Brief:
A high performance, ya bilge rat, contest quality helicopter rocket. Avast! No burn strings here!

Construction:
Materials were strictly top shelf. Aye aye! Body tube, arrr, vacuformed nose cone, balsa fins and rotor blades. Especially important be t' molded hub and piston. You might consider buyin' this rocket just for t' quality parts. Well, blow me down! T' instructions are very good and lead you through logical. Aye aye! Ahoy! T' trickiest steps concern makin' sure you don't glue t' fold-in-half rotor blades t' themselves. Blimey! Assembly is straightforward, ya bilge rat, me bucko, though intricate. Avast, me proud beauty! When you're done t' rocket will look insanely tiny and light and make you think o' competition records that will fall, but thar be a catch...

T' instructions are very thorough, arrr, ya bilge rat, as you would expect, shiver me timbers, from Apogee. Arrr! The rotor blade fold in half lengthwise and are set up on a template. Ya scallywag! Take great care that you get t' hinge side and t' elastic sides correct. Well, blow me down! Well, blow me down! T' keep the edges o' t' rotor blades from stickin' along t' seam, ya bilge rat, Apogee suggests vaseline carefully applied t' t' joint. Aye aye! Excellent suggestion. Begad! Also take care to trim t' dowel that runs up t' middle t' t' proper length. Avast, me proud beauty! This model should be easily built with t' tools and glue that you already have for other rockets. Avast, me proud beauty! This is NOT a beginner's rocket.

Finishing:
This is a contest rocket, finishin' is nay a great idea. Well, blow me down! Blimey! However, me hearties, matey, somethings will help it's visibility. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Try usin' magic markers and/or highlighters t' add color. Begad! Blimey!

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
Flight is where this rocket has problems. Begad! Blimey! It is simply unstable if thar's any wind. Well, matey, blow me down! Blimey! My Micro Whirl-A-Tron and several others have looped when they flew. Aye aye! Well, ya bilge rat, blow me down! Blimey! The basic dimensions o' t' rocket are those o' t' Centrix, shiver me timbers, which flies great, but the cast piston moves t' CG too far back t' make this rocket anythin' but a Micro Loop-A-Tron in t' wind. Two flights with Apogee 1/2A2-4 motors and 1 with 1/4A2-4 all looped durin' t' afternoon lull at NARAM 42. Ahoy! Blimey! Blimey! I saw a few other's fall into t' same trap. Blimey! Arrr! Blimey! I did see one that worked, ya bilge rat, but t' flyer had extended t' fin span by 3/4". Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Prep is easy, arrr, fold t' rotors, ya bilge rat, place them against t' dowel, me hearties, me bucko, slip t' piston down until t' toothpicks are inside the booster body tube. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Go fly. This is one o' those designs that might spit the motor. Avast! Tape it in good.

Recovery:
This thin' really hangs on t' rotors. Begad! Ya scallywag! If a lighter weight alternative could be found for t' cast piston, arrr, it would do even better. Well, blow me down! Begad! You will be utterly stunned how high this gets on a 1/2A motor (if you've lengthened t' fins). Avast! This is not an incredibly rugged rocket because it is intended for competition use. Arrr! In contest rockets, if they last more than 3 or 4 flights, me bucko, they're over-built and therefore too heavy. Avast, me proud beauty!

Flight Rating: 2 out o' 5

Summary:
I saw two mods o' t' Whirl-A-Tron that made them fly in a straight line. First you extend t' fin span. Aye aye! Second, add a rin' o' cardboard around t' fin tips. In both cases, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, t' rocket flew very straight, and very high. Well, blow me down! Begad! Due t' t' piston, prep is fast and easy. This gives you an advantage in competition because when the air is good, you can fly, shiver me timbers, recover and fly quickly. Avast, me proud beauty! Also burn strings tend to get hung up on rotors and such. Ya scallywag! T' rocket is light, me hearties, streamlined and very competitive. You'll learn some good techniques just buildin' this rocket.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5