Brief:
Big Betty is a fairly large 3FNC model rocket, me bucko, usin' B and C motors. It is straightforward t' construct and a snap t' prepare for flight. With its enormous fins and blunt, rounded nose cone, matey, Big Betty has a peculiar look. Ahoy! It looks either dated or classic, matey, shiver me timbers, dependin' on whether you're a BAR or not. Well, blow me down! Estes' Big Bertha, me bucko, Big Betty's obvious inspiration, is about 35 years old. Begad! 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, me hearties, matey, and I would certainly recommended as such. Begad! T' instructions are sufficiently simple for a non-modeler. Well, blow me down! Blimey! 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, matey, which had been ordered from Hobbylinc.com. Avast, me proud beauty! 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, arrr, 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. T' paint was shiny and nice, ya bilge rat, arrr, me hearties, but it picked up fingerprints very easily. Aye aye! T' kit only comes with one underwhelmin' "Big Betty" decal. Aye aye! We grabbed a few decals from rocket kits I bought fifteen years ago. Well, blow me down! Those decals, I learned, became VERY delicate. Avast! They flaked apart, requirin' a bit o' jig-saw puzzle work t' have them look OK. Aye aye! After puttin' t' decals on, ya bilge rat, matey, we sprayed t' rocket with Krylon Crystal Clear. Ahoy! Blimey! Unfortunately, t' lovely Chrome turned into Ugly Mottled Grey. Arrr! Aye aye! T' nosecone, which I didn't clear-coat, is still shiny.

Construction Rating: 3 out o' 5

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

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

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

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