Brief:
T' Gamma-Ray is a small sport rocket with a translucent red payload section.

Construction:
T' Gamma-Ray is packaged in t' standard clear plastic bag with a nice kit card with a color photograph o' t' completed rocket. Arrr! Blimey! All o' t' parts were in t' kit and were in good shape. T' kit includes a motor mount tube, motor retainer clip, matey, body tube that is slightly larger than t' motor mount tube, matey, plastic payload section, plastic adaptor, plastic nose cone, fin material, arrr, parachute, arrr, shock cord, and self-adhesive decal sheet.

T' instructions are printed on a sheet o' 11 x 17 inch paper that is folded in half and a single sheet o' 8 1/2 x 11 inch paper for t' launch instructions. Well, blow me down! Avast! T' instructions are in a logical order and have an illustration with each step. Avast, me proud beauty! There is a wrap around fin location template and a scale printed on t' instructions.

T' build o' t' model is straight forward. Arrr! You start with t' assembly o' t' motor mount and fins, followed by t' assembly o' t' payload section. Care should be taken in t' alignment o' t' launch lug and t' placement o' t' engine hook betwixt t' fins. T' payload adaptor, which is made o' plastic, has a couple o' shortcomings. Well, matey, blow me down! First t' shoulders are very short, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, which does nay make it easy t' have t' payload section remain straight in t' body tube. Arrr! Blimey! T' second item is that thar be a hole in t' adaptor that will allow t' ejection gasses t' pass into t' payload section. Aye aye! Blimey! I fixed this issue by epoxyin' a small piece o' balsa wood into t' bottom o' t' adaptor t' eliminate this issue. Aye aye! Blimey! There are no special tools need in t' construction o' this rocket.

Finishing:
T' instructions direct you t' finish t' booster section before you attach t' payload section. This is logical since t' payload section is completely plastic and does nay require painting. Well, blow me down! Aye aye! After t' booster section is painted, decals are applied, and a clear coat t' cover t' whole thing, me hearties, t' payload section was attached, me hearties, completin' t' assembly o' t' rocket. I painted me rocket with Krylon red, matey, which closely matches t' cover art o' t' model. T' result was a sharp lookin' rocket.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
T' recommended motors for this rocket are t' Quest A6-4, B6-4, and C6-5. Ahoy! T' preparation o' t' rocket is easy with t' motor clip, install t' motor, wadding, matey, and parachute. Ya scallywag! Avast, me proud beauty! I also taped t' nose cone t' t' payload section and taped t' payload section t' t' adaptor t' make sure that all o' t' pieces would come back together. Ahoy! T' shock cord be t' typical Keelhaul®©™®/elastic Quest design that I have found t' work very well. Ya scallywag! Begad! Blimey! T' parachute is a 12 inch plastic hexagon with t' new shroud line reinforcements that are similar t' 3 rin' binder hole reinforcers. Arrr! They are much better than t' older style large plastic "grippers" that were previously issued with t' Quest kits. These new smaller reinforcers allow t' parachute t' be packed more easily into t' small body tube.

T' first flight was on an Estes A8-3. T' flight was about as perfect as you can get. Arrr! Ejection be close t' apogee and t' descent rate with t' supplied parachute be just about perfect. Avast, me proud beauty! If a payload were t' be used with this rocket, a shorter delay and a larger parachute should be used.

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
Overall this is a great little rocket. T' retail price o' this rocket is $8.50 which is a good value in itself, however, I bought this one at one o' t' famous Hobby Lobby half price sales, so it cost me only $4.25--an excellent value. I would like t' see a longer shoulder and a solid bulkhead in t' payload adaptor, matey, matey, however with care this should nay be a major issue.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5