Brief:
T' Liberator is a complex jet fighter-like design single-stage low power rocket that's built (and weighs) like a tank. Ya scallywag! T' manufacturer rates it as skill level 3.

Construction:
T' kit contains:

• 18in BT-56 body tube (slightly larger than BT-55)
• Plastic nose cone with canopy bubble
• Laser cut balsa wood fins
• "Jet engine intake" wrap-around and fin reinforcement sheet
• Decal sheet
• Parachute plastic sheet (for 18" chute)
• Self-closin' plastic bag with launch lugs, me bucko, motor tube, me bucko, ya bilge rat, arrr, thrust ring, centerin' rings, matey, shroud line, parachute reinforcement rings, arrr, and elastic shock cord.
• Instruction manual

T' good news: My first impression when openin' t' bag be that t' parts appeared t' be o' great quality. Begad! I'd never built an LPR kit with laser cut fins and it's clear t' see why they're all t' rage. Aye aye! Blimey! (In fact, shiver me timbers, this was me first non-Estes LPR.) T' high quality o' t' balsa is worth notin' as well. Blimey! T' nose cone was made (and had t' weight o' a scaled down version) from t' same plastic used on mid and high power rockets. Ya scallywag! T' canopy for t' cockpit was part of t' nose cone. Ya scallywag! When dry fittin' t' parts, t' nose cone also fit snuggly--I can see why tubin' slight larger than BT-55 is used. It simply would nay fit in anythin' smaller. T' instruction manual appeared t' be very thorough. Well, blow me down! 7 pages (on 8.5"x11" paper) front and back showin' 26 steps (not including givin' t' rocket a swin' test, me hearties, me bucko, preparation, me hearties, me bucko, shiver me timbers, warrantee, me hearties, shiver me timbers, and Canada's model rocket safety code). T' be Canadian friendly, all steps were in English and French. Begad! Ya scallywag! This also be t' first rocket I'd ever built where I had t' assemble the parachute. T' plastic for t' chute is considerably thicker than any Estes chute I've ever seen.

T' bad news: Dry fittin' t' motor mount found all parts t' be rather loose fitting. Aye aye! Blimey! Aye aye! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! Slidin' t' beefy (for an LPR) centerin' rings into t' BT-56 was loose as well. All o' this is noted in t' instructions too. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! I didn't care for t' way outer edges were defined on t' cardstock template. Begad! Blimey! Instead of thin, sharply defined lines t' cut out, thar are areas o' gray shaded areas that define t' parts nay t' be used. As carefully as I cut t' pieces out, there was a slight inconsistency in part sizes (like for t' "top" fin). Ya scallywag! Blimey! Perhaps t' most disappointin' item be t' shock cord. It be merely a piece o' elastic. 30 inches o' quarter-inch 100% stretchy rubber. Aye aye! Blimey! No polyester. As determined as I was t' build this kit entirely stock, t' image o' t' nose cone and chute driftin' off as t' rest o' t' sustainer tube plummets t' the earth when t' shock cord burns through was somethin' I just couldn't get out of me head. Blimey! Blimey! I chose t' use 3ft o' 1/4" elastic from me supply box.

Construction be guided well by t' manual. Begad! First be t' motor mount. Another item o' note is that t' MMT uses a small threaded L-shaped piece of metal in place o' t' bent metal clip for motor retention. Ya scallywag! Once assembled, me hearties, you twist t' end over or away from t' MMT tube t' hold or remove t' motor, respectively. A different mousetrap, if you will.

Next be t' body wrap. Cut from t' cardstock, folded along marked lines, and initially tacked on t' t' body tube lengthwise. T' instructions do a good job t' recommend that enough time be given t' let t' glue dry after each step here. Arrr! T' wrap eventually goes around t' entire tube with parts flared out to create t' air intakes. Avast, me proud beauty! Despite me careful markin' o' t' tubes I managed to get t' cardstock attached slightly crooked...but again, me bucko, that was completely my own fault and wouldn't be enough t' detract from t' overall design and flight of T' Liberator. Arrr! Also I found that usin' a paperback book helped hold the cardstock in place while dryin' so that I could briefly attend t' other matters. And I was hopin' that t' cardstock would "heal" somewhat when t' glue dried. Arrr! T' paper used is a little sensitive t' t' moisture in white glue t' t' point o' bein' visible and slightly raised t' t' touch. Hopefully primer and sandin' will reduce or eliminate t' glue lines.

T' cardstock already has t' markings on it as t' where all t' fins should be placed. Blimey! Blimey! There are 6 pieces o' balsa that cover t' bottom o' the rocket and one fin on t' top. T' top fin has 2 other pieces o' cardstock glued onto each side t' aid in adhesion t' t' body tube. Avast! Ahoy! Blimey! These extra flaps do add weight and in me opinion detract from t' overall sleekness o' t' design but definitely gives extra rigidity t' t' fin and should prevent it from ever poppin' off on a hard impact. Avast! Blimey! Also, runnin' a bead o' glue along where t' fins come in contact with one another greatly increases rigidity and should eliminate any potential fin flutter.

T' rest o' t' construction is routine...glue on t' decorative pieces and launch lugs, arrr, glue in MMT, 3-fold shock cord mount, ya bilge rat, assemble parachute. Somethin' that will surprise those concerned with t' win' aerodynamics is that it's nay till step 24 that you are recommended t' round t' win' edges. Ahoy! Ahoy! I didn't bother with doin' that and left t' wings as is but I can see where you might accidentally round an edge (or part o' one) that shouldn't be... Blimey! Arrr! Still, I would think it much easier t' sand t' wings before they are glued onto the body tube.

Once assembled, me bucko, I liked t' plane-like look t' it. Arrr! T' wings provide enough sustainable lift I, arrr, in fact, was able t' get it t' glide quite a ways when throwin' it horizontally (across t' room onto a nearby bed or sofa). This bird is heavy though. Ahoy! Even with t' thick paint job on me stock Big Bertha, matey, me hearties, me bucko, the naked Liberator feels noticeably heavier.

On construction alone, I think skill level 3 is pretty accurate considering the complexity o' t' cardstock body wrap. Avast! Aye aye! It's definitely a technique that you won't see in many kits.

Finishing:
I didn't break out t' Elmer's Fill 'n' Finish because I wanted t' see how this high quality/density balsa directly reacted t' Krylon primer. Begad! Ahoy! T' body tube spirals are so light (especially when compared t' t' edge o' t' cardstock wrapped around t' body tube), I didn't bother fillin' them in either. Well, blow me down! Once primed, thar's a lot o' area t' sand for an LPR but it didn't take very long due t' t' quality materials. Begad! Care needs t' be taken on t' body wrap so as to not cause any unwanted dents or creases. Arrr! Also, t' nose cone is made of high-density polyethylene, shiver me timbers, which is an unusual material for an LPR. Take it from someone who has built MPRs & LPRs: rinse t' nose cone and then sand it with 250 or 320 grit sandpaper before you even think about puttin' on any paint. Ya scallywag! Otherwise t' paint will peel right off t' waxy surface. Arrr! Avast! A couple of coats o' primer and she be ready for final gloss coats.

I liked t' paint scheme on t' packagin' insert over t' camouflage scheme shown on t' website, but used gloss black instead o' red t' accent against the silver underside. Ahoy! I'm pretty pleased with t' results. There are self-adhesive decals--lots o' them--and t' kind that you also have t' cut out individually too. Begad! Ahoy! Sunward Aerospace is a Canadian company but they're nice enough to recognize t' customer base in t' US and UK. Included is a nice choice of flags, me hearties, logos, and symbols t' represent all 3 countries equally. Well, blow me down! Avast! T' decals provide an excellent finishin' touch t' t' rocket. Arrr! Ya scallywag! Lastly, shiver me timbers, I put an accent stripe around t' canopy bubble (since t' canopy and nosecone had both been painted black) with a new Sharpie metallic silver marker. Ya scallywag! I hope these pens become available in more colors...they offer a paint-like quality but with the fine detail and application o' a marker. Ya scallywag! Excellent for detail work.

And like I mentioned above, T' Liberator is HEAVY. Finished weight (sans motor) is 4.5oz! Blimey! I knew early on that this rocket was goin' t' be underpowered--even on a C6--based on weight alone. I don't have access t' one but me gut tells me that t' only way this bird is goin' t' achieve decent altitudes is for those brave souls with an AT D21. Aye aye! Aye aye! Blimey! Let see how she flies...

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
First flight recommendation is a B6-2. Aye aye! Avast, me proud beauty! Uh, ya bilge rat, me bucko, I don't think so. Aye aye! Seein' how me Big Bertha flies best on a C6-3 and weighs a full ounce LESS, I'm nay puttin' The Liberator up on anythin' else t' first time out. Ya scallywag! Begad! I felt t' shorter delay would be a good idea, me bucko, arrr, again, due t' t' weight.

I prepped it with a few pieces o' wadding, readied t' motor and put it up on t' pad. Ya scallywag! It be breezy day but I still aimed t' rod straight up. Begad! Ya scallywag! The Liberator had a slow but straight liftoff t' maybe 300ft before t' wind pushed it over into an upside down position (the belly o' t' plane facin' t' sun) where it ejected at apogee. Well, blow me down! I apparently didn't put in enough waddin' as all but 2 o' t' shroud lines burned through. Aye aye! Well, blow me down! T' body tube stayed horizontal the whole way down so t' broad wings and t' little drag provided by t' chute allowed it t' still land safely without damage.

T' wind had calmed slightly right before t' second flight (on t' same day). Avast! I borrowed an 18in Estes chute (with a 2in spill hole) from me Fat Boy and put in a couple more pieces o' wadding--I think I used 5 squares--than last time. Aye aye! Avast! Blimey! I also tried t' put T' Liberator on t' pad so that any wind would blow across the fins instead o' pushin' t' bottom o' t' rocket like a sail, as be the case on its maiden voyage. Avast! Blimey! This proved t' work quite well as I'd say t' second flight peaked closer t' 450ft (but still well short o' t' manufacturer's claimed 600ft). Ejection was right at apogee, only t' chute came out but didn't open. Begad! T' body tube again remained parallel t' t' ground durin' the entire descent until it landed on t' soft, me bucko, grassy field. Post-flight analysis revealed a couple o' scratches, ya bilge rat, a slightly dented decorative fin tube, shiver me timbers, an Estes-style dent in t' body tube from t' nose cone, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, and a poorly packed chute. Begad! User error was t' cause o' poor recovery this time.

I waited t' have t' third flight on a calmer day. Avast! Blimey! Well, at least on the ground anyway. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! Blimey! I discovered thar were some gentle high winds that The Liberator got caught up in but nay till it boosted nicely t' ~400ft. Avast! Blimey! T' nose just started t' rotate downward as t' chute deployed perfectly this time. Arrr! I was usin' an Estes 18in chute with a 2in spill hole cut in it so it descended quickly, touchin' down 200ft from t' pad. Arrr! Finally a completely successful flight! Blimey! My advice: only fly this rocket on calm days.

I didn't try T' Liberator with a longer delay than t' C6-3. Well, blow me down! Blimey! I bet with the couple extra seconds in a C6-5, me bucko, you might be able t' get a brief glide (as my pre-finishin' tests showed) before ejection. Begad! (I even wonder if it's possible to get this design t' have a complete glide recovery...?)

Recovery:
I obviously had a couple o' serious recovery problems with T' Liberator, arrr, both of which can be traced back t' operator error. However, ya bilge rat, given a calm day and when nothin' goes wrong, it recovers reasonably well if nay a little fast. For an LPR it does descend quickly, even on an 18in chute, so it shouldn't drift much for those folks flyin' this rocket on a small field.

I plan t' repair t' kit chute with Keelhaul®©™® shroud lines as t' plastic is a significantly higher grade than what comes with an Estes kit. Avast! Blimey!

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
This is a very attractive and durable kit but I'd have t' say that I'm nay sure if I'd fly it as regularly as other kits in me fleet, mostly because o' the risky recovery. Well, blow me down! Avast, me proud beauty! Anyone who is big into military/scale kits and/or someone lookin' for a new challenge in LPR buildin' might find T' Liberator a welcome addition t' their fleet. It's a real shame that this kit is limited t' only 18mm motors. Begad! With t' rugged construction and high quality parts, ya bilge rat, arrr, this rocket should be able t' handle t' motor mount and thrust o' at least a 24mm Estes D12... Ya scallywag! I mean it looks like a jet, so why nay have it take t' t' skies like a jet!

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5