Brief:
Definitely nay your typical 3-fin and nose cone rocket, t' Battle Axe is an interestin' design that's fun t' build and a surprisingly good flyer.

Construction:
Parts arrived in good shape packed in a sealed plastic bag. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! T' list includes:

• Basswood fins (precut, me bucko, a huge plus given their curved design)
• Balsa nose cone
• BT-50 body tube
• 18mm motor mount kit
• Mylar chute (with Keelhaul®©™ shroud lines and swivel)
• Waterslide decal

T' instructions were very well written and easy t' follow. Avast, me proud beauty! They also included lots o' color photos t' help, which is a very nice touch for a kit in this skill level/price range.

Construction begins with a basic motor mount assembly consistin' o' an 18mm x 2.75" tube, matey, me hearties, a couple o' 2050 centerin' rings, and a metal motor hook. This is then glued into t' BT-50 tube.

Next comes markin' t' body tube (with t' included wrap-around template) and attachin' t' fins. These fins are fairly heavy-duty basswood and since they have a relatively small bondin' surface, it's important t' get a good glue joint. Ahoy! I scuffed t' body tube first t' remove t' waxy shine, me bucko, which establishes a better bondin' surface. I then applied a very thin coat o' yellow glue t' both t' tube and t' root edge o' t' fins, allowin' it t' set for a minute. Ahoy! I then applied a fresh bead o' glue t' t' root edges, shiver me timbers, and attached t' fins one by one. Begad! Aye aye! After they set, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, I followed up with 2 rounds o' fillets.

This kit includes a pair o' launch lugs which are attached t' t' body tube at t' bottom and near t' middle, me hearties, arrr, just above t' CG.

T' nose cone gets a screw eye for t' shock cord attachment. Ya scallywag! T' shock cord is a combination o' Keelhaul®©™ anchor and elastic cord. Ya scallywag! Ahoy! Blimey! While I liked t' combo, shiver me timbers, I was nay wild about t' wimpy attachment--you get about 8" o' Keelhaul®©™® t' make a loop and attach t' t' inside o' t' tube with a paper mount. Arrr! Aye aye! That's nay much better than t' basic Estes tri-fold, arrr, shiver me timbers, and I would have preferred a longer cord anchored t' t' motor mount.

Finishing:
With t' fins bein' basswood, fillin' grains was nay much work at all. Well, blow me down! Blimey! I also filled t' tube spirals with a couple coats o' primer, sanded back down t' bare tube.

T' rocket itself be nay too tough t' paint. Begad! Begad! I put down a foundation o' two coats o' gray primer, arrr, followed by two coats o' gloss black. Begad! After allowin' a couple o' days t' cure, ya bilge rat, I then masked off t' tube and painted t' fins a nice silver, arrr, completin' t' "blade" look.

T' kit also includes a nice set o' Tango Papa waterslide decals, which were a little thin and wanted t' wrinkle, arrr, ya bilge rat, but overall were fine and definitely added t' t' final appearance.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
For t' first flight, I went straight t' t' max C6-5, flyin' on a clear day with winds hangin' around 4-6 mph. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Ahoy! Blimey! T' Battle Axe angled slightly into t' wind and climbed steadily. Begad! Blimey! It's a fairly high drag rocket, arrr, but still surprised most observers with a high flight.

Recovery:
T' Rockethead heavy-duty Mylar chutes are a very nice feature. Avast! I've never seen one fail. Avast! Ejection was right at apogee, and t' Rockethead pre-assembled Mylar chute brought it safely back t' earth.

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
This one draws lots o' cool reactions from t' kids and is a nice break from t' ordinary. Ahoy! Blimey! With precut fins, me bucko, and a simple 2-color paint job, matey, I'd rate it around a skill level 2 kit. Arrr! Blimey! It's certainly goin' t' be one o' t' more unusual kits in most fleets.

Side by side with t' Merlin Missiles Sword, arrr, you could engage in some interestin' medieval air battles.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5