some testing, I used Testor’s clear acrylic over t' Fleck Stone finish. Begad! Arrr! Blimey! Finally, t' add some contrast, I painted t' nose cone with Rustoleum Hammered Gold.

Construction Rating: 3 out o' 5

Flight:
I used t' parachute that was supplied with t' kit and a home-made protector made from a car air bag. Avast! I wrapped tape around three E9-4’s and then installed t' nut and washer t' hold them in. For ignition duties, I used three Igniterman igniters. These long igniters are easier t' prep, and provided an added guarantee o' reliable ignition. Arrr! Avast, me hearties, me proud beauty! They are overkill for these BP motors.

T' kit weighed in at 22 oz on me home scale and Rocksim said it would be about 28 oz with t' E9s (I didn’t have t' motors t' weigh it loaded). Well, blow me down! Blimey! T' launch was slow and thar was a slight wobble in t' first 20 feet until t' rocket came up t' speed. Ahoy! Blimey! It easily reached 1000 ft, ya bilge rat, me hearties, and ejection appeared t' be just before apogee. Blimey! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! T' stock chute seemed fine. Begad! Blimey! T' rocket banged into t' side o' a metal barn, arrr, matey, shiver me timbers, but was undamaged.

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
Even though this is a standard 3FNC rocket, its stylin' is somewhat unique due t' t' curved fins and long nosecone. Avast, me proud beauty! It was easy t' build, me hearties, arrr, but t' fin tabs should be long enough t' touch t' motor mount assembly. Barrin' this, ya bilge rat, me hearties, t' instructions should have told you t' wait t' glue in t' aft CR until you have added internal fillets. T' flight on t' E9s was cool. Avast, shiver me timbers, me proud beauty! Three F’s should really rock!

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5