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

Construction
After gettin' me level 2, shiver me timbers, I began t' surf t' net t' answer t' question, "What next?" I wondered what was out thar that was different. Arrr! Well, ya bilge rat, blow me down! 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. I fancied that it looked like a giant Crayola crayon and I liked it. So I ordered it. Begad! Begad! Service was prompt, shiver me timbers, and shipment be received intact and undamaged. Arrr! Begad! All parts fit precisely.

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

T' instructions are simple. That's because t' model is easy schmeasy to assemble. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! It's great for those impulses t' fly somethin' new t' next day. Avast, me proud beauty! 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! Blimey! I needed t' employ heavy duty pliers and an electric drill for this. Begad!

Also, me hearties, me bucko, t' body tube did nay come pregrooved. I needed t' employ a strong exacto cutlass t' make t' slots for t' fins, shiver me timbers, but a markin' guide was supplied to make it easier. Blimey! I used epoxy all t' way for construction, but instead o' my favorite quick settin' type, I used 1/2 hour epoxy t' make t' bonds stronger. T' fins fit through t' body wall right t' t' motor tube, 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, as it provides anchor for t' motor tube. Ya scallywag! It also streamlined t' end o' t' rocket and reduces base drag. Blimey! Blimey!

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

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

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

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

Anyway, ya bilge rat, matey, I used plenty o' worm bed wadding, ya bilge rat, and everythin' packs loosely and easily into t' tube. Well, blow me down! Begad! I drilled a small vent hole into t' body with an awl to prevent premature separation. Ahoy! Avast! Yes, matey, thar be a treatment for that condition.... Begad!

T' motor be 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, me bucko, as this part be aftward and held t' motor in. Well, blow me down! Now, arrr, do I DARE a 54mm motor? See if I don't! Maybe a 38mm I161 would be a blast, as well...

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

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary
Friendly company t' buy from, prompt service. Begad! Ya scallywag! Sturdy. Aye aye! Don't doubt it. Well, blow me down! Blimey! It can take it. Ya scallywag! Begad! Simple t' put together. I recommend it for sure. Begad!

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5