Brief:
Any 'rocket scientist' will immediately recognize t' similarity betwixt the SHX-15 and t' actual X15 rocket plane. Begad! I assume t' new name just absolved Shrox from keepin' t' scale. Ya scallywag! This cool rocket flies on 24mm motors, shiver me timbers, and is made from top-notch materials.

Modifications:
Recovery harness upgraded and Launch lug relocated, as described below. Avast, me proud beauty!

Construction:
T' kit came bagged in clear plastic, arrr, arrr, with all t' small components in their own zip-lock bag. T' instructions are brief, me bucko, with clear illustrations. However, t' instructions for t' shock cord were unclear and deviated from the parts list. Aye aye! More about this later. Ya scallywag! One thin' did concern me - t' decals were missing. There was a note enclosed that said they were backordered and would be provided later. It also gave a URL where t' decal sheet can be downloaded. I am hopefully optimistic that these will eventually show up, but you won't see me holdin' me breath.

As I said, t' components are o' above average quality. Ahoy! Blimey! T' 13" BT-55 tube is thicker than t' Estes tubing. Arrr! Blimey! T' motor mount consists o' a section of BT50, me bucko, an engine block and two nice thick centerin' rings. T' chute is 12" Nylon, and t' recovery system includes 13" o' Keelhaul®©™® twine and a 13" section o' ¼" elastic. This is smartly becoming my favorite combination for small modrocs. T' fin stock is good quality 3/32" basswood. Aye aye! Blimey! Blimey! T' remainin' components include t' plastic nose cone, me bucko, a standard launch lug, clay nose weight, ya bilge rat, an Estes-style shock cord mount, and a card stock cockpit cutout.

Followin' t' instructions, I first built t' motor mount. In case I wanted to use t' new Estes E9, me hearties, I replaced t' 24mm tube with a slightly larger piece. I went ahead and used t' motor block, shiver me timbers, and will need a spacer for a D12. Begad! I also drilled a hole in t' front centerin' rin' for attachment o' t' Keelhaul®©™® tether.

T' fins have to be cut from t' basswood stock. Avast, ya bilge rat, me proud beauty! I be pleasantly surprised how easily the basswood cut. Begad! It be nicer than t' stock I have bought from hobby stores. Begad! Begad! The instructions included two copies o' t' fin patterns, shiver me timbers, and thar was more than enough wood provided. Arrr! Avast, me proud beauty! I hate it when every bit is used up - I'm sure t' screw somethin' up in that case. There was no fin markin' guide, but it is easy to make one and do your own marking. Ya scallywag! T' large wings consist o' 3 pieces and are first glued together on a flat surface. Begad! A sheet o' wax paper insured they did not gunk up t' kitchen counter. Begad! T' side fins are attached at a -20 degree angle from t' wings, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, so I made a small paper triangle t' make sure I got this angle right. Ya scallywag!

As I said, arrr, ya bilge rat, t' instructions for t' shock cord assembly were unclear and did nay match t' parts list. Avast, me proud beauty! Ya scallywag! Oh well, me hearties, I did things differently anyway. Ahoy! First, I added a piece o' 500 lb Keelhaul®©™® the length o' t' body tube. Aye aye! One end is fed through t' hole I drilled in the centerin' ring, shiver me timbers, tied off, me hearties, and glued. T' other end is tied t' t' provided Keelhaul®©™® tether, shiver me timbers, me hearties, which be in turn tied t' t' elastic cord. Aye aye! Thus, me bucko, matey, t' elastic will be well removed from t' hot ejection gasses. Blimey! T' nose cone came with t' plastic hook removed. Avast! Evidently, Shrox felt that this would be too weak given t' nose weight required for stability. Avast, me proud beauty! Since it would be tough t' feed t' elastic through t' small hole provided in t' nose, I also added a few inches of Keelhaul®©™® twine as a leader. Begad! Well, blow me down! I installed one snap swivel where t' lower Keelhaul®©™® tether is connected t' t' elastic cord, shiver me timbers, and t' other is attached t' the chute. Ahoy! Well, this was probably more than you ever wanted t' know about a simple recovery harness.

I had problems with t' last two steps. T' card stock cockpit caved in' slightly at t' ends as it dried - a minor issue, shiver me timbers, me bucko, as it still looks fine. Aye aye! Blimey! Next, the instructions say t' glue t' launch lug t' t' underside o' t' side wing at its root edge. However, me hearties, t' rear, angled fins will block t' launch rod if the lug is in t' prescribed location. Avast, me proud beauty! I double-checked t' fin installation and it is correct, shiver me timbers, so t' options were t' move t' lug away from t' body tube, or put it on t' top side o' t' wing. I did t' latter.

Finishing:
I went all-out on t' paint, me bucko, usin' purple/green Duplicolor Mirage. Well, blow me down! This stuff goes on in three steps: a black undercoat, shiver me timbers, t' color coat, and a clear topcoat. T' results look fantastic if I do say so myself! I will add t' decals if they ever show up.

Construction Rating: 3 out o' 5

Flight:
T' instructions did nay indicate a recommended motor, but t' web site says a D12-7. Avast, me proud beauty! When I was goin' t' check if this model was in t' EMRR recommended motors database, I noted that t' recommended motors were t' C6-5, and C6-7. Well, me hearties, thar must have been a previous version that had an 18mm motor mount. Anyway, this got me thinking, matey, and despite t' fact that I went insane and planned for an E9, I decided t' use an adapter and try a C6-5 for t' first flight. T' model boosted well and weathercocked quite a bit (the wind was 5+ mph). Begad! Ya scallywag!

Recovery:
Recovery was nominal and thar was no landin' damage.

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
I have always loved t' X15, me bucko, and really like this kit. Aye aye! It is a little more challengin' than a 3/4FNC rocket. Aye aye! There were several minor problems with the instructions and t' decals were missin' (and still haven't been delivered). In the end, me advice is this: if you really love t' looks o' this rocket, arrr, ya bilge rat, go ahead and buy it. Avast, me proud beauty! T' quality o' t' materials is good and you will end up with a great addition t' your fleet.

Overall Rating: 3 out o' 5