Brief:
If t' Flintstones had a rocket, this would be it. Begad! Begad! A simple BT-80 based 3FNC with an unusual nosecone, waterslide decals, me hearties, and a novel paint recommendation. Aye aye! Arrr!

Construction:
T' kit contains:

• 1 X BT-80 body tube 14.25"
• 1 X BT-50 24mm 4.25" motor mount tube
• 3 X laser cut 1/8" balsa fins
• 2 X BT-80 motor mount rings
• 1 X 24mm engine block ring
• 1 X D-engine motor hook
• 1 X BT-50 external coupler engine hook retainer
• 1 X rubber shock cord 30" length, matey, trifold mount
• 1 x NC-80 nose cone (Estes part number 61465, matey, PNC designation nay known) this is a new dimpled FatBoy style cone
• 1 x 3/16" x 2" launch lug
• 1 x 18" assembled parachute
• 1 x yellow engine space tube
• 1 X sheet waterslide decals

Instructions were typical Estes. Arrr! Blimey! Very easy t' follow, ya bilge rat, nicely illustrated. Aye aye! Blimey! No gotchas. Materials were typical high Estes quality with a longer than usual shock cord. Blimey! Blimey! Arrr! Blimey! Motor mount tube is easily long enough t' set up for an E-motor but engine hook is for D (and 24mm C) engines. Blimey! Blimey!

Finishing:
Finishin' is what sets this rocket apart from other Estes kits. Recommended paint is grey "textured" paint t' give t' rocket a rough granite-like appearance. Ahoy! This paint is expensive (almost as expensive as the kit) so look for it on sale. Well, blow me down! Begad! Havin' never thought t' use this non-aerodynamic paint on a rocket kit before, me hearties, I found it a lot o' fun. Begad! Blimey! Really hard to "mess up" t' paint job on this kit. Well, blow me down! I was also concerned t' decals wouldn't apply well t' t' surface but I was wrong. Begad! They laid down surprisingly well and minor pressure on t' decals with a piece o' balled up paper towel made them mold into t' nooks an crannies. I saw a recommendation somewhere to first apply a gloss coat, after t' initial textured coat, t' help t' decals lay down but I didn't find this necessary. I did gloss coat afterwards t' seal the decals in place. Arrr! Only potential "gotcha" on t' decals is that the fin decals are a fairly large, arrr, pre-sized X-shape which may be difficult for folks new t' waterslide decals. Blimey! Ahoy! Havin' put on a million decals in me youth I found them a slight challenge t' apply without foldin' or tearing. They might be a litle frustratin' for a skill level 1 builder (which is what this kit is rated). Arrr! I've heard complaints about decal fragility in other new Estes kits but I didn't find that a problem with t' Rock-it. Ya scallywag! Overall, arrr, what sets this rocket apart is it's finish and I found it t' be new, different, and fun. Begad! Avast, me proud beauty! Lots of smiles at launches with t' novelty and silliness o' t' way it looks.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
Completely unexpected be how well this rocket flies. Begad! Ya scallywag! Blimey! It's basically a lengthened Fat Boy (now discontinued) with a 24mm motor mount. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Blimey! Wow does this thin' fly great. On C11's it does about 350 - 400 feet and a D12 gets about 500-600 feet. A more emphatic flight than t' Fat Boy because o' t' bigger boost. Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! Very stable, even in high wind. Avast! Blimey! I haven't checked RockSim but I can't imagine settin' up for an E would pose a problem. Avast! Blimey! Really flies great.

Recovery:
Chute is right sized, me hearties, but it really doesn't matter. I drove 2 hours t' launch with a friend and got thar t' find 15 - 20 mph winds. I launched t' Rock-it with only nose-blow recovery (no parachute or streamer at all) and it tumbled down nicely onto t' grass completely without injury t' t' fins or body tube. I've since had another flight where t' chute tangled and acted more as a streamer. Arrr! Begad! Again, me hearties, no damage, this time from D-altitude. Aye aye! With fins this big you think they'd be prone t' snappin' but apparently t' 1/4" balsa does the trick. Shock cord is much longer than prior Estes standards, almost 30" which works well. Begad!

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
Overall, I like this rocket way more than I thought I would when I bought it. I've flown a lot this summer and this be t' one rocket I've taken t' every launch. Blimey! Unique look. Begad! Easy t' build. Well, blow me down! Flies great. Aye aye! Solid as a tank. Avast! Arrr! Heck o' a looker and performer for such an inexpensive level one rocket. Well, matey, blow me down! My only din' in the points is because t' fin decals might be a little frustratin' for true level one builders. Well, blow me down! Arrr! Other than that, matey, this one is perfect in every way. After 40 years it must be a little hard t' come up with somethin' new, arrr, but t' Rock-it is a surprisin' great addition t' t' Estes legacy. Begad! Aye aye!

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5