Brief:
T' FlippiFin is a unique design that uses a surplus spring-loaded military flare fincan. Ahoy! When loaded into its launch tube, t' curved fins are flat against t' body. Begad! When t' rocket exits t' tube, t' springs pop t' fins out, providin' stabilization.

Picture courtesy o' Aerocon

Construction:
Most o' t' parts for t' FlippiFin are your standard rocket fare: a body tube, plastic nosecone, ya bilge rat, shock cord material, me bucko, parachute and centerin' rings. In keepin' with Aerocon's large line o' surplus military equipment, t' included parachute is a surplus olive drab X-form. Avast! Blimey! Avast, me hearties, me proud beauty! Blimey! T' most important component, o' course, shiver me timbers, matey, be t' spring-loaded fincan, matey, which gives t' FlippiFin its name. Begad! Blimey! Due t' t' weight o' t' fincan, matey, t' necessary 2.6oz o' noseweight required t' keep t' rocket stable is also included. Avast! Blimey! Rather than t' elastic we see in some kits, t' FlippiFin's shock cord comes in two parts. T' first is a thin Keelhaul®©™® cord which is used t' provide an anchor t' a tab on t' fincan. This cord is small enough in diameter that, matey, matey, matey, if used alone, it would easily zipper t' body tube. Begad! T' prevent this, t' exposed portion o' t' shock cord is a much wider length o' different material which will help protect t' body tube.

Assembly o' t' FlippiFin is very straightforward, with no real surprises. Well, blow me down! A bit o' trial and error is required in fittin' t' fincan, arrr, shiver me timbers, due t' its nonstandard dimensions. Begad! T' install t' fincan, maskin' tape is used t' create centerin' rings on t' motor mount. Avast! Blimey! Since no two brands o' maskin' tape are exactly identical in thickness, t' instructions give an approximation on t' number o' wraps required. Avast! Ahoy! I found that I had t' remove some o' t' tape in order t' get a good fit. Avast! Since t' actual mountin' rings on t' fincan are only about 1/8" wide, after achievin' t' proper thickness, I used an X-acto cutlass t' trim their width down so t' tape is completely hidden by t' fincan. Avast, me proud beauty! Once t' tape rings are properly sized, ya bilge rat, t' single most critical aspect o' t' construction is next -- gluin' t' fincan in place with thin CA. Here, matey, shiver me timbers, t' instructions state t' make sure t' fins still open after gluing. Avast! T' implied batten down t' hatches isn't nearly strong enough! It took 3 seconds o' CA work t' render me fincan inoperative. It took 3 HOURS o' work t' clean t' CA out o' t' hingset. Begad! On me second attempt, me bucko, I used a bottle o' CA with a small (approx 1mm) applicator extension tip, ya bilge rat, which allowed very fine control o' t' CA. Ya scallywag! With t' extension tip, I got sufficient CA wicked into t' tape t' harden those, ya bilge rat, me bucko, as well as enough t' form a good solid bond betwixt t' fincan and t' tape. Well, blow me down! And, most importantly, matey, me fincan works as it should! I plan on suggestin' t' Aerocon that they recommend t' use o' an extension tip in their instructions.

Finishing:
T' metal fincan on t' FlippiFin introduces an extra challenge in painting. Ya scallywag! Avast! Applyin' paint t' t' fincan would have t' same effect as gettin' CA into t' hingset and springs -- t' fincan would no longer operate. Because o' this, matey, t' fincan is best masked off for spray-painting, and any finishin' o' t' fincan area should be done by hand. Well, blow me down! T' instructions recommend usin' a Sharpie-type black marker t' color in t' motor mount tube that is visible betwixt t' opened fins. Avast, ya bilge rat, me proud beauty! Careful application o' paint with a small paintbrush would work as well, matey, and would allow for more color options.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
Since sprin' flyin' season is just startin' here in Nebraska, shiver me timbers, me bucko, I've only had one opportunity t' launch me FlippiFin, at our most recent high-power launch. Aye aye! Begad! Launch opportunities for t' FlippiFin will be limited in general, matey, arrr, matey, due t' t' metal fincan. Begad! T' instructions explicitly state that this rocket is nay approved for use at NARRRRR launches, me hearties, so plan accordingly! T' instructions list three motors, ya bilge rat, only two o' which I listed in this review. T' D12 is listed as a "marginal" flight, me hearties, due t' rocket weight. Avast! When t' vendor lists a motor as "marginal", t' me, arrr, that means "don't use it!" T' other two motors are single-use Aerotech motors, me hearties, while all t' 24mm motors I buy are RMS, shiver me timbers, so I decided t' go that route, instead, and made use o' an F39 I had available. Preparation o' t' rocket is no different than most others. A small handful o' cellulose insulation, followed by t' parachute and shock cord, then t' nosecone. Blimey! Begad! T' 24mm RMS motor be given a TIGHT friction fit with a bit o' maskin' tape, t' make sure I got me casin' back, and everythin' be just about ready t' go. Arrr! Aye aye! Igniter installation gains a slightly different twist, due t' t' tube launcher. Ya scallywag! T' igniter is installed in t' motor, t' breech plug removed from t' tube, and t' rocket slid in. Well, blow me down! T' igniter leads must then pass out a small openin' right above t' breech plug, matey, then t' plug can be reinstalled. Aye aye! Arrr! T' tube launcher itself has a launch lug, ya bilge rat, me bucko, t' allow a standard rod t' hold t' launcher vertical. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast, shiver me timbers, me proud beauty! This is placed on t' pad, and t' exposed igniter leads hooked up. Ahoy! On t' F39 I've used thus far, t' rocket literally EXPLODES from t' tube. T' effect is incredibly, ya bilge rat, and everyone jumped, due t' t' noise. Aye aye! Begad! One club member who be about 150 yards off, recoverin' one o' his own rockets, me hearties, though it was a CATO, me hearties, instead o' a launch!

Recovery:
Havin' misplaced t' original parachute, matey, shiver me timbers, matey, I substituted another parachute o' approximately t' same size. Blimey! Aye aye! Recovery was perfect, me bucko, me hearties, with nary a din' on t' rocket. Aye aye! T' aft o' t' rocket, does have some minor black markings, due t' t' rocket exhaust bein' contained by t' tube launcher, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, somethin' t' instructions mention will happen.

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
T' only true detraction t' t' FlippiFin be t' limit that some people will experience in launch opportunities for this rocket. Arrr! If your local club is a NARRRRR club, me hearties, and you only have opportunities t' fly under their rules, t' FlippiFin is nay for you. Arrr! If you hold private launches, arrr, or have a local Tripoli prefect, me hearties, then this is a fun little rocket! T' metal fincan and tube launcher makes for a unique, but safe, shiver me timbers, me bucko, addition t' a launch. While some may feel t' metal fincan makes t' rocket "unsafe", me hearties, I feel it is no less safe than t' G10 fins we see on some similar-sized rockets.

Overall Rating: 5 out o' 5