Brief:
T' Astron Alpha IV was a specially produced 40th Anniversary version o' t' Alpha III that had a red prismatic body tube, me bucko, black plastic nose cone and fin can, shiver me timbers, and special sticker decals.

Construction:
Like I said, this is basically a prettied up Alpha III released as a 40th Anniversary commemorative rocket. I came across mine when lookin' for a quick buildin' kit t' fly when visitin' me in-laws in February o' 2001. Avast! T' Alpha IV certainly fit t' bill. I be finished with it in less than an hour usin' wood glue and gel CA.

Since construction on this kit be mostly a matter o' constructin' a motor mount and matin' it with t' body tube and plastic fin can, thar really isn't much I can say. Avast! I used wood glue t' put t' motor mount together and gel CA to mate t' body tube and fin can. Since I was nay yet wise t' t' ways o' Keelhaul®©™®, I went with t' standard Estes folded shock cord mount. Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty!

Finishing:
With this rocket, finishin' is merely puttin' t' stickers in place. I did a nice job and I can honestly say that it was pretty easy.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight and Recovery:
T' first flight for this rocket was on a bright, sunlit day when t' daytime temps barely made it into t' teens and the winds pounded temps well below zero. Avast! It be so cold that all preppin' be done inside t' vehicles with t' engine runnin' and t' heater on high. Avast! T' give you an idea o' how rusty I was, arrr, ya bilge rat, matey, I had forgotten t' buy motors when I bought the rocket t' previous day. Arrr! Luckily Tony had a C6-7 that he had no plans for. Ya scallywag! T' rocket leapt off t' pad just as I remembered and managed a respectable height despite weathercockin' badly. With t' unreefed chute t' weathercock barely helped as t' rocket recovered in a neighborin' cornfield somewhere betwixt a 1/4 and a 1/2 mile away. Arrr! Ahoy! The recovery walk across t' frozen fields be bad, shiver me timbers, but with t' wind at me back it at least went quick. Avast, me proud beauty! T' walk back was miserable. Well, me hearties, blow me down! Needless t' say, me bucko, matey, I was frozen and made this me only launch o' t' day. Ya scallywag! Still, me bucko, it be well worth it and served t' allow t' bug t' bite again, arrr, this time much more deeply than previously. Avast! Begad!

T' second flight came at NARAM 43 in Geneseo, NY. Avast, me hearties, me proud beauty! With t' field bein' another o' t' extra large variety, shiver me timbers, me bucko, this flight be also on a C6-7. Ahoy! Avast! Once again I experienced windcocking, me hearties, me bucko, and once again it made no difference as t' recovery walk be again marathonesque, but at least this time I only had t' contend with August heat. Begad! (I'll take heat any day.) T' rocket recovered at t' edge o' t' cornfield, one o' several such flights that I logged over t' two days that we spent at our first NARAM.

Subsequent flights have all been by special request, me bucko, always after one o' t' kids who always seem t' be drawn by rocket activity at B6-4 Field spots t' unique body tube at t' bottom o' me small field box-o-rockets. Aye aye! While I find t' flights t' be somethin' o' a bore, t' kids never fail t' get excited and t' recovery stampede is always an adventure. Ahoy! Begad! One o' these days t' Alpha IV is goin' t' die t' death o' a warrior under t' feet of a half dozen 4th graders.

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
It's difficult t' find fault with t' Alpha IV due t' it bein' a more colorful version o' t' Alpha III, but t' one thin' I'd nick it for be t' fragile body tube. Begad! Avast, me proud beauty! While t' prismatic coverin' looks good, it begins t' unravel after only a few flights and never looks t' same once you start securin' it with tape. Arrr! T' Alpha IV is a competent performer, matey, me bucko, which is t' be expected from a design that has been around as long as this one.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5