Brief:
Large, all glass single stage high-power scale model o' t' Black Brant. Begad! T' kit came from Apogee, shiver me timbers, and it arrived smartly and free from any defects or damage.

Construction:
2 4-inch fiberglass body tubes, me hearties, one fiberglass tube coupler, arrr, fiberglass and steel hardware for an avionics bay (dual deploy ready). Fiberglass 54mm mount with fiberglass centerin' rings and fiberglass fins. Arrr! Tubular nylon shock cord provided, ya bilge rat, but no parachutes. Well, blow me down! Fiberglass tail cone, matey, rail buttons, and some fiberglass tape for fillin' in fillets.

Instructions are typical (very simple) Madcow instructions, four pages b&w. Ahoy! Blimey! Illustrations are good, ya bilge rat, but they could provide more detail.

T' nose cone shoulder is nay as thick as t' body tube, which means if you want it t' match, you have t' shave t' forward body tube t' taper it or add material t' t' nose cone. Ahoy! Well, blow me down! T' nose and tail cone have t' be scrubbed and t' mold flash has t' be sanded. Blimey! There are no instructions for installin' t' nosecone bulkhead or t' aft tail cone centerin' ring, shiver me timbers, so I used Fix-It epoxy clay t' create a shoulder t' glue t' parts t' in both cases. Avast, me proud beauty! T' aft portion o' t' tail cone be off center, but still looks great when finished.

Finishing:
Cleanin' and sandin' nose cone and tail take extra time, but t' body tubes are extremely quick t' finish, and require no sandin' at all. Begad! They are simply magnificent. T' decals are vinyl and are very nice. T' finished rocket looks magnificent.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
A Cesaroni I540 was used for t' first flight, with a Madcow motor retainer. Prep be quick, t' motor delay be perfectly timed at 11 seconds. T' Black Brant flies perfectly straight with no corkscrew or veering.

Recovery:
My flight was spoiled by t' parachute nay unfurlin' from t' shroud lines (my fault), shiver me timbers, which were wrapped around t' chute. Begad! Nay goin' t' happen again. No significant damage. Versatility with t' dual deploy capability is excellent.

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
Pros: All-fiberglass is cool. T' single-joint avionics bay design is elegant and reduces likelihood o' flexin' and airframe destruction. Well, blow me down! Body tubes are a joy t' work with. Ya scallywag! Finished rocket looks fabulous. Avast! Flies great. Begad! Extremely impressive.

Cons: No parachutes or retention included, shiver me timbers, matey, arrr, a little extra work on nose and tail glass.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5

Other:
T' tail cone section does nay have that little tank joinin' section that a detailed Black Brant scale model has.