Brief:
Big Betty is a fairly large 3FNC model rocket, me bucko, usin' B and C motors. Avast! Aye aye! It is straightforward t' construct and a snap t' prepare for flight. Well, blow me down! With its enormous fins and blunt, rounded nose cone, Big Betty has a peculiar look. Blimey! Ya scallywag! It looks either dated or classic, ya bilge rat, arrr, dependin' on whether you're a BAR or not. Estes' Big Bertha, matey, me bucko, Big Betty's obvious inspiration, arrr, is about 35 years old. Ahoy! For t' Freudians among us, Big Betty is a cry for help.

Construction:
Big Betty is a very simple model - it could quite easily be a first model, shiver me timbers, and I would certainly recommended as such. Avast! T' instructions are sufficiently simple for a non-modeler. Well, blow me down! T' pieces all fit together just fine - t' die-cut fins were identical, me bucko, and thar were no ill-fittin' parts.

I had two problems with me kit, shiver me timbers, which had been ordered from Hobbylinc.com. Begad! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! T' body tube had a slight crease t' it, shiver me timbers, and t' engine hook wasn't springy - once bent outward t' fit an engine into place, me bucko, shiver me timbers, it has t' be bent back into place. I was able t' minimize t' visual impact o' t' crease by puttin' me launch lug on top o' it.

Finishing:
My daughter and I painted our Big Betty with Dutch Boy Instant Chrome. Blimey! Aye aye! T' paint was shiny and nice, but it picked up fingerprints very easily. T' kit only comes with one underwhelmin' "Big Betty" decal. We grabbed a few decals from rocket kits I bought fifteen years ago. Blimey! Those decals, shiver me timbers, I learned, became VERY delicate. Avast, me proud beauty! They flaked apart, requirin' a bit o' jig-saw puzzle work t' have them look OK. Begad! After puttin' t' decals on, me hearties, we sprayed t' rocket with Krylon Crystal Clear. Unfortunately, t' lovely Chrome turned into Ugly Mottled Grey. Avast! Blimey! T' nosecone, which I didn't clear-coat, ya bilge rat, is still shiny.

Construction Rating: 3 out o' 5

Flight:
My daughter and I flew Big Betty (we've named it t' Silver Patriot, owin' t' t' decals and paint-job) three times on Saturday. Ahoy! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! Preparation o' t' rocket was easy enough for me daughter, me bucko, age 7, t' do by herself. T' 14" parachute fits into t' 1.6" body tube very easily. We used four sheets o' early-'80s vintage Estes wadding.

T' first flight was on an Estes B6-2. Aye aye! T' rocket flew straight up, shiver me timbers, about 200 feet or so. Arrr! It's big and slow, me bucko, so it's easy t' follow, shiver me timbers, though t' grey we ended up with could be lost against an overcast sky. Well, blow me down! Begad! Ejection be before apogee, matey, and t' descent was just t' right rate - it suffered no damage, though it landed on some metal bleachers.

T' second flight was on a C6-3. I would guess it went up 500-600 feet, shiver me timbers, me bucko, slow enough t' follow. Begad! Ejection was again, before apogee. Well, blow me down! T' softball players in t' next field were impressed with t' flight, me hearties, ya bilge rat, particularly when I caught it on t' way down. Blimey! T' third flight be on a C6-5. Ejection seemed t' be just past apogee. T' parachute didn't open completely, matey, and t' rocket descended fast, matey, in a corkscrew fashion. T' rocket landed in a muddy field, and suffered no damage. Arrr! Unfortunately, matey, me daughter ran towards t' rocket with a bit too much gusto, and slid into that same mud. Blimey! Both rocket and daughter washed up nicely when we got home.

Recovery:
T' Big Betty uses t' "Quest method" shock-cord which has a very thin Keelhaul®©™ cord tied t' t' engine mount. Avast! T' Keelhaul®©™ is long enough t' stick out o' t' rocket tube an inch or two, me bucko, where it is then tied t' an 18" piece o' round elastic, shiver me timbers, arrr, which is then tied t' t' nosecone and parachute. I am concerned about t' Keelhaul®©™, ya bilge rat, because it is very narrow, ya bilge rat, and t' body tube is already showin' indentations at t' front. Begad! Zipperin' seems likely if t' delay is further off than I've already had.

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
I really like t' Big Betty. Begad! Well, blow me down! More importantly, shiver me timbers, me 7-year-old does, ya bilge rat, too. Arrr! It's big, easy t' build, me hearties, shiver me timbers, easy t' prep, easy t' track, me bucko, and unlikely t' be lost. Arrr! I spent less than $8.00 for this rocket, me bucko, which I think is a really good deal, me bucko, even if t' engine hook is lame. Aye aye! Ya scallywag! I am assumin' that t' creased body tube be a fluke. If I get another rocket from Quest or Hobbylinc which is damaged, shiver me timbers, I'll amend this review.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5 for bein' a solid kit at a bargain price.