Brief:
T' Sparrow by Starlight Model Rocketry is a "skill level 1" tailless flyin' win' boost glider for A motors. Blimey! I found this kit in a hobby shop outside Charlotte, NC and had t' get it. Well, blow me down! Begad! Retail price for t' summer o' 2004 was $5.95. T' rocket requires t' engine t' "spit", matey, so it is nay eligible for NAR competition.

Construction:
T' kit came with:

• 1 18mm body tube 2.75" long
• 1 balsa nose cone
• 2 balsa wings (pre-cut)
• 2 balsa rudder fins (pre-cut)
• launch lug
• balancin' clay
• decals

T' balsa is extremely high quality. Avast! No warpin' and t' edges were very smooth. Blimey! Blimey! They were the quality o' laser cut fins but did nay have t' tell-tale burned edges one sees on laser cut fins.

T' instructions consist o' one page (notes front t' back) with hand drawn illustrations t' indicate fin construction. Arrr! T' instructions were easy to follow. First, shiver me timbers, I glued t' nose cone in t' body tube. Arrr! Avast, me proud beauty! Second, ya bilge rat, I had t' glue the rudders t' t' ends o' t' fins at a 90 degree angle. After t' rudders dried, matey, I turned t' fins upside-down and glued t' fins together with the rudders facin' down. This creates t' proper dihedral for t' rocket. Once the win' unit is dry, me bucko, I glued t' body tube on t' wing, shiver me timbers, arrr, on t' opposite side of the rudder, makin' sure t' top o' t' win' and t' edge o' t' nose cone joint match. Arrr! Next, ya bilge rat, all I had t' do was add t' launch lug t' t' side betwixt the win' and t' body tube. Begad! Begad! I used wood glue for all t' gluin' except for CA which I used t' glue t' win' dihedral together. Begad! I did do a little sandin' o' the fins, roundin' out t' leadin' edges and taperin' t' trailin' edges. This was not discussed in t' plans, shiver me timbers, but I just couldn't help myself from doin' so. Ya scallywag! My nose cone appeared a little more blunt than t' nose cone featured on t' face card.

PROs: An easy, ya bilge rat, unique kit at Skill Level 1 with quality pre-cut balsa.

CONs: None, unless one wants t' complain about t' shape o' t' nose cone.

Finishing:
Instructions say t' apply a coat o' sandin' sealer, t' then sand, and repeat the sealer process. I did nay want t' add weight t' a glider, arrr, shiver me timbers, so I just added primer, sanded, me bucko, and then gave it two good light coats o' Krylon white. Begad! Aye aye! It looked good when I be done. Avast! After t' paint dried, I cut t' decal sheet up. T' decal sheet contains two items: t' name "Sparrow", shiver me timbers, and a blue window-cockpit design. Begad! Begad! T' decals were nice and strong and did allow me t' move them around on t' model once I was done with them. Arrr! T' cockpit is a little difficult t' put on as it has a tendency t' wrinkle, but after a little work I got it t' look pretty good. Ahoy! Blimey! T' tailless glider, once finished, shiver me timbers, is a nice addition t' me fleet. I would rate construction and finishin' very high. Aye aye! The face card features a white rocket, so this is exactly how I painted mine.

Construction Rating: 5 out o' 5

Flight:
T' instructions give tips on trimmin' t' glide o' t' Sparrow before flight. I tried t' trim t' Sparrow with clay before paintin' and found t' model a little nose heavy. Begad! Blimey! After painting, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, t' rocket seemed t' be fine without any trimming, matey, so I decided t' go for it.

Luckily, me local hobby shop had a pack o' 1/2A6-2s, ya bilge rat, so I bought t' pack and headed out t' me launch site. T' day was a bit blustery, arrr, so I decided to only launch with t' 1/2A6s, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, nay t' A8-3s I also brought along. Begad! Blimey! Preppin' is very easy. There is no need t' wadding, shiver me timbers, and t' motor does need t' be able to pop out at ejection, so no motor retention is needed.

On t' first launch, I lost sight o' t' Sparrow at ignition, matey, but once I heard t' motor pop out, I be able t' catch it in t' sky. It glided nicely, but was a little nose heavy, ya bilge rat, so it descended rapidly. Ahoy! Avast, shiver me timbers, me proud beauty! On t' second flight, arrr, matey, I was able t' see t' rocket ascent, but once t' motor ejected, I lost sight of the glider. Begad! I was able t' find it again t' observe t' flight. Well, blow me down! Again, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, it was nose heavy. Ya scallywag! I now need t' either add some clay weight t' t' back o' t' model, or perhaps CA a BB or two towards t' back o' t' body tube t' balance it out more. Aye aye! I did notice that t' decals began t' flake a little after t' first launch. Avast, me bucko, me proud beauty! I will have t' coat t' decals with an acrylic finish before I fly the Sparrow again.

Recovery:
Trimmin' this model is difficult and may require flyin' it t' observe it longer than just a hand toss. Begad! Other than that, me hearties, it's a great little model for the price.

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
PROs: Easy construction, great design, cool glider recovery, and great price for about $6.

CONs: T' Sparrow is a little difficult t' watch as it leaves t' launch pad. Ya scallywag! Blimey! A little hard t' trim too, but nay that big o' a deal. Aye aye! Blimey! Decals flake slightly after they have been exposed t' t' heat o' t' ejection charge.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5