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

Construction:
T' kit I built is an older style from about 1995. T' main differences betwixt this kit and t' current version is that t' mylar chute has been replaced by a plastic Estes-style chute, matey, shiver me timbers, and t' nose cone screw eye has been replaced by a hook cast into t' nose cone.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, matey, me bucko, plastic parabolic nose cone, shiver me timbers, die-cut balsa fins set (4), 18mm motor mount/rings, engine hook, lug, and 12" silver mylar parachute. Avast, me proud beauty! T' balsa fin stock is stiff, and very good quality.

This is a skill level one kit, ya bilge rat, and as such it's a pretty simple build. Well, blow me down! Avast, me proud beauty! T' instructions were clear and easy t' follow, matey, arrr, though nay quite as well illustrated as Estes' and Quest's skill level 1 kits. Well, blow me down! Aye aye! T' parts fit very well, and everythin' was very good quality. Ya scallywag! Bein' a bit obsessive/compulsive, I decided t' airfoil t' fins for peak performance. Begad! Even with that effort, shiver me timbers, total construction time was less than an hour. Arrr! Ya scallywag! 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, matey, and about 2-1/2 feet o' heavier elastic.

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

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
As expected on an introductory kit, arrr, this is a very stable flyer. Ahoy! Begad! I flew it runnin' up t' ladder startin' with A's, me hearties, finishin' with a C6-5. Avast! T' C6 took it out o' me sight range, though I picked it up on t' way down and successfully recovered without a problem. 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. Avast! Begad! 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, me hearties, and this one is me favorite. Begad! Nothin' fancy about t' design, me bucko, but a solid performer and one with good eye-appeal.

Overall Rating: 5 out o' 5