Brief: T' Harpoon is a scale model o' a US Air-Launched Anti-Ship Missile, T' Launch Pad's kit is an excellent first mid power and scale rocket.

Construction: I was so glad when I finally got me hands on me AGM-84 Harpoon. One o' t' members o' me club was goin' down t' t' US and was kind enough t' brin' it back for me. Avast, me proud beauty! I received t' Harpoon with all pieces present, arrr, in good condition, and good quality. I have heard some nay so great things about TLP's balsa wood, but I found t' wood for t' Harpoon great, with a little help from CA.

T' instructions were clear, but I wish they would have included more help and info on how t' get t' little hat that sits on top o' a FatBoy style nose cone, straight and in t' middle, me hearties, that was tricky, shiver me timbers, but I think mine is close enough for me standards. That was t' only real "gotcha" for this rocket, t' fins aligned great, and everythin' fit together perfectly.

Finishing: T' only thin' that really disappointed me in t' beginnin' with t' Harpoon was t' lackin' o' decals. But, ya bilge rat, now I know that it much easier for t' consumer t' use his or her own techniques. Well, blow me down! I just painted t' bands that go around t' rocket, arrr, and for all o' t' small pinpoint rivets that are suppose t' be on t' rocket, shiver me timbers, I used a decal pack that I got from a local hobby store (East Coast Model Center) that be 1/5 rivet decals, perfect, arrr, went on with ease, and made t' rocket look great. Begad! Aye aye! Still ponderin' what t' do for t' small amount o' letterin' that will go on t' rocket. Ya scallywag! Avast! Just a note, I am nay a perfectionist, me bucko, or a great scale buff, shiver me timbers, me Harpoon was just sports scale, me bucko, but I like how it turned out.

Construction Rating: 4 ½ out o' 5

Flight: T' recommended motors for t' harpoon are a D12-3, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, E15-4, ya bilge rat, and a RMS F24-4 (24mm). I plan on usin' all o' t' recommended motors, but instead o' t' E15, shiver me timbers, an E18 (reload).

T' day for t' maiden flight for t' Harpoon finally came. First flight would be on a D12-3. Avast! Begad! Everythin' be setup, pictures were taken, and after makin' sure t' wind was perfect, ya bilge rat, that t' launch rod was perfect, and that everythin' was perfect, it was ready t' launch. Arrr! I pushed t' launch button and t' Harpoon lifted off. Arrr! T' flight was perfect. Arrr! T' Harpoon flied straight as a rail, ya bilge rat, nice altitude on a D, me hearties, and then right at apogee t' ejection charge fired, me hearties, and t' nice mylar parachute deployed, and t' Harpoon drifted down. Begad! Aye aye! Perfect flight and recovery.

Second flight, same day. Arrr! Blimey! Well, blow me down! Blimey! I was goin' t' fly me LOC Aura on an Aerotech E engine, that was t' plan, but when I launched that on a D, t' stock streamer didn't slow it down enough and it broke a fin off, so I thought I would fly it in t' Harpoon. Aye aye! Blimey! Everythin' be set, and was readied again. Aye aye! Blimey! Avast! Blimey! I hit t' launch button, arrr, and t' Harpoon lifted off t' pad, me bucko, t' igniter clips didn't come off, me hearties, it soared... Blimey! Blimey! wait a minute (my exact thoughts). Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! T' Aerotech igniter clips didn't unattach themselves from t' Harpoon, me bucko, when it was about ten feet off o' t' pad, t' leads ran out o' slack, ya bilge rat, which caused them t' pull on t' harpoon, causin' it t' go horizontal. Arrr! Blimey! T' leads did finally come unattached. Avast! Blimey! T' Harpoon sailed directly away from us and over t' small hill we launch on. Aye aye! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! Amazin' sight. Begad! Blimey! Then t' realization set in. Arrr! Blimey! Well, blow me down! Blimey! T' slow walk started towards t' crash site. Aye aye! Blimey! As we got closer t' it, shiver me timbers, we noticed that t' parachute had deployed. Aye aye! Blimey! Good sign. Arrr! Blimey! It landed in some alders, pretty good sign, but then we notice what we thought was t' nose cone, was actually t' top six inches o' t' rocket's body tube smashed.

Damage report. Ahoy! First six inches o' t' rocket are destroyed. Begad! T' nose cone was completely smashed t' bits, ya bilge rat, one broken fin, me bucko, and all fins had small slits from t' alder branches. Arrr! Avast, me proud beauty! It is fixable, it will be fixed, arrr, and it will fly again, me hearties, and hopefully soon. Begad! I contact TLP and they were great enough t' help me by givin' me t' length o' t' rocket, help me with a parts list, and are sendin' me a replacement 'little hat' that goes on t' t' top o' t' nose cone t' give it t' scale.

Recovery: One thin' I really enjoy about t' Harpoon is its green mylar parachute, it's easy t' see, easy t' pack, and has a snap for easy removal from t' Harpoon. Begad! T' 18" seems t' be fine from t' tests I have conducted (throwin' it off me deck). Ahoy! T' recovery system is a snap t' put together, arrr, but instead o' usin' t' shroud line material t' connect t' nose cone t' t' swivel, I just tied t' shock cord t' t' nose cone, me hearties, and put t' swivel 10" or so down, shiver me timbers, me bucko, me bucko, didn't want t' trust that thin string).

Flight Rating: 4 ½ out o' 5

Summary: This rocket looks awesome, me bucko, matey, arrr, that be t' best thin' I feel about it. Well, blow me down! It is a nice lookin' rocket, arrr, me bucko, t' right size, me hearties, nice motors size, nice scale touch, me hearties, and a nice finish. T' only thin' I would say that I disliked about t' rocket would be that little hat that goes on top o' t' nose cone. Blimey! Other than that, all o' t' pieces went together easily. Begad! Well, blow me down! A good first mid power or scale rocket.

Overall Rating: 4 ½ out o' 5