Brief:
A low/mid power single staged rocket. Begad! Nice and beefy looking.

I won this rocket in t' 2008 Design this spaceship contest.

Mercury Engineerin' were very generous: nay only did they provide a really good kit for EMRR, matey, but they also included a second free parachute, which i think is fantastic service.

Construction:
T' kit comes in a plastic bag, with an art card, shiver me timbers, instructions and t' kit itself.

On openin' and inspectin' t' kit i was pleased, me hearties, t' body tube is o' a good quality, although thar are some spirals that need filling. T' balsa wood is o' a good quality. Aye aye! Ahoy! T' instructions are brief but very clear with diagrams.

T' only thin' i be a tad disappointed with, is that t' fins are nay TTW for attachment. Avast! Aye aye!

T' motor mount assembly is straight forward.

T' body tube is quite thick, ya bilge rat, matey, as are t' centerin' rings.

T' engine hook is for an E motor - an adaptor is supplied.

T' whole lot goes together in t' normal fashion.

Whilst i be waitin' for t' glue t' dry, I cut out t' fins.

T' balsa is o' good quality and t' parts were laser cut.

T sanded t' balsa down before cuttin' out t' parts.

Then I sanded t' leadin' edges down t' a rounded profile.

I marked t' fin positions on t' body tube with t' template provided.

I then rough up t' tube and remarked t' tube again.

With t' mount now dried, shiver me timbers, I added a length o' Keelhaul®©™® cord t' t' mount. T' kit calls for t' shock cord mount t' be attached t' t' body tube and uses t' Estes three fold card method. Begad! I personally nearly always add a Keelhaul®©™® cord t' all me rockets that don't already include it.

After t' cord be added, i filleted t' joints with white glue.

Whilst waitin' for t' new fillets on t' mount t' dry, I attached t' fins and lug t' t' body tube. Avast! Blimey! T' do this I used CA gel, matey, which dries and holds t' fins in place within 5 seconds, but it is nay t' strongest o' holds and is prone t' crackin' if t' fins are hit.

After t' fins were attached I filleted t' fins and lug with white glue.

This was a slight skip from t' instructions as they have t' mount bein' installed before t' fins. Well, blow me down!

T' motor mount was a perfect fit.

T' nose cone was probably one o' t' best nose cones I've seen in a kit, me bucko, no flash marks or blemishes at all.

Before I started t' paint t' rocket, I've attached t' elastic shock cord t' t' Keelhaul®©™® one that I added.

In addition t' this, arrr, I've added two sheets o' fireproof waddin' very similar t' Nomex®. I have had one or two problems in t' past with Nomex® waddin' movin' t' one side in a large body tube and t' hot gases fryin' me chute. Blimey! Blimey! T' lessen this, me hearties, shiver me timbers, I now add an eyelet rivet t' t' corner o' t' waddin' which seems t' help.

T' elastic provided with t' kit is about 1 meter in length.

Finishing:
T' body tube has some spirals in that took a lot o' filling, me hearties, I made t' mistake o' filling with primer, shiver me timbers, which took several coats o' primer and sandin' between. Ya scallywag! I should have used modeler's clay which would have been a lot quicker.

In t' end, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, a really smooth finish was obtained.

Went for a lilac color - because I had a tin o' lilac spray paint.

Also it kind o' fits with t' red on t' decal. Avast! Black gloss nose cone.

T' decal went on easily and looks good.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
After a long wait betwixt finishin' t' rocket and its first flight i finally flew her

T' lift was good and slow, arrr, shiver me timbers, and on a D12-5 ejection be just after apogee

and then things went wrong.

T' nose cone came out, ya bilge rat, but t' parachute - one o' me own, nay t' supplied one failed t' show.

She came in hard

but thar was no damage...........until i tried t' remove t' motor.

T' heat o' t' motor must have softened t' glue i used on t' mount, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, as t' motor mount itself moved through t' centerin' rings, t' motor was well and truly stuck in t' mount.

This be t' first time i have had a mount move and i have flown hundreds o' rockets.

Long story short.. Ahoy! Ya scallywag! had t' remove forward CR and mount. Well, blow me down! Well, blow me down! Was a quick rebuild - with epoxy.

I am really impressed that t' rocket took a free fall and came out undamaged. Arrr! Aye aye!

Next flight was on a D12-3, arrr, ejection was just before apogee.

home made 28 inch silk chute opened and recovered t' rocket fine.

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
This is a great rocket, me bucko, I've got t' get her up on somethin' larger that a D.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5