Brief:
This is a NARRRRR competition style egg payload kit, me bucko, ya bilge rat, which can be used for either altitude or duration events. Begad! If you're new t' competition rocketry, shiver me timbers, ASP kits make excellent starters as they are generally easy t' build, shiver me timbers, use very good materials, me hearties, me bucko, and perform reliably well (high performance designs, ya bilge rat, in general, shiver me timbers, are riskier and more susceptible to problems).

T' kit is available in various forms from 18mm t' 24mm motor mounts and in a regular version as well as an upgraded platinum edition. Arrr! Ahoy! T' platinum upgrade offers a reflective silver shroud instead o' cardstock, me hearties, ya bilge rat, and G10 phenolic fins instead o' basswood. Begad! Ahoy! T' 24mm kit is also available in a single or dual egg capsule format, arrr, with t' dual kit upgradin' t' a 24" chute.

This review will cover t' 24mm platinum edition though I have built and flown all versions in NARRRRR competitions and review comments for each would be t' same.

Note that thar are generally two designs used in egg lofting: lower drag "egg on a stick" designs usin' a capsule on a body tube and a tapered shroud. ASP uses t' tapered shroud approach, which offers much more room for a chute but is slightly lower altitude due t' additional weight and drag.

Construction:
ASP uses parts o' very good quality, ya bilge rat, and I am especially a fan o' their 1/4 mil mylar competition chutes. Begad! When one of those bright silver chutes pops open, if you're lucky enough t' catch any thermal activity, matey, you'll be watchin' it drift away for what seems an eternity. Ya scallywag! T' parts list for an Eggstravaganza includes:

• Vacuform egg capsule (Pratt capsule)
• Cardstock shroud
• Motor tube
• Centerin' ring/large
• Centerin' ring/small (motor block)
• D/E engine spacer (24mm kit only)
• Keelhaul®©™®/elastic shock cord
• Launch lug
• Wire (for formin' upper launch lug)
• Small competition-style chute (1/4 mil, ya bilge rat, Keelhaul®©™® shroud lines)

I've generally found that what few competition kits are on t' market have instructions that are aimed at the seasoned competitor and nay at all user-friendly t' someone startin' out in competition. Aye aye! ASP would be t' exception to that, matey, me bucko, offerin' very detailed and adequately illustrated instructions. Arrr! Avast, ya bilge rat, me proud beauty! They are nay quite as good as you'd find on a typical modroc but good enough t' get you a qualified flight in competition or possibly even a top 4 finish.

Begin by sandin' down t' body tube. Ya scallywag! This is a critical step as you need a strong bond t' avoid losin' fins in flight and t' glossy finish on t' tube will nay suffice. Next, mark t' fin lines usin' t' template on the instructions (3-fin, 120 degree orientation). Begad! Glue in t' centerin' rin' motor block (with provided stuffer tube).

Scott's review mentioned some difficulty in formin' and fittin' t' shroud. Ahoy! I have generally nay had any troubles with this now havin' built 5 ASP egg lofter kits, arrr, but I am pretty experienced formin' shrouds and usually tape the shroud together first for a dry fit before breakin' out t' glue. Begad! Aye aye! I also use a very thin finger-wiped layer o' white glue for t' bond and make sure I roll t' seam back and forth over a wood dowel or motor casin' so that it holds a curved shape instead o' a flat joint. It's also nay a bad idea t' place a piece o' clear tape over t' outer seam, which helps keep it aligned and reduces t' drag a bit.

T' upper centerin' rin' serves t' keep t' tapered shroud in alignment, and you'll have t' peel away several layers o' t' cardboard wrap t' get it down t' t' proper size. Ahoy! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! Once it's in place on t' body tube (and t' Keelhaul®©™® shock cord is anchored t' it), arrr, you'll need t' test fit t' shroud in place and mark t' point on t' body tube where the end rests, arrr, ya bilge rat, which serves as a glue line later. Ahoy! T' key t' fittin' t' shroud is for a snug fit against t' centering ring, matey, shiver me timbers, me hearties, but nay too snug, matey, which would result in a slight bulge around t' centerin' ring. Aye aye! T' aft end o' t' shroud should be so tight that you need t' push t' body tube through from t' forward end o' t' shroud but nay so tight that it does nay slide back/forth smoothly on t' tube. Arrr! Once you've marked t' fit, matey, you remove t' shroud, apply a bead of glue (I suggest epoxy for t' 24mm version) then slide t' shroud back in place.

Once t' shroud is in place and t' glue dried, me bucko, you can bond t' fins. Scott's review noted that he did nay sand them. Aye aye! Begad! For a competition model, ya bilge rat, me bucko, that's probably a mistake and will hurt performance. Blimey! We tend t' focus too much on materials and weight for competition models and nay enough on t' very basics o' fin alignment and airfoiling. Ya scallywag! Well, blow me down! If your fins are well airfoiled and perfectly straight, arrr, you'll do much better than someone sportin' an ultralight model with rounded edge fins. Begad! Arrr! For t' regular style kits with basswood fins, matey, this means about 45 minutes worth o' work t' round the leadin' edges and taper t' trailin' edges and finishin' with 400 grit fine sanding. Blimey! Do nay waste time and weight with a sealer as thar's no performance gained by that. Begad! For t' platinum edition kits with G10 fins, they are already so thin that airfoilin' is nearly impossible without some funky toolin' so roundin' t' leadin' and trailin' edges is probably fine. Begad! Ahoy! There is no need t' sand t' other surfaces o' G10 fins, which are already smooth.

Bondin' t' fins is one o' t' most critical steps affectin' performance. Ahoy! Aye aye! You want them perfectly straight, oriented as closely t' t' 120-degree positions as possible, and you need a great bond. Ya scallywag! For t' basswood fins, matey, you can tack them on with CA and follow up with very thin wood glue fillets. Do nay sand t' root edges. For G10 fins, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, CA is a must--not wood glue, though you can get by with wood glue for fillets but CA is better. Blimey! Well, blow me down! Avoid epoxy as it's heavy and does nay bond as well. Begad! Ahoy! Also, for t' G10 fins, ya bilge rat, you must sand t' root edge with some coarse (120-180 grit) paper first or t' laser-cut edge burns will nay hold up under flight stress.

As Scott noted, matey, t' egg capsule needs a light touch. Avast! You need t' melt a hole in t' bottom o' t' capsule for the Keelhaul®©™® to pass through (I use a heated paper clip for t' hole) and a pair o' holes in t' side o' t' capsule for t' upper lug if you're usin' a lug rather than a piston or tower. Aye aye! Ya scallywag! You'll wind up epoxyin' in a Keelhaul®©™® loop at t' bottom o' t' capsule (don't use CA, as it eats away Keelhaul®©™® over time) and can tape in t' formed wire lug/loop.

Normally I don't comment on chute construction in a kit review, arrr, but with ASP competition chutes, me bucko, they're worth a brief comment or two. Ya scallywag! For t' eggloftin' kits, you'll be makin' what's referred t' as an over-the-top shroud line for added strength and durability, me hearties, since a cackle fruit capsule blasted off t' top o' t' shroud can pose a bit o' a strain. Avast! The chute instructions walk you through t' basics o' tackin' t' lines in place usin' mylar tape, followed up by wicked super-thin CA, matey, and tyin' things together at t' snap swivel. Avast! Where you might spend 10 minutes buildin' a sport chute, figure anywhere from 20-40 minutes on a competition chute dependin' on t' size.

Finishing:
For competition style rockets, arrr, you generally don't add weight for paint, arrr, arrr, instead flyin' "nekkid". Aye aye! If you really want t' add some color or personalization (NAR number on t' rocket is required in contests), me hearties, you can use magic markers t' color t' shroud and/or fins (Scott's does look pretty sharp). Arrr! Ya scallywag! If you go with t' platinum version o' the kit, me hearties, t' shroud is already bright silver and should nay be decorated since t' silver is intended t' make it more visible in flight.

Construction Rating: 5 out o' 5

Flight:
Flight prep for an egglofter is time consuming. Most cackle fruit will be fairly tight fits in t' capsule, but as Scott noted, me hearties, you'll want t' put some paddin' for and aft t' keep t' egg from slidin' around. Begad! I use dog barf and also slide the egg in a plastic baggy just in case... Begad! Avast, me proud beauty! Seal t' capsule usin' black electrical/friction tape if possible. It has better tack than maskin' tape, is flexible, arrr, and is nay as high a drag penalty as maskin' or packin' tape.

For eggloftin' contests, your get two flights and t' best o' t' two counts (not combined, as most other events). Ahoy! Since you have t' brin' t' egg back undamaged, thar's a trade off betwixt goin' with a big chute and potentially losin' it versus a smaller chute and definitely gettin' it back. Begad! With an 18" chute (single egg) or 24" chute (dual egg), you'll almost certainly get it back but probably nay place near t' top in most contests. ASP offers sizes up t' 36" as spare parts/upgrades, matey, shiver me timbers, and I typically use t' 36" chute for a first flight, goin' larger or smaller dependin' on t' drift o' t' first flight. Arrr! Ya scallywag! T' shroud may nay look like it can hold a chute that large, matey, especially with t' yards o' elastic shock cord (use it all, that elastic will save your egg and chute). I've even gotten a 50" chute in one o' these. Ya scallywag! T' key is in carefully preppin' and foldin' t' chute and shroud lines. Avast! One key tip--use talcum powder prior t' every fold, me hearties, especially on humid days.

I normally fly t' 18mm version usin' 5 or 7 second delays. Aye aye! For t' 24mm, I went with a D12-5. Ahoy! T' flight was absolutely perfect, me hearties, me bucko, straight up and no roll, matey, excellent altitude. Avast, me proud beauty! Deployment was slightly early/nose up though not enough t' justify goin' with a longer delay. I would imagine on an E9-6 you'd have trouble seein' this all t' way to apogee and deployment would be perfect.

Recovery:
As noted, shiver me timbers, matey, with smaller chutes you'll get it back, arrr, t' egg will be fine, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, and you'll get so-so performance. With a larger chute, you run t' risk o' losin' t' model. Ya scallywag! Also, dependin' on your flyin' conditions, you'll find one o' the most common causes o' breakin' a cackle fruit is nay on landin' but on bein' dragged bouncin' along t' hard ground by a big chute that is catchin' wind while you're tryin' t' catch up t' t' landin' spot from half a mile away. Avast! Begad! I typically get 2 minute durations on a C motor with a 30" chute and anythin' 36" and larger stands a good chance o' drifting out o' sight if I hit a thermal. Begad! Those bright silver mylar chutes seem t' be thermal magnets sometimes.

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
PROs: easy build, reliable flier in what is a challengin' event, very good value, me bucko, and great starter kit.

CONs: should offer multiple chutes--one small and one large.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5