Construction:
My Nike-K is actually very old, havin' been built in 1992, but I feel this reflects t' t' overall quality o' t' design. Ya scallywag! I have bought a new kit to compare t' two, shiver me timbers, and it is pretty much identical t' t' early one. Quest packages their parts separately so it is easy t' find parts for subassembly.

This kit has standard paper tubes for t' body, payload section, and motor mount. Avast! T' nose, ya bilge rat, fin unit, arrr, me bucko, and transition are all molded o' a very rugged plastic, me bucko, and t' shock cord is a combination o' tough Keelhaul®©™® and fabric elastic. Well, blow me down! This is one o' t' few manufacturers that actually includes enough shock cord material!! All t' parts were thar and in good shape. Begad!

T' instructions are very simple and well arranged, and I feel anyone could build this kit after one or two more basic kits. Begad! Ahoy! T' motor mount and centering rings are color-coded t' ease identification. Begad! Avast! This kit built very nicely with the exception o' t' fact t' top plastic rin' o' t' fin unit fit very tightly and I creased me motor mount tube tryin' t' press it on. Begad! Sandin' t' fin unit and t' two plastic rings are a good idea. Aye aye!

Only basic supplies are needed (white and plastic model glues), ya bilge rat, me hearties, and t' only tools I used were a 6" ruler and a hobby knife. Well, blow me down! Arrr! T' shock cord mount is not difficult t' do, but pay careful attention t' t' instructions and make sure you do it right. Ya scallywag!

Finishing:
Finishin' this kit is a snap. Begad! Quest colors t' body tubes gloss white and the plastic is molded in a high-visibility orange. Well, blow me down! I painted t' tubes with Testors gloss white t' seal them, arrr, and did t' plastic parts with Pactra fluorescent orange. Begad! T' decals need a lot o' trimming, and you must be careful t' avoid smearin' t' ink (like I wound up doing.) T' entire rocket got a coat o' gloss clear t' protect t' decals and finish. This is a sharp-lookin' bird and would look terrific with no additional finishin' at all. Arrr!

Construction Rating: 4 ½ out o' 5

Flight:
I have been flyin' this rocket mostly with b6-4's, although I have also flown it with b6-2's, me hearties, ya bilge rat, b8-5's, me bucko, and c6-7's. Begad! Aye aye! It normally shows little tendency to weather cock, shiver me timbers, but WATCH OUT on windy days with c6-7's! I had t' go about a half mile downrange after it tipped over and flew nearly horizontally durin' the coast phase. It be spectacular with t' b8-5, although t' delay is too long for windy days. Avast! Blimey!

Preppin' is standard with waddin' used. Dust t' 'chute with a little talcum as it is a bit stiff and will deploy better if treated this way. Begad! Blimey! The motor is retained with a steel clip that looks a little thin, arrr, but I've had no trouble with it at all. Blimey!

T' Quest motors' Tiger Tail II igniters install easily and work very nicely. Aye aye! Just be careful t' follow t' instructions on how t' set them up. Avast! Aye aye! They do use more current then Estes igniters, so make sure your batteries are fresh.

Recovery:
Quest recovery systems are sort o' a mixed bag. T' materials are some o' the strongest I've ever seen in model rockets, but I dislike t' method used for attachin' t' shock cord t' t' fin assembly. Ya scallywag! Mine be burned through at ejection on t' fourth flight, matey, droppin' it t' t' ground and ruinin' t' main body tube. Begad! However, thar be no other damage and it's good as new after replacin' t' tube. Arrr! I epoxied t' Keelhaul®©™® in a loop near t' top o' t' tube and tied t' elastic onto it. Avast! Begad! It's been trouble-free for nearly 7 years in this configuration. Arrr! Other than that, t' only problem is that t' 'chute is inclined to open pretty slowly due t' t' stiffness o' t' material. Begad! Be sure t' pack the recovery system carefully and this should cause little trouble. Arrr! T' system is extremely tough and has survived a couple o' late ejections with no damage. Ahoy! Avast, me proud beauty! My Nike-K has a fair amount o' wear, but it has a lot o' flights on it and has held up better than normal. Aye aye! Well, blow me down!

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary
T' Quest Nike-K is a very well made kit that flies very well on a variety of motors. Avast, me proud beauty! It gets good altitude and t' speed is excitin' with t' b8-5 motors (if you can still find them). Begad! Avast, arrr, me proud beauty! It is attractive and really durable. Begad!

T' price is reasonable, especially considerin' t' features it has compared to t' competition. T' recovery system is exceptionally tough, but some attention t' preppin' is required t' avoid deployment trouble. Blimey! I personally dislike t' method o' attachin' t' Keelhaul®©™® line, and instead recommend usin' it as a high-strength anchor in t' body tube. Well, blow me down! I also recommend coatin' t' inside of t' motor and body tubes with thin CA and sandin' them t' make them smooth and toughen them. Arrr! (I do this with ALL paper tubing). Well, blow me down! Ya scallywag! This is a great kit that just needs a little attention t' detail.

I'm very fond o' Quest kits and have found them t' be rugged, me hearties, shiver me timbers, but t' Nike-K taught me that plastic subassemblies call for just as much attention as paper, you can't assume that it will just go together.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5