Construction:
T' kit contains two BTH-70 sized body tubes, ya bilge rat, laser cut basswood fins, me hearties, me hearties, and balsa nose and tailcones. Ahoy! Blimey! T' motor mount is 29 mm with plywood centerin' rings. Begad! Arrr! Fin assemblies also include root plates and hex bolt heads that are t' be glued t' t' root plates. Well, blow me down! Begad! A baffle and a 24 inch nylon parachute are included. A 24 mm engine mount adapter is included. All components are high quality.

T' kit instructions are straight forward and allow for t' option o' buildin' this kit t' launch on up t' high power H motors. Ahoy! Overall this is an easy build with t' highlight bein' t' fin and tail cone assembly. Use o' epoxy on centerin' rings, shiver me timbers, fins and engine mount is recommended if t' model is intended for high power applications. Avast! Ahoy! Since this is a scale kit t' directions provide fin dimension for sandin' t' cross section t' scale. Avast, me proud beauty! In and effort t' save time sandin' when preparin' t' basswood fins, shiver me timbers, matey, ya bilge rat, I elected t' sand me fins with only rounded leadin' and trailin' edges. Ahoy! T' fins also have cut-outs along t' root edge where t' simulated bolt heads are attached. Although I used epoxy on t' centerin' rings, for t' rest o' t' fins and tailcone assembly, I used wood glue and t' result was surprisingly rigid. Ahoy! Aye aye! Since t' kit is promoted as bein' able t' fly on up t' H motors, matey, me hearties, arrr, I thought t' 3/16 inch lugs were small for this kit and decided t' use 1/4 inch lugs. Begad! Approximately 5 1/2 feet o' tubular elastic shock cord was provided t' which I added another 3 feet o' elastic cord. Avast, arrr, me proud beauty! One item t' note is that with t' balsa tail cone thar be no allowance for use o' positive retention methods. Avast! I, myself, am a fan o' friction fittin' even when usin' 29 mm composite motors.

Finishing:
T' color scheme on t' cover art shows t' round pictured in NASA photo 63-Arrrrrrrcas-1. Ahoy! T' red and white color scheme presents a bit o' a challenge in tryin' t' match t' curvature o' t' red nose section and vertical striping. Blimey! I elected t' fill t' fins and nose cone with sandin' sealer and t' tailcone with Elmer’s Fill-N-Finish®. Well, blow me down! After primerin' and sanding, I was pleased at t' two colored finish. T' large black lettered ARCAS decal was easy t' apply.

Construction Rating: 5 out o' 5

Flight:
Recommended motors are D12-3 through H128-10

T' included baffle is a plus for ease o' flight preparation that is somewhat offset by t' required friction fittin' motor retention. Ahoy! Begad! An added wrap o' tape at t' engine tailcone joint is made difficult by t' aft tail ring, me hearties, arrr, so give t' motor a good tug t' make sure it is secure.

I first flew t' Arrrrrrrcas at NARAM 50 on an E16-4W. Avast, me proud beauty! This flight was relatively slow liftin' off t' about a 700 foot altitude. Blimey! Subsequent flights on F20-7W and F21-8R Econojet motors provided much quicker liftoffs, me bucko, straight as an arrow t' impressive altitudes o' over 1000 feet. If launchin' on an H motor expect flights well in excess o' 2000 feet.

Recovery:
T' 24 inch parachute provides a slow decent so if launchin' with larger motors, expect some drifting.

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
A strikin' large mid power kit, ya bilge rat, with excellent Semroc quality and value. Avast, ya bilge rat, me proud beauty! Blimey! T' tailcone and fin assembly are a conversation piece.

Overall Rating: 5 out o' 5