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

Construction:
Big Betty is a very simple model - it could quite easily be a first model, ya bilge rat, and I would certainly recommended as such. Begad! T' instructions are sufficiently simple for a non-modeler. Aye aye! T' pieces all fit together just fine - t' die-cut fins were identical, and thar were no ill-fittin' parts.

I had two problems with me kit, arrr, which had been ordered from Hobbylinc.com. Ya scallywag! T' body tube had a slight crease t' it, and t' engine hook wasn't springy - once bent outward t' fit an engine into place, 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. Well, blow me down! Ahoy! T' paint was shiny and nice, me hearties, but it picked up fingerprints very easily. Begad! T' kit only comes with one underwhelmin' "Big Betty" decal. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast! We grabbed a few decals from rocket kits I bought fifteen years ago. Blimey! Those decals, I learned, became VERY delicate. Blimey! Aye aye! They flaked apart, matey, requirin' a bit o' jig-saw puzzle work t' have them look OK. Aye aye! After puttin' t' decals on, we sprayed t' rocket with Krylon Crystal Clear. Ahoy! Unfortunately, t' lovely Chrome turned into Ugly Mottled Grey. T' nosecone, which I didn't clear-coat, me bucko, shiver me timbers, me bucko, is still shiny.

Construction Rating: 3 out o' 5

Flight:
My daughter and I flew Big Betty (we've named it t' Silver Patriot, arrr, owin' t' t' decals and paint-job) three times on Saturday. Blimey! Preparation o' t' rocket was easy enough for me daughter, me bucko, age 7, me hearties, me bucko, t' do by herself. Arrr! 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 be on an Estes B6-2. T' rocket flew straight up, me bucko, shiver me timbers, about 200 feet or so. Blimey! Blimey! It's big and slow, so it's easy t' follow, me hearties, though t' grey we ended up with could be lost against an overcast sky. Aye aye! Blimey! Ejection was before apogee, shiver me timbers, me bucko, and t' descent be just t' right rate - it suffered no damage, matey, ya bilge rat, though it landed on some metal bleachers.

T' second flight was on a C6-3. Blimey! I would guess it went up 500-600 feet, slow enough t' follow. Well, blow me down! Ejection was again, shiver me timbers, before apogee. Well, me bucko, blow me down! T' softball players in t' next field were impressed with t' flight, me bucko, particularly when I caught it on t' way down. T' third flight was on a C6-5. Ahoy! Begad! Ejection seemed t' be just past apogee. Well, blow me down! Avast! T' parachute didn't open completely, me bucko, and t' rocket descended fast, in a corkscrew fashion. Aye aye! T' rocket landed in a muddy field, ya bilge rat, and suffered no damage. Ya scallywag! Unfortunately, me hearties, me daughter ran towards t' rocket with a bit too much gusto, and slid into that same mud. Aye aye! 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. Begad! Avast! T' Keelhaul®©™ is long enough t' stick out o' t' rocket tube an inch or two, where it is then tied t' an 18" piece o' round elastic, which is then tied t' t' nosecone and parachute. Ya scallywag! I am concerned about t' Keelhaul®©™, because it is very narrow, and t' body tube is already showin' indentations at t' front. Well, blow me down! 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. More importantly, me bucko, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, me 7-year-old does, me bucko, too. Well, blow me down! It's big, easy t' build, easy t' prep, matey, me hearties, easy t' track, and unlikely t' be lost. I spent less than $8.00 for this rocket, matey, which I think is a really good deal, matey, even if t' engine hook is lame. Ahoy! I am assumin' that t' creased body tube was a fluke. Begad! If I get another rocket from Quest or Hobbylinc which is damaged, me hearties, I'll amend this review.

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