Brief:
I was provided with me SlipStream for beta testing. Arrr! It is reminiscent o' t' Cherokee-D, me hearties, arrr, arrr, only shorter and with different fins. Arrr! Oh, and it uses 18mm motors, me hearties, nay 24mm. Uh, matey, maybe it really isn't that similar! Well, matey, me hearties, t' nose cone and body diameter be t' same. Avast! Blimey! It is a BT-55 based rocket complete with a nice sheet o' waterslide decals, matey, shiver me timbers, balsa nose cone and flies on 18mm motors. Begad! T' rocket is just over 19 inches tall, weighs less than 2 ounces and recovers on a 12-inch red mylar parachute.

Construction:
T' instructions are numbered with lots o' helpful illustrations. Aye aye! T' three fins are laser cut balsa and t' balsa nose cone is top quality and very smooth. Begad! Begad! A standard 18mm motor mount is installed with two lite-ply centerin' rings and includes a standard engine hook for motor retention and kraft thrust ring. Aye aye! A Keelhaul®©™®/1/8" elastic shock cord is included, arrr, along with a 1/8" launch lug, eye screw and waterslide decals. Blimey! Blimey! A markin' guide and steel washer for nose weight are also provided.

Construction is standard. Begad! You can easily put this together in an hour or two, especially considerin' t' fins are laser cut. Ahoy! They easily pop out o' t' fin sheet and require minimal sanding. Install t' motor mount, mark fin placement usin' t' provided template, and glue them on. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! That's most o' t' effort. Aye aye! I constructed t' entire rocket with yellow glue, and t' only modification was t' method o' attachin' t' shock cord. Ahoy! Rather than use John's standard method o' attachin' t' Keelhaul®©™® to t' motor mount, ya bilge rat, matey, I installed me typical paper shock cord attachment. Avast, me proud beauty! T' minimize abrasion from t' Keelhaul®©™® against t' body tube, I soaked in CA around t' top 1/2" o' t' body tube and tied a knot in t' Keelhaul®©™® to meet t' lip o' t' body tube. Ahoy! Arrr! T' launch lug is cut in half and installed onto t' rocket. Ya scallywag! Install t' washer onto the base o' t' nose cone and insert t' eye screw and you're almost done. Finally, construct t' pre-cut mylar parachute and attach t' shock cord and you're ready t' fly.

Finishing:
T' balsa nose cone required very little finishing. With only a very light coat o' Elmer's Light Fill 'n' Finish, the nose cone was very smooth. T' body tube and fins were also finished usin' Fill 'n' Finish. Ahoy! Blimey! Avast! Blimey! I sprayed t' entire model with a light coat o' Kilz t' seal off t' glue and provide a solid base coat. Aye aye! Blimey! Ya scallywag! Blimey! Next, I lightly sanded t' entire model with 240 grit sandpaper and then sprayed on a coat o' primer. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Next, arrr, sand and primer, and sand and primer again, ya bilge rat, sanding with 400 grit sandpaper. Ahoy! Blimey! Well, blow me down! Blimey! I followed t' paint scheme on t' face card usin' red and white Krylon enamel paint. Arrr! Blimey! After dryin' for 24 hours I applied t' decals and then covered everythin' with a thick coat o' Future Floor Finish.

Construction Rating: 5 out o' 5

Flight and Recovery:
First flight be on an Estes B6-4 with t' wind speed at about 8-11mph. Arrr! T' flight be perfect with ejection just past t' top. Begad! T' 12-inch chute be perfect for t' model. Arrr! T' next flight was very similar, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, matey, except usin' a C6-7 for a lot higher altitude and ejection right at t' top. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! It was a pretty long walk t' pick up t' model though.

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
T' SlipStream is a great rocket and t' decals are very cool! Blimey! Parts quality is superb, matey, and you can easily build the rocket in a couple o' hours. Ahoy! It really zooms, too!

Overall Rating: 5 out o' 5