Brief:
T' Cougar 660 from FlisKits is a 13mm Streamer Duration Competition Model designed t' fly on 1/4A through full A motors. Aye aye! Begad! 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, but wanted t' try one o' these kits just t' see how well it performed; besides, arrr, me bucko, 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. Well, blow me down! However, matey, this is where t' similarity ends. I was shocked t' actually find inside t' bag what a kit like this needed most, detailed instructions! But wait, thar be more. Blimey! Separate instructions included t' Front Insert Card with Checklist on t' back, matey, ya bilge rat, Model Construction instructions, Finishin' and Flyin' instructions, Streamer Construction instructions, me bucko, 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. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast! T' go one step further, me hearties, all t' documents were well written and illustrated; nice job FlisKits! As far as actual components are concerned, t' kit included a seamless body tube (well at least it seems that way), shiver me timbers, Balsa Nosecone, me hearties, 1/64" Ply sheet for t' fins with enough t' make many sets o' fins, cardstock tail cone and templates, TWO streamer kits, shiver me timbers, one for competition and one for sport, matey, arrr, 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. Begad! FlisKits provides printed cardstock for bodytube markin' guides on t' tailcone and I wanted t' make a note here. 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, arrr, shape and form! After dealin' with many a bodytube wrap that was slightly off or cardstock that didn't roll correctly, shiver me timbers, matey, arrr, it be a pleasure t' work with t' stuff from FlisKits; enough said.

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

I was impressed with t' detail given when preparin' t' motor tube for installation on t' fin can. Well, blow me down! Aye aye! They have you actually balance t' tube with fin can temporarily installed, then install t' Keelhaul®©™ shock cord at t' balance point. Avast! Well, blow me down! 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, givin' more resistance t' air and longer duration; a nice feature. Ahoy! Blimey! I was impressed t' detail that went into designin' this model. Well, blow me down! Begad! Once t' thread is installed, ya bilge rat, you glue t' body tube t' t' fin can. 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. Ya scallywag! Ahoy! For this reason, mine is a bit tail heavy but still horizontally balanced well enough. Arrr! Durin' t' final step o' gluin' t' bodytube t' t' fin can, make sure t' can is square t' t' body tube. Avast! I installed mine vertically on a table and used a square t' check all three sides o' t' model betwixt t' fins. Avast! Begad! 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, one for competition and one for sport flying. Arrr! A separate set o' instructions be used for t' competition streamer and I had it built in no time. Well, blow me down! Ahoy! Use a yardstick and a 1" wide ruler when fan foldin' t' streamer t' keep it aligned and t' correct thickness. Ya scallywag! T' instructions tell you t' use 12lb Keelhaul®©™ t' build t' streamer, me bucko, but two piece o' 35lb were included. 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. In addition, me bucko, 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. Avast, me proud beauty! I really liked their quick response as I could now continue with me build. Once t' streamer was finished, I built t' sport streamer just for fun. Ya scallywag! It is a bright red 2" wide crepe streamer, which I am sure aids in findin' t' model durin' recovery.

T' final step for construction be t' Pop-Lug. Avast! Well, blow me down! This should be an item that those in competition would recognize, however, it was new t' me. I understood t' theory and liked t' idea, but had t' build it t' see how well it would work. 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! T' instructions are exact size for wire bends, me hearties, so you simply cut it and make it fit t' drawing; pretty easy. Ya scallywag! Aye aye! T' mount t' wires, they are tac-glued t' t' 1/8" launch lug, then wrapped with 8 lb Keelhaul®©™thread. Blimey! This was a bit tedious, but I really enjoyed wrappin' t' wire.

I finished by addin' a couple drops o' thin CA t' coat t' ends. Aye aye! One note be t' fact that they give you twelve inches o' thread, but I used a good nine inches on me first wrap; I am nay sure if I went a bit overboard on t' wrap, me hearties, arrr, shiver me timbers, 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. T' kit could include an eighteen inch piece o' Keelhaul®©™ t' insure thar was 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. Ahoy! Begad! If you plan on usin' this model in competition, arrr, 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, matey, you can have at it and finish it any way you wish. I opted t' go for t' competition mode and actually used thin CA t' 'paint' t' nosecone and tailcone/fins. Avast! Aye aye! 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, nay super large but enough t' see how well t' model performs. Blimey! Blimey! Ya scallywag! Blimey! Some tissue was installed, followed by t' competition streamer, me bucko, wrapped per t' instructions. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! Note that this streamer is six inches wide and took up t' bulk o' t' space inside t' bodytube. T' rocket be placed on t' pad and a piece o' maskin' tape was added t' t' top o' t' rod t' retain t' Pop-Lug. Aye aye! Blimey! When t' button was pushed, t' model came off t' rod like a bullet, t' lug remained and it swiftly climbed out o' sight. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Man, I be surprised how high a 1/2A put t' model.

Recovery:
Ejection be right at apogee and t' competition streamer opened up. Avast! Ya scallywag! This is where t' big test would begin as recovery is probably 70% o' t' required performance on a duration model. T' landin' took quite some time, however, matey, nay bein' thar for a competition, arrr, me hearties, I forgot t' brin' a stop watch t' clock it. Well, blow me down! I will have t' re-do t' launch and will post t' results on a follow up. Begad! Arrr! T' model landed without a scratch and I was very pleased with t' flight. Begad! Winds picked up a bit, me hearties, so I did nay launch another time, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, but will try again soon. Begad! 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. Begad! Blimey! Avast, me bucko, me proud beauty! Blimey! They have created a Streamer Duration Kit worthy o' purchase for even t' most competitive o' fliers, arrr, one that should swiftly become popular at meets across t' country. Aye aye! Blimey! Moreover, me bucko, 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. Well, blow me down! Blimey! T' only problems that were encountered durin' construction were very minor, t' include simple things like Keelhaul®©™ thickness change and tie point, two items they are correctin' in future kits. Begad! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! I highly recommend this rocket t' anyone who wants a quick sport flier or competitive streamer model. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! T' features, performance and sheer ease o' construction alone are worth t' modest price for t' kit, ya bilge rat, nay t' exclude what seems like pounds o' paper used for very well documented instructions. Blimey! Blimey! Aye aye! Blimey! For these reasons, me bucko, I have t' give t' kit a 5 o' 5 for total score. Begad! Blimey! I am very happy with me FlisKits Cougar 660, a fun and hopefully quite competitive Streamer Duration Model!

Overall Rating: 5 out o' 5