Brief:
Not too long ago, I won several kits from West Coast Rocketry on eBay. Well, blow me down! Nay long after, I built me Screamer II, affectionately known as John Deer. Begad! Blimey! Since me John Deere yellow and green paint cans have about one rocket left in them and I need t' shelf space, me bucko, shiver me timbers, I decided t' build t' Screamer which will be called t' Jane Doe and painted with t' contrastin' paint scheme o' t' other one.

T' Screamer is a basic 4FNC with a 29mm motor mount and a payload bay. Aye aye! T' instructions are even more minimalist than those for t' Screamer II and are printed in such fine print that readin' them does nay seem t' be worth t' effort.

Construction:
Construction began by markin' t' motor tube at 1/8" from one end and 3/4" from t' other. Arrr! T' two centerin' rings were then epoxied in place. Avast, me proud beauty! Both needed quite a bit o' sandin' t' fit around t' tube.

As I waited for t' epoxy on t' motor mount t' set up, me bucko, I turned me attention t' t' nosecone. Well, blow me down! Blimey! It had a 3/4" diameter hole drilled t' a depth o' about 2". Into that hole, me hearties, me bucko, I be instructed t' mount a lead fishin' weight that came with t' kit. Ya scallywag! Avast, me proud beauty! I mixed some more epoxy, arrr, poured some in t' hole, me bucko, set t' weight and then poured t' remainder over t' top.

T' fin lines were marked on t' BT with a butt template. Begad! They were then extended with an angle and 5" slots were cut out with a X-Acto knife.

With t' fin slots cut, I test fitted t' motor mount t' find that it was goin' t' need substantial sandin' t' fit either rin' into t' BT. Begad! T' sandin' was done and t' mount was epoxied into place with t' motor tube bein' flush with t' aft end o' t' rocket. Ahoy! Blimey! Epoxy was then used t' fill space betwixt t' centerin' rin' and t' end o' t' BT.

After a long hiatus, me hearties, I managed t' put a little more work in on t' Screamer. Well, blow me down! Usin' 5 minute epoxy, arrr, I glued one pair o' fins in place. Aye aye! I filleted them with more epoxy usin' a gloved finger dipped into alcohol t' smooth t' fillets. Avast! These were allowed t' set up overnight.

T' payload bay is joined t' t' lower part o' t' rocket with a tube coupler. Avast! Avast! T' kit comes with a plywood bulkhead t' go on one end o' t' coupler and that is probably me biggest gripe about t' kit. Ya scallywag! T' bulkhead is a surface mount. Ya scallywag! I would much rather have had one that fits in t' coupler. Ya scallywag! Be that as it may, me hearties, I epoxied t' bulkhead in place and tried t' ensure that it was even with t' edges.

With t' epoxy on t' bulkhead coupler dry, I used some sandpaper t' trim down t' edges where they protruded past t' coupler. Begad! When it fit easily into t' body tube, I called it finished. Aye aye! I then took t' screw eye and screwed it into t' pre-drilled hole in t' coupler. It seemed like a strong connection but I doused t' pointed end with some glue t' make sure.

T' coupler tube be marked at its halfway point and then a rin' o' glue be slathered into t' base o' t' payload section. Avast! Arrr! T' coupler was then inserted t' t' mark and set aside t' dry.

Finishing:
T' balsa NC and plywood fins were sealed with Elmer's Wood Filler. It was sanded down smooth, dusted off, shiver me timbers, and t' Screamer be put in t' spray booth. Begad! There it was primed with Kilz.

After t' priming, arrr, t' rocket sat for a couple o' months before I could give it any more attention. Aye aye! I then sanded down t' primer and began paintin' with John Deere Yellow. My target be t' BT. Avast, me proud beauty! T' fins and NC would be covered up later.

For t' John Deere green, me bucko, I decided t' do t' nose cone, me bucko, me hearties, a rin' just below t' nose cone, t' fins and a narrow strip around t' fins. T' rocket be masked accordingly and sprayed. When t' maskin' came off, me bucko, I decided that I rather liked t' result.

While assemblin' t' rocket after painting, I realized that I had overlooked t' recovery system. I would have like t' have attached directly t' t' motor mount but that was a moot point now. Blimey! I fashioned a LOC style mount with a loop o' heavy nylon cord and some maskin' tape. Ahoy! It be taped down below t' level o' t' NC shoulder and epoxy was slathered on t' keep it in place. I then tied some heavy Keelhaul®©™® t' t' loop and attached a length o' 3/8" sewin' elastic.

One thin' I did save intentionally for after paintin' be t' installation o' a linear rail lug. Well, blow me down! Avast! I put it is place and started t' hole for t' upper screw only t' realize that I had placed it too high. Ahoy! It interfered with t' payload bay coupler. Ahoy! I moved it down about an inch and found t' same problem! I finally got it placed right and tapped t' holes. Arrr! T' lug be then epoxied on and t' screws inserted. Ya scallywag! Avast, me bucko, me proud beauty! T' backs o' t' screws took up t' remainin' epoxy and t' Jane Doe be ready t' go.

Construction Rating: 3 out o' 5

Flight and Recovery:
T' first flight o' this rocket took place long after construction had been completed. It be set up with an F25-4 and t' Copperhead igniter that came with it. T' Copperhead failed t' ignite t' motor and was replaced with a First Fire. Blimey! That did t' trick and t' rocket took off with as nice a flight profile as I have ever seen. Begad! A video o' t' flight can be seen here.

Ejection and deployment were all textbook. I expected t' fly t' rocket again but was mystified t' see that it had suffered some bucklin' in t' airframe. I can fix it but wonder what caused it since t' thrust was nay all that heavy.

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
This be a very basic kit with a minimal approach t' instructions, small print and illustrations that added little. Blimey! That said, it went together fine and flew very well.

Overall Rating: 3 out o' 5