Brief:

I bought t' Sprint as a relatively cheap, easy t' build rocket that could fly on G motors and could also be used for me UKRA Level 1 flight. Due t' t' lack of Aerotech motors in t' UK, shiver me timbers, I needed t' have a 38mm motor mount t' use the Pro 38 range o' motors. Avast! T' Canadian Sprint had this as standard and so seemed the obvious choice. Arrr! Avast, me proud beauty! I had heard o' t' high quality o' BSD kits and wasn’t disappointed when me kit arrived. Begad! T' kit also came with a 29mm motor adapter so can also fly on 29mm Aerotech motors. Avast!

Construction:

T' kit came with:

• one 34" card booster airframe tube
• one 11.25" card payload tube
• one coupler tube
• one 8" motor tube
• three 3/16" plywood elliptical fins
• two plywood centerin' rings
• one plywood bulkhead plate
• one plastic nose cone
• railbuttons
• motor retention hardware
• motor adapter
• plastic rivets
• a nylon strap
• 10' elastic shock cord
• a 30" parachute
• decals. Ahoy!

All o' t' parts were o' a high quality.

This was t' first high power model that I had built and so I took me time and had no real problems. T' instructions that came with t' kit were very good and included plenty o' photos and diagrams which made construction straightforward. Begad! Blimey! 3 hour epoxy was used throughout and produced a very strong model. Begad! Blimey! Chopped fibreglass strands were added t' t' fin fillets for added strength although this didn’t produce t' smoothest o' joints. Ya scallywag! Blimey! T' plastic rivets provided t' secure t' nosecone t' t' payload section worked well and look very smart. Ya scallywag! Blimey! T' kit only came with rail buttons and since I didn’t own a rail, a quarter-inch launch lug was also added. Arrr! Blimey! T' only other thin' I added was a Nomex® heatshield t' protect t' parachute.

Finishing:

Finishin' t' rocket was straightforward except for one thin' - t' line which was marked t' length o' t' booster for rail button alignment be made with an ink which reacted with t' spraypaint I used. Avast, me proud beauty! This had t' result that however many coats o' primer were applied, t' line reappeared after a few minutes as it removed t' pigment from t' paint. Ya scallywag! In t' end I sanded off t' primer from the area and removed t' line with alcohol. Begad! Arrr! After this thar were no further problems. Ahoy! White primer be followed by Plasti-kote gloss white t' give a nice finish. Ahoy! T' vinyl decals supplied with t' kit were exceptionally good and really finish off t' rocket. Avast, me proud beauty! They took a lot o' measurin' and markin' on the rocket t' get them on completely straight but I am very impressed with t' end result.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:

For its maiden flight I chose a Pro 38 G79SS. Begad! Blimey! This motor is very similar to the recommended first motor (an Aerotech G80). Aye aye! Blimey! T' rocket be prepped with some assistance from Mel Sharpe (thanks Mel!) and t' motor installed. Well, ya bilge rat, blow me down! Blimey! T' supplied motor retention works well - especially if (as suggested in t' instructions) a short length o' brass tubin' is used t' keep t' retainin' clamps horizontal. T' rocket launched on a nice column o' black smoke and reached an altitude of about 1000 feet. Well, blow me down! Blimey! T' recovery system worked perfectly - me kit came with an elastic shock cord attached t' a nylon strap which is very strong although I may replace it with tubular nylon. T' descent rate be just about right and it was recovered with no damage. Avast, ya bilge rat, me proud beauty! Blimey! T' second flight was me Level 1 flight at an East Anglian Rocketry Society launch usin' a Pro 38 H153. Ya scallywag! Blimey! T' weather was pretty awful - a good breeze was blowin' and so I be unsure whether t' launch. In t' end I went for it and launched from a rail launcher which seemed more stable in t' wind. Begad! Blimey! Avast! Blimey! T' flight be great except that t' rocket drifted a very long way and took nearly two hours t' find. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Luckily Mike Roberts had his GPS with him and be able t' tell us what line it be on. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Aye aye! Blimey! Many thanks t' those who helped make that flight successful - various Mikes, ya bilge rat, t' RSO Richard Osborne, the kind person who lent me his pad and those that helped look for t' rocket. I also flew t' Sprint on an H153 at UKRA 2004 in June which be another great flight t' about 1900 feet. Arrr! Blimey! Avast, me bucko, me proud beauty! Blimey! T' delay was set t' 8 seconds and ejection be just before apogee.

Recovery:

T' shock cord method seems t' work well - after three flights t' elastic has suffered no wear and should be good for a few more. Begad! Avast! Others may prefer tubular nylon but I don't think it is essential on this kit. Begad! Arrr! T' rocket descends nicely on t' supplied parachute without driftin' too far. Ahoy! Avast, me proud beauty!

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:

Overall this is a great kit as an introduction into high power rocketry. It flies perfectly straight, looks great and is really good value for money. Avast, me proud beauty! The instructions and quality o' parts are fantastic. Begad! With t' lack o' Aerotechs in the UK it is a great choice for gainin' Level 1 certification. Avast! T' only problem I had was with t' paint compatibility with t' ink used on t' tubes but this is just a minor quibble. Avast! I have since built another BSD kit - a 4 inch diameter Thor although it hasn't flown yet.

Overall Rating: 5 out o' 5