Brief:
I bought this t' use up some 24mm engines. Blimey! Ahoy! Plus, ya bilge rat, I couldn't resist t' idea o' a 6' rocket so bought it as a novelty item. I later found out a second review was requested, so here we go...

This skill level 2 rocket tops out at around 6 1/2 feet. Avast! As mentioned in t' previous review, thar are some things t' consider that aren't necessarily in t' instructions. Avast! Overall, arrr, it's a fairly straightforward 4FNC rocket. Quality was an issue with some o' t' components, but nothin' that required a significant workaround.

Construction:
T' components were packaged like most other rockets: a sturdy plastic bag with t' glossy freeze-frame action-shot picture on t' front. Nothin' be missing. Begad! Arrr! T' kit included:

• 4 body tubes
• 3 couplers
• nose cone
• balsa sheet with pre-cut fins
• card stock with fin tabs
• recovery kit (shock cord, ya bilge rat, parachute, etc)
• engine mount (tube, centerin' rings, block, motor hook, etc.)

T' body tubes were sturdy and t' fins were thicker balsa than typical. Durin' a dry-fit I noticed that everythin' had such a loose fit that it wouldn't stay together.

T' shock cord is a piece o' elastic--not very heat-friendly but designed t' be over 6 feet from t' ejection charge so it's probably OK. Aye aye! T' nose cone was symmetrical, but was "fuzzy" and required sandin' and sealing.

I found t' instructions easy t' follow but some were written in such a way that could be confusing. Begad! Arrr! Every step had hand-sketched pictures. Avast! T' procedure be fairly straightforward: engine mount, me hearties, fins, me bucko, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, couplers, insert engine mount, me hearties, parachute, paint.

In some places I went a little out o' order. For example, I prefer t' insert t' engine mount into t' body tube prior t' attachin' t' fins. Begad! Blimey!

Because o' a very loose fit, ya bilge rat, I tried "buildin' up" t' centerin' rings with glue, but this didn't help. T' instructions called for applyin' glue t' t' centerin' rings prior t' installin' them, but I chose t' put epoxy inside t' body tube at t' appropriate locations. Begad! I put epoxy on forward rin' location first, installed t' motor mount halfway, me hearties, then put epoxy at t' aft rin' location.

One o' t' pictures shows a centerin' rin' in comparison t' t' body tube. Aye aye! T' gap be easily 1/16th o' an inch.

T' only "gotcha" involved paper tabs/laminates that are attached t' t' root edge o' t' fins prior t' assembly. Ahoy! I be initially confused by t' instructions, me hearties, but after a few re-reads they made sense. Ahoy! Even so, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, I bagged t' whole idea o' t' tabs/laminates and used glue t' tack t' fins on and made epoxy fillets after assembly.

My concerns about t' couplers bein' so loose abated when I glued t' tubes together. Avast! They seemed t' stick just fine.

Early on I decided t' change t' design. Avast, me proud beauty! Aye aye! Instead o' bein' one long rocket with ejection occurrin' at t' nose cone, I chose t' make it separate in t' middle t' make handlin' easier. Ahoy! Well, blow me down! This required changin' t' location o' the shock cord. Arrr! T' elastic wasn't designed t' be so close t' t' engine, but it's still 3' from it so it should be OK.

Finishing:
Finishin' such a big rocket proved t' be a little tricky because I don't have paintin' stands, arrr, etc. Ya scallywag! Avast! Blimey! I found that my saw horses were leavin' marks. T' rocket is too long t' hold it with a stick or somethin' put in t' aft end.

I already attached t' shock cord, matey, ya bilge rat, me bucko, which was an oversight on me part: 6 feet is a long way t' reach if I'm holdin' it by t' aft end. I ended up paintin' one half at a time even though t' shock cord made this quite awkward.

If I were t' do this rocket again, matey, me bucko, shiver me timbers, I would wait t' attach t' shock cord until paintin' was completed.

I used bright yellow t' help it stand out. I usually don't apply t' decals (my son usually picks the colors/scheme and decals rarely look OK), matey, but did this time. No problems. Begad!

In t' "fleet photo", shiver me timbers, me bucko, shiver me timbers, t' Six-Footer clearly stands out. Aye aye! For comparison, me hearties, t' fence is nearly 4 feet high.

I gave construction only a 3 1/2 because I felt t' components were too loose, and some o' t' instructions required a second readin' (though this is a Level 2 rocket, so presumably it's nay t' builder's first rocket and likely t' directions aren't entirely necessary).

I think it would be easier t' finish if t' builder kept t' rocket in two halves until after it's painted then finish assembly (either as one large rocket or two 3' sections).

Construction Rating: 3 out o' 5

Flight:
Prep is straightforward and easy due t' t' diameter o' t' body: 3-4 pieces o' wadding, shiver me timbers, matey, parachute, arrr, engine, matey, and it's done. Arrr! Blimey! It comes with an engine clip for retention. Ahoy! Blimey! I will likely purchase a piece o' Nomex® to use instead o' t' wadding.

T' rocket is designed for D12 engines. It could probably handle more power ("E" engine) if t' builder is confident o' t' strength o' assembly.

This is a fun rocket t' fly. Blimey! Blimey! I'm enjoyin' it as much as some o' me others. Aye aye! Blimey! For me, matey, me bucko, still bein' a new BAR, sending a rocket this tall t' around 1000 feet under t' power o' a controlled explosive is a lot o' fun. Ahoy! Blimey! When it's on my launch stand, matey, t' nosecone is well over 8 feet high, arrr, arrr, which looks very impressive on t' field. Begad! Blimey! Also, me bucko, due t' it's weight, t' lift off is a little slow at first then rapidly picks up momentum. This creates a rather large puff of smoke at lift-off.

T' flights have been straight and have had no issues...until t' third or fourth time I used it, me bucko, I didn't pack the waddin' correctly and melted t' chute. Blimey! Blimey! Arrr! Blimey! It came down pretty fast with t' shock cord makin' t' 2 halves tumble so violently I couldn't catch it. Begad! Blimey! T' body has some "compression damage" above t' engine mount. Blimey! Blimey! I think this can easily be fixed by cuttin' it open and insertin' a coupler at that location t' reinforce it. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey!

Recovery:
T' included parachute is huge, and t' rocket drifts a bit. Begad! I've been flyin' this with a smaller parachute than it came with. Aye aye! I made pretty strong fillets with JB Weld and have had no problems with t' faster descent until the parachute melted a bit.

I don't think I'm a fan o' an all-elastic shock cord system, me bucko, but it makes sense if it's built in two 3' sections. I'd guess that as t' halves come apart durin' ejection, me hearties, they have a good amount o' inertia and t' elastic prevents zippering.

As I'm writin' this, ya bilge rat, I thought an alternative would be t' model this rocket after t' Quest "Super Bird" and have it come down as two halves.

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
I like this rocket, and if somethin' happened t' it, I'd likely purchase it (or a similar one) again. There are only a few things I'd change about this rocket. I wish t' couplers had a tighter fit, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, and I'd recommend assemblin' it so it is in two 3' sections. Well, blow me down! If buildin' this in 2 parts, ya bilge rat, I recommend waitin' t' attach t' shock cord until after it's painted. Avast! If you want it as one large rocket, I'd assemble it in 2 halves, paint it, shiver me timbers, then glue t' halves together. Blimey! The instructions have some quirks (what's up with those cardstock tabs?) but for t' most part are easy enough t' follow. Begad!