Brief:
I am buildin' this rocket for me high power level 2 certification. Begad! Ya scallywag! I will be puttin' it up as a dual deploy with a G-Whiz MC electronics package deploying an 18" drogue at apogee and a 54" main at 800' AGL. Ahoy!

Construction:
There is a booster section with a 54mm motor mount. Well, me bucko, blow me down! I will probably use an adapter t' put it up for t' first flights on 38mm motors. Well, blow me down! There is a payload section that ends up bein' 12+ inches long with t' coupler tubes in place, that is large enough t' accommodate most any electronics. There is an upper payload section, shiver me timbers, 17" long t' accommodate t' main chute.

This is a nice kit with good components. I had t' size t' centerin' rings and bulkheads but that's pretty standard. Arrr! Truth be known, I prefer t' have to size them, ya bilge rat, because then they fit t' way I want them t' fit. Begad! T' kit doesn't include parachutes. Blimey! You can go single or dual deploy, matey, matey, so a variety o' chutes are possible. Well, blow me down! It uses 5 coupler tubes, 6" long each. Arrr! Two are used as actual couplers and t' other 3 are used as wall doublers t' strengthen the booster and t' electronics bay. Well, blow me down! A month or two back I saw either this kit or its smaller sibling, me bucko, t' 38 Special, launched past mach 1. T' owner expressed confidence in t' twin tube construction. I be skeptical, ya bilge rat, as everythin' I've read suggests you can't go supersonic with cardboard. Sure enough, it came apart a couple thousand feet high. I will be limitin' me 54 Special to sub-sonic flights. Ahoy! Begad!

Finishing:
I comes with a very nice set or pressure sensitive decals. I haven't decided whether I'm goin' t' use these or not. Arrr! Begad!

Construction Rating: 5 out o' 5

Flight:
This is goin' t' be me level 2 certification rocket. It went up last weekend on an Aerotech H180W-M for a test flight. (It is a 29mm motor with adapters used to adapt down from 54mm.) T' total weight (before motor) be 70.5 ounces. I used dual deploy (for t' first time!) with me G-Whiz MC. Altitude was 1121 feet.

T' flight was perfect. Avast, me proud beauty! Ya scallywag! Maximum acceleration be 387.75 f/s²; max airspeed be 211.44 fps; max acceleration be 12.05Gs. Well, blow me down! Ya scallywag! 9.06 seconds to apogee. Begad! Begad! Flight time be 81.75 seconds, matey, time t' booster burnout was 1.5 seconds, and altitude at burnout was 228 feet.

Recovery:
I used AG-1 flashbulbs and 1.2 grams o' 3F black powder for each deployment charge. Arrr! T' drogue came out flawlessly at apogee and 2 seconds later (10 second delay) t' motor ejection charge fired (as a back-up in case t' G-Whiz failed to get t' job done). Begad! Avast! At 800 feet, shiver me timbers, t' 54" main deployed and it settled in for a nice soft landin' about 700' feet from t' launch rail.

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
This is an excellent kit. Well, blow me down! So far I wouldn't change anything. Arrr! If I was goin' to go supersonic with it though, I would fiberglass t' body tubes and fins. Begad!

Overall Rating: 5 out o' 5