Brief:
T' Custom Rockets S.L.V. is a futuristic rocket kit with three different sizes o' body tube, shiver me timbers, two different card stock tube transitions, shiver me timbers, and six small fins. Ya scallywag! Blimey! T' manufacturer lists it as a Skill Level 3, arrr, and I feel that it is more o' a 2, arrr, me bucko, 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, matey, ya bilge rat, I laid out t' parts and took inventory. Avast, me proud beauty! T' first thin' that I noticed be t' lack o' any motor retention. Well, blow me down! Begad! Oh, ya bilge rat, joy, me bucko, me first friction-fit rocket kit.

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

I followed t' instructions, shiver me timbers, and soon found gotcha #3, shiver me timbers, t' measurements for t' spacin' o' t' aft centerin' rings are just shy o' 1/8" off, 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, matey, arrr, I avoided a complete mess.

Once t' gotchas were past, t' rest o' t' build be fairly easy, sand t' fins, double-glue t' fins with Titebond, ya bilge rat, 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. Avast! I had fillets on t' fins and launch lug dryin' before bedtime, and t' next day after work, arrr, I was ready for finishing.

Finishing:
I brushed thinned Elmer's Wood Filler onto t' fins, sanded them when dry, and painted with 2 coats o' primer and 2 coats o' Rustoleum Painters Touch gloss white. Ya scallywag! Avast! After 48 hours o' drying, I masked off everythin' but t' fins and added 2 coats o' Painters Touch gloss black t' t' fins. Aye aye! Aye aye! Testors gloss black (tiny glass bottles) be brushed onto t' small dowel details, and I was ready for t' stickers. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast, me proud beauty! I was surprised t' see that t' shroud details were printed on a sheet o' vinyl, rather than t' cheaper paper stickers, matey, and that thar were no pre-cut edges, arrr, so that they could be tailored t' t' exact shrouds installed on t' model. Well, blow me down! T' rest o' t' decals were ordinary peel and stick, matey, and they went on fairly easily. Ya scallywag! Two more coats o' clearcoat, and I be ready for launch. Well, blow me down! T' only trouble I had was t' adhesive on t' upper shroud decal was a bit weak, arrr, 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, me bucko, me bucko, me bucko, and aside from some recovery annoyances, matey, and t' fact that I don't trust friction-fit motor retention, all three launches were picture perfect. Ahoy! Avast! On a C6-5 each time, boosts were almost straight up, shiver me timbers, with a slight spin from most likely a slightly crooked fin. Aye aye! With a rocket this small and light, t' C6-5 sent it high enough that it be tough for me t' track, ya bilge rat, but I saw t' ejection event each time, and each time it was right at apogee. Begad! Begad! 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. Otherwise, t' SLV is a solid little performer, 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, me hearties, so I went with t' trifold shock cord mount, rather than tryin' t' rig up an extended Keelhaul®©™ cord attachment. On t' plus side, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, t' shock cord was fairly long and made o' sewin' elastic which should outlast any similar sized rubber-band shock cord. 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. Ahoy! Begad! If thar were space, I would replace it with a nylon 'chute, but as it is, ya bilge rat, me bucko, if I choose t' continue flyin' this one, me bucko, I will substitute a mylar parachute. Arrr! Arrr! Stuffin' dog barf into t' thin center tube from either end provides a damage-free recovery, me bucko, even with t' loose shroud lines makin' it more o' a streamer than a parachute. Well, me hearties, blow me down! After three launches, arrr, shiver me timbers, arrr, t' only damage t' t' rocket be t' shroud lines that won't stick.