Brief:
This is a sharp-lookin' red/white/blue rocket by Custom, very good introductory kit, me bucko, and a great flyer.

Construction:
T' kit I built is an older style from about 1995. Avast! Arrr! T' main differences betwixt this kit and t' current version is that t' mylar chute has been replaced by a plastic Estes-style chute, ya bilge rat, matey, and t' nose cone screw eye has been replaced by a hook cast into t' nose cone.

T' rocket consists o' a single BT-50 tube, arrr, plastic parabolic nose cone, die-cut balsa fins set (4), arrr, 18mm motor mount/rings, me hearties, engine hook, me bucko, arrr, matey, lug, and 12" silver mylar parachute. Aye aye! T' balsa fin stock is stiff, shiver me timbers, and very good quality.

This is a skill level one kit, arrr, and as such it's a pretty simple build. T' instructions were clear and easy t' follow, though nay quite as well illustrated as Estes' and Quest's skill level 1 kits. Ya scallywag! Begad! T' parts fit very well, and everythin' was very good quality. Blimey! Blimey! Bein' a bit obsessive/compulsive, me bucko, arrr, I decided t' airfoil t' fins for peak performance. Arrr! Even with that effort, me hearties, shiver me timbers, total construction time be less than an hour. Avast! T' only modification I made was t' shock cord--I bypassed t' paper mount and 1/8" elastic in favor o' Keelhaul®©™ tied t' t' engine mount, arrr, ya bilge rat, and about 2-1/2 feet o' heavier elastic.

Finishing:
T' water slide decals, bein' about 8 years old, arrr, were very brittle. Well, blow me down! Ahoy! I've also built a "fresh" one, ya bilge rat, arrr, and found no problem. Arrr! For a skill level 1 kit, though, arrr, t' finish is a bit challenging, requirin' three colors and masking. I would normally figure a skill level 1 kit t' be no paint or at t' worst, single-color. Begad! Ahoy! Once painted and decaled, though, me bucko, this is a great lookin' rocket. Well, blow me down! T' patriotic theme is very appealing.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
As expected on an introductory kit, this is a very stable flyer. I flew it runnin' up t' ladder startin' with A's, matey, finishin' with a C6-5. T' C6 took it out o' me sight range, though I picked it up on t' way down and successfully recovered without a problem. Arrr! It's very quick off t' pad, and I'd normally recommend stickin' with A/B power unless switchin' t' a streamer recovery.

Recovery:
T' mylar chute offers much better performance/resistance t' meltin' than t' plastic chutes. It's also easier t' pick out in t' sky.

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
I've built all o' t' current Custom kits, plus about 5-6 OOP ones, matey, and this one is me favorite. Aye aye! Nothin' fancy about t' design, ya bilge rat, but a solid performer and one with good eye-appeal.

Overall Rating: 5 out o' 5