Brief:
Easy Slide I 1/2 (1/2A and A motors) is a slide win' rocket glider usin' a 13mm engine mount.

Construction:
This kit, t' Easy Slide I 1/2 (catalog no. Ya scallywag! 18), arrr, me bucko, is a rocket glider usin' the slidin' win' concept for glide recovery. T' kit comes in a clear plastic bag with a header card. Arrr! Blimey! Parts include:

• balsa nose cone
• 13mm body tube
• balsa for wings, stabilizer, me bucko, and rudder
• spruce for boom
• plywood for stab incidence and win' support
• hooks for strings and launch rod guides
• plastic slidin' box pieces
• rubber bands, clay, me hearties, thread

QCR kits are generally skill level 3 or higher. Aye aye! Havin' t' cut fins and wings from balsa sheets is standard with QCR kits. Also, matey, havin' t' build delicate movin' parts or mechanisms is another standard in t' QCR kits.

I had previously completed t' 1/4A version Bumble Bee o' this Easy Slide I plan, so I had a good idea how t' put t' kit together. Ahoy! Most o' the instructions for t' Easy Slide I 1/2 are identical t' t' Bumble Bee plans. Well, blow me down! Blimey!

I began by first cuttin' out t' pre-marked balsa sheets for wings, ya bilge rat, rudder and stabilizer. Avast! Blimey! I then sanded t' recommended airfoil. Aye aye! Blimey! After this, shiver me timbers, I cut the win' into three sections and recreated t' dihedral. T' problem with t' plan is that in step 4, it does nay indicate what t' win' dihedral height should be, matey, however, shiver me timbers, on another sheet included in t' plans thar are optional dihedral drawings with measurements.

Next, matey, I glued the plywood support t' t' bottom o' t' wings. T' plywood support is included in t' parts, me hearties, shiver me timbers, but thar be no indication in t' plan how t' use t' part. Aye aye! I then placed t' plastic slidin' boxes on t' spruce boom, me bucko, placed some CA on the bottom o' t' boxes, me bucko, and then glued t' boxes on t' t' bottom o' t' plywood support/win' unit. Begad! I did this t' make sure t' boxes were in line with each other. Blimey! Arrr! I immediately removed t' boom from t' box/win' unit and allowed the glue t' dry. Well, blow me down! After this, I glued on one o' t' wire hooks t' t' front sliding box. T' purpose o' this wire hook is t' hold t' rubber band.

After gluin' on t' stabilizer and rudder, arrr, I test fit t' win' unit t' the boom. Well, ya bilge rat, blow me down! Blimey! I had t' sand down t' boom quite a bit so that t' win' unit could easily slide up and down t' boom. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Avast! Blimey! Once t' fit was right, I left t' win' on the boom and then glued t' standoff for t' motor tube. Ya scallywag! Blimey! After this had dried, I glued on t' motor tube and nose cone. Avast! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! I covered t' stand off and nose cone with epoxy, arrr, shiver me timbers, makin' sure t' ejection ports received a good share o' epoxy to protect t' body tube from t' ejection charges. Aye aye! Blimey! Ahoy! Blimey! I then added t' wire hooks in their correct locations (one in t' tail, one under t' ejection ports, one in the front o' t' glider, ya bilge rat, and t' wire launch "lugs".

That's it. All I had t' do now was trim t' model.

PROs: good quality parts.

CONs: instructions vague on some points, absent in content on other construction points.

Finishing:
Since this is a competition model, matey, shiver me timbers, me hearties, all I did was use a magic marker t' create a few black stripes on t' model along with addin' me NARRRRR number.

Next, ya bilge rat, I added t' rubber band, ya bilge rat, pullin' t' wings forward. Avast! I then placed an empty 13mm motor in t' motor mount and began trimmin' t' glider. Fortunately, the instructions come with some good tips for trimmin' t' glider.

PROs: easy t' finish since it is a competition model.

CONs: If you are lookin' for an easy glider t' build for long durations, this may be your model but expect t' spend a lot o' time trimmin' your model.

Construction Rating: 3 out o' 5

Flight:
I flew t' R/G twice. Once on a 1/2A3-2T and once on a 1/2A3-4T. Well, blow me down! I was launchin' with a bunch o' kids and they wanted t' see t' glider work. Well, blow me down! Thus, I elected t' use a long delay motor, matey, arrr, me hearties, since I had run out o' 1/2A3-2T motors, me hearties, matey, ya bilge rat, for the second flight.

T' first flight netted over 23 seconds. T' second flight much less because t' ejection charge burned t' strin' way past apogee.

T' 1/2A3-2T motor is perfect for this kit. Aye aye! Blimey! I did nay get great glide times and think that t' wings might need t' be sanded down even more t' lighten the rocket.

PROs: Great flights on this R/G.

CONs: Takes a long time t' tie back wings, put strin' through burn hole, tie off string, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, and add rubber band. Also, ya bilge rat, t' motor has t' be friction fit unless one elects t' use a motor hook (most competitors do nay use engine hooks to reduce overall weight).

Recovery:
PROs: A well engineered kit. Begad! I have nay had any failed flights with this design. Begad! T' slide win' mechanism works quite well. Begad! Avast, me proud beauty! Glide recovery is neat to watch.

CONs: None. Ya scallywag!

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
This is a really interestin' kit. Avast, me proud beauty! I am really gettin' excited about R/G technology. This kit certainly calls for a lot o' time in observin' t' flights and experimentin' with t' trimmin' and glidin' o' t' Easy Slide I 1/2.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5