Brief:
Best described as a flyin' pie plate, me bucko, this is another in t' BMS clone o' t' month program offerings. Avast, me proud beauty! Ya scallywag! This particular kit is a clone o' t' K-19 Astron Invader, arrr, ya bilge rat, introduced in t' 1966 Estes catalog, me bucko, makin' t' original only a year younger than this modeler.

Designed t' be a spit-motor glider, it's a very finicky design but worth t' effort for a decent glide.

Construction:
There is a bit o' controversy over whether or nay t' parts are true reproductions or slightly modified (see construction notes), but me kit included:

• 18mm motor tube
• Balsa nose cone
• Laser cut 1/8" balsa fins, braces, etc.
• 3 3/16" balsa sheets
• Launch lug, nose weight

BMS's clone kits do nay include directions. Begad! Instead, t' modeler is pointed t' online scanned instructions at places such as JimZ's archive site. Well, blow me down! Begad! This is a nice approach, me bucko, matey, as it saves everyone a small amount o' loot for printing, especially since most o' t' readers o' this review can probably build this near a computer.

Construction starts by gluin' together t' balsa sheets. With t' original, this appears t' have required 4 sheets bonded together side by side, me hearties, from which a large circle was cut. Begad! In me case, thar were only 3 sheets, matey, matey, me hearties, and it looked like t' cuttin' was already done, me hearties, as me three parts already formed a circle once bonded.

Next, matey, me bucko, I had t' mark several lines on t' circle usin' a pattern sheet, me hearties, includin' t' center line. Aye aye! Ahoy! Then, I cut t' circle in half, ya bilge rat, flipped one side over, and rebonded at a dihedral usin' t' supplied dihedral angle tool/stand. Ahoy! Avast, me proud beauty! Very handy little piece... T' reason behind flippin' t' one side is so that t' grains o' each piece wind up bein' bonded at an angle t' each other, shiver me timbers, offerin' much better boost strength.

After allowin' t' win' t' completely cure (think overnight), it be time t' bond t' various laser-cut balsa trim pieces. First came a pair o' rudders, me bucko, each o' which were t' be sanded for a very slight angle t' better align with t' dihedral wings. Blimey! After that came t' pair o' motor tube braces, arrr, me hearties, which are carefully aligned t' lines drawn on t' wings earlier. Aye aye! Avast! Finally thar be a two-piece keel t' go on t' bottom. Arrr! I have no idea why it was two-piece other than possibly offerin' a little extra strength against hard landings.

T' nose cone is supposed t' be glued into t' BT-20, arrr, arrr, but you might want t' wait until trimmin' first--includin' a test flight (with it taped on)--as it takes very subtle adjustment o' nose weight and CG t' get right. Avast! T' original kit used a lead washer, ya bilge rat, me bucko, although t' BMS clone opts for clay t' be crammed into a pre-drilled hole in t' nose cone. Arrr! Give some serious thought t' ditchin' t' clay for a few BBs or lead shot and epoxy, matey, matey, as even a slight pressure in packin' t' clay will cause t' nose cone t' split open.

CG is supposed t' be 2-15/16" aft o' t' leadin' edge o' t' plate, matey, however, mine tended t' fly like a tank when hand tossin' in that configuration.

Finishing:
Normally for a glider, you do nay wan t' add weight for stufflike fillin' grains and painting. Avast! Begad! T' original kit recommended paintin' t' underside black for easy tracking, shiver me timbers, and t' top side orange t' better spottin' in t' grass. Ahoy! I decided t' go with much lighter dope, ya bilge rat, arrr, 50% thinned, ya bilge rat, arrr, just on t' underside until I could get a few decent flights in.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
This clearly wants short delays, shiver me timbers, so I figured 1/2A6-2, A8-3, or maybe even a B4-2 would do. Avast, me proud beauty! After t' fits I had tryin' t' hand toss and trim it, I decided t' go a very conservative first flight with t' 1/2A6-2. Avast, me proud beauty! In general, I think this is too wimpy a motor for it, me bucko, and it should go with at least an A8.

T' flight pitched up almost immediately off t' rod, me bucko, arcin' over and headin' right back t' Earth. Continuin' t' pitch though, me hearties, me bucko, it completed t' somersault and headed back up very briefly before finishin' t' thrust, spittin' t' motor, and tryin' t' find a glide orientation in t' meager 10 feet o' accumulated altitude.

T' flight be certainly nay enough t' tell me anythin' about t' glide or trim, me bucko, but be cause for investigation on t' unstable path. Aye aye! Lookin' at it more closely, I noticed t' motor tube be slightly angled, ya bilge rat, resultin' in a nose-up slant, which amplifies t' natural pitch up o' a decent glider. Blimey! Well, blow me down! This should be purely horizontal or even 1-2 degrees angled nose-down t' counteract t' pitch. I'll have t' rework it a bit before flyin' again.

Recovery:
T' first flight, matey, while sloppy, arrr, was fairly harmless and everythin' survived fine.

Flight Rating: 2 out o' 5

Summary:
This is certainly an unusual design, shiver me timbers, and I have t' take t' blame for t' flight performance against me construction, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, nay t' kit or t' parts. Begad! Begad! It's a finicky beast, arrr, but I think will be worth t' extra effort t' work out t' kinks.

Overall Rating: 3 out o' 5