Brief:
Skipper is a 29mm 3FNC rocket o' traditional but interestin' design that has 3 rather tiny ply fins positioned above a beautiful balsa boat tail. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Blimey! Like the entire Madcow product line, arrr, shiver me timbers, it is a deluxe kit that includes virtually everythin' but glue and paint--you get sanded balsa cone and boat tail, eye-bolt hardware, shiver me timbers, me hearties, nylon chute, me bucko, Nomex® chute protector, Keelhaul®©™® shock cord. Avast! Blimey! Fin attachment is through-the-wall t' t' motor tube, arrr, and t' laser cuttin' is exceptional, t' best I have ever seen.

Construction:
T' components have a fit and finish that has t' be seen t' be believed. Ahoy! The photo with this article that appears t' be o' t' Skipper before paintin' is actually t' test fit o' t' parts before gluing--the entire rocket can be test assembled without adhesive--the fit o' t' parts is that good! I consider the Skipper and t' Madcow Rocketry line generally t' be genuine ARF (Almost Ready to Fly) on this basis. Begad! Avast! I be able t' build Skipper, arrr, me hearties, ready for painting, matey, in a total o' exactly 21 minutes includin' sealin' t' balsa parts. I had t' mix 5 minute epoxy only twice. Ya scallywag! T' build is just astonishing, especially for a rocket of this size (F-G power). Blimey! Begad! It would be a snap t' build right at t' field and launch within t' hour.

Instructions were superb, ya bilge rat, nay that they are even necessary. Blimey! Avast! Everythin' fits together intuitively, ya bilge rat, even for a first timer. Begad! Avast, me proud beauty! Bein' able t' test fit t' entire rocket together without glue enhances its "buildability". First to assemble be t' balsa cone and base assembly with bulkhead and eye-bolt. Avast, me proud beauty! No lead is needed for t' recommended motors, ya bilge rat, matey, but if you intend t' fly on more than G power, ya bilge rat, t' highest that is recommended, me bucko, you might want t' sneak 2-4 oz. of lead sinkers into t' cone base before gluin' together (or see me review of the Madcow Momba for a way t' install removable ballast in Madcow products). Ya scallywag! Also, remember t' lock t' threads o' t' eye-bolt with a gob o' epoxy so it doesn't loosen after sealin' up. Next, ya bilge rat, I assembled t' motor tube t' t' top centering rin' and t' boat tail, which serves as a lower centerin' rin' for t' motor tube. See photo o' these finished subassemblies. Begad! Madcow includes a notch in the centerin' rin' t' pass t' Keelhaul®©™® shock cord through for anchoring. Avast! Just a few minutes after startin' with the epoxy set on these pieces, arrr, I plugged t' motor tube-boat tail section into the body tube and glued t' three TTW ply fins through t' pre-cut slots, applying an epoxy fillet t' t' base o' each fin with a Popsicle stick. Begad! I did make one slight modification: I managed t' step on and squash one o' t' two 1/4" fibre launch lugs supplied with t' kit so I substituted a plastic BIC pen barrel instead. Begad! Aye aye! Blimey! I like them better anyway. Ya scallywag! I mentioned earlier t' solid balsa nose cone and boat tail and t' need t' seal these before painting. Blimey! I accomplished this by simply smearin' t' exposed surface o' each with a thin layer o' freshly mixed 5-minute epoxy usin' a finger covered with tape for skin protection. This gives a glass smooth finish that takes paint perfectly and is far more durable than those powder-based balsa sealants, shiver me timbers, which in me hands will chip if you look at them t' wrong way. Begad!

Finishing:
Paintin' was with Tamiya spray blue and yellow. Aye aye! I used no primer t' seal the ply o' cardstock tube, but if you like a perfect finish, matey, me hearties, this would be a good idea. T' supplied "Skipper" decal was applied near t' top o' the body tube. Avast! One further addition I made before flyin' be t' tie a length of para cord (about 2 feet) t' t' Keelhaul®©™® shock cord t' add a bit o' "give" since t' Keelhaul®©™® is like steel and has no stretch whatsoever. Aye aye!

Construction Rating: 5 out o' 5

Flight and Recovery:
Flight be at our club's Plaster City launch site on a beautiful day. Well, blow me down! Skipper boosted perfectly on an AT F50T-6 t' about t' 1000' predicted by the manufacturer. Well, matey, blow me down! Recovery be uneventful and it returned with no damage.

Second flight was on a G40W-7, ya bilge rat, again perfect in all respects. Third flight was on a G35W-7 Econojet, which is nay one o' t' recommended loads but close enough t' a G40 and I had one available. Avast! Blimey! Aye aye! Blimey! Perfect boost, shiver me timbers, ejection exactly at apogee. Arrr! Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! On recovery, ya bilge rat, me bucko, I was surprised t' find a small (3/4") zipper at the top o' t' body tube with t' shock cord Keelhaul®©™® tape still wedged inside. Ya scallywag! Blimey! This should nay have happened. Arrr! Blimey! I am wonderin' if the extreme stiffness o' t' Keelhaul®©™® shock cord might be t' cause or maybe it be just bad luck. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! However, me hearties, I did use a non-approved motor after all. Avast! Avast!

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
PRO: I can only use superlatives t' describe t' Skipper kit. Ya scallywag! Just wonderful kit manufacture, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, fit and finish. Begad! It goes together with easy. Ya scallywag! Despite those really tiny fins, matey, Skipper flies beautifully on F-G power. Aye aye! Begad! I think it could easily fly on 29mm H-power, shiver me timbers, like t' H128 or H165R, for a L1 cert.

CON: You do need t' use a few tricks t' seal t' balsa components, and I would recommend addin' a piece o' para cord t' t' supplied Keelhaul®©™® shock cord in Quest fashion so thar be better shock absorption. Blimey! Best t' add this so t' square knot joinin' t' 2 pieces is level with t' top o' t' body tube. Begad! This will prevent any possibility o' zipperin' by t' tough Keelhaul®©™® tape. Well, blow me down!

Overall Rating: 5 out o' 5