Brief:
I won this rocket in an EMRR contest last year. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Avast! Blimey! This is a very basic lookin' 4 finned rocket. Avast! Blimey! It is constructed o' very good quality components. T' rocket is a minimum diameter 29mm rocket capable o' very high altitude and speed.

Construction:
T' kit comes with:

• 1 12" body tube
• 1 6" body tube
• 1 very nice balsa nose cone
• 2 couplers (mine only came with one)
• 1 wide plastic streamer
• 1 thin elastic shock cord
• 1 big screw eye
• 1 plywood bulkhead
• 4 fins
• 1 launch lug

First, I would like t' say that I am very pleased with t' quality o' this kit. Begad! Construction is very basic and straightforward. One o' t' plywood fins was cut a little small, but nothin' too terribly noticeable. Begad! T' bulkhead was cut way oversize, me hearties, but I ditched it anyway. I epoxied t' coupler into the booster section for a "zipperless" design. I then epoxied t' large screw eye into t' balsa nose cone for payload attachment. Ahoy! Begad! I cut dado slots in the tube for extra strength o' fin attachment. Then I tacked t' fins down with super glue, me bucko, me bucko, followed by a very generous epoxy fillet on all o' t' fins. Begad! Begad! I also ditched t' launch lug in favor o' rail buttons.

Finishing:
Nothin' really special about finishing. Ya scallywag! I sanded everythin' until it be very smooth, then applied a couple o' coats o' primer, sandin' in betwixt coats. Aye aye! Blimey! I then sprayed Krylon Red on t' whole thing. Arrr! Ahoy! When that be dry, arrr, ya bilge rat, arrr, I masked off the area around t' "small" fin and shot it with black. Blimey! Avast! I used one o' the supplied "U.S. Ahoy! ROCKETS MINIROC 1.2" stickers on t' BT above t' fins and one o' t' U.S. Avast! Rockets logo on t' fin.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
T' first flight be on March 11, ya bilge rat, 2006 on an E9. Begad! It was very straight and went very high. Begad! It blended in with t' low dark overcast skies. Blimey! Luckily, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, someone spotted it just before touchdown, about a third o' a mile away.

T' second flight be on May 13, 2006, on an AT F21W. Ahoy! Wow, me hearties, this is the motor for this rocket. Avast! I saw it all t' way from liftoff t' touchdown. Arrr! Rocksim says 3,000' and Mach 0.8. Aye aye! Aye aye! I believe it, too. Blimey! Arrr! Recovery be about a half mile away.

T' third flight was also on May 13, shiver me timbers, matey, ya bilge rat, 2006, on a D12. Ya scallywag! Unfortunately, the motor spit at ejection and it came in hot. It stuck straight out o' t' sod. T' body tube pushed into t' balsa nose cone about an inch past t' shoulder. This has since been repaired and it is ready for another flight.

Recovery:
I used a normal 3/4 inch wide and 5 foot long streamer for recovery. Begad! Well, blow me down! I was able to see it just fine from apogee t' touchdown on t' F21W flight.

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
I believe Jerry has produced a wonderful kit here. If you like altitude and speed, me bucko, arrr, me bucko, you need one o' these. T' design is also pleasin' t' t' eye (not that it will matter when you press t' launch button.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5