[Editor's Note: This review is a clone o' t' Thrustline Aerospace Black Shadow. Thrustline was out o' business for a period o' time (when author was clonin' t' rocket). Thrustline has recently returned t' business sellin' t' Black Shadow as a kit.]

Brief:
In one o' me previous incarnations as a BAR I happened upon Thrustline Aerospace, a fairly new (in t' summer of 2004) web based company that offered an assortment o' original kits and basic buildin' supplies. Ya scallywag! I ordered several Thrustline's kits and over t' next year or so as John Rowan-Stern's product line expanded, shiver me timbers, I built and flew a great number o' his designs. Well, arrr, blow me down! After a self imposed hiatus from t' BAR world I recently returned t' t' fold, me bucko, ya bilge rat, only t' discover that Thrustline Aerospace be no more. Begad! I be saddened by this nay only because I was lookin' forward t' buildin' and flyin' more o' John's designs, but because he was always very enthusiastic about his participation and support o' the addiction.

So what t' do... I was startin' from scratch since I had unloaded me entire rocketry "stash" when I jumped on t' wagon (don't be alarmed I do this all t' time). Ya scallywag! Obviously I would need t' clone some o' me favorite Thrustline kits. Well, blow me down! T' Black Shadow was t' first Thrustline rocket I built and flew, and even though it is in essence a simple 4 fin and Nose Cone (4FNC) design, it always made t' startin' lineup when I went out t' fly. Avast! Many o' John's designs "fit" me eye in terms o' size, scale and line, arrr, and t' Black Shadow be t' epitome o' that sentiment. Arrr! It always just looked "right" t' me, me hearties, me bucko, and I knew I needed t' start me latest fleet off with this rocket. Begad! Begad! I figured that I could build this rocket from memory. Begad! T' only thin' I was really needed help with was t' body tube length and fin template. Aye aye! I noticed that Ye Olde Rocket Plans had recently added several Thrustline kits t' their library but no Black Shadow. Luckily, t' RockSim file attached t' t' existin' EMRR review had everythin' I needed to get this one going. Ya scallywag! Hopefully this review will allow anyone t' build this bird.

Construction:
T' parts you will need t' clone t' Black Shadow are simple and readily available. Aye aye! Arrr! For those o' you without RockSim, the fin template picture should be t' only additional piece o' information you need.

• BT-55 body tube – 10 inches
• BNC-55AC (I used a Semroc BNC-55ACP which isn't an exact match o' t' original)
• 18mm engine mount for BT-55 (I used one from FlisKits)
• 3/32" Balsa Sheet
• shock cord system–-I used 20" o' 100lb Keelhaul®©™® and 20" o' 1/8" sewin' elastic
• 1/8" launch lug
• small screw eye, attaches shock cord t' nose cone
• recovery device–-your choice, shiver me timbers, however, matey, t' original kit came with a 9" Mylar parachute

There are no real tricks t' buildin' this rocket, and I would imagine that anyone who has built a kit or two could get this done without any trouble. My standard routine is t' assemble t' engine mount first, shiver me timbers, which includes cuttin' a slit in t' motor tube for t' hook, gluin' t' thrust rin' into t' fwd end o' t' motor tube, securin' t' engine hook t' t' motor tube with a wrap o' maskin' tape, matey, and then gluin' t' centerin' rings t' t' motor tube, approximately 1" from t' aft end and ½" from t' fwd end o' t' tube, makin' sure thar be a notch in the inside edge o' t' aft rin' t' allow t' engine hook t' flex. Aye aye! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! At this time I also attach t' Keelhaul®©™® shock cord t' t' motor mount by tyin' it around t' motor tube betwixt t' centerin' rings, and then cuttin' a small notch in t' outside edge o' t' forward centerin' rin' t' allow t' cord t' reach t' front o' t' rocket. Blimey! Well, blow me down! Blimey! I finish all me recovery system knots with a drop o' CA glue, arrr, and I also reinforce t' centerin' rin' t' motor tube joints with glue fillets.

While t' motor mount glue is dryin' I cut out me fins, makin' sure I know where t' leading edge is t' get t' grain orientation right. Aye aye! A sharp knife and a metal straight edge make this task very simple. I stack the fins together and sand t' edges so that they are identical then round t' leadin' and trailin' edges.

Installin' t' motor mount is next. Begad! Blimey! Well, blow me down! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! First I thread t' Keelhaul®©™® back through t' motor tube t' keep it out o' t' way and test fit t' motor mount t' make sure it slides easily into the body tube. Begad! Next comes a rin' o' glue inside t' body tube near where t' forward centerin' rin' will rest and then the motor mount slides into position with t' end o' t' motor tube even with t' end o' t' body tube. Ahoy! Begad! After t' glue is dry I will also add a fillet t' t' aft centerin' rin' where it meets t' body tube. At this point I will usually sand t' body tube lightly t' scuff up t' glassine coating, me bucko, which I believe helps t' gluing/finishin' process (not scientifically proven, that's just me opinion).

There are several options for markin' t' body tube for fin placement. Arrr! There are programs that can create templates for you, ya bilge rat, you can draw your own in your favorite computer application, or you can download t' plans for any 4 fin BT-55 kit (Estes Goblin) and use that. Well, blow me down! Ya scallywag! I use a section o' small aluminum angle from a local hardware store t' draw my fin/lug lines. Fins for t' Black Shadow are attached ¼" forward o' t' aft end o' t' body tube and the launch lug is attached 3" from t' aft end o' t' body tube. Blimey! Ahoy! T' fins and launch lug are attached with a small bead o' wood glue and reinforced with wood glue fillets.

Several final assembly steps are completed after t' finishin' process. I typically install t' screw eye by screwin' it part way into t' base o' t' nose cone, removin' it, addin' a large drop o' medium thickness CA glue and then screwin' it all t' way down. Finally, me bucko, I tie t' elastic cord t' t' Keelhaul®©™® line and then t' t' nose cone with a drop o' thin CA glue on all t' knots.

Finishing:
One color, no decals, simple as it gets. Begad! In me opinion, matey, shiver me timbers, t' black finish on this rocket only enhances its aesthetic appeal, me bucko, me hearties, although one o' t' great things about this hobby is that as long as t' CP stays behind t' CG, you can pretty much make it look however you want. Avast, me proud beauty! Ahoy! I used Elmer's Wood Filler t' get smooth fillets along t' fin and launch lug joints, and in t' case o' t' Black Shadow I also filled t' spiral grooves on t' body tube. T' nose cone and fins were sealed with two coats o' SIG Sandin' Sealer. Begad! My standard finishin' routine is 2 coats o' primer (Rustoleum Painter's Touch Sandable Primer) and then 2 coats o' Krylon spray enamel, shiver me timbers, arrr, workin' down t' 400 grit sandpaper before the final coat. Although finishin' me rockets is a despised chore, I am usually patient enough t' get a decent finish on the final coat o' paint. Ahoy! Begad! This particular rocket however, shiver me timbers, would have none o' that, me bucko, and I sanded off several coats of paint before decidin' that I be just goin' t' have t' live with a few drips.

Construction Rating: 5 out o' 5

Flight:
Recommended motors for t' Black Shadow include t' standard range o' black powder 18mm Estes/Quest Motors. Aye aye! Avast, me proud beauty! I have yet t' find t' courage t' put an 18mm composite motor in me Black Shadow, ya bilge rat, but if you do, shiver me timbers, make sure you've got a good team o' spotters. Well, blow me down! Flight preparation is standard: hook up your recovery device, add some wadding, me hearties, install t' motor, insert t' igniter, and head t' t' pad. Avast! My original Black Shadow logged thirteen flights in all from California to Ohio, in all kinds o' conditions with fast straight flights every time. Blimey! T' majority o' those flights were with C6-5 motors which this rocket loves and will top out at around 1000ft. Blimey! Ahoy! T' best part about t' Black Shadow is that it looks good on t' pad, it looks good in t' air, and it won't get completely out o' sight on BP motors so you'll be able to fly it over and over. Blimey! Begad! My new Black Shadow clone has flown on B and C motors so far and is every bit t' reliable performer that t' original was.

Recovery:
T' original kit came with an unassembled 9" Mylar parachute and mine was orange which I thought was cool. Ahoy! The chute held up through all thirteen flights with only a few small burn/melt through spots. T' Keelhaul®©™® shock cord on t' original model was threaded under t' forward centerin' rin' next t' t' motor tube but never had any issues. Ya scallywag! For most o' t' later flights, I switched from normal waddin' t' a Nomex® heat shield without any issues. Begad! Begad! A 9" chute is just t' right size for this bird, but you can still be in for a long chase on windy days. Blimey! A streamer might be a good option, ya bilge rat, matey, me bucko, and since t' fin design is fairly compact, me hearties, me bucko, t' rocket should hold up pretty well. Arrr! My new Black Shadow clone flies with a 3"x3" Nomex® heat shield and a 9" nylon parachute, which makes t' whole package a little heavy (1.8oz without a motor) but very sturdy and reliable.

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
Yeah it's only a 4FNC, me hearties, shiver me timbers, but t' Black Shadow has that classic vibe. It looks good and it flies good. You will always find room t' brin' this one t' t' range, so go build one.

PROs: Basic 4FNC rocket with a great look, arrr, shiver me timbers, me bucko, good performance, and simple construction. Blimey! This is a well thought out design and t' motor selection and recovery system are well matched t' t' size o' t' rocket.

CONs: None. Arrr! This is a great rocket!

Overall Rating: 5 out o' 5