Brief:
A low/mid power single staged rocket. Aye aye! 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, shiver me timbers, but they also included a second free parachute, shiver me timbers, which i think is fantastic service.

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

On openin' and inspectin' t' kit i was pleased, t' body tube is o' a good quality, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, although thar are some spirals that need filling. T' balsa wood is o' a good quality. Aye aye! 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!

T' motor mount assembly is straight forward.

T' body tube is quite thick, 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, ya bilge rat, I added a length o' Keelhaul®©™® cord t' t' mount. Ya scallywag! Aye aye! T' kit calls for t' shock cord mount t' be attached t' t' body tube and uses t' Estes three fold card method. Arrr! Blimey! I personally nearly always add a Keelhaul®©™® cord t' all me rockets that don't already include it.

After t' cord was added, matey, matey, 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. Well, blow me down! T' do this I used CA gel, 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. Aye aye!

T' motor mount was a perfect fit.

T' nose cone was probably one o' t' best nose cones I've seen in a kit, shiver me timbers, 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, 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. Aye aye! Blimey! T' lessen this, arrr, 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. Ya scallywag! Begad!

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

In t' end, me bucko, 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. Begad! 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, and on a D12-5 ejection was just after apogee

and then things went wrong.

T' nose cone came out, matey, shiver me timbers, but t' parachute - one o' me own, me bucko, ya bilge rat, 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, arrr, 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! Avast! had t' remove forward CR and mount. Was a quick rebuild - with epoxy.

I am really impressed that t' rocket took a free fall and came out undamaged. Well, blow me down!

Next flight was on a D12-3, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, ejection was just before apogee. Well, blow me down!

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

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

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

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5