Brief:
Single stage scale model o' a British/French anti-radar missile.

Construction:
T' kit includes:

• 2.6" diameter body tube
• Short 2" diameter body tube used t' form tail cone
• Engine mount tube
• Fiber engine mount rings
• 2 sheets o' balsa
• 2 balsa strips t' simulate t' missile's conduit
• Parabolic nosecone
• Mylar parachute

T' instructions are minimal but sufficient. Avast, me proud beauty! All Launch Pad kits assume the purchaser has experience in buildin' rockets. Blimey! Launch pad does nay give you the template for markin' fin positions on t' body tube. Ahoy! You will need t' make one yourself. Begad! This kit requires significant shapin' o' balsa t' form t' conduits. This kit also requires you t' form a paper cone which is glued t' t' top of the plastic nosecone t' give it t' proper shape. Avast, me proud beauty! It takes a lot o' effort to get t' paper and plastic t' blend seamlessly. Well, blow me down! Mine was damaged after t' first flight and removed because o' this.

This rocket has 8 fins that are mounted fairly far forward on t' body tube. Aye aye! As a result, ya bilge rat, matey, a significant amount o' weight must be added t' the nosecone. Aye aye! This is supplied in t' form o' a ball o' clay. T' instructions tell you t' seal this in place with lots o' glue. I used an expandin' foam instead.

T' most difficult part o' construction is makin' t' conduits. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! You must sand t' back side o' t' conduits t' a concave shape so that they will mate to the body tube. Avast, matey, me proud beauty! Both ends o' t' conduits are sanded t' a particular shape. Finally, shallow holes are drilled in t' conduits an inch apart down t' their entire length. Blimey! Blimey! After drillin' a few holes, arrr, matey, me bucko, I didn't like t' look so I filled them back in. Aye aye! T' rocket looks pretty darn good without t' conduits altogether.

If you like t' build, ya bilge rat, you will like this kit. Ahoy! I would say this kit builds like a level 3 rocket.

Finishing:
I went with a scale look and painted t' rocket light ivory. Avast! On its first flight, t' nosecone broke free from t' rocket and fell t' t' ground damaging the paper extension. I removed this and gave t' model a non-scale paint job. T' body is now metallic blue and t' nosecone is silver. Arrr! Avast! It looks pretty sharp this way.

Construction Rating: 3 out o' 5

Flight:
This rocket flies really nice on a D12-3. Ahoy! It's a little squirrelly, but nay too bad. Ahoy! Ya scallywag! Certainly nay dangerous. Well, blow me down! Avast! This rocket has been in me collection for some time now and has had its share o' hard knocks. Begad! So far I've always been able to repair it. Aye aye! Most recently, me hearties, shiver me timbers, an extremely late ejection charge stripped t' chute, causin' t' shock cord t' rip about half an inch into t' body tube. Ya scallywag! T' damage has been patched and she is ready t' fly again.

Recovery:
I'm nay a big fan o' t' mylar chutes. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! After a few flights they become horribly crinkled. Avast, arrr, me proud beauty! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! Any nicks can cause t' thin' t' rip in half. Begad! Blimey! I replaced mine with an Estes chute.

T' plans tell you t' tie a strin' from t' nosecone t' t' shock cord, me hearties, but I found that t' strin' would snap from t' force o' ejection and t' weight of the nosecone. Better t' tie t' shock cord directly t' t' nosecone. Arrr! Arrr!

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
Despite nay givin' it perfect scores, I really like this rocket. Avast, ya bilge rat, me proud beauty! Blimey! It be fun to build and is great looking.

I'm nay crazy about t' paper nosecone extensions, shiver me timbers, t' mylar chute, or the lack o' decals.

You have t' give credit t' T' Launch Pad for comin' out with some unusual and interestin' designs.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5