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

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

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

T' nose cone shoulder is nay as thick as t' body tube, matey, 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! Aye aye! T' nose and tail cone have t' be scrubbed and t' mold flash has t' be sanded. There are no instructions for installin' t' nosecone bulkhead or t' aft tail cone centerin' ring, ya bilge rat, so I used Fix-It epoxy clay t' create a shoulder t' glue t' parts t' in both cases. Well, blow me down! T' aft portion o' t' tail cone was off center, but still looks great when finished.

Finishing:
Cleanin' and sandin' nose cone and tail take extra time, me bucko, matey, but t' body tubes are extremely quick t' finish, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, and require no sandin' at all. Avast, me proud beauty! They are simply magnificent. Arrr! T' decals are vinyl and are very nice. Avast! T' finished rocket looks magnificent.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
A Cesaroni I540 be used for t' first flight, with a Madcow motor retainer. Ya scallywag! Well, blow me down! Prep be quick, t' motor delay be perfectly timed at 11 seconds. Begad! 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. Aye aye! Blimey! Nay goin' t' happen again. Aye aye! Blimey! No significant damage. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Versatility with t' dual deploy capability is excellent.

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

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

Cons: No parachutes or retention included, ya bilge rat, 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.