Brief
This is a sturdy, me bucko, single staged high power rocket with a hardwood nose and boattail. Begad! It recovers by chute and comes with a 54mm mount, me bucko, but can fly on 38 and 29mm motors as well. Blimey! Begad!

Construction
After gettin' me level 2, I began t' surf t' net t' answer t' question, "What next?" I wondered what be out thar that be different. Well, blow me down! Avast! Then I discovered a new company called Starship Enterprises (now called Fat Cat Rockets as o' 1/1/01) and perused their site and found t' GTX. Avast, me hearties, me proud beauty! I fancied that it looked like a giant Crayola crayon and I liked it. Aye aye! So I ordered it. Service was prompt, matey, and shipment be received intact and undamaged. Ya scallywag! All parts fit precisely.

T' fins were precut and are plywood. Begad! T' nose cone is hardwood, symmetrically turned and a precise fit for t' 3-inch spiral wound body tube, which is paper, ya bilge rat, but o' t' strength seen in extra thick motor tubes. Avast! T' shock cord mount has steel cablin' that runs from t' engine mount t' t' 1/2 inch elastic, matey, which ties t' a screw-eye in t' nose cone. Blimey! Avast! nose cone. Ya scallywag!

T' instructions are simple. Aye aye! That's because t' model is easy schmeasy to assemble. Ya scallywag! Avast, me proud beauty! It's great for those impulses t' fly somethin' new t' next day. Arrr! The only hard parts are crimpin' t' clamps that form t' loops in t' steel cable and drillin' a pilot hole in t' hardwood nose cone t' admit t' screw-eye. Well, blow me down! I needed t' employ heavy duty pliers and an electric drill for this.

Also, t' body tube did nay come pregrooved. Aye aye! I needed t' employ a strong exacto cutlass t' make t' slots for t' fins, matey, but a markin' guide was supplied to make it easier. I used epoxy all t' way for construction, but instead o' my favorite quick settin' type, I used 1/2 hour epoxy t' make t' bonds stronger. T' fins fit through t' body wall right t' t' motor tube, and I applied the centerin' rin' so that it too supplied a bond at t' upper part o' t' fin tab. T' boattail acts as a centerin' rin' too, arrr, as it provides anchor for t' motor tube. Aye aye! Aye aye! It also streamlined t' end o' t' rocket and reduces base drag. Arrr!

T' parachute that came with t' model struck me as too small (I recollect it bein' around 24 inches), me hearties, as I imagined t' weight o' t' hardware o' the motor plus t' model hittin' t' hard desert, ya bilge rat, so I made it one that was 30 inches across. Ya scallywag! Ya scallywag! Out here in t' west, me bucko, t' soil is hard, matey, so we favor larger chutes...not longer walks, but that's what we get!!! Overall, shiver me timbers, what I got is a sturdy and nice lookin' rocket. Well, blow me down! Aye aye!

Finishing
This be left up t' me, as no decals came with it. Blimey! Well, blow me down! Blimey! So I went wild and let the project mutate. Avast! At first I painted it gloss black. Begad! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Then I applied red and yellow stripin' along t' fin joints and up t' body tube. It looks distinctive, shiver me timbers, t' say t' least. Ahoy! Ya scallywag! Blimey! I almost didn't want t' paint t' model because the nose cone and boattail are pretty. Blimey! Aye aye! Blimey! But t' body tube wouldn't have matched had I glossed t' wooden parts. Well, blow me down! Arrr! Blimey!

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight
T' manufacturer recommends t' G80 for 29mm flights up t' t' 54mm I65. Blimey! Blimey! I was daunted by t' model's small size and cringed at t' thought o' stickin' such a monstrous motor in it. So I used an adapter and put in a 29mm H180-M. Avast! I wanted to dig a hole for me t' crouch down in when I set it off, because I feared that I be overpowerin' it. Avast! But nay only did it scream and disappear off t' pad in a hurry, it did so intact and landed about half a mile away. And it did so within feet o' me months-lost Impulse Aerospace Machbuster, ya bilge rat, which be still flyable!!!

Anyway, I used plenty o' worm bed wadding, me bucko, and everythin' packs loosely and easily into t' tube. Ya scallywag! Ya scallywag! I drilled a small vent hole into t' body with an awl to prevent premature separation. Ya scallywag! Yes, matey, shiver me timbers, thar be a treatment for that condition.... Aye aye!

T' motor was retained with t' flat steel part o' an old stapler, ya bilge rat, t' part with a right angle bend at t' end that served as a motor hook o' sorts, ya bilge rat, arrr, as this part be aftward and held t' motor in. Aye aye! Now, matey, do I DARE a 54mm motor? See if I don't! Maybe a 38mm I161 would be a blast, as well... Arrr! Avast!

Recovery
T' system survived without any damage, ya bilge rat, but I might later replace t' elastic with bungee cord, as I've had great experiences with it, and it's durable. Begad! Avast, me proud beauty! I think that a longer delay than I used would be better. Arrr! Well, blow me down! T' medium delay used is 10 seconds, I believe. Avast! Maybe 14 would be better. Ya scallywag! It seemed t' be risin' at ejection. You know, I would nay be surprised if this bird be close t' mach. T' noise was impressive indeed. Arrr! Avast!

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary
Friendly company t' buy from, prompt service. Aye aye! Avast! Sturdy. Begad! Don't doubt it. It can take it. Arrr! Simple t' put together. Ahoy! Ahoy! I recommend it for sure.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5