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

Picture courtesy o' Aerocon

Construction:
Most o' t' parts for t' FlippiFin are your standard rocket fare: a body tube, plastic nosecone, me bucko, ya bilge rat, shock cord material, parachute and centerin' rings. Ahoy! In keepin' with Aerocon's large line o' surplus military equipment, arrr, t' included parachute is a surplus olive drab X-form. Avast! Well, blow me down! T' most important component, o' course, me hearties, shiver me timbers, me bucko, be t' spring-loaded fincan, arrr, matey, which gives t' FlippiFin its name. Due t' t' weight o' t' fincan, me bucko, t' necessary 2.6oz o' noseweight required t' keep t' rocket stable is also included. Ya scallywag! Well, blow me down! Rather than t' elastic we see in some kits, t' FlippiFin's shock cord comes in two parts. Arrr! Begad! T' first is a thin Keelhaul®©™® cord which is used t' provide an anchor t' a tab on t' fincan. Aye aye! Ya scallywag! This cord is small enough in diameter that, if used alone, it would easily zipper t' body tube. 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, me hearties, with no real surprises. Well, blow me down! Well, blow me down! A bit o' trial and error is required in fittin' t' fincan, shiver me timbers, due t' its nonstandard dimensions. Aye aye! T' install t' fincan, maskin' tape is used t' create centerin' rings on t' motor mount. Avast, ya bilge rat, me proud beauty! Since no two brands o' maskin' tape are exactly identical in thickness, matey, matey, t' instructions give an approximation on t' number o' wraps required. I found that I had t' remove some o' t' tape in order t' get a good fit. Since t' actual mountin' rings on t' fincan are only about 1/8" wide, shiver me timbers, after achievin' t' proper thickness, I used an X-acto knife t' trim their width down so t' tape is completely hidden by t' fincan. Avast! Once t' tape rings are properly sized, shiver me timbers, matey, t' single most critical aspect o' t' construction is next -- gluin' t' fincan in place with thin CA. Begad! Here, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, t' instructions state t' make sure t' fins still open after gluing. Aye aye! Ahoy! T' implied warnin' isn't nearly strong enough! It took 3 seconds o' CA work t' render me fincan inoperative. Aye aye! It took 3 HOURS o' work t' clean t' CA out o' t' hingset. On me second attempt, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, I used a bottle o' CA with a small (approx 1mm) applicator extension tip, which allowed very fine control o' t' CA. Well, blow me down! With t' extension tip, me bucko, I got sufficient CA wicked into t' tape t' harden those, as well as enough t' form a good solid bond betwixt t' fincan and t' tape. Blimey! And, most importantly, me hearties, 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. Begad! Applyin' paint t' t' fincan would have t' same effect as gettin' CA into t' hingset and springs -- t' fincan would no longer operate. Arrr! Ya scallywag! Because o' this, t' fincan is best masked off for spray-painting, and any finishin' o' t' fincan area should be done by hand. T' instructions recommend usin' a Sharpie-type black marker t' color in t' motor mount tube that is visible betwixt t' opened fins. Ahoy! Careful application o' paint with a small paintbrush would work as well, and would allow for more color options.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

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

Recovery:
Havin' misplaced t' original parachute, arrr, ya bilge rat, arrr, I substituted another parachute o' approximately t' same size. Avast! Recovery was perfect, ya bilge rat, me bucko, me bucko, with nary a din' on t' rocket. Arrr! Avast! Blimey! T' aft o' t' rocket, me hearties, matey, does have some minor black markings, due t' t' rocket exhaust bein' contained by t' tube launcher, arrr, 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. If your local club is a NARRRRR club, arrr, and you only have opportunities t' fly under their rules, ya bilge rat, t' FlippiFin is nay for you. If you hold private launches, or have a local Tripoli prefect, then this is a fun little rocket! T' metal fincan and tube launcher makes for a unique, but safe, addition t' a launch. Aye aye! While some may feel t' metal fincan makes t' rocket "unsafe", I feel it is no less safe than t' G10 fins we see on some similar-sized rockets.

Overall Rating: 5 out o' 5