Brief:
This is a single staged sport rocket with an unusual design. Arrr! It is classified as a skill level 3.

Construction:
T' components came in a hangin' bag-style package with insert art. Begad! Ya scallywag! My particular model was production #45. It contained two sheets o' balsa, me bucko, me hearties, a single body tube, balsa nose cone w/ eye screw, launch lug, a toothpick for t' guns, engine mount hardware (tube, hook, 2 centerin' rings), me bucko, and a cuttin' guide (since you have t' cut out your own balsa pieces). Ahoy! Well, blow me down! T' recovery system consist of a plastic chute, me hearties, ya bilge rat, arrr, a short length o' elastic, me hearties, and some Keelhaul®©™® thread.

From t' balsa, you cut out two fins, two fin tips, me hearties, two aft bulkheads, 4 cannon rails, ya bilge rat, and 2 gun supports. Begad! There is plenty o' wood, but you must be sure t' use t' correct thickness for each piece.

T' construction is anythin' but normal. Aye aye! T' instructions are very clear in most cases, me hearties, so I will only hit on t' unusual or unclear aspects. Begad! Well, blow me down!

First, your motor mount must extend from t' body tube .75". Aye aye! Blimey! Avast! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! Push it in too far, arrr, and you're out o' luck. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Also, arrr, if you are usin' a kit that has a body wrap like t' NSL wraps, be sure t' align t' wrap with t' hook assembly. This will be important later.

T' next unusual part be t' construction o' t' fin/bulkhead assemblies. Avast, me proud beauty! I found t' sandin' instruction unclear, shiver me timbers, me bucko, but if you look at t' cover art and look at where t' shroud will attach t' t' bulkhead, me bucko, you will see what part needs t' be sanded with a slight bevel. Begad! When gluin' t' fins t' t' bulkheads, wax paper proved invaluable. Blimey! Finally, I found that when I followed the instructions exactly regardin' t' placement o' t' fin betwixt t' bulkheads, I ended up with a gap betwixt t' bulkheads when placed in their final position, ya bilge rat, due t' t' dihedral-like alignment. Begad! T' wrap covered t' gap, me bucko, and I only need t' apply a little white paint t' t' wood exposed on t' sides. Avast, me proud beauty! Nay a big deal but somethin' that should be considered.

Buildin' t' shroud be pretty straightforward. Blimey! Well, shiver me timbers, blow me down! Take your time with the forward edge and you should be able t' get a nice, sharp point. Begad! Avast! Attachment to the body tube goes EXACTLY like t' instructions, me bucko, matey, me hearties, so follow them t' a T.

Finally, ya bilge rat, when assemblin' t' lug standoff, arrr, I found t' only major issue I had with this kit. Ya scallywag! T' launch lug included was too short t' create t' bevel cut specified. Avast! I simply substituted a launch lug from me parts box, but if I didn't have one, arrr, this would have been a problem.

Finishing:
Wraps are great. Ahoy! Ya scallywag! However, I found properly alignin' o' t' body wrap be very difficult, so I ended up coverin' a 1/32" spiral misalignment at t' top of t' tube with monokote. Be prepared t' deal with this, because that was the best I could do after three tries.

I only hand-painted exposed wood on t' fin assemblies and t' cannon mounts. T' nose cone also requires spray-paintin' and I selected black. Aye aye! Begad! This brings be to a minor issue: t' nose cone had a two-step shoulder (see parts picture), however, matey, t' cover art shows a smooth nose cone and t' instructions do not address this. Ahoy! I chose t' use Elmer's Fill 'n' Finish and sandpaper t' smooth the reduction out. Aye aye! Arrr! It took several passes before I got it right. While nay a big deal, arrr, it threw me when Jim's normally ultra-comprehensive instructions don't mention somethin' this major.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
I selected an A8-3 for me first flight, shiver me timbers, usin' t' engine hook t' retain it. Well, blow me down! I rigged up a 12" parachute with no spill hole, loaded me dog barf, me bucko, and hooked her up. Avast! Avast, me proud beauty! Flight was straight and true t' around 150', she just hung in the air (like t' entry t' a tail slide), shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, and then t' chute popped. Begad! It was very cool. Begad! Aye aye! Wind was very low, so I'm nay sure how it would fly in windy conditions with t' big cross-section o' t' shroud.

Recovery:
T' descent looked OK, shiver me timbers, but one o' me tips popped off on landing. Ahoy! Begad! Probably a weak glue joint, but next time I will move up t' a larger chute. Begad!

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
This rocket is very challengin' t' build and should nay be attempted by a beginner. Well, blow me down! With t' exception o' t' launch lug, this be an awesome kit. The flight was very good. I look forward t' puttin' this up on a more appropriate engine.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5