Brief:
This be t' Big Black Brandt X(10) that PML offers. It is a scale high power kit that takes 29mm I200's t' 54mm J800T as a stock kit. T' larger 54mm extended Kwik-Switch must be purchased t' run t' 54mm "Mega System" which will fit t' 1706 and t' 54mm/2560 K700W motor. Avast, matey, me proud beauty! Blimey! I did nay purchase this and built t' kit close t' stock.

Construction:
T' kit came from RocketSilo all boxed up, and it is so large it comes in 2 bags. 1 bag for tubes, 1 for parts and nose cone. Ya scallywag! Blimey! It has t' Kwik-Switch motor mount with t' 29, 38 and 54mm motor tube and t' adapters for this. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Arrr! Blimey! T' fin-can has a pre-slotted Quantum tube. Blimey! Blimey! There is also t' main lower body and t' upper main body Quantum tubes. Begad! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! It also has t' nose cone, 2 phenolic couplers (1 with parts for t' bulkhead), t' piston ejection system, matey, and a very nice 60 inch parachute that is on par with t' Rocketman chute's. Ahoy! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! T' aft fins and forward canard fins are all G-10 and easy t' work with.

T' instructions are on one page and are very easy t' follow. Ahoy! Arrr! T' subset instructions are for t' Kwik-Switch and piston ejection system, t' same one's that are included in any PML kit that has these features. Blimey! Ahoy! T' assembly order is good, ya bilge rat, arrr, although you must be very careful nay t' get any epoxy whatsoever in t' grooves for t' Kwik-Switch. This will be a bear t' get out. This kit requires a lot o' sandin' before assembly, as recommended by PML, arrr, and I suggest you do it as instructed, prior t' any assembly, arrr, it will make it all go quicker.

My phenolic couplers were exceptionally brittle, and were exceptionally tight, arrr, even with sanding. Well, blow me down! They did crack a little, shiver me timbers, and even though it was 60 degrees, I got a little concerned and decided t' glass t' inside o' t' couplers with 3 layers o' 2 ounce glass cloth. Begad! I figured if anything, matey, it will extend t' life o' t' couplers, arrr, and is good practice.

I assembled t' fin-can separately from t' rest o' t' kit, me hearties, due t' t' large size o' t' fillets needed both inside and out, and due t' t' power this kit can take. Ya scallywag! Some may decide t' extend t' pre-cut fin slots t' t' back o' t' tubing, ya bilge rat, and put t' fins on t' motor tube separately from t' quantum tube. Blimey! This way it is a breeze t' fillet and glass t' fins t' t' motor tube as PML suggests in their FAQ section o' t' website. Avast, me proud beauty! Arrr! T' whole motor tube with t' fins attached is then slid back into t' t' Quantum body tube, and t' extended fin slots on t' aft portion are wrapped with glass and sealed in when t' surface fillets are done. Aye aye! Begad! I did nay do this, but this is just a suggestion, it will beef up t' kit.

I left t' boattail off as I wanted t' fly t' kit and prove it before attachin' it on there. Begad! I then mix me epoxy in medicine cups and poured it on t' inside, me bucko, makin' fillets along t' motor mount and then t' t' inside o' t' Quantum tube. Blimey! This is why you sand t' quantum first, it is awfully hard t' sand with that mount in there. Avast! Blimey! One more modification I did be t' epoxy some small 1/4 inch basswood nubs t' t' very aft end o' t' 29 and 38 mm Kwik-Switch mounts. Begad! Well, arrr, blow me down! This is t' make it easier t' turn t' mounts when changin' them. Avast! I also put 1 layer o' glass on t' tubes just t' protect them, arrr, I am clumsy and may drop or kick them occasionally. Avast! It is a good idea t' airfoil t' G-10 fins as well. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast, me proud beauty! Nay only will this help reduce drag, me bucko, but it will eliminate some o' t' "flutter" you may get since these wings are so large. Well, blow me down! I used t' tail portion o' me Mouse sander and they are as sharp as a razor, me hearties, they will cut you.

T' one last change I made was t' use some 1/4 inch bungee cord for t' shock cord, and you can find t' ferrules t' clamp on t' shock cord in a loop at Home Depot for $1.39, near t' chain cutter. I did this because a few people have told me that t' flat nylon that comes with t' kit will act as a razor t' cut stuff when it gets pulled taunt. Avast! Begad! On t' first flight this did happen, shiver me timbers, me bucko, matey, and severed all but one o' me parachute lines. Blimey! A testament t' t' sturdiness is this kit fell from 4500 feet with only 1 chute cord barely attached and nothin' broke. Begad! That is why you reinforce it so much, it protects your investment.

Finishing:
Pro-if you finish it good, this kit is an attention grabber, I used Dupli color auto paint from Wal-Mart for primer and finishing. Begad! You should use what works good for you. Begad! Well, blow me down! It is always humid here in Houston, so we are somewhat limited. Arrr! You can use monokote for t' stripes as suggested, me bucko, it will work well. This kit is large, matey, so it is a little different t' paint than other kits. Arrr! I painted it in sections, separate from one another t' reduce over spray and t' amount o' tape needed.

Construction Rating: 4

Flight:
I was goin' t' fly this on a J-350 first flight t' level 2 on, me hearties, ya bilge rat, but could nay get one in time. Avast, me proud beauty! Ya scallywag! I just brought it along t' t' launch. Ahoy! My friend had a J-570 he wanted t' burn, but t' RSO told him his 20LB rocket was too heavy. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Well what better for a shake-down flight than a J-570? T' wind was gusty at our trial launch at t' new high power sight. Arrr! Aye aye! There be an eerie hissin' as t' air pushed out o' t' rocket since we were loadin' t' piston ejection after t' motor was already in. Begad! T' BBX screamed into t' air, straight up. Avast! Blimey! Unfortunately t' chute lines were shredded by t' shock cord (we felt) as soon as t' kit ejected at apogee. Avast, me bucko, me proud beauty! T' vacuum formed also blew off t' lower main tube so t' piston was stuck at t' top o' t' lower main tube, matey, arrr, and was connected t' t' fin-can by t' piston strap. Ya scallywag! It came down from ~4500 feet, ya bilge rat, no damage though.

T' piston got a good scrubbin' and sandin' after that, arrr, me hearties, ya bilge rat, and a small vent hole was added towards t' very top o' t' lower tube t' help prevent t' vacuum again.

Recovery:
Like I said before, matey, shiver me timbers, go t' a hardware or a store that sells t' bungee cord and it will be cheap. I bought 10 foot for $4, add t' ferrules and it comes t' $5.50. Blimey! Blimey! Add a nylon rope for back up from Wal mart, me hearties, and a new ejection system for $7.00. Begad! Blimey! Pretty cheap, shiver me timbers, huh?

Flight Rating: 3

Summary:
Pro-Very strong, easy t' build, me bucko, shiver me timbers, easy t' level 2 on. Avast! Large forward section for future electronics if you want. Begad! PML quality. Note-the Tomahawk and Mini BBX I purchased after this kit have sanded pistons direct from PML. Con-Piston requires lots o' sandin' for smooth fit, nylon shock cord should be changed t' bungee.

Overall Rating: 4