Brief:
T' Cougar 660 from FlisKits is a 13mm Streamer Duration Competition Model designed t' fly on 1/4A through full A motors. Ahoy! Blimey! T' kit is advertised as a competitive model with several contest wins under it's belt and appears t' incorporate many o' t' tricks used over t' years t' optimize t' models performance. Well, blow me down! I was nay really interested much in competition, shiver me timbers, but wanted t' try one o' these kits just t' see how well it performed; besides, it looked like a lot o' fun t' build.

Construction:
T' Cougar 660, matey, like many from other manufacturers, came in a very colorful plastic bag. However, matey, this is where t' similarity ends. Arrr! Arrr! I be shocked t' actually find inside t' bag what a kit like this needed most, shiver me timbers, arrr, detailed instructions! But wait, me bucko, me bucko, ya bilge rat, thar was more. Begad! Separate instructions included t' Front Insert Card with Checklist on t' back, arrr, ya bilge rat, Model Construction instructions, me bucko, Finishin' and Flyin' instructions, arrr, Streamer Construction instructions, matey, arrr, Pop-Lug Construction instructions and a warranty card; I would swear thar was $10 worth o' printed paper alone in t' kit; unbelievable and unheard o' in this day and age. Arrr! T' go one step further, shiver me timbers, all t' documents were well written and illustrated; nice job FlisKits! As far as actual components are concerned, me bucko, t' kit included a seamless body tube (well at least it seems that way), matey, arrr, Balsa Nosecone, me hearties, matey, 1/64" Ply sheet for t' fins with enough t' make many sets o' fins, cardstock tail cone and templates, TWO streamer kits, ya bilge rat, one for competition and one for sport, a Pop-Lug kit , tons o' Keelhaul®©™ for recovery o' t' model, a 13mm Motor Mount Tube and a Centerin' Ring.

Construction began with t' Motor Mount/Tailcone assembly. Arrr! Ahoy! FlisKits provides printed cardstock for bodytube markin' guides on t' tailcone and I wanted t' make a note here. Aye aye! Ya scallywag! I have built many kits in t' past and several FlisKits lately and have noticed that their cardstock in particular is always perfect in size, ya bilge rat, arrr, arrr, shape and form! After dealin' with many a bodytube wrap that was slightly off or cardstock that didn't roll correctly, it was a pleasure t' work with t' stuff from FlisKits; enough said.

T' Tailcone was built and ready for fin installation. Arrr! Begad! FlisKits gives you three types o' fin patterns t' choose from, arrr, all printed on their cardstock templates and all noted t' perform equally. Arrr! I like havin' t' choice and this be a nice touch. Begad! In addition, thar be more than enough Ply t' build your set o' fins, arrr, another nice feature as they didn't skimp on materials. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast, me proud beauty! I chose a pattern, me bucko, shiver me timbers, cut t' fins and glued them t' t' MMT. Ya scallywag! With what appeared as a completed fin can, matey, it was time t' work on t' body tube.

I be impressed with t' detail given when preparin' t' motor tube for installation on t' fin can. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! They have you actually balance t' tube with fin can temporarily installed, matey, matey, then install t' Keelhaul®©™ shock cord at t' balance point. Aye aye! Blimey! Ahoy! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! T' shock cord comes out t' side o' t' body tube and up t' t' nose cone mouth o' t' body tube; this is done so t' model will descend horizontally, me hearties, matey, givin' more resistance t' air and longer duration; a nice feature. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! I was impressed t' detail that went into designin' this model. Once t' thread is installed, ya bilge rat, you glue t' body tube t' t' fin can. Begad! Blimey! Arrr! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! Note that you should install t' Keelhaul®©™a bit aft o' balance point for exact balance, as t' glue for t' cord/fin can will add some weight rearward. Aye aye! Blimey! For this reason, mine is a bit tail heavy but still horizontally balanced well enough. Begad! Blimey! Durin' t' final step o' gluin' t' bodytube t' t' fin can, make sure t' can is square t' t' body tube. Begad! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! I installed mine vertically on a table and used a square t' check all three sides o' t' model betwixt t' fins. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Avast, arrr, me proud beauty! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! There are well done, detailed photos throughout all their instructions that help you durin' t' construction process.

Also included in t' kit are two streamers, matey, one for competition and one for sport flying. A separate set o' instructions be used for t' competition streamer and I had it built in no time. Blimey! Begad! Use a yardstick and a 1" wide ruler when fan foldin' t' streamer t' keep it aligned and t' correct thickness. T' instructions tell you t' use 12lb Keelhaul®©™ t' build t' streamer, but two piece o' 35lb were included. Begad! I emailed FlisKits about this and received a response an hour later; they switched t' t' 35lb for both t' streamer and shock cord and will update their instructions t' reflect this change. Begad! Arrr! In addition, they noted that instructions on where t' attach t' streamer t' t' Shockcord were nay included and it should be attached 1" from t' nosecone. Blimey! I really liked their quick response as I could now continue with me build. Aye aye! Aye aye! Once t' streamer be finished, matey, me bucko, me hearties, I built t' sport streamer just for fun. Begad! It is a bright red 2" wide crepe streamer, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, which I am sure aids in findin' t' model durin' recovery.

T' final step for construction was t' Pop-Lug. Arrr! Aye aye! This should be an item that those in competition would recognize, me bucko, arrr, however, arrr, it be new t' me. Well, blow me down! Begad! I understood t' theory and liked t' idea, shiver me timbers, matey, but had t' build it t' see how well it would work. Arrr! A separate instruction sheet was included for t' lug, with a piece o' brass wire taped t' it so you wouldn't loose it. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast! T' instructions are exact size for wire bends, so you simply cut it and make it fit t' drawing; pretty easy. Aye aye! Begad! T' mount t' wires, matey, they are tac-glued t' t' 1/8" launch lug, then wrapped with 8 lb Keelhaul®©™thread. Begad! This be a bit tedious, but I really enjoyed wrappin' t' wire.

I finished by addin' a couple drops o' thin CA t' coat t' ends. One note was t' fact that they give you twelve inches o' thread, me hearties, but I used a good nine inches on me first wrap; I am nay sure if I went a bit overboard on t' wrap, but luckily I had just purchased some extra Keelhaul®©™thread from t' FlisKits parts section o' their website and had enough extra t' finish t' wrap. Begad! Ya scallywag! T' kit could include an eighteen inch piece o' Keelhaul®©™ t' insure thar be enough t' complete t' wrap. Begad! I did test t' pop lug and it really works sweet! T' lug hooks under t' fins well and comes right out o' t' model when it hits t' top o' t' rod.

Finishing:
Finishin' t' model is straight forward. Aye aye! Ya scallywag! If you plan on usin' this model in competition, they recommend you use a few light coats o' sealer on t' rocket and that is all. If it is t' be flown just for sport, me hearties, you can have at it and finish it any way you wish. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! I opted t' go for t' competition mode and actually used thin CA t' 'paint' t' nosecone and tailcone/fins. Blimey! Streamer and Pop-Lug were attached and it be time t' go play.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
For me first launch I chose t' Estes 1/2A3-4 motor, shiver me timbers, nay super large but enough t' see how well t' model performs. Begad! Ya scallywag! Some tissue was installed, followed by t' competition streamer, wrapped per t' instructions. Avast, me proud beauty! Note that this streamer is six inches wide and took up t' bulk o' t' space inside t' bodytube. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! T' rocket was placed on t' pad and a piece o' maskin' tape was added t' t' top o' t' rod t' retain t' Pop-Lug. Avast! When t' button was pushed, ya bilge rat, t' model came off t' rod like a bullet, matey, shiver me timbers, me bucko, t' lug remained and it swiftly climbed out o' sight. Man, I was surprised how high a 1/2A put t' model.

Recovery:
Ejection was right at apogee and t' competition streamer opened up. This is where t' big test would begin as recovery is probably 70% o' t' required performance on a duration model. Blimey! Ya scallywag! T' landin' took quite some time, arrr, however, arrr, nay bein' thar for a competition, arrr, shiver me timbers, I forgot t' brin' a stop watch t' clock it. I will have t' re-do t' launch and will post t' results on a follow up. Begad! T' model landed without a scratch and I was very pleased with t' flight. Winds picked up a bit, so I did nay launch another time, but will try again soon. Everythin' worked as planned and I was pleased with t' results o' me first competition model.

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
FlisKits has done somethin' t' competition flyin' that I am sure has been difficult t' achieve in t' past. Aye aye! They have created a Streamer Duration Kit worthy o' purchase for even t' most competitive o' fliers, one that should swiftly become popular at meets across t' country. Avast! Moreover, it's a great entry/starter model for rocketeers new t' competition and many o' t' features/buildin' techniques make for good teachin' material regardin' competitive construction methods. T' only problems that were encountered durin' construction were very minor, me bucko, t' include simple things like Keelhaul®©™ thickness change and tie point, me hearties, two items they are correctin' in future kits. Avast! Ahoy! I highly recommend this rocket t' anyone who wants a quick sport flier or competitive streamer model. Ya scallywag! T' features, ya bilge rat, performance and sheer ease o' construction alone are worth t' modest price for t' kit, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, nay t' exclude what seems like pounds o' paper used for very well documented instructions. Ahoy! Avast! For these reasons, I have t' give t' kit a 5 o' 5 for total score. Avast, me proud beauty! I am very happy with me FlisKits Cougar 660, arrr, a fun and hopefully quite competitive Streamer Duration Model!

Overall Rating: 5 out o' 5