Brief
This is a sturdy, single staged high power rocket with a hardwood nose and boattail. Ya scallywag! Arrr! It recovers by chute and comes with a 54mm mount, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, but can fly on 38 and 29mm motors as well. Ahoy!

Construction
After gettin' me level 2, me hearties, I began t' surf t' net t' answer t' question, "What next?" I wondered what was out thar that was different. Well, blow me down! Aye aye! Then I discovered a new company called Starship Enterprises (now called Fat Cat Rockets as o' 1/1/01) and perused their site and found t' GTX. Aye aye! I fancied that it looked like a giant Crayola crayon and I liked it. So I ordered it. Service be prompt, and shipment be received intact and undamaged. Arrr! Aye aye! All parts fit precisely.

T' fins were precut and are plywood. Avast, me proud beauty! T' nose cone is hardwood, symmetrically turned and a precise fit for t' 3-inch spiral wound body tube, which is paper, me bucko, but o' t' strength seen in extra thick motor tubes. Well, shiver me timbers, blow me down! T' shock cord mount has steel cablin' that runs from t' engine mount t' t' 1/2 inch elastic, which ties t' a screw-eye in t' nose cone. Begad! nose cone. Blimey!

T' instructions are simple. Avast, me proud beauty! That's because t' model is easy schmeasy to assemble. Arrr! It's great for those impulses t' fly somethin' new t' next day. Arrr! The only hard parts are crimpin' t' clamps that form t' loops in t' steel cable and drillin' a pilot hole in t' hardwood nose cone t' admit t' screw-eye. Aye aye! Aye aye! I needed t' employ heavy duty pliers and an electric drill for this.

Also, t' body tube did nay come pregrooved. Ya scallywag! Blimey! I needed t' employ a strong exacto cutlass t' make t' slots for t' fins, but a markin' guide was supplied to make it easier. Begad! Blimey! Well, shiver me timbers, blow me down! Blimey! I used epoxy all t' way for construction, ya bilge rat, but instead o' my favorite quick settin' type, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, I used 1/2 hour epoxy t' make t' bonds stronger. T' fins fit through t' body wall right t' t' motor tube, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, me hearties, and I applied the centerin' rin' so that it too supplied a bond at t' upper part o' t' fin tab. T' boattail acts as a centerin' rin' too, me hearties, shiver me timbers, as it provides anchor for t' motor tube. Aye aye! Blimey! Aye aye! Blimey! It also streamlined t' end o' t' rocket and reduces base drag. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Aye aye! Blimey!

T' parachute that came with t' model struck me as too small (I recollect it bein' around 24 inches), shiver me timbers, as I imagined t' weight o' t' hardware o' the motor plus t' model hittin' t' hard desert, so I made it one that was 30 inches across. Well, matey, blow me down! Out here in t' west, shiver me timbers, t' soil is hard, so we favor larger chutes...not longer walks, but that's what we get!!! Overall, me hearties, what I got is a sturdy and nice lookin' rocket. Avast, me proud beauty! Arrr!

Finishing
This was left up t' me, as no decals came with it. Begad! Aye aye! So I went wild and let the project mutate. Aye aye! Begad! At first I painted it gloss black. Avast! Then I applied red and yellow stripin' along t' fin joints and up t' body tube. Begad! It looks distinctive, t' say t' least. Begad! I almost didn't want t' paint t' model because the nose cone and boattail are pretty. Avast! But t' body tube wouldn't have matched had I glossed t' wooden parts.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight
T' manufacturer recommends t' G80 for 29mm flights up t' t' 54mm I65. Arrr! I was daunted by t' model's small size and cringed at t' thought o' stickin' such a monstrous motor in it. Well, matey, blow me down! So I used an adapter and put in a 29mm H180-M. Blimey! Begad! I wanted to dig a hole for me t' crouch down in when I set it off, because I feared that I was overpowerin' it. Aye aye! Blimey! But nay only did it scream and disappear off t' pad in a hurry, arrr, it did so intact and landed about half a mile away. Aye aye! Begad! And it did so within feet o' me months-lost Impulse Aerospace Machbuster, which was still flyable!!!

Anyway, I used plenty o' worm bed wadding, me hearties, and everythin' packs loosely and easily into t' tube. I drilled a small vent hole into t' body with an awl to prevent premature separation. Ya scallywag! Yes, me bucko, me bucko, thar be a treatment for that condition.... Begad!

T' motor was retained with t' flat steel part o' an old stapler, t' part with a right angle bend at t' end that served as a motor hook o' sorts, matey, as this part was aftward and held t' motor in. Avast, me proud beauty! Arrr! Now, arrr, do I DARE a 54mm motor? See if I don't! Maybe a 38mm I161 would be a blast, ya bilge rat, as well... Avast!

Recovery
T' system survived without any damage, but I might later replace t' elastic with bungee cord, matey, shiver me timbers, as I've had great experiences with it, and it's durable. I think that a longer delay than I used would be better. Begad! Arrr! Blimey! T' medium delay used is 10 seconds, I believe. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Maybe 14 would be better. It seemed t' be risin' at ejection. Blimey! Aye aye! Blimey! You know, ya bilge rat, me hearties, I would nay be surprised if this bird was close t' mach. T' noise was impressive indeed. Ya scallywag! Blimey!

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary
Friendly company t' buy from, prompt service. Ahoy! Sturdy. Don't doubt it. Well, blow me down! It can take it. Simple t' put together. Avast, me proud beauty! I recommend it for sure. Avast, me proud beauty!

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5