Brief:

A lightweight, me bucko, minimum diameter egg lofter with an efficient aerodynamic design.

Construction:

T' kit comes in t' typical "hangin' bag" style package. Begad! Aye aye! As such, it doesn't protect t' kit from any damage incurred in shipping, and this one be indeed damaged in shipment, shiver me timbers, though I couldn't tell until t' package be open. Arrr! T' kit featured a length o' 18mm tubing, me bucko, a very unusual plastic nose cone, a very good mylar parachute, me bucko, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, a laughably short shock cord, and a bit o' grainy, flimsy balsa. Motor retention is simply friction fit, arrr, with a paper motor block inside t' body tube. Ya scallywag! Hardly earth-shatterin' stuff here, me hearties, me hearties, but different enough t' be interesting.

T' kit comes with two sets o' instructions, one for assembly, me bucko, shiver me timbers, and one set for flight. Unfortunately, arrr, ya bilge rat, nothin' is mentioned on t' package that tells you t' rocket will nay fly without a cackle fruit or other similar weight payload. Ya scallywag! Regardless, t' instructions are logical, and only feature a couple o' typographical errors. T' fins, while grainy and a bit flimsy, me bucko, popped out o' t' die-cut sheet very easily, matey, and featured good, straight lines. Ya scallywag! And t' quality o' t' mylar parachute blew me away - far above what I expected. Aye aye! Begad! Like all o' t' other Custom rockets I've built, this one featured a loose nose cone. Aye aye! This one is a unique type o' plastic that is really thin, flexible, and lightweight, matey, but surprisingly durable. T' shock cord and parachute attachment points are horribly small and look weak, shiver me timbers, arrr, yet so far they've held up. Aye aye! I used small snap swivels t' attach t' 'chute and shock cord, which I highly suggest doin' on any kit you build. Arrr! Things don't seem t' get tangled as often. Well, blow me down! As I mentioned earlier, t' body tube was crushed in t' center, so I upgraded with some 18mm tubin' I had left over from ASP. Avast, me proud beauty! T' ASP tubin' be much sturdier, had less o' a spiral, and took up t' slack in t' nose cone department, arrr, me hearties, and thus, t' nose cone fit perfectly. Ahoy! I'll use t' Custom tubin' as a basis for another project. Like I always do with Estes and Custom kits, arrr, me bucko, matey, I threw t' supplied shock cord in t' parts bin and used some elastic thread, in triple t' rocket's length. Begad! T' shock cord attaches with t' old tried-and-true paper fold method, shiver me timbers, matey, shiver me timbers, and works well in this case. But a word o' caution - make sure it doesn't stick out too far! Nay much room in thar for a parachute.

Finishing:
Unlike me normal practice o' coatin' t' whole rocket in epoxy, me hearties, ya bilge rat, I just painted this one as-is. T' much higher quality ASP tube was already white, shiver me timbers, and only needed two light coats o' enamel t' cover. Begad! I painted t' fins contrastin' colors, in an attempt t' make it more interesting. Blimey! As a result, ya bilge rat, it bears a passin' resemblance t' t' old Estes Camroc, which be intentional. Ahoy! T' lone decal went on without a hitch. Avast, me proud beauty! Overall, me finishin' technique resulted in a lightweight, ya bilge rat, yet strong rocket that looks great. Ya scallywag! Ya scallywag! Unfortunately, t' little rin' that holds t' two halves o' nose cone together swelled up when I painted it, and it won't fit anymore. Ahoy! So I just use a piece o' electrical tape cut into a 3mm strip. Well, blow me down! No problem.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
If launchin' an egg, don't try an "A" motor at all. Ya scallywag! Begad! In fact, me hearties, skip right on up t' a "C" right off t' bat. T' rocket isn't particularly heavy, even with a cackle fruit aboard, matey, and flights will be great. Well, blow me down! T' small fins impart a slight wobble with wind, but nay enough t' worry about. Just make sure t' motor is friction fit well; otherwise, it'll kick out t' motor and come in ballistic. Hasn't happened t' me on this rocket, but it has happened before on another rocket. Avast! Care must be taken in packin' t' parachute. Well, blow me down! Begad! It won't pack as tight as a plastic 'chute, arrr, and will hang inside t' body tube. Ya scallywag! This rocket's so light that no damage will occur if you get a "streamer" or a "hung" parachute, but it is messy!

Recovery:
T' original shock cord is a pitiful joke. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Throw it away or into a parts bin, shiver me timbers, but do nay use it. Aye aye! Blimey! Arrr! Blimey! I used elastic thread, ya bilge rat, me hearties, arrr, and it takes up less room than t' original, me hearties, shiver me timbers, despite bein' about four times longer. Blimey! Blimey! Avast, matey, me proud beauty! Blimey! Care in packin' t' 'chute be t' key t' success: fold it small, me bucko, me bucko, don't ball it up. Aye aye! Blimey! Roll it only once, and use a good bit o' cellulose insulation for wadding. Ahoy! Blimey! It'll recover well, arrr, won't get damaged, and will drift a good distance in any sort o' wind.

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
I think Custom came up with a great little egg lofter for a good price. Avast! There are some things I'd change, me bucko, like t' pathetic shock cord and t' wobbly nose cone, but I could overlook t' coarse fins, since I fill and sand mine anyway. Ya scallywag! Avast, ya bilge rat, me proud beauty! I would recommend this rocket for a first time egg lofter, shiver me timbers, but don't expect it t' be an easy build for a beginner. Still, shiver me timbers, it's t' best Custom kit I've built.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5