Brief:
Rear engine type mini-motor powered boost glider. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Designed t' imitate the appearance o' t' SR-71 spyplane. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey!

Construction:
Accordin' t' a note in t' kit, matey, Apogee had a supply problem with t' nose cones. So as t' nay delay delivery any further Apogee vacuformed their own nose cones as a substitute. Ya scallywag! T' note went on t' say that t' vacuformed nose cone probably wasn’t durable enough and nicely included a coupon t' replace it with a proper nose cone for free with me next order. Begad! More on this in t' flight report.

T' kit is simply packaged and t' important little parts are thankfully sealed in separate bags. Blimey! A nice thin' I noticed also was that t' kit came with spares for t' little (easily lost) rubber bands that actuate t' elevons. Avast, me proud beauty! T' instructions are very clear (except for one thing mentioned below) and t' illustrations are excellent. T' first thin' I did was to apply balsa fillercoat t' t' balsa fins while they were still in their sheets. Begad! I do this because I find it easier t' apply t' fillercoat and even sand t' a nice finish while its still safely in one big sheet instead o' a dozen tiny pieces. Begad! Later I round t' edges, me hearties, usually after its been glued t' the model. T' instructions don’t say t' do it that way, it’s how I like to do it. Well, matey, blow me down! I’d also like t' take a moment t' advocate t' use o' Sig brand dope and fillercoat. Our hobby shop normally carries only Pactra products, which I hate. Arrr! Aye aye! T' Sig stuff seems t' go on better, provide a nicer finish and the label even tel! ls you what kind o' chemistry is compatible (butyrate, nitrate, etc...). Aye aye! Begad! T' templates in t' kit work well and t' die cuttin' on the balsa was very sharp. Blimey! Avast!

My only complaint about t' instructions was in step 22. Avast, me proud beauty! This regards the placement o' t' rubber band hooks for t' elevons. Avast! Instead o' a drawing, a photograph is used t' illustrate t' installation. Unfortunately, me bucko, arrr, the photograph reproduces almost completely black in t' critical area. Blimey! I scratched my head a while and figured it out, arrr, shiver me timbers, but it would be nice if that were changed. I include a picture o' t' area on me model for other builders t' consult. Aye aye!

Finishing:
Finishin' is straightforward since t' paint scheme can’t get any easier – flat black everywhere! My only reservation in this area be t' lack of decals. I know a secret spyplane should have no markings, me hearties, but decals are always the last cool touch t' any model. Ahoy! Lets face it, our models spend 99.9% o' their time on t' bookshelf. Ya scallywag! They really are displays that fly once in a while. Aye aye! Avast, me proud beauty! On the other hand, me bucko, t' model is a bit on t' small side anyway and frankly looks great.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
I made three flights, all usin' Estes A10-3T motors. Aye aye! Tim’s micro motors aren’t available in California for some reason. Well, blow me down! Begad! I would really like t' try one. You load a motor into t' boost pod, ya bilge rat, fold up t' boost pod streamer, me hearties, and insert t' pod in t' body o' t' SR-72. Well, blow me down! T' pod has tabs that keep t' elevons straight durin' boost. Begad! Boost be straight and with an A10 motor this thing really leaps off t' pad. Ya scallywag! Waddin' isn’t required. Begad! Blimey!

Recovery:
On each flight, right after core ejection t' model went immediately into a flat, arrr, fast, shiver me timbers, me bucko, non-porpoisin' glide. Arrr! Begad! I had a friend press t' button while I waited with t' binoculars, me bucko, but t' transition took place so fast I didn’t have time t' watch it. Begad! Here in t' desert we have mostly dirt and gravel, but there be no damage t' anythin' on any o' t' landings. Avast, me proud beauty! This is surprising since I expected t' ventral fins t' suffer. Begad!

I went t' t' launch site that day with several very skeptical model airplane buildin' friends. Begad! Avast! I have t' say we were ALL very impressed with the flight performance o' this model. Well, blow me down! Completely reliable and with a remarkably flat, fast glide. I be really expectin' this t' perform like other cool lookin' delta win' rockets, me hearties, which is t' say I expected it t' fall in a flat attitude instead o' glide. I think I owe me success on this model t' two things: light weight and correct c.g. Well, blow me down! position. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! Here are me weights:

Glider only, ya bilge rat, no paint, arrr, no ballast: 21.7 gm
Boost pod only, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, never painted: 8.4 gm
Glider only, painted, ya bilge rat, ballasted: 26.3 gm

Please look at t' picture I included comparin' me c.g. Avast, me proud beauty! t' t' plans c.g. I did a lot o' tests and me c.g. ended up about 1” behind t' plans c.g. You should do your own tests. I’m sure Apogee did a lot o' tests and they found t' correct c.g. Arrr! for them. Ya scallywag! Begad! Nay much is said in t' plans on how t' test glide a model like this. Arrr! Ya scallywag! I think this is very important! Grip t' model where the chines meet t' main wing. Throw it like a javelin at a 45 deg. Ya scallywag! Ya scallywag! angle as hard as you can. Begad! There is no other way t' get enough speed or altitude t' get a realistic view o' how it will perform in actual flight! Many attempts are needed t' average out t' effects o' asymmetrically releasin' t' model. Begad! Check the trim o' t' model. Blimey! If it looks straight but turns hard you are probably not releasin' it smoothly. Well, blow me down! Tim’s fear about t' temporary nose cone I got turned out t' be correct. Arrr! Blimey! I replaced mine with a spare balsa cone from Balsa Machinin' Service. Blimey! Well, me bucko, blow me down! Since it be balsa I could carve a little shovel effect into the nose thereby blendin' in t' windshield a little better. Begad! Arrr! This was slight and may nay be visible in t' photos.

Flight Ratin' : 5 out o' 5

Summary :
My main cons are: 1) t' illustration o' elevon hooks, 2) t' need for a more detailed discussion o' how t' test glide t' model, 3) decals would make a great kit into a classic!

T' pros: Overall this is a great kit and a great flier. Tim has done an excellent job o' designin' t' kind o' kits that got me excited about rockets back in t' 70's. Well, blow me down!

I can't ever say t' name o' this kit without smirking. Avast! I always think of that scene in Spinal Tap where t' amplifier "goes t' eleven". Ya scallywag! It's an SR-72. Well, blow me down! That's one better now isn't it?

Overall Ratin' : 4 ½ out o' 5