Brief:

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

Construction:

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

T' kit comes with two sets o' instructions, ya bilge rat, one for assembly, matey, and one set for flight. Ya scallywag! Unfortunately, arrr, me hearties, nothin' is mentioned on t' package that tells you t' rocket will nay fly without a cackle fruit or other similar weight payload. Regardless, matey, t' instructions are logical, shiver me timbers, and only feature a couple o' typographical errors. T' fins, shiver me timbers, matey, shiver me timbers, while grainy and a bit flimsy, popped out o' t' die-cut sheet very easily, and featured good, straight lines. Aye aye! And t' quality o' t' mylar parachute blew me away - far above what I expected. Like all o' t' other Custom rockets I've built, ya bilge rat, this one featured a loose nose cone. Aye aye! This one is a unique type o' plastic that is really thin, shiver me timbers, me bucko, flexible, and lightweight, but surprisingly durable. Well, blow me down! T' shock cord and parachute attachment points are horribly small and look weak, yet so far they've held up. Ahoy! Ahoy! I used small snap swivels t' attach t' 'chute and shock cord, which I highly suggest doin' on any kit you build. Avast, me hearties, me proud beauty! Things don't seem t' get tangled as often. Well, blow me down! As I mentioned earlier, arrr, t' body tube was crushed in t' center, so I upgraded with some 18mm tubin' I had left over from ASP. T' ASP tubin' be much sturdier, shiver me timbers, had less o' a spiral, me bucko, me bucko, ya bilge rat, and took up t' slack in t' nose cone department, and thus, me bucko, t' nose cone fit perfectly. Aye aye! I'll use t' Custom tubin' as a basis for another project. Ahoy! Like I always do with Estes and Custom kits, 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, and works well in this case. Begad! 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, arrr, I just painted this one as-is. T' much higher quality ASP tube was already white, and only needed two light coats o' enamel t' cover. Avast! I painted t' fins contrastin' colors, in an attempt t' make it more interesting. As a result, it bears a passin' resemblance t' t' old Estes Camroc, which was intentional. Ahoy! T' lone decal went on without a hitch. Avast! Overall, me hearties, me finishin' technique resulted in a lightweight, yet strong rocket that looks great. Avast, me proud beauty! Aye aye! 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. Well, blow me down! So I just use a piece o' electrical tape cut into a 3mm strip. No problem.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

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

Recovery:
T' original shock cord is a pitiful joke. Arrr! Throw it away or into a parts bin, matey, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, but do nay use it. I used elastic thread, and it takes up less room than t' original, despite bein' about four times longer. Avast! Arrr! Care in packin' t' 'chute be t' key t' success: fold it small, ya bilge rat, don't ball it up. Aye aye! Avast! Roll it only once, and use a good bit o' cellulose insulation for wadding. Well, ya bilge rat, blow me down! It'll recover well, 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, me proud beauty! Blimey! Well, matey, blow me down! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! There are some things I'd change, like t' pathetic shock cord and t' wobbly nose cone, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, but I could overlook t' coarse fins, ya bilge rat, since I fill and sand mine anyway. I would recommend this rocket for a first time egg lofter, but don't expect it t' be an easy build for a beginner. Arrr! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! Still, it's t' best Custom kit I've built.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5