Brief:
T' SlipStream from Red River Rocketry is a nice 3FNC rocket. Aye aye! Avast! I like t' look o' it, me bucko, and it be an enjoyable build. Well, me bucko, blow me down! This was me first low power rocket in a while, and it be nice t' build somethin' small and simple again.

T' SlipStream would be a good first rocket and makes for nice flights at t' local soccer field or park. Reachin' almost 800' on an Estes C6, ya bilge rat, or only 150' on an A8, this rocket can fly t' suit t' recovery capabilities o' a variety o' launch sites.

Construction:
T' kit included:

• One 1.325" Body Tube
• One 1.325" Balsa Nose Cone
• Three Laser-Cut 3/32" Balsa Fins
• One Piece o' Keelhaul®©™ and One Piece o' Elastic (recovery harness)
• T' Makings o' One 12" Mylar Parachute
• One 18mm Engine Mount Kit
• One Screw-Eye
• One Washer (nose weight)
• One Sheet o' Water-Slide Decals

T' kit came with a set o' well written, easy-to-follow instructions. Begad! If you have built several rockets before, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, you really wouldn't need t' instructions for most o' t' build. Ya scallywag! There are, matey, however, shiver me timbers, some steps that differ slightly from traditional construction so one should read them over first. Arrr! T' instructions included black and white illustrations.

One o' me favorite features o' this rocket be t' solid balsa nose cone. Begad! I know that some people don't like these, but I like how they can be made glass-smooth just with a coat o' wood filler. Ahoy! Blimey! I also like how solid they feel compared t' hollow plastic.

Construction begins with t' traditional MMT-a-la-Estes routine...almost. Well, shiver me timbers, blow me down! T' SlipStream deviates from this by havin' you install t' Keelhaul®©™ part o' t' shock cord by tyin' it around t' motor tube and runnin' it through a notch cut in t' forward centerin' ring. Ahoy! I elected t' leave out t' engine hook. Ya scallywag! Blimey! I've come t' like maskin' tape retention and t' hook would have prevented t' completed rocket from bein' able t' sit upright.

Next were t' fins. Avast! After removin' them from t' laser-cut sheet and roundin' off t' leadin' and trailin' edges, arrr, I applied a coat o' thinned wood filler and let them dry overnight before sandin' them t' a smooth finish. Blimey! T' nose cone also got a coat o' filler and a good sanding.

After installin' t' engine mount, matey, I glued on t' fins with wood glue and applied wood glue fillets once they dried.

Next be t' nose weight and screw eye for t' nose cone. One noteworthy detail is that you must attach t' washer first as it will nay fit over t' screw eye.

My rocket came out at two ounces even.

I painted t' nose cone while t' rest o' t' rocket was bein' assembled. Ya scallywag! Avast! First was three thick coats o' Rustoleum primer, shiver me timbers, followed by a 220 grit sanding, followed by a 400 grit sanding. Avast! Blimey! Next was two coats o' Rustoleum red t' finish it off.

Once fully assembled, matey, t' body tube got three coats o' t' same primer. Ahoy! Blimey! Ahoy! Blimey! After that, one fin was masked off and t' airframe was painted Rustoleum gloss white. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Aye aye! Blimey! Then t' maskin' was reversed and t' unpainted fin be painted red.

T' decals on this kit were o' good quality. Well, blow me down! Unfortunately I managed t' mess one up. Avast! Well, blow me down! Luckily t' one I accidentally ripped be one t' design could still look good without, me hearties, me hearties, so I called it finished.

While attachin' t' nose cone t' t' rest o' t' rocket after all t' paintin' was done, I managed t' drop it and break off t' tip and put a small dent in t' side. Well, blow me down! A new tip was made from wood filler, and t' dent be left unfixed.

Construction Rating: 5 out o' 5

Flight:
T' SlipStream's first flight occurred on what appeared t' be a nearly windless day from me house. Once I got t' me local park, me hearties, however, me hearties, it be a different story.

T' wind had picked up t' a brisk 10mph or so. Aye aye! RockSim predicted that an A8 would get it t' about 240'. Arrr! I also had some 1/2A-6 engines (not recommended by t' manufacturer) that would boost t' rocket t' 70' accordin' t' a flawed RockSim file from Apogee Components. Begad! My weight-corrected simulations, which I forgot t' look at for this motor, shiver me timbers, me hearties, arrr, only predicted 34'. Avast! I didn't see this until after I wrote me flight log for this flight so please excuse me error.

Even in t' brisk wind, I was determined t' launch it. Well, blow me down! I went with a 1/2A-6 and waited for a break in t' wind t' launch. Aye aye! Upon ignition, t' SlipStream flew t' 15-20 feet. Aye aye! T' 2 second delay on t' 1/2A-6 fired t' ejection charge a mere 7' off t' ground. Well, blow me down! Ya scallywag! T' parachute inflated surprisin' smartly and t' rocket recovered without damage.

T' next two flights occurred later that day after t' winds had died down. T' second flight o' t' SlipStream was on an A8-3. Blimey! It flew very straight t' what looked like t' RockSim estimated 120'. T' chute deployed just after apogee and t' rocket recovered safely.

T' third flight was on a B4-4. Ahoy! Well, ya bilge rat, blow me down! This also isn't a recommended motor, arrr, shiver me timbers, but it worked quite well. Blimey! It boosted t' SlipStream t' a RockSim estimated 320'. This particular motor had a strong ejection charge. T' nose cone blew off so hard that t' elastic snapped it back into t' top o' t' body tube. This dented t' tube and severely dented t' nose cone. Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty! Both are easily repairable and t' rocket will definitely fly again.

Recovery:
On t' first flight, I was impressed by how smartly t' 12" Mylar chute inflated and how smartly it slowed down t' rocket. I did not, ya bilge rat, arrr, however, get t' see if t' chute be lettin' t' rocket down too slow.

 On t' other two flights, t' 12" chute performed well and brought t' SlipStream down safely. My only complaint for recovery be t' shock cord bein' both made o' elastic and a little on t' short side. Aye aye! Blimey! Arrr! Blimey! I would advise anyone else wantin' t' build a SlipStream t' either use a longer piece o' elastic or use a long piece o' Keelhaul®©™ for t' shock cord.

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
T' SlipStream is a great rocket. Ahoy! It's easy t' build and has very high quality components. Ahoy! All o' me flights were perfectly straight with only a very slow spin. Ya scallywag! After seein' what it did on A and B engines, ya bilge rat, me hearties, I can't wait t' fly it on a C6. Ya scallywag! I feel I must remove a half point for t' shock cord, ya bilge rat, me hearties, but other then that I'm very satisfied with this rocket.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5