Brief:
T' FlippiFin is a unique design that uses a surplus spring-loaded military flare fincan. When loaded into its launch tube, t' curved fins are flat against t' body. Begad! Blimey! When t' rocket exits t' tube, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, 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, matey, plastic nosecone, shock cord material, parachute and centerin' rings. Arrr! In keepin' with Aerocon's large line o' surplus military equipment, t' included parachute is a surplus olive drab X-form. Blimey! T' most important component, o' course, me hearties, be t' spring-loaded fincan, which gives t' FlippiFin its name. Ahoy! Due t' t' weight o' t' fincan, ya bilge rat, t' necessary 2.6oz o' noseweight required t' keep t' rocket stable is also included. Avast, me hearties, me proud beauty! Rather than t' elastic we see in some kits, t' FlippiFin's shock cord comes in two parts. Aye aye! T' first is a thin Keelhaul®©™® cord which is used t' provide an anchor t' a tab on t' fincan. Ahoy! Ahoy! This cord is small enough in diameter that, me hearties, if used alone, matey, me hearties, it would easily zipper t' body tube. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast, me proud beauty! T' prevent this, arrr, 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, matey, with no real surprises. A bit o' trial and error is required in fittin' t' fincan, shiver me timbers, me hearties, due t' its nonstandard dimensions. T' install t' fincan, matey, me hearties, me hearties, maskin' tape is used t' create centerin' rings on t' motor mount. Avast! Since no two brands o' maskin' tape are exactly identical in thickness, ya bilge rat, me bucko, t' instructions give an approximation on t' number o' wraps required. Well, shiver me timbers, blow me down! 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, 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. Ahoy! Avast, me proud beauty! Once t' tape rings are properly sized, t' single most critical aspect o' t' construction is next -- gluin' t' fincan in place with thin CA. Arrr! Here, t' instructions state t' make sure t' fins still open after gluing. Begad! T' implied batten down t' hatches isn't nearly strong enough! It took 3 seconds o' CA work t' render me fincan inoperative. Avast! It took 3 HOURS o' work t' shipshape t' CA out o' t' hingset. Begad! On me second attempt, shiver me timbers, me hearties, I used a bottle o' CA with a small (approx 1mm) applicator extension tip, which allowed very fine control o' t' CA. Begad! With t' extension tip, 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. Aye aye! And, most importantly, 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. Well, blow me down! Blimey! 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! Because o' this, t' fincan is best masked off for spray-painting, me bucko, 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. Aye aye! Well, blow me down! 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, I've only had one opportunity t' launch me FlippiFin, at our most recent high-power launch. Ahoy! Begad! Launch opportunities for t' FlippiFin will be limited in general, due t' t' metal fincan. Avast, me proud beauty! T' instructions explicitly state that this rocket is nay approved for use at NARRRRR launches, so plan accordingly! T' instructions list three motors, me hearties, me bucko, only two o' which I listed in this review. T' D12 is listed as a "marginal" flight, due t' rocket weight. Avast! Ahoy! When t' vendor lists a motor as "marginal", me bucko, t' me, matey, me bucko, that means "don't use it!" T' other two motors are single-use Aerotech motors, ya bilge rat, while all t' 24mm motors I buy are RMS, so I decided t' go that route, ya bilge rat, instead, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, and made use o' an F39 I had available. Well, blow me down! Preparation o' t' rocket is no different than most others. Aye aye! Arrr! A small handful o' cellulose insulation, followed by t' parachute and shock cord, then t' nosecone. T' 24mm RMS motor be given a TIGHT friction fit with a bit o' maskin' tape, shiver me timbers, t' make sure I got me casin' back, and everythin' be just about ready t' go. Avast! Igniter installation gains a slightly different twist, ya bilge rat, me bucko, due t' t' tube launcher. Aye aye! T' igniter is installed in t' motor, shiver me timbers, t' breech plug removed from t' tube, and t' rocket slid in. Ahoy! T' igniter leads must then pass out a small openin' right above t' breech plug, then t' plug can be reinstalled. Begad! Avast, me proud beauty! T' tube launcher itself has a launch lug, t' allow a standard rod t' hold t' launcher vertical. Aye aye! This is placed on t' pad, arrr, and t' exposed igniter leads hooked up. On t' F39 I've used thus far, ya bilge rat, arrr, arrr, t' rocket literally EXPLODES from t' tube. Blimey! T' effect is incredibly, me bucko, and everyone jumped, due t' t' noise. Blimey! Avast! One club member who was about 150 yards off, recoverin' one o' his own rockets, me bucko, though it was a CATO, instead o' a launch!

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

Overall Rating: 5 out o' 5