Brief:
An upscaled version o' t' classic Alpha that flies on standard Estes 18mm engines. Avast! Almost 20 inches tall, shiver me timbers, this rocket reaches heights o' 600 feet.

Construction:
Balsa Nose Cone, Laser-cut Balsa Fins, arrr, Cardstock Centerin' Rings, matey, ya bilge rat, Engine Hook, matey, BT-60 body tube, and waterslide Decals

T' motor mount is constructed usin' typical methods. T' only thin' I changed was t' add a Keelhaul®©™ shock cord that ties around t' motor tube betwixt t' upper and lower centerin' ring. Ya scallywag! I used a small amount o' wood glue inside t' body tube and t' motor mount was inserted into t' BT. Ahoy! Blimey! T' next step was t' I fill t' spirals. After sandin' t' BT, t' tube be marked for t' fin locations and t' launch lug. Aye aye! T' laser-cut fins are made from 1/8 hard balsa. Blimey! T' fins leadin' edge was rounded and they were glued onto t' BT usin' a very small amount o' 5 minute epoxy. Arrr! Once t' fins were attached and allowed t' dry, small epoxy micro balloon fillets were created around t' fins and launch lug t' add some strength and t' clean up t' joints. T' launch lugs was attached t' t' bt usin' epoxy as well. T' kit provides one long launch that I cut in half and installed them on t' bt about 7" apart.

T' only con was t' nose cone. Ya scallywag! It was made from hard balsa which is good, me bucko, shiver me timbers, but it be very heavy. Ahoy! I used t' stock cone so it's no big deal. Aye aye! Avast, me proud beauty! However, because o' t' weight o' t' cone hittin' t' advertised weight o' 2.2oz is nearly impossible.

Finishing:
I sealed t' balsa fins and nose cone with two coats o' Minwax Polyurethane. Once dry they were sanded smooth and coated usin' thinned spackle that was brushed on t' fill t' wood grain. T' filler was sanded off and t' rocket was primed with two coats o' Dupli-Color High Fill Primer sandin' betwixt coats. T' Super Alpha be painted silver with Dupli-color, and t' metallic black be Rustoleum. Once t' body was allowed t' completely dry t' Super Alpha decal was applied. Begad! Avast! T' decal applied easily with no issues.

Construction Rating: 4out o' 5

Flight:
I flew t' Super Alpha three times on t' first day. Begad! Blimey! I used an Estes C6-3, Estes C6-5, arrr, ya bilge rat, and a Quest C6-3. Aye aye! Preparation is very easy since t' BT-60 gives you plenty o' room t' pack t' chute. Ya scallywag! Aye aye! All three flights were perfect, stable, and recovered close t' t' pad. On one o' t' flights t' nose cone impacted t' top o' t' BT causin' very minor damage that was easily fixed.

Recovery:
T' supplied 18" 'chute is a little on t' large size, so if it's windy be prepared for a walk. Well, blow me down! Blimey! I used t' 18" 'chute for t' first three flights, ya bilge rat, but t' wind was less than 5mph. A 12" or 16" parachute would be better.

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
T' Estes Super Alpha is another great offering. Avast! It's a very easy t' build model with great instructions. Begad! T' rocket flies great as designed and is durable. Aye aye! T' Super Alpha can be easily modified t' accept 24mm motors as well.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5