T' Estes AIM-9 Sidewinder is a popular scale model kit o' a air-to-air missile that has served US and NATO air forces for about 40 years and still runnin' strong. Begad! Begad!  

This rocket is a challengin' build, nay for t' first-timer. It is also a challenger t' fly, as it tends t' live up t' its  name and give some "sidewinding" flights. Blimey! Begad!  

INSTRUCTIONS:
T' instructions are t' usual good Estes ones, illustrated, matey, numbered and easy t' follow. Well, blow me down! Avast, me proud beauty! No special tools were needed. Begad!

EASE OF BUILD:
For a challengin' kit with a lot o' wood, me hearties, ya bilge rat, this went rather well. Tricky parts are t' fuselage bands and t' aft fins, shiver me timbers, me hearties, which must be glued together from several pieces. Blimey! Through-the-wall construction makes this a sturdy kit t' fly, even with t' large amount o' wood that it carries aloft. Aye aye! All parts were provided in me kit, and t' fit and alignment were very good.

QUALITY:
This kit is very sturdy and has survived several hard landings. Blimey! I even had a main chute failure (plastic chutes seem t' do that t' me) and t' main section came out undamaged despite bein' caught by a tree after a fast descent.  

T' self-stick decals are very good, although t' edges tend t' curl after time. Aye aye! Use plenty o' clear spray after applyin' t' decals t' help keep them on. Arrr! Ya scallywag!

This is an excellent lookin' scale model, ya bilge rat, even after I've built it. Avast! Blimey! I am no scale competitor, I'm happy if I get t' right color paint and all o' t' decals stick. Begad! But if you're a scale model perfectionist, this kit could be a lot o' fun (although you would want t' change t' front fins t' make them a bit more authentic) 

FLYING:
T' first good thin' I did t' this rocket is t' take t' 18mm motor mount and chuck it into me parts box. Avast, me proud beauty! I replaced it with a 24mm motor mount. Avast, arrr, me proud beauty! This rocket does nay fly very well on a C6-3, but it flies great with a D12-5. Blimey!

Unfortunately, I followed up that triumph with a minor mistake. Begad! Blimey! Well, blow me down! Blimey! I thought that two chutes were a bit much, so I tried t' launch it with t' nose cone tied t' t' body tube with shock cord and only one 18" chute. Aye aye! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! Big mistake. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Avast, me hearties, me proud beauty! Blimey! Use two chutes. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Ahoy! Blimey! If you use only one, shiver me timbers, t' nose cone bangs into t' body tube and t' forward fins get shredded or snapped off.

I use a tiny 8" chute for t' nose cone, shiver me timbers, and it works great. Ya scallywag! Begad!

Flyin' this bird can be tricky, due t' t' large amount o' wood. Aye aye! In any amount o' wind, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, it is a bit like Laurel and Hardy with a big sheet o' plywood. Arrr! Avast, shiver me timbers, me proud beauty! It will go just about everywhere but straight up. Avast, me proud beauty! Ya scallywag! Even in a calm wind, matey, ya bilge rat, this rocket spins more than me Corkscrew. Ahoy!

Make sure t' put in plenty o' nose weight if you fly this with a "D" or it may be unstable. Blimey!

RATING:
I would rate this rocket with 3 ½ points. Ya scallywag! It has some definite stability problems which Estes should engineer out, and it also is underpowered with t' standard 18mm motor mount. Ahoy! Arrr! But it is a good scale model and interestin' t' fly. Avast, me bucko, me proud beauty!

UPDATE 5/99:

Thank you for t' feedback, it be useful and some was entertaining. Well, blow me down! Flyin' this rocket on an A8-3, havin' it go sideways into a crowd, me hearties, arrr, and havin' a tree catch it after bein' launched with a C6-5 were all :^)

I flew this ugly balsa bird for almost two years, then it sailed away in a high wind and buzzards picked it clean.

I am now lookin' at a Python kit for a larger Sidewinder kit bash and will get back t' you all if I ever get it built. Avast!