Brief:
T' new Striker AGM from Quest Aerospace is an impressive scale-like missile standin' over 27 inches tall. Begad! This kit features a unique molded boat tail and 10 degree plastic nose cone. Ahoy! T' laser-cut balsa fins make assembly easy and thar's a big waterslide decal sheet with lots o' visual details. Begad! Low cost + great performance makes it a great value t' any rocketeer.

Construction:
18mm single stage with two sets o' fins and 14" plastic parachute for recovery. Aye aye! Blimey! T' Striker AGM is designated a Skill Level 2 Kit for modelers with some experience however I consider it a moderately simple build with two sets o' 4 fins and a nice boat tail back end. Avast! T' larger main fins are located near t' motor mount with t' smaller set o' fins set just forward o' these. Aye aye! Begad! Blimey! T' nose cone is impressively long and sleek. Ahoy! Arrr! Blimey! T' kit uses Quest-typical construction techniques with a 4-page instruction guide and can be built quite quickly. Ya scallywag! Blimey! T' rocket includes a long body tube, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, a two-piece plastic nose cone, arrr, 8 pre-cut balsa fins, arrr, arrr, a motor mount (18mm) tube with thrust rin' and retainer hook, shiver me timbers, launch lug, a recovery system made up o' a Keelhaul®©™ shock tether, arrr, me bucko, elastic shock cord, me hearties, and a 14" plastic parachute. Decals are waterslide.

T' instructions are typical o' Quest and are well illustrated and clear. Ya scallywag! T' four page document includes a nice ruler printed on t' front. An electronic copy o' t' instructions is also available on t' Quest Aerospace website as a PDF. Well, arrr, blow me down! This kit includes some plastic parts so you need t' make sure you know when t' use CA/Plastic cement and when t' use white glue. Blimey! Ya scallywag! T' instructions spell it out but you need t' pay attention and read them thoroughly.

PROs:

• Everythin' goes together very nicely usin' proven techniques and components.
• T' Keelhaul®©™®/elastic recovery harness combo holds up well under normal wear and tear o' launches.
• T' main fins require you t' add a forward-extendin' "strake" section. Aye aye! This is easy t' do and adds t' overall good looks o' t' kit.
• T' fin guide is molded directly into t' boat tail "reducer". Avast! Aye aye! This is a really nice feature and actually makes t' kit look better.

CONs:

• T' two piece nosecone can be a challenge t' get a smooth seam. Begad! Recommend you pre-sand and test fit these before gluin' them together. When you do glue them, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, make sure t' use some use some clamps or rubber bands t' hold them together tightly while t' glue dries.
• T' launch lug standoff is nay precut so they give you a small template t' cut out and transfer t' t' scrap balsa. Aye aye! Arrr! Seems trivial but it would have been nice t' have this precut from t' balsa sheet
• T' balsa sheet I received seemed t' be very flimsy compared t' other Quest kits I've put together recently. This is particularly concernin' due t' t' size o' t' rocket and t' size/shape o' t' fins. Ahoy! Blimey! I'm fairly certain this be just a one-time issue.

Modifications I made:

• T' thin balsa sheet was replaced with slightly thicker basswood. Aye aye! This added some weight t' t' aft o' t' rocket so I filled t' nosecone with expandin' foam t' compensate for CG concerns. Begad! This added several ounces t' t' overall weight which will keep me from flyin' this on a B6 motor. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast! On t' flip side, I can now try t' launch this rocket with a composite "D" RMS 18mm motor in t' future.
• Again, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, with t' extra weight in mind, arrr, arrr, I replaced t' plastic parachute with a nylon 14" chute. I also replaced t' thin elastic thread with a longer (18") section o' 3/16" elastic strip.

Finishing:
Finishin' was very easy. Avast! T' instructions for t' colors made it very easy t' reproduce t' look from t' front o' t' kit packaging.

T' waterslide decals were simple effective and nay overkill like some other kits.

I added two coats o' clear coat over t' stickers t' help protect t' finish. Arrr! Blimey! I will be launchin' this rocket quite a bit and want it t' stay in great shape!

Addin' t' extra stripes on t' tip and base o' t' nosecone added t' t' overall effect. Avast! Begad! This kit will definitely be sittin' on t' front part o' me rocket display case at home (at least when I'm nay flyin' it).

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
I've made 3 flights already on this kit with excellent results each time. Well, blow me down! Avast! T' larger length and diameter o' t' rocket body in addition t' t' two sets o' fins make for very stable flights with an excellent CG/CP.

With t' added weight from t' modifications I made, arrr, I wasn't able t' test it usin' B6-4 motors. Blimey! However, arrr, me hearties, if you were t' use stock fins, a B6-4 flight would be sufficient on low wind days. All o' me flights were made usin' C6-3 or C6-5 motors.

All three flights have had solid, slow boosts, ya bilge rat, me hearties, near vertical and with minimal spin. Aye aye! Avast, shiver me timbers, me proud beauty! Apogees were always into t' wind with a clean ejection while t' rocket be nearly horizontal. Estimated altitude each time was ~950ft.

Recovery:
Recovery for each flight be within 350ft with no damage t' t' rocket. Avast! A simple reload o' t' wadding/parachute, ya bilge rat, replace t' spent motor and we were back in business.

I'm nay a big fan o' t' plastic sheet parachutes but I understand why they need t' be included. Begad! T' size is certainly sufficient t' slow t' descent for a safe landing. Avast! If you use t' plastic parachute, make sure t' secure t' knots on t' lanyards solidly. Ya scallywag! Even a little drop o' glue on each knot would help.

I'd also recommend addin' some additional length t' t' shock cords. Ya scallywag! This will help avoid any "hard ejection charge" damage. Avast! T' Keelhaul®©™ and elastic shock cords are anchored very well t' t' motor mount but t' length is very minimal.

T' motor mount is located very well. Ahoy! There is no evidence o' burning/charrin' and t' motors released easily after recovery.

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
Again, I feel that this rocket be t' best value, me bucko, low-power rocket kit on t' market. Blimey! Newer rocketeers will be kept challenged without gettin' frustrated while experienced rocketeers will find t' build t' be quick and fun.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5