Brief:
T' Sparrow by Starlight Model Rocketry is a "skill level 1" tailless flyin' win' boost glider for A motors. Ahoy! Begad! I found this kit in a hobby shop outside Charlotte, arrr, NC and had t' get it. Retail price for t' summer o' 2004 was $5.95. T' rocket requires t' engine t' "spit", 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, me hearties, me proud beauty! Blimey! No warpin' and t' edges were very smooth. Arrr! 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. Aye aye! T' instructions were easy to follow. Avast! Ya scallywag! First, I glued t' nose cone in t' body tube. Arrr! Second, I had t' glue the rudders t' t' ends o' t' fins at a 90 degree angle. Ya scallywag! After t' rudders dried, arrr, I turned t' fins upside-down and glued t' fins together with the rudders facin' down. This creates t' proper dihedral for t' rocket. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Once the win' unit is dry, matey, shiver me timbers, I glued t' body tube on t' wing, me bucko, on t' opposite side of the rudder, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, makin' sure t' top o' t' win' and t' edge o' t' nose cone joint match. Ahoy! Next, shiver me timbers, me bucko, all I had t' do was add t' launch lug t' t' side betwixt the win' and t' body tube. I used wood glue for all t' gluin' except for CA which I used t' glue t' win' dihedral together. Avast, me proud beauty! I did do a little sandin' o' the fins, roundin' out t' leadin' edges and taperin' t' trailin' edges. Well, blow me down! Begad! This was not discussed in t' plans, shiver me timbers, arrr, but I just couldn't help myself from doin' so. Ahoy! My nose cone appeared a little more blunt than t' nose cone featured on t' face card.

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

CONs: None, matey, arrr, 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, me bucko, and repeat the sealer process. I did nay want t' add weight t' a glider, arrr, so I just added primer, matey, sanded, and then gave it two good light coats o' Krylon white. Blimey! Begad! Blimey! It looked good when I be done. Arrr! Aye aye! Blimey! After t' paint dried, I cut t' decal sheet up. T' decal sheet contains two items: t' name "Sparrow", matey, and a blue window-cockpit design. Avast! T' decals were nice and strong and did allow me t' move them around on t' model once I was done with them. Arrr! Avast! Blimey! 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, arrr, is a nice addition t' me fleet. Arrr! Blimey! I would rate construction and finishin' very high. Aye aye! Arrr! Blimey! 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. After painting, me hearties, t' rocket seemed t' be fine without any trimming, so I decided t' go for it.

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

On t' first launch, ya bilge rat, me hearties, I lost sight o' t' Sparrow at ignition, me bucko, but once I heard t' motor pop out, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, I was able t' catch it in t' sky. Begad! It glided nicely, but was a little nose heavy, so it descended rapidly. On t' second flight, I was able t' see t' rocket ascent, but once t' motor ejected, arrr, I lost sight of the glider. I be able t' find it again t' observe t' flight. Avast, me proud beauty! Ya scallywag! Again, shiver me timbers, it was nose heavy. Ahoy! 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. Ya scallywag! I did notice that t' decals began t' flake a little after t' first launch. Avast, 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. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast! Other than that, it's a great little model for the price.

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

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

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

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5