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. Well, blow me down! Avast, me proud beauty! Like the entire Madcow product line, me bucko, me bucko, it is a deluxe kit that includes virtually everythin' but glue and paint--you get sanded balsa cone and boat tail, eye-bolt hardware, me hearties, nylon chute, Nomex® chute protector, shiver me timbers, Keelhaul®©™® shock cord. Fin attachment is through-the-wall t' t' motor tube, 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. Arrr! 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! I be able t' build Skipper, ready for painting, arrr, me hearties, ya bilge rat, in a total o' exactly 21 minutes includin' sealin' t' balsa parts. Begad! Avast! I had t' mix 5 minute epoxy only twice. Aye aye! T' build is just astonishing, matey, especially for a rocket of this size (F-G power). It would be a snap t' build right at t' field and launch within t' hour.

Instructions were superb, me bucko, nay that they are even necessary. Avast! Everythin' fits together intuitively, even for a first timer. Well, blow me down! Avast! Bein' able t' test fit t' entire rocket together without glue enhances its "buildability". Aye aye! First to assemble be t' balsa cone and base assembly with bulkhead and eye-bolt. Arrr! Aye aye! No lead is needed for t' recommended motors, arrr, but if you intend t' fly on more than G power, me bucko, t' highest that is recommended, matey, 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). Also, remember t' lock t' threads o' t' eye-bolt with a gob o' epoxy so it doesn't loosen after sealin' up. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! Next, shiver me timbers, I assembled t' motor tube t' t' top centering rin' and t' boat tail, ya bilge rat, which serves as a lower centerin' rin' for t' motor tube. Avast, me proud beauty! See photo o' these finished subassemblies. Arrr! Avast! Madcow includes a notch in the centerin' rin' t' pass t' Keelhaul®©™® shock cord through for anchoring. Begad! Blimey! Just a few minutes after startin' with the epoxy set on these pieces, I plugged t' motor tube-boat tail section into the body tube and glued t' three TTW ply fins through t' pre-cut slots, me hearties, shiver me timbers, applying an epoxy fillet t' t' base o' each fin with a Popsicle stick. Blimey! Blimey! 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. Aye aye! Blimey! I like them better anyway. I mentioned earlier t' solid balsa nose cone and boat tail and t' need t' seal these before painting. Ahoy! 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. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Arrr! Blimey! This gives a glass smooth finish that takes paint perfectly and is far more durable than those powder-based balsa sealants, me hearties, which in me hands will chip if you look at them t' wrong way.

Finishing:
Paintin' was with Tamiya spray blue and yellow. Begad! I used no primer t' seal the ply o' cardstock tube, ya bilge rat, but if you like a perfect finish, shiver me timbers, this would be a good idea. Arrr! T' supplied "Skipper" decal was applied near t' top o' the body tube. Ahoy! One further addition I made before flyin' was 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. Avast! Blimey!

Construction Rating: 5 out o' 5

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

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

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

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

CON: You do need t' use a few tricks t' seal t' balsa components, shiver me timbers, 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. Arrr! Begad! Best t' add this so t' square knot joinin' t' 2 pieces is level with t' top o' t' body tube. Aye aye! Well, blow me down! This will prevent any possibility o' zipperin' by t' tough Keelhaul®©™® tape. Begad!

Overall Rating: 5 out o' 5