Brief:
T' Custom Rockets S.L.V. is a futuristic rocket kit with three different sizes o' body tube, two different card stock tube transitions, and six small fins. Well, blow me down! T' manufacturer lists it as a Skill Level 3, arrr, shiver me timbers, and I feel that it is more o' a 2, with a few tricky spots.

Construction:

• 1 plastic nosecone with base
• 1 BT50 2.75"
• 2 BT20 9"
• 1 BT20 coupler
• 1 BT60 3"
• 1 Engine block for BT20
• 4 Centerin' rings BT20 t' BT50
• 6 Centerin' rings BT20 t' BT60 (Cardstock
• 2 Sheets o' balsa fins (die-cut, but with sharp dies)
• 2 1/8" dowels 6" long
• Sewin' elastic shock cord 16" x 1/4"
• 12" plastic bag parachute
• Pre-printed card stock for transition shrouds
• Self-adhesive decals
• Tri-fold shock cord mount

Openin' t' bag, I laid out t' parts and took inventory. Ya scallywag! T' first thin' that I noticed was t' lack o' any motor retention. Ya scallywag! Oh, joy, me first friction-fit rocket kit.

T' instructions were printed on both sides o' a single sheet o' legal-sized paper, me bucko, folded into a pamphlet. Avast! Readin' through t' build details, shiver me timbers, I realized that this was a dressed-up minimum-diameter rocket, and as such, I had no separate motor mount t' tie me Keelhaul®©™ to. That was gotcha #2.

I followed t' instructions, and soon found gotcha #3, me bucko, arrr, t' measurements for t' spacin' o' t' aft centerin' rings are just shy o' 1/8" off, me bucko, and as such, t' 3" BT-60 did nay cover all t' centerin' rings like it was supposed to. Ya scallywag! With some creativity concernin' t' mountin' o' t' lower shroud, I avoided a complete mess.

Once t' gotchas were past, t' rest o' t' build was fairly easy, me hearties, sand t' fins, shiver me timbers, double-glue t' fins with Titebond, assemble t' upper half with t' card stock shroud and t' smaller centerin' rings, me hearties, and join t' 2 halves with t' BT-20 coupler. I had fillets on t' fins and launch lug dryin' before bedtime, and t' next day after work, matey, I was ready for finishing.

Finishing:
I brushed thinned Elmer's Wood Filler onto t' fins, me hearties, shiver me timbers, sanded them when dry, ya bilge rat, and painted with 2 coats o' primer and 2 coats o' Rustoleum Painters Touch gloss white. After 48 hours o' drying, matey, I masked off everythin' but t' fins and added 2 coats o' Painters Touch gloss black t' t' fins. Testors gloss black (tiny glass bottles) was brushed onto t' small dowel details, ya bilge rat, and I be ready for t' stickers. I be surprised t' see that t' shroud details were printed on a sheet o' vinyl, me bucko, ya bilge rat, rather than t' cheaper paper stickers, me bucko, me bucko, and that thar were no pre-cut edges, so that they could be tailored t' t' exact shrouds installed on t' model. Avast, me proud beauty! Aye aye! T' rest o' t' decals were ordinary peel and stick, shiver me timbers, and they went on fairly easily. Two more coats o' clearcoat, me hearties, and I was ready for launch. Arrr! T' only trouble I had was t' adhesive on t' upper shroud decal was a bit weak, and I needed t' add a drop o' CA t' keep t' decal in place.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
I flew this little missile three times at t' NOVAAR August monthly launch, matey, and aside from some recovery annoyances, and t' fact that I don't trust friction-fit motor retention, arrr, all three launches were picture perfect. On a C6-5 each time, boosts were almost straight up, me bucko, with a slight spin from most likely a slightly crooked fin. With a rocket this small and light, me bucko, ya bilge rat, t' C6-5 sent it high enough that it be tough for me t' track, me hearties, but I saw t' ejection event each time, matey, and each time it was right at apogee. Well, arrr, blow me down! T' only negative about flight that I can think o' be t' launch lug is a bit tight on t' smallest launch rods we have. Avast! Aye aye! Otherwise, t' SLV is a solid little performer, arrr, ya bilge rat, and I would nay hesitate t' launch on anythin' from an A motor up t' a C motor.

Recovery:
This is a small rocket, with minimal internal space, so I went with t' trifold shock cord mount, rather than tryin' t' rig up an extended Keelhaul®©™ cord attachment. Ahoy! On t' plus side, matey, t' shock cord be fairly long and made o' sewin' elastic which should outlast any similar sized rubber-band shock cord. Arrr! Begad! T' drawback t' t' recovery system be t' "coil t' shroud under t' sticker on t' corner o' t' parachute" which never fails t' lose grip on one or more shroud lines durin' descent. Ya scallywag! Arrr! If thar were space, ya bilge rat, I would replace it with a nylon 'chute, me bucko, me bucko, but as it is, if I choose t' continue flyin' this one, arrr, I will substitute a mylar parachute. Begad! Begad! Stuffin' dog barf into t' thin center tube from either end provides a damage-free recovery, shiver me timbers, me hearties, even with t' loose shroud lines makin' it more o' a streamer than a parachute. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! After three launches, matey, me hearties, t' only damage t' t' rocket be t' shroud lines that won't stick.