Brief:
T' Quest Apex is an OOP Quick Kit for 18mm motors. Ya scallywag! Well, blow me down! Motor retention is by plastic bayonet rin' similar t' some Estes RTF models. Ahoy! Well, me hearties, blow me down! T' rocket breaks in the middle with an upper payload section, matey, which is long albeit still quite narrow. At 59cm (23.2 inches) complete, matey, it is a good sized model. Well, blow me down! Recovery is by 35.6cm (14 inch) parachute. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! Total weight without motor or recovery parachute/wadding is 52 grams (1.84oz) 18mm Quick Kit with soundin' rocket styling. Blimey! No finishing required.

Construction:
This was an eBay purchase o' a handful o' OOP Quest kits. I bought this kit specifically for me kids (12 and 14) t' assemble. Begad! Blimey! T' fleet be lookin' a bit depleted due t' an attack o' rocket eatin' trees, so we needed some easy to build kits o' a reasonable size t' bulk out t' numbers. Blimey! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! I am used t' seeing kits in plastic hang bags. This kit was different, matey, arrr, packaged in an acetate box with a hang tag on top. Aye aye! Blimey! Nay havin' seen a great number o' Quest kits in stores, I wasn't sure whether this be regular packagin' or not. T' kids are now o' an age where they can assemble simple kits with a minimum o' supervision. Blimey! Blimey! This was their second solo build. Begad! Blimey! Ya scallywag! Blimey! All parts were present, complete, arrr, and undamaged. Instructions are clear and concise. Avast! Blimey! Aye aye! Blimey! Illustrations are excellent quality and easy t' follow.

T' Apex requires no painting. Ya scallywag! T' body tubes are white, arrr, t' engine mount/fin can is red, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, and there is a blue plastic transition. Begad! T' body tubes are o' good quality, matey, a crisp gloss white with obvious, ya bilge rat, but nay too deep spirals. Well, blow me down! Avast! Blimey! T' kit includes a plastic display stand, which is an added bonus. Begad! T' kit is a combination o' plastic and cardboard components. Avast! There is no balsa in t' kit at all. Motor retention is via a bayonet lockin' ring, ya bilge rat, as seen on some RTF models from Estes. Avast, me proud beauty! Decals are peel and stick, and appear t' be o' good quality. Blimey! Ahoy! Blimey! Decal background is white.

Construction begins with tyin' t' trademark Quest Keelhaul®©™® shock cord and round section elastic shock cord together. Ya scallywag! Total shock cord length is about three times t' length o' t' lower body tube. Begad! T' plastic motor housin' is then assembled from two plastic halves and a cardboard motor mount tube. Avast! Begad! As can be seen, arrr, t' very top o' t' motor tube is somewhat distorted when t' housin' is assembled, but it doesn't appear t' affect anything. Avast! T' instructions call for plastic cement t' join t' motor housing halves. We used Tamiya liquid cement.

Plastic fins have tabs t' lock into t' motor housin' body. T' fins are glued into place. Aye aye! Blimey! Again, me bucko, matey, we used t' Tamiya liquid cement. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! T' fins are a loose fit, me bucko, matey, so correct alignment isn't assured. Avast, me bucko, me proud beauty! Blimey! Be sure t' check t' alignment and adjust if necessary. There is a bayonet lockin' rin' t' hold t' fins in position and provide correct spacin' for t' motor lock ring.

T' motor housin' also has t' launch lug molded in. Aye aye! This be t' only lug provided, me hearties, and it seems very low on t' rocket. Begad! I may add another lug on the main tube later.

By t' time you have built t' motor housin' and fitted t' fins, the rocket is almost complete. Avast! Avast! All that remains is t' attach t' plastic transition to t' upper body tube and attach t' lower body tube t' t' motor housing. Ya scallywag! We used CA gel for both o' these.

Assemble a parachute and that's it. Ahoy! Blimey! You are done. Begad! Blimey! Decal application adds perhaps another minute t' t' project. Well, blow me down! Total rocket assembly time for me kids was about half an hour, matey, ya bilge rat, which included me introduction t' t' use o' brush on liquid plastic cement.

T' only gotcha is in assemblin' t' transition. Ahoy! This has two parts, me bucko, a blue body and a red base. T' base be t' attachment for t' shock cord and parachute and as such has a large plastic loop on it. Arrr! Avast! However, thar be a large gap under t' plastic loop which would allow t' ejection charge up into the upper body tube/payload section, effectively gassin' or cookin' anythin' you have in there. Well, blow me down! There is also t' possibility that if t' transition is a firmer fittin' than t' nose cone, matey, matey, you could blow t' nose, shiver me timbers, instead o' separatin' the rocket at t' transition. Avast, me proud beauty! Ahoy! Instant lawn dart!

If I had realized this earlier, I would have blocked t' hole from inside the transition before t' top tube be glued on and had a neat, tidy, invisible modification. Oh well, a small piece o' plastic attached under t' loop with CA does an acceptable job o' sealing. Ya scallywag! It is nay as pretty but almost as effective. Chalk that one up t' experience.

Finishing:
None is required.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight and Recovery:
I flew t' Apex twice on Estes B6-4 motors, no payload. Blimey! Blimey! Avast! Blimey! T' wind was dead calm, boost was straight. Man, does this thin' go! Blimey! Helped by its light weight and soundin' rocket skinniness, matey, me hearties, t' Apex boosted t' 112 meters (367 feet), arrr, checked with Estes Altitrack. Begad! Blimey! Perfect chute deployment, nice return less than 10 meters from t' pad. Begad! Blimey! Avast! Blimey! T' second flight was an exact copy o' t' first. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Arrr! Blimey! I noticed after the second flight that t' grippers on t' chute were comin' loose. Ahoy! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! Again, easily fixed with a bit o' tape.

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Overall Rating: 5 out o' 5